95-17484. Identification of Priority Practices; Request for Public Comment

[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 18, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36836-36837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17484]



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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Identification of Priority Practices; Request for Public Comment

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for written submissions from the public on practices 
that should be considered with respect to the identification of 
priority practices pursuant to section 310 of the Trade Act of 1974, as 
amended (Super 301).

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SUMMARY: Section 310 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Trade Act) 
(19 U.S.C. 2420), requires the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR) to review United States trade expansion priorities and to 
identify priority foreign country practices, the elimination of which 
is likely to have the most significant potential to increase United 
States exports, either directly or through the establishment of a 
beneficial precedent. USTR is requesting written submissions from the 
public concerning foreign countries' practices that should be 
considered by the USTR for this purpose.

DATES: Submissions must be received on or before 12:00 noon on Friday, 
August 4, 1995.


[[Page 36837]]

ADDRESSES: Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th 
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Irving Williamson, Deputy General Counsel, Office of the United States 
Trade Representative, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 314(f) of the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act amended section 310(a) of the Trade Act to require the 
USTR, within 180 days of the submission in calendar year 1995 of the 
National Trade Estimate (NTE) report, to review United States trade 
expansion priorities and identify foreign country practices, the 
elimination of which is likely to have the most significant potential 
to increase United States exports, either directly or through the 
establishment of a beneficial precedent. A report on the review and the 
practices identified must be submitted to the Committee on Finance of 
the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives, and published in the Federal Register. In addition, 
the USTR must initiate investigations under section 302(b)(1) of the 
Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2412(b)(1)), no later than 21 days after 
submission of the report, with respect to all of the foreign country 
practices so identified. The USTR may also cite in the report practices 
that may warrant identification in the future or that were not 
identified because they are already being addressed and progress is 
being made toward their elimination.

Requirements for Submissions

    The USTR invites submissions on foreign country practices that 
should be considered for identification pursuant to section 310 of the 
Trade Act. Submissions should indicate whether the foreign policy or 
practice at issue was identified in the 1995 NTE report published on 
March 31, 1995 by USTR (U.S. Government Printing Office: 1995-392-760/
30253), and if so, should cite the page number(s) where it appears in 
the NTE and provide any additional information considered relevant. If 
the foreign practice was not identified in the NTE Report, submissions 
should (1) include information on the nature and significance of the 
foreign practice; (2) identify the United States product, service, 
intellectual property right, or foreign direct investment matter which 
is affected by the foreign practice; and (3) provide any other 
information considered relevant. Such information may include 
information on the trade agreements to which a foreign country is a 
party, and its compliance with those agreements; the medium- and long-
term implications of foreign government procurement plans; and the 
international competitive position and export potential of United 
States products and services. Because submissions will be placed in a 
public file, open to the public inspection at USTR, business-
confidential information should not be submitted.
    Interested persons must provide twenty copies of any submission to 
Sybia Harrison, Staff Assistant to the Section 301 Committee, Room 222, 
600 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20508, by no later than 12:00 
noon on Friday, August 4, 1995.

Public Inspection of Submissions

    Within one business day of receipt, submissions will be placed in a 
public file, open for inspection at the USTR Reading Room, in Room 101, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, D.C. An appointment to review the file may be made by 
calling Brenda Webb, [phone]. The USTR Reading Room is open to 
the public from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 
p.m., Monday through Friday.
Irving A. Williamson,
Chairman, Section 301 Committee.
[FR Doc. 95-17484 Filed 7-17-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M