[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 135 (Thursday, July 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42492-42493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16021]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Notice of Effective Date

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of effective date for goods of Mexico for certain 
modifications of the NAFTA Rules of Origin.

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SUMMARY: In Proclamation 7641 of January 17, 2003, the President 
modified the rules of origin under the North American Free Trade 
Agreement (the ``NAFTA'') incorporated in the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States (the ``HTS''). The modifications were 
made effective with respect to goods of Canada that are entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2003. 
The proclamation stated that the modifications with respect to goods of 
Mexico would be effective on or after a date to be announced in the 
Federal Register by the USTR. The purpose of this notice is to announce 
that the effective date for the modifications for goods of Mexico is 
July 15, 2004. The changes were printed in the Federal Register of 
January 23, 2003, Volume 68, Number 15, pages 3163-3167 and are 
reflected in the HTS for 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please 
contact Kent Shigetomi, USTR, (202) 395-3412, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Presidential Proclamation 6641 of December 
15, 1993 implemented the North American Free Trade Agreement (the 
``NAFTA'') with respect to the United States and, pursuant to the North 
American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the ``NAFTA 
Implementation Act''), incorporated in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States (the ``HTS'') the tariff modifications and rules 
of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the NAFTA. Section 202 
of the NAFTA Implementation Act provides rules for

[[Page 42493]]

determining whether goods imported into the United States originate in 
the territory of a NAFTA party and thus are eligible for the tariff and 
other treatment contemplated under the NAFTA. Section 202(q) of the 
NAFTA Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3332(q)) authorizes the President 
to proclaim, as a part of the HTS, the rules of origin set out in the 
NAFTA and to proclaim modifications to such previously proclaimed rules 
of origin, subject to the consultation and layover requirements of 
section 103(a) of the NAFTA Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3313(a)).
    The President determined that the modifications to the HTS 
contained in Proclamation 7641 pursuant to sections 201 and 202 of the 
NAFTA Implementation Act, were appropriate and proclaimed such changes 
with respect to goods of Canada on January 17, 2003. The modifications 
were made effective with respect to goods of Canada that are entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 
2003. For goods of Mexico, the President decided that the effective 
date of the modifications shall be determined by the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR).
    On April 29, 2004, the government of Mexico obtained the necessary 
authorization to implement the rule of origin changes with respect to 
qualifying goods entering from the United States. Subsequently, 
officials from the government of Mexico and the government of the 
United States agreed to implement these changes with respect to each 
other's eligible goods, effective July 15, 2004.

Regina K. Vargo,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Office of the Americas.
[FR Doc. 04-16021 Filed 7-14-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W4-P