[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 132 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 37393-37394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17789]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 132 / Monday, July 12, 1999 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 37393]]
Memorandum of July 7, 1999
Action Under Section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974
Concerning Lamb Meat
Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury, the
Secretary of Agriculture, the United States Trade
Representative, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, [and] the Director of the
National Economic Council
On April 5, 1999, the United States International Trade
Commission (USITC) submitted a report to me that
contained: (1) a determination pursuant to section 202
of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the ``Trade
Act''), that imports of lamb meat are being imported
into the United States in such increased quantities as
to be a substantial cause of threat of serious injury
to the domestic lamb meat industry; and (2) negative
findings made pursuant to section 311(a) of the North
American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the
``NAFTA Implementation Act'') with respect to imports
of lamb meat from Canada and Mexico.
After considering all relevant aspects of the
investigation, including the factors set forth in
section 203(a)(2) of the Trade Act, I have implemented
actions of a type described in section 203(a)(3). I
have determined that the most appropriate action is a
tariff-rate quota on imports of lamb meat with an
increase in currently scheduled rates of duties for
imports within and above the tariff-rate quota level. I
have proclaimed such action for a period of 3 years and
1 day in order to facilitate efforts by the domestic
industry to make a positive adjustment to import
competition.
Specifically, I have established a tariff-rate quota
for lamb meat in an amount equal to 31,851,151 kg. in
the first year (July 22, 1999, through July 21, 2000),
an amount that is equal to imports of lamb meat during
calendar year 1998. The tariff-rate quota amount will
increase by 857,342 kg. annually in the second and
third years of relief. I have also established
individual country allocations for product imported
from Australia, New Zealand, and an ``other country''
category within the tariff-rate quota, which reflect
the actual shares of each country in calendar year
1998. I have established increased rates of duty for
imports within the tariff-rate quota amount: namely 9
percent ad valorem for imports in the first year of
relief; 6 percent ad valorem for imports in the second
year; and 3 percent ad valorem for imports in the third
year. I have established increased rates of duty for
imports above the tariff-rate quota levels: namely, 40
percent ad valorem in the first year of relief, 32
percent ad valorem in the second year, and 24 percent
ad valorem in the third year.
I have also determined that implementation of
adjustment assistance measures based on authorized
programs of the Department of Agriculture will
facilitate efforts by the domestic lamb meat industry
to make a positive adjustment to import competition. In
this regard, I instruct the United States Trade
Representative (the USTR), the Secretary of Agriculture
(the Secretary), the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, and the Director of the National
Economic Council, in consultation with the U.S.
industry, to transmit to me a set of substantial
adjustment assistance measures that would improve the
competitiveness of the U.S. industry and facilitate
efforts by the industry to adjust to import
competition.
[[Page 37394]]
I further determine, pursuant to section 312(a) of the
NAFTA Implementation Act, that imports of lamb meat
produced in Canada and Mexico do not account for a
substantial share of total imports of lamb meat and are
not contributing importantly to the threat of serious
injury. Therefore, pursuant to section 312(b) of the
NAFTA Implementation Act, the safeguard measure will
not apply to imports of lamb meat, whether fresh/
chilled or frozen, that are the product of Canada or
Mexico. Similarly, the safeguard measure will not apply
to imports of lamb meat that are the product of Israel,
beneficiary countries under the Caribbean Basin
Economic Recovery Act or the Andean Trade Preference
Act, or other developing countries that have accounted
for a minor share of lamb meat imports.
I have determined that the actions described above will
facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a
positive adjustment to import competition and provide
greater economic and social benefits than costs. These
actions will provide the domestic industry with
necessary temporary relief from increasing import
competition as well as assistance from existing U.S.
Government programs, while also assuring our trading
partners continued access to the United States market.
The over-quota tariff rates I have established will
provide substantial certainty to the domestic lamb
industry regarding import levels.
Pursuant to section 204 of the Trade Act, the USITC
will monitor developments with respect to the domestic
industry, including the progress and specific efforts
made by workers and firms to make a positive adjustment
to import competition. The USITC will provide to me and
to the Congress a report on the results of its
monitoring no later than the date that is the mid-point
of the period during which the action I have taken
under section 203 of the Trade Act is in effect. In
this regard, I instruct the USTR, in consultation with
the Secretary, and the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget to transmit to the USITC no later
than 30 days from today a list of benchmarks that the
USTR recommends that the USITC use in connection with
its monitoring and in preparing its report. These
benchmarks are to be focused on industry efforts to
adjust to import competition and on price trends for
domestic and imported lamb meat.
The United States Trade Representative is authorized
and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal
Register.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington, July 7, 1999.
[FR Doc. 99-17789
Filed 7-9-99; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3190-01-M
