02-29091. Federal Acquisition Regulation; Caribbean Basin Country End Products

AGENCIES:

Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to convert this FAR case from an interim rule to a final rule with changes. This interim rule amended the FAR to implement the determination of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to extend the treatment of certain end products, from countries designated by the President as beneficiaries under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as eligible products under the Trade Agreements Act, with the exception of end products from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Panama. It also implemented section 211 of the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act and the determination of the USTR as to which countries qualify for the enhanced trade benefits under that Act. However, on July 12, 2002, the USTR published a notice in the Federal Register to reinstate the treatment on Government procurement of products from Honduras. The determination to reinstate Honduras as published by the USTR has been incorporated in this final rule.

DATES:

Effective Date: November 22, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

The FAR Secretariat, Room 4035, GS Building, Washington, DC, 20405, [phone], for information pertaining to status or publication schedules. For clarification of content, contact Ms. Cecelia Davis, Procurement Analyst, at [phone]. Please cite FAC 2001-10, FAR case 2000-306.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

This rule amended the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the determination of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to extend the treatment of certain end products, from countries designated by the President as beneficiaries under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as eligible products under the Trade Agreements Act, with the exception of end products from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Panama. This rule also implemented section 211 of the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act and the determination of the USTR as to which countries qualify for the enhanced trade benefits under the Act.

DoD, GSA, and NASA published an interim rule in the Federal Register at 67 FR 6116, February 8, 2002, and no comments were received. However, on July 12, 2002 (67 FR 46239), the USTR published a notice in the Federal Register to reinstate the treatment on Government procurement of products from Honduras. The notice stated that products of Honduras shall be treated as eligible products for purposes of section 1-101 of Executive Order 12260. Such treatment shall not apply to products originating in Honduras that are excluded from duty-free treatment under 19 U.S.C. 2703(b). The determination to reinstate Honduras as published by the USTR has been incorporated in this case. The Councils have agreed to convert this FAR case from an interim rule to a final rule with changes.

This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not subject to review under section 6(b) of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration certify that this final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., because it only affects a limited number of products from a few Caribbean Basin countries. The Berry Amendment (formerly at 10 U.S.C. 2241, note, but recently codified at 10 U.S.C. 2533a) still prohibits the Department of Defense from buying most of the textile and apparel articles receiving duty-free treatment under this Act.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because the changes to the FAR do not impose information collection requirements that require the approval of the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 25 and 52

• Government procurement

Dated: November 12, 2002.

Al Matera,

Director, Acquisition Policy Division.

Interim Rule Adopted as Final With Changes

Accordingly, DoD, GSA, and NASA adopt the interim rule amending 48 CFR parts 25 and 52, which was published in the Federal Register at 67 FR 6116, February 8, 2002, as a final rule with the following changes:

1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 25 and 52 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 40 U.S.C. 486(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 137; and 42 U.S.C. 2473(c).

PART 25—FOREIGN ACQUISITION

25.003

[Amended]

2. Amend section 25.003 in the definition “Caribbean Basin country” by adding “Honduras,” after “Haiti,”.

25.400

[Amended]

3. Amend section 25.400 in paragraph (a)(2) by removing “, Honduras,”.

PART 52—SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES

52.225-5

[Amended]

4. Amend section 52.225-5 in the clause heading by removing “(Feb 2002)” and adding “(Nov 2002)” in its place; and in paragraph (a) in the definition “Caribbean Basin country”, by adding “Honduras,” after “Haiti,”.