[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 58638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16421]


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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. In a 
November 22, 2005 notice, USTR published a list of responsive petitions 
that were accepted for review. In a February 27, 2006 notice, USTR 
specified 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. This notice provides an update on the status of those 
reviews.

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.
    In a Federal Register notice dated August 18, 2005, USTR initiated 
the 2005 ATPA Annual Review and announced a deadline of September 19, 
2005 for the filing of petitions (69 FR 51138). 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 22, 2005, USTR 
published a list of the responsive petitions filed pursuant to the 
announcement of the annual review (69 FR 65674). In a Federal Register 
notice dated February 27, 2006, USTR announced the results of the 
preliminary review by the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) of these 
petitions. The notice also indicated that the TPSC would continue to 
review the remaining 2004 petitions. The TPSC has now determined that 
the issues raised in the petition filed by LeTourneau of Peru, Inc. 
with respect to Peru have been resolved. Therefore, that petition does 
not require further action, and the TPSC is terminating its review.
    With respect to the remaining petitions, the TPSC is modifying the 
schedule for this review, in accordance with 15 CFR 2016.2(b). This 
review will continue through December 31, 2006, which is the period 
that the ATPDEA is in effect. Following is the list of all petitions 
that remain under review:
    Peru: Engelhard;
    Peru: Princeton Dover;
    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. E6-16421 Filed 10-3-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W6-P