[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 250 (Friday, December 27, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68294-68295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33014]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation 332-376]
Advice Concerning the Addition of Certain Pharmaceutical Products
and Chemical Intermediates to the Pharmaceutical Appendix to the HTS
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution of investigation.
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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 20, 1996.
SUMMARY: Following receipt on December 18, 1996, of a request from the
United States Trade Representative, the Commission instituted
investigation No. 332-376, Advice Concerning the Addition of Certain
Pharmaceutical Products and Chemical Intermediates to the
Pharmaceutical Appendix to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States, under section 115 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19
U.S.C. 3524) and section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
1332(g)).
As requested by the USTR, the Commission will provide: (1) A
summary description of the products contained in the existing
Pharmaceutical Appendix and the modifications to be made to that
Appendix; (2) an explanation of the relationship of the ``zero-for-
zero'' initiative, including the Pharmaceutical Appendix, to the HTS;
and (3) estimates of current U.S. imports and, where possible, U.S.
exports, of the products included in the existing Pharmaceutical
Appendix and the proposed additions to the Appendix, based on product
groupings as necessary. The Commission will submit its report to the
USTR by January 17, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information on general aspects of the
study may be obtained from Elizabeth Nesbitt, Office of Industries
(202-205-3355) or, on legal aspects, from William Gearhart, Office of
the General Counsel (202-205-3091). The media should contact Margaret
O'Laughlin, Office of Public Affairs (202-205-1819). Hearing impaired
individuals are advised that information on this matter can be obtained
by contacting the TDD terminal on (202-205-1810). A copy of the Federal
Register notice announcing the institution of this investigation and
the annex listing the products under consideration can be downloaded
from the Commission's Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov or ftp://
ftp.usitc.gov) or may be obtained by contacting the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20436, or at 202-205-1802.
BACKGROUND: During the Uruguay Round, the United States and 16 other
major trading countries agreed to the reciprocal elimination of duties
on approximately 7,000 pharmaceutical products and chemical
intermediates (the latter are to be used primarily for the production
of pharmaceuticals), and their derivatives, resulting in the ``zero-
for-zero'' initiative in pharmaceuticals. Effective January 1, 1995,
U.S. imports of these products, as enumerated in the Pharmaceutical
Appendix to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS),
now enter free of duty under general note 13 to the tariff schedule.
The 17 countries also agreed to conduct a review, at least once every 3
years, to identify products to be added to the Pharmaceutical Appendix.
Negotiators from several countries, including the United States, have
recently been engaged in the first review and have reached agreement on
the addition of 496 pharmaceutical products and chemical intermediates.
Addition to the list would provide duty-free treatment to these
products and their derivatives.
According to the request letter from the USTR, a coalition of
pharmaceutical companies from several WTO members (which the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
coordinated) submitted the initial list of candidates for addition to
the existing Appendix to the pharmaceutical agreement. Moreover, the
letter states that USTR consulted with the Administration's Industry
Sector Advisory Committee-3 (ISAC-3; chemicals) throughout the
negotiations and that this ISAC has endorsed the final list of items
under consideration.
Section 111(b) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (the Act)
authorizes the President, subject to the consultation and layover
requirements of section 115 of the Act, to proclaim duty-free treatment
under the ``zero-for-zero'' initiative for additional pharmaceutical
products to be added, such as those now under consideration. One of the
requirements set out in section 115 is that the President obtain advice
regarding the proposed action from the United States International
Trade Commission.
Issued: December 20, 1996.
[[Page 68295]]
By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-33014 Filed 12-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
