[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 9851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2695]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as Amended: Notice Regarding 
the 2004 and 2005 Annual Reviews

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 2005 to review certain practices in 
certain beneficiary developing countries to determine whether such 
countries are in compliance with the ATPA eligibility criteria. USTR 
published a list of responsive petitions that were accepted for review 
in a notice published on November 22, 2005 (70 FR 70652). This notice 
specifies the results of the preliminary review of those petitions as 
well as the status of the petitions filed in 2004 that have remained 
under review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bennett M. Harman, Deputy Assistant 
U.S. Trade Representative for Latin America, at (202) 395-9446.

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 (Public Law 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.
    USTR announced initiation of the 2005 ATPA Annual Review with a 
deadline of September 19, 2005 for the filing of petitions (70 FR 
48622). Several of these petitions that USTR received 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 notice dated November 22, 2005, USTR published a list of the 
responsive petitions filed pursuant to the announcement of the annual 
review (70 FR 70652). The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) has 
conducted a preliminary review of these petitions. It has determined 
that due to developments in the matter raised by Exxon Mobil, 
concerning Peru, that petition does not require further action, and the 
TPSC is terminating its review. With respect to the remaining 2005 
petitions, the TPSC is modifying the schedule for this review, in 
accordance with 15 CFR 2016.2(b). The results of this review will be 
announced on or about May 31, 2006.
    With respect to the 2004 petition submitted by Electrolux Home 
Products Inc. concerning Ecuador, the TPSC has determined that the 
petition does not require further action, and is terminating its 
review. The TPSC is modifying the date of the announcement of the 
results of preliminary review for the remaining 2004 petitions to May 
31, 2006. Following is the list of all petitions that remain under 
review:

Peru: Parsons Corporation;
Peru: Engelhard;
Peru: Princeton Dover;
Peru: LeTourenau;
Peru: Duke Energy;
Ecuador: AFL-CIO; Human Rights Watch; and US/LEAP;
Ecuador: Chevron Texaco.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E6-2695 Filed 2-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W6-P