[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3736-3737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1551]


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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 Mongolia 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 Mongolia for the GSP program.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the initiation of a review to consider 
the designation of Mongolia as a beneficiary developing country under 
the GSP program and solicits public comment relating to the designation 
criteria by April 2, 1999.

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.


[[Page 3737]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The government of Mongolia 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 Mongolia should be designated as a beneficiary 
developing country. A country may not be designated a GSP 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. 2462).
    Interested parties are invited to submit comments regarding the 
eligibility of Mongolia 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 Friday, April 2, 1999. Except for 
submissions granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 CFR 
2003.6 information and comments submitted regarding Mongolia 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. 99-1551 Filed 1-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M