[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 58 (Monday, March 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16515-16517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7521]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); Intellectual Property 
Rights; Deadline for Submitting Public Comments on the Suspension of 
Ukraine, in Whole or in Part, From Eligibility as a GSP Beneficiary 
Country

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

ACTION: Request for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DATES: Final date for comments is April 25, 2001.
SUMMARY: This notice informs the public that the U.S. Government is 
considering whether to suspend, in whole or in part, duty-free 
treatment accorded to imports from Ukraine under the U.S. GSP program 
on the ground that Ukraine has not taken sufficient steps to protect 
intellectual property rights and sets forth the deadline for submitting 
comments on products that could be affected.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United 
States Trade Representative, USTR Annex, 1724 ``F'' Street, NW., Room 
F220, Washington, DC 20508 (Tel. 202/395-6971). Public versions of all 
documents relating to this review are available for public inspection 
by appointment in the USTR public reading room (Tel. 202/395-6186).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP program is authorized pursuant to 
Title V of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (``the Trade Act'') (19 
U.S.C. 2461 et seq.). The GSP program grants duty-free treatment to 
designated eligible articles that are imported from designated 
beneficiary developing countries. Once granted, GSP benefits may be 
withdrawn, suspended or limited by the President with respect to any 
article or with respect to any country. In making this determination, 
the President must consider several factors, one of which is the extent 
to which a beneficiary country is providing adequate and effective 
protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) (19 U.S.C. 
2462(c)(5)). Ukraine is a beneficiary of the GSP. In 2000, over $40 
million of Ukraine's exports to the United States benefited from GSP. 
The Annex to this Notice lists products currently being imported under 
GSP from Ukraine.

I. Suspension of GSP Benefits for Ukraine

    In June 1999, the International Intellectual Property Alliance 
filed a petition for remedial action under the GSP program alleging 
that Ukraine had failed to provide adequate and effective copyright 
protection and enforcement to U.S. copyright owners. The petition dealt 
primarily with the massive production and export of unauthorized 
compact discs (CDs) in Ukraine, which began after similar operations in 
Bulgaria were closed in 1999. For over two years the U.S. Government 
has been urging the Ukrainian Government to close down unauthorized CD 
production facilities and enact legislation to adequately protect 
copyrights. The Ukraine Government to date has been unwilling to 
curtail the activities of these unauthorized facilities. Ukraine has 
now been designated a ``Priority Country'' under the ``special 301'' 
provision of the Trade Act. The separate GSP review of Ukraine has been 
ongoing since 1999. In light of the ``Priority Country'' designation, 
the U.S. Government is now considering the suspension of Ukraine's GSP 
benefits.

A. Opportunity for Public Comment

    This notice solicits public comments on whether it is appropriate 
to suspend GSP benefits for Ukraine as well as the effect such 
suspension would have on Ukraine's exports to the United States. All 
written comments should be addressed to: GSP Subcommittee, Office of 
the U.S. Trade Representative, Annex, 1724 F Street, NW., Room 217, 
Washington, DC 20508. All submissions must be in English and should 
conform

[[Page 16516]]

to the information requirements of 15 CFR 2007. A party must provide 
fourteen copies of its comments which must be received by the Chairman 
of the GSP Subcommittee no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, 
2001. Comments received after the deadline will not be accepted.
    Information submitted will be subject to public inspection by 
appointment with the staff of the USTR public reading room, except for 
information submitted in confidence pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.7. If the 
document contains business confidential information, an original and 
fourteen (14) copies of a public version of the submission along with 
an original and fourteen (14) copies of the confidential version must 
be submitted. In addition, any document containing confidential 
information should be clearly marked ``confidential'' at the top and 
bottom of each page of the document. The version that does not contain 
confidential information (the public version) should also be clearly 
marked at the top and bottom of every page (either ``public version'' 
or ``nonconfidential'').

Jon Rosenbaum,
Assistant USTR for Trade and Development.

BILLING CODE 3190-01-M

[[Page 16517]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN26MR01.005

[FR Doc. 01-7521 Filed 3-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-C