[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 65 (Monday, April 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 17729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7639]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as Amended: Notice Regarding 
the 2003 Annual Review

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
received petitions in September 2003 to review certain practices in 
certain beneficiary developing countries to determine whether such 
countries are in compliance with the ATPA eligibility criteria. This 
notice specifies the date of announcement of the results of the 
preliminary review of those petitions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bennett M. Harman, Deputy Assistant 
U.S. Trade Representative for Latin America, Office of the Americas, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th St., NW., 
Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-9446, and the 
facsimile is (202) 395-9675.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ATPA (19 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.), as 
renewed and amended by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication 
Act of 2002 (ATPDEA) in the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210), 
provides trade benefits for eligible Andean countries. Pursuant to 
section 3103(d) of the ATPDEA, USTR promulgated regulations (15 CFR 
part 2016) (68 FR 43922) regarding the review of eligibility of 
countries for the benefits of the ATPA, as amended.
    In a Federal Register notice dated August 14, 2003, USTR initiated 
the 2003 ATPA Annual Review and announced a deadline of September 15, 
2003 for the filing of petitions (68 FR 48657). Several of these 
petitions requested the review of certain practices in certain 
beneficiary developing countries regarding compliance with the 
eligibility criteria set forth in sections 203(c) and (d) and section 
204(b)(6)(B) of the ATPA, as amended (19 U.S.C. 3203 (c) and (d); 19 
U.S.C. 3203(b)(6)(B)).
    In a Federal Register notice dated November 13, 2003, USTR 
published a list of the responsive petitions filed pursuant to the 
announcement of the annual review. The Trade Policy Staff Committee 
(TPSC) is conducting a preliminary review of these petitions. 15 CFR 
2016.2(b) provides for announcement of the results of the preliminary 
review on or about December 1. 15 CFR 2016.2(b) also provides for 
modification of the schedule if specified by Federal Register notice. 
In a Federal Register notice dated December 30, 2003, USTR modified the 
schedule for this review, specifying that the results would be 
announced on or about March 31, 2004. In light of progress being made 
with respect to the matters addressed by the petitions, this notice 
further modifies the date for the announcement of the results of the 
preliminary review to May 15, 2004. The results of the preliminary 
review will be published in the Federal Register on or about that date.

Bennett M. Harman,
Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Latin America.
[FR Doc. 04-7639 Filed 4-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P