[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65700-65702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27093]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the
2010 Annual Product Review: Acceptance of Product Petitions
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
received petitions in connection with the 2010 GSP Annual Review to
modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment
under the GSP program (``2010 GSP Annual Product Review''). This notice
announces the petitions accepted for review and sets the date of the
public hearing and schedule for submitting comments on the petitions,
requests to participate in the public hearing, pre-hearing and post-
hearing briefs, and comments on the U.S. International Trade
Commission's (USITC) report on probable economic effects. The petitions
accepted for review are listed below. More information on these
petitions can
[[Page 65701]]
be found at: http://www.ustr.gov/node/6058 and at http://
www.regulations.gov, Docket Number USTR-2010-0017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tameka Cooper, GSP Program, Office of
the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-6971, the fax
number is (202) 395-9674, and the e-mail address is [email protected].
DATES: The GSP regulations (15 CFR Part 2007) provide the schedule of
dates for conducting an annual review unless otherwise specified in a
notice published in the Federal Register. The schedule for the 2010 GSP
Annual Product Review is set forth below. Notice of any other changes
will be published in the Federal Register.
November 18, 2010--Due date for submission of pre-hearing briefs
and requests to appear at the GSP Subcommittee Public Hearing on all
product petitions accepted for the 2010 GSP Annual Product Review.
November 30, 2010--GSP Subcommittee Public Hearing on all product
petitions accepted for the 2010 GSP Annual Product Review, to be held
in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F St., NW., Washington, DC 20508, beginning at
9:30 a.m.
December 13, 2010--Due date for submission of product petition
post-hearing briefs.
February 2011--The USITC is scheduled to issue a confidential
report to USTR providing advice on the potential impacts on U.S.
industry and consumers based on the product petitions accepted in the
2010 GSP Annual Product Review. USTR has directed USITC to then publish
a public version of that report as soon as possible. Comments on that
public version are due 10 calendar days after the date of USITC's
publication of that version.
June 30, 2011--Modifications to the list of articles eligible for
duty-free treatment under the GSP resulting from the 2010 Annual Review
will be announced on or about June 30, 2011, in the Federal Register,
and any changes will take effect on the effective date announced.
Notification of any changes to this date will be published in the
Federal Register.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP program provides for the duty-free
importation of designated articles when imported from designated
beneficiary developing countries. The GSP program is authorized by
Title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.), as amended
(the ``1974 Act''), and is implemented in accordance with Executive
Order 11888 of November 24, 1975, as modified by subsequent Executive
Orders and Presidential Proclamations.
Petitions Requesting Modifications of Product Eligibility
In a notice published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2010 (75
FR 41274), USTR announced that the deadline for the filing of product
petitions, other than those requesting waivers of ``competitive need
limitations'' (CNLs), for the 2010 GSP Annual Review was August 3,
2010. The deadline for the filing of product petitions requesting
waivers of the CNLs was announced to be November 16, 2010.
The product petitions that were received in response to this notice
requested modifications to the list of GSP-eligible products by adding
new products for eligibility from all GSP beneficiaries, or by removing
products from eligibility when imported from all or from specific GSP-
eligible countries. The interagency GSP Subcommittee of the Trade
Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) has reviewed the product petitions, and
the TPSC has decided to accept for review the following product
petitions:
(1) A petition submitted by Exxel Outdoors, Inc., of Haleyville,
Alabama for withdrawal from GSP eligibility of certain types of
sleeping bags (9404.30.80 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (HTS)); and
(2) A petition submitted by the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council of
Naperville, Illinois, and others, for withdrawal from GSP eligibility,
from Indonesia only, of two types of self-adhesive plastic tape (HTS
3919.10.20 and 3919.10.50).
More information on these two petitions can be found in ``List of
Petitions Accepted in the 2010 GSP Annual Product Review'' posted on
the USTR Web site (http://www.ustr.gov/node/6058) and available on
Regulations.gov docket number USTR-2010-0017. That list sets forth, for
each type of change requested: the case number, the HTS subheading
number(s), a brief description of the product (see the HTS available on
the U.S. International Trade Commission Web site http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/ for an authoritative description), and the petitioner for
each petition included in this review. Acceptance of a petition for
review does not indicate any opinion with respect to the disposition on
the merits of the petition. Acceptance indicates only that the listed
petitions have been found eligible for review by the TPSC and that such
review will take place.
The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC invites interested persons to
testify at the public hearing, based on receipt of requests to testify,
and comments in support of or in opposition to any petition which has
been accepted for the 2010 GSP Annual Product Review. Submissions
should comply with 15 CFR part 2007, except as modified below. All
submissions should identify the subject article(s) in terms of the case
number and eight-digit HTS subheading number, if applicable, as shown
in the ``List of Petitions Accepted in the 2010 GSP Product Annual
Review'' referenced above.
Requirements for Submissions
Submissions in response to this notice (including requests to
testify, written comments, and pre-hearing briefs) must be submitted
electronically by 5 p.m., Thursday, November 18, 2010, or by 5 p.m.,
Monday, December 13, 2010 (post-hearing briefs and statements only)
using http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2010-0017.
Instructions for submitting business confidential versions are provided
below. Hand-delivered submissions will not be accepted. Submissions
must be submitted in the English language to the Chairman of the GSP
Subcommittee, Trade Policy Staff Committee, by the applicable deadlines
set forth in this notice.
To make a submission using http://www.regulations.gov, enter docket
number USTR-2010-0017 on the home page in the ``Enter keyword or ID''
field on the right side of the screen. The site will provide a search-
results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Locate
the reference to this notice by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document
Type''. In the results table below, click on the ``Send a Comment''
balloon that corresponds to this notice. Follow the instructions given
on the screen to submit the comment. The http://www.regulations.gov
website offers the option of providing comments by filling in a ``Type
Comment'' field or by attaching a document. While both options are
acceptable, USTR prefers submissions in the form of an attachment.
Comments must be in the English language, with the total submission
not to exceed 30 single-spaced, standard letter-size pages in 12-point
type, including attachments. Any data attachments to the submission
should be included in the same file as the submission itself, and not
as separate files.
[[Page 65702]]
Any person or party making a submission is strongly advised to
review the GSP regulations and GSP Guidebook (both of which are
available at: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/gsp-program-inf)
Business Confidential Submissions
A person requesting that information contained in a comment
submitted by that person be treated as confidential business
information must certify that such information is business confidential
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter.
Confidential business information must be clearly designated as such,
the submission must be marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and
bottom of the cover page and each succeeding page, and the submission
should indicate, via brackets, the specific information that is
confidential. Additionally, ``Business Confidential'' must be included
in the ``Type Comment & Upload File'' field. Submit your Business
Confidential version as a separate document from the public version.
Anyone submitting a comment containing business confidential
information must also submit as a separate submission a non-
confidential version of the confidential submission, indicating where
confidential information has been redacted. The non-confidential
version will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection.
Notice of Public Hearing
A hearing will be held by the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC on
Tuesday, November 30, 2010, for product petitions accepted for the 2010
GSP Annual Review (i.e., for product petitions other than those
requesting CNL waivers) beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Office of the
U.S. Trade Representative, Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F St., NW., Washington,
DC 20508. The hearing will be open to the public, and a transcript of
the hearing will be made available for public inspection or can be
purchased from the reporting company. No electronic media coverage will
be allowed.
All interested parties wishing to make an oral presentation at the
hearing must submit, consistent with the ``Requirements for
Submissions'' set out above, the name, address, telephone number,
facsimile number, and e-mail address (if available), of the witness(es)
representing their organization to William Jackson, Chair of the GSP
Subcommittee, by 5 p.m., Thursday, November 18, 2010. Requests to
present oral testimony in connection with the public hearing must be
accompanied by a written brief or statement, in the English language,
and also must be received by 5 p.m., Thursday, November 18, 2010. Oral
testimony before the GSP Subcommittee will be limited to five-minute
presentations that summarize or supplement information contained in
briefs or statements submitted for the record. Post-hearing briefs or
statements will be accepted if they conform with the regulations cited
above and are submitted, in the English language, by 5 p.m., Monday,
December 13, 2010, consistent with the ``Requirements for Submissions''
set out above. Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearing may
submit pre-hearing briefs or statements, in the English language, by 5
p.m., November 18, 2010, and post-hearing written briefs or statements,
in the English language, by 5 p.m., December 13, 2010, also in
accordance with the ``Requirements for Submissions'' set out above.
Receipt of Advice From the USITC
With respect to the petitions for removal included in the ``List of
Product Petitions Accepted in the 2010 GSP Annual Review,'' and in
accordance with authority delegated to the U.S. Trade Representative by
the President, the U.S. Trade Representative has requested, pursuant to
section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, that the USITC provide its
advice on the probable economic effect of such removals on U.S.
industries producing like or directly competitive articles and on total
U.S. imports and U.S. consumers. Comments by interested persons on the
USITC Report prepared as part of the product review (other than those
requesting CNL waivers) should be submitted to USTR by 5 p.m., 10
calendar days after the date of USITC publication of the public version
of its report.
William D. Jackson,
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Generalized System
of Preferences, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2010-27093 Filed 10-25-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P