[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 114 (Friday, June 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32397-32398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15623]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Identification of Priority Foreign Country Practices; Request 
from Public Comment

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for written submissions from the public.

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SUMMARY: Executive Order 12901 of March 3, 1994, as amended by 
Executive Order 12973 of September 27, 1995 (as did the ``Super 301'' 
procedures in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988), 
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 
country practices that should be considered by the USTR for this 
purpose.

DATES: Submissions must be received on or before 12:00 noon on 
Thursday, July 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: 600 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Questions concerning the filing of submissions should be directed to 
Sybia Harrison, Staff Assistant to Section 301 Committee, (202) 395-
3432; legal questions regarding the executive order and its 
implementation should be addressed to Irving Williamson, Deputy General 
Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative, (202) 395-
2432.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By Executive Order 12901 of March 3, 1994 
(59 FR 10727), the President ordered USTR to identify trade expansion 
priorities for calendar years 1994 and 1995, given that the 
identification provisions of section 310 of the Trade Act of 1974 
(commonly referred to as ``Super 301'') were then no longer in effect. 
By Executive Order 12973 of September 17, 1995, the President extended 
this identification process to calendar years 1996 and 1997 (60 FR 
51665). Section 1 of E.O. 12901, as amended by E.O. 12973, requires the 
USTR, no later than September 30, 1996, and September 30, 1997, to 
review United States trade expansion priorities and 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. 
A report on 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. 
Section 2 of E.O. 12091 requires the Trade Representative to initiate 
investigations under section 302(b)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 
U.S.C. 2412(b)(1), no later than 21 days after submission of the 
report, with respect to all of the priority 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 under E.O. 12901. Submissions 
should indicate whether the foreign policy or practice at issue was 
identified in the 1997 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade 
Barriers (NTE Report) published by the Office of the USTR on March 31, 
1997 (U.S. Government Printing Office, ISBN 0-16-049024-3), and if so, 
should cite the page number(s) where it appears in the NTE and provide 
any additional information considered relevant. (A copy of the NTE 
Report is maintained in the USTR Reading Room and also can be located 
at USTR's Internet Home Page address, which is: http://www.ustr.gov.) 
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

[[Page 32398]]

international competitive position and export potential of United 
States products and services. Because submissions will be placed in a 
public file, open to 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, no later than 12:00 noon 
on Thursday, July 10, 1997.

Public Inspection of Submissions

    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, (202) 395-6186. The 
USTR Reading Room is open to the public from 9:30 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. 97-15623 Filed 6-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M