[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