[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11607-11614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5648]



[[Page 11607]]

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

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the 
2001 and 2002 Annual Reviews

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
received petitions in 2001 and 2002 to modify the list of products that 
are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program, and to 
modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary developing countries 
because of country practices. This notice announces the combined 
product petitions from both 2001 and 2002 that are accepted for review 
in the 2002 GSP Annual Review, and sets forth the schedule for comment 
and public hearing on these petitions, for requesting participation in 
the hearing, and for submitting pre-hearing and post-hearing briefs. 
The list of country practice petitions accepted for review will be 
announced in the Federal Register at a later date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Contact the GSP Subcommittee of the 
Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, 1724 F Street, NW., Room F-220, Washington, DC 20508. 
The telephone number is (202) 395-6971 and the facsimile number is 
(202) 395-9481.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP provides for the duty-free 
importation of designated articles when imported from designated 
beneficiary developing countries. The GSP is authorized by title V of 
the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.), as amended (the ``1974 
Act''), and is implemented in accordance with Executive Order 11888 of 
November 24, 1975, as modified by subsequent Executive Orders and 
Presidential Proclamations.
    In a Federal Register notice dated April 13, 2001, USTR initiated 
the 2001 GSP Annual Review and announced a deadline of June 13, 2001, 
for the filing of petitions (66 FR 19278). In a Federal Register notice 
dated November 1, 2002, USTR initiated the 2002 GSP Annual Review and 
announced a deadline of December 2, 2002, for the filing of petitions 
(67 FR 66699). The product petitions received requested changes in the 
eligibility of products by adding or removing products, or by waiving 
the ``competitive need limitations'' (CNLs) for a country for eligible 
articles. Authorization for granting CNL waivers is set forth in 
section 503(d) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)).
    The GSP program expired on October 1, 2001, and was not 
reauthorized until August 6, 2002. Consequently, the announcement of 
which petitions were to be accepted for the 2001 Annual GSP Review was 
not made, except for the announcement in the August 28, 2002 Federal 
Register of those petitions accepted for the Special Three Country 
Review for Argentina, the Philippines and Turkey. The outstanding 2001 
petitions have been merged into the 2002 GSP Annual Review.
    The interagency GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff 
Committee (TPSC) has reviewed the product petitions, and the TPSC has 
decided to initiate a full review of 47 of them. Annex II to this 
notice sets forth the case number, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTS) subheading number, brief description of the product 
(see the HTS for an authoritative description available on the U.S. 
International Trade Commission (USITC) Web site http://www.usitc.gov/taffairs.htm), the change requested, and the petitioner for each 
petition included in this review. Acceptance of a petition for review 
does not indicate any opinion with respect to disposition on the merits 
of the petition. Acceptance indicates only that the listed petitions 
have been found eligible for review by the TPSC and that such review 
will take place.
    Modifications to the list of articles eligible for duty-free 
treatment under the GSP resulting from the 2002 Annual Review will be 
announced on or about June 30, 2003, in the Federal Register, and any 
changes will take effect on the effective date to be announced.

Opportunities for Public Comment and Inspection of Comments

    The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC invites comments in support of or 
in opposition to any petition which is included in this Annual Review. 
Submissions should comply with 15 CFR part 2007, including sections 
2007.0 and 2007.1, except as modified below. All submissions should 
identify the subject article(s) in terms of the case number and HTS 
subheading number as shown in Annex II. The GSP regulations (15 CFR 
part 2007) provide the schedule of dates for conducting an annual 
review unless otherwise specified in a Federal Register notice. The 
revised schedule for public comment and hearings is contained in Annex 
I.

Requirements for Submissions

    In order to facilitate prompt processing of submissions, USTR 
strongly urges and prefers electronic e-mail submissions in response to 
this notice. Hand delivered submissions will not be accepted. These 
submissions should be single copy transmissions in English with the 
total submission not to exceed 50 single-spaced pages. E-mail 
submissions should use the following subject line: ``2002 GSP Annual 
Review'' followed by the Case Number and HTS subheading number found in 
the Annex II (for example, 2002-47 9405.50.40) and, as appropriate 
``Written Comments'', ``Notice of Intent to Testify'', ``Pre-hearing 
brief'', ``Post-hearing brief'' or ``Comments on USITC Advice''. (For 
example, an e-mail subject line might read ``2002-47 9405.50.40 Written 
Comments''.) Documents, in English, must be submitted as either 
WordPerfect (.WPD), MSWord (.DOC) , or text (.TXT) files. Documents 
should not be submitted as electronic image files or contain imbedded 
images (for example, ``.JPG'', ``PDF'', ``.BMP'', or ``.GIF'') as these 
type files are generally excessively large. E-mail submissions 
containing such files may not be accepted. Supporting documentation 
submitted as spreadsheets are acceptable as Quattro Pro or Excel 
suitable for printing only on 8\1/2\ x 11 inch paper. To the extent 
possible, any data attachments to the submission should be included in 
the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate files.
    If the submission contains business confidential information, a 
non-confidential version of the submission must also be submitted that 
indicates where confidential information was redacted by inserting 
asterisks where material was deleted. In addition, the confidential 
submission must be clearly marked ``Business Confidential'' at the top 
and bottom of each and every page of the document. The public version 
which does not contain business confidential information must also be 
clearly marked at the top and bottom of each and every page (either 
``Public Version'' or ``Non-Confidential'').
    For any document containing business confidential information 
submitted as an electronic attached file to an e-mail transmission, the 
file name of the business confidential version should begin with the 
characters ``BC-'', and the file name of the public version should 
begin with the characters ``P-''. The ``P-'' or ``BC-'' should be 
followed by the name of the party (government, company, union, 
association, etc.) which is making the submission. E-mail submissions 
should not include separate cover letters or messages in the message 
area of the e-mail; information that might appear in any cover letter 
should be included directly in the attached file containing the 
submission

[[Page 11608]]

itself. The e-mail address for these submissions is [email protected]. 
Documents not submitted in accordance with these instructions might not 
be considered in this review.
    Information submitted will be subject to public inspection shortly 
after the relevant due dates by appointment with the staff of the USTR 
public reading room, except for information submitted that is granted 
``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6 and other 
qualifying information submitted in confidence pursuant to 15 CFR 
2007.7. Public versions of all documents relating to this review will 
be available for review after the relevant due date by appointment in 
the USTR public reading room, 1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC. 
Appointments may be made from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, by calling (202) 395-6186.

Notice of Public Hearings

    Hearings will be held by the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC on April 
10 and 11, 2003, beginning at 10 a.m. at the U.S. International Trade 
Commission, Main Hearing Room, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20436. 
The hearings will be open to the public and a transcript of the 
hearings will be made available for public inspection or can be 
purchased from the reporting company. No electronic media coverage will 
be allowed.
    All interested parties wishing to make an oral presentation at the 
hearings must submit the name, address, telephone number, and facsimile 
number and email address, if available, of the witness(es) representing 
their organization to the Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee by 5 p.m., 
March 24, 2003. Requests to present oral testimony in connection with 
the public hearings must be accompanied by a written brief or 
statement, in English, and also must be received by 5 p.m., March 24, 
2003. Oral testimony before the GSP Subcommittee will be limited to 
five-minute presentations that summarize or supplement information 
contained in briefs or statements submitted for the record. Post-
hearing briefs or statements will be accepted if they conform with the 
regulations cited above and are submitted, in English, by 5 p.m., April 
28, 2003. Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearings may 
submit post-hearing written briefs or statements, in English, by 5 
p.m., April 28, 2003.
    In accordance with sections 503(a)(1)(A), 503(e) and 131(a) of the 
1974 Act and authority delegated by the President, the U.S. Trade 
Representative has requested that the USITC, pursuant to section 332(g) 
of the Tariff Act of 1930, provide its advice with respect to the 
probable economic effect on United States industries producing like or 
directly competitive articles and on consumers of the elimination of 
U.S. import duties for all beneficiary developing countries, and, with 
respect to certain articles, the effect of the elimination of United 
States import duties for least-developed beneficiary developing 
countries. Comments by interested persons on the USITC Report prepared 
as part of the product review should be submitted by 5 p.m., June 9, 
2003.

Steven Falken,
Executive Director for GSP, Chairman, GSP Subcommittee of the Trade 
Policy Staff Committee.
BILLING CODE 3901-01-P

[[Page 11609]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN11MR03.000


[[Page 11610]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN11MR03.001


[[Page 11611]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN11MR03.002


[[Page 11612]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN11MR03.003


[[Page 11613]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN11MR03.004


[[Page 11614]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN11MR03.005

[FR Doc. 03-5648 Filed 3-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3901-01-C