[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 110 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-13941]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 9, 1994]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Public Comment: Possible Barriers to the Access for
U.S. Agricultural Products to the Korean Market
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of request for public comment concerning possible
barriers to the access for U.S. agricultural products to the Korean
market.
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SUMMARY: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking
public comment on problems exporters of U.S. agricultural products may
be having with respect to access to the Korean market. In particular,
USTR seeks comments with respect to 77 products covered by a 1989
Agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
DATES: Written comments from interested persons are due on or before
July 8, 1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Collins, Deputy Assistant USTR for Asia and the Pacific (202)
395-6813; Len Condon, Deputy Assistant USTR for Agricultural Affairs
(202) 395-5006; or Thomas Robertson, Assistant General Counsel (202)
395-6800, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Certain U.S. exporters of agricultural products have informed USTR
that their access to the Korean market has been limited by
unjustifiable regulatory barriers imposed by the Korean Government.
They claim that these regulatory barriers lack scientific basis and
have a discriminatory effect on U.S. agricultural products. In
particular, they point to what they consider to be inappropriate food
safety regulations (such as shelf life limitations that lack scientific
basis and unnecessarily burdensome ``self specification''
requirements); inappropriate human, animal, and plant health and safety
regulations; and customs misclassification problems. USTR requests all
interested persons to provide additional information concerning these
and other alleged barriers that may be imposed by the Korean
government.
In a 1989 exchange of letters, the governments of the Republic of
Korea and the United States agreed, among other things, that Korea
would liberalize import restrictions on 62 agricultural products,
implement tariff reductions for seven products, and subject eight
products to automatic import approval. The two governments also agreed
that these commitments would remain unimpaired by restrictions or
requirements directly or indirectly affecting importation of the
agricultural products. USTR therefore is particularly interested in any
restrictions or requirements directly or indirectly affecting
importation of the 77 products covered by the 1989 Agreement, each of
which is listed in the Annex to this notice.
Requirements for Submissions
Comments must be in writing, state clearly the information and
claims presented, filed with 20 copies by July 8, 1994, and addressed
to: Deputy General Counsel, Office of the United States Trade
Representative, room 223, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20506.
Interested persons may, upon advanced request, inspect at the USTR
public reading room any written submissions, except that confidential
business information will not be made available in this manner if: (1)
the person furnishing such information certifies in writing that such
information is business confidential, the disclosure of such
information would endanger trade secrets or profitability, and such
information is not generally available; and (2) the information
submitted is clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' in a contrasting
color ink at the top of each page on each copy, and shall be
accompanied by a nonconfidential summary of the confidential
information. USTR retains the right to deny confidential treatment of
information if such information is not entitled to protection under the
law. The public file will be available for inspection in the USTR
Reading Room, room 101, which is open to the public from 10 to 12 noon,
and from 1 pm to 4 pm, Monday thru Friday. An appointment to review the
file may be made by calling Brenda Webb at (202) 395-6186.
Irving Williamson,
Deputy General Counsel.
Annex
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HS. No. Product description
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0206.220000........................ Livers of bovine animals, frozen.
0206.300000........................ Edible offals of swine, fresh/
chilled.
0206.410000........................ Livers of swine, frozen.
0206.490000........................ Edible offals of swine (excluding
liver), frozen.
0206.800000........................ Other edible offal, fresh/chilled.
0206.900000........................ Other animal offal, frozen.
0207.100000........................ Poultry (ducks), not in pieces,
fresh/chilled.
0207.230000........................ Duck, whole, frozen.
0207.391000........................ Poultry cuts (duck), fresh/chilled.
0207.431000........................ Poultry cuts (duck), frozen.
0504.001000........................ Guts of animals.
0713.100000........................ Peas.
0713.200000........................ Chickpeas.
0713.330000........................ Kidney beans.
0713.390000........................ Other beans.
0713.400000........................ Lentils.
0713.500000........................ Broad beans.
0713.900000........................ Other dried leguminous vegetables.
0802.120000........................ Almonds, shelled.
0802.210000........................ Filberts, in shell.
0802.220000........................ Filberts, shelled.
0802.310000........................ Walnuts, in shell.
0802.320000........................ Walnuts, shelled.
0802.500000........................ Pistachios.
0802.909000........................ Pecans and macadamia nuts.
0804.400000........................ Avocados.
0806.200000........................ Raisins.
0807.100000........................ Melons.
0807.200000........................ Papayas.
0809.200000........................ Cherries, fresh.
0810.100000........................ Strawberries, fresh.
0810.400000........................ Cranberries, bilberries and other
fruits of the genus vaccinium,
fresh.
0810.909000........................ Kiwifruit, fresh.
1001.100000........................ Durum wheat.
1001.901000........................ Meslin wheat.
1001.909000........................ Other wheat.
1002.000000........................ Rye.
1004.000000........................ Oats.
1208.100000........................ Flour and meals of soybeans.
1214.100000........................ Alfalfa products.
1507.100000........................ Soybean oil, crude.
1507.901000........................ Soybean oil, refined.
1507.909000........................ Soybean oil, other.
1512.111000........................ Sunflower seed oil, crude.
1512.191010........................ Sunflower seed oil, refined.
1515.210000........................ Corn oil, crude.
1515.290000........................ Corn oil, other.
1601.001000........................ Sausages.
1602.311000........................ Canned turkey.
1602.391000........................ Canned poultry.
1602.411000........................ Canned pork.
2007.100000........................ Homogenized preparations.
2007.911000........................ Jams, fruit jellies and marmalades
of citrus.
2007.991000........................ Jams, fruit jellies and marmalades
of other.
2007.999000........................ Puree and pastes of other.
2008.111000........................ Peanut butter.
2008.200000........................ Pineapple, in airtight containers.
2008.400000........................ Pears, prepared/preserved.
2008.700000........................ Peaches, in airtight containers.
2009.500000........................ Tomato juice.
2106.109000........................ Other protein concentrates and
textured protein substances (over
48% protein content).
2106.909010........................ Coffee creamer.
2106.909090ex...................... Popcorn.
2301.102000........................ Greaves.
2302.100000........................ Corn gluten feed.
2304.000000........................ Soybean cake.
2309.100000........................ Dog and cat food.
2309.901010........................ Mixed feed for pigs.
2309.901030........................ Mixed feeds for fish.
2309.901090........................ Mixed animal feeds, other.
2309.903020........................ Feed additives (chiefly on the
basis of vitamins).
2309.903030........................ Feed additives (chiefly on the
basis of micro minerals).
3502.100000........................ Egg albumin.
3504.002030........................ Protein isolates.
4410.100000........................ Wood particleboard.
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[FR Doc. 94-13941 Filed 6-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M
