[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 10422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5430]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); Initiation of a Review 
To Consider the Designation of State of Eritrea as a Beneficiary 
Developing Country Under the GSP; Solicitation of Public Comments 
Relating to the Designation Criteria

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation of public comment with respect to the 
eligibility of the State of Eritrea for the GSP program.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the initiation of a review to consider 
the designation of the State of Eritrea as a beneficiary developing 
country under the GSP program and solicits public comment relating to 
the designation criteria by March 31, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 
17th Street, N.W., Room 518, Washington, D.C. 20508. The telephone 
number is (202) 395-6971.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The government of the State of Eritrea has 
requested that it be granted eligibility for beneficiary status under 
the GSP program. The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) has initiated 
a review to determine if Eritrea should be designated as a beneficiary 
developing country under the GSP program. A country may not be 
designated a beneficiary developing country, absent a finding that such 
designation would be in the economic interests of the United States, if 
any one of several elements are found, including: the participation by 
the country in a commodity cartel that causes serious disruption to the 
world economy; the provision by the country of preferential treatment 
to products of other developed countries which has a significant 
adverse effect on U.S. commerce; the expropriation by the country of 
U.S.-owned property without compensation; a failure by the country to 
enforce arbitral awards in favor of U.S. persons; the support by the 
country of international terrorism; or a failure by the country to take 
steps to protect internationally recognized worker rights. Other 
factors taken into account in determining whether a country will be 
designated a beneficiary developing country include: the extent to 
which the country has assured the United States that it will provide 
market access for U.S. goods; the extent to which the country has taken 
action to reduce trade-distorting investment practices and policies; 
and the extent to which the country is providing adequate and effective 
protection of intellectual property rights. The criteria for 
designation are set forth in full in section 502 of the Trade Act of 
1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461 et. seq.).
    Interested parties are invited to submit comments regarding the 
eligibility of Eritrea for designation as a GSP beneficiary developing 
country. Submission of comments must be made in English in 14 copies to 
the Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee, Trade Policy Staff Committee, and 
be received in Room 518 at 600 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 
20508, no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 1998. Except for 
submissions granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 CFR 
2003.6, information and comments submitted regarding Eritrea will be 
subject to public inspection by appointment with the staff of the USTR 
Public Reading Room. For an appointment, please call Ms. Brenda Webb at 
202/395-6186. If the document contains business confidential 
information, 14 copies of a nonconfidential version of the submission 
along with 14 copies of the confidential version must be submitted. In 
addition, the submission should be clearly marked ``confidential'' at 
the top and bottom of each page of the document. The version which does 
not contain business confidential information (the public version) 
should also be clearly marked at the top and bottom of each page 
(either ``public version'' or ``non-confidential'').
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 98-5430 Filed 3-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M