[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11613-11615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5933]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. USTR-2008-0036]


Delay in Modification of Action Taken in Connection With WTO 
Dispute Settlement Proceedings on the European Communities' Ban on 
Imports of U.S. Beef and Beef Products

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and modification of action.

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SUMMARY: On January 15, 2009, the United States Trade Representative 
(`Trade Representative') announced modifications (`January 15 
modifications') to the action taken in July 1999 in connection with the 
World Trade Organization (``WTO'') authorization to the United States 
in the EC-Beef Hormones dispute to suspend concessions and related 
obligations with respect to the European Communities (``EC''). See 74 
FR 4265 (Jan. 23, 2009). The January 15 modifications had an effective 
date of March 23, 2009. In order to allow additional time to reach 
agreement with the EC on an interim solution that would provide 
benefits to the U.S. beef industry, the Trade Representative has 
decided to delay for one month (until April 23, 2009) the effective 
date of the additional duties imposed under the January 15 
modifications. The effective date of the removal of duties under the 
January 15 modifications will remain March 23, 2009.
    Effective Date: As set out in Annex I to this notice, the removal 
of duties on items deleted from the product list under the January 15 
modifications shall be effective with respect to products that are 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 
23, 2009. As set out in Annex II to this notice, the additional duties 
under the January 15 modifications shall be effective with respect to 
products that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption 
on or after April 23, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Wentzel, Director, Agricultural 
Affairs, (202) 395-6127 or David Weiner, Director for the European 
Union, (202) 395-4620 for questions concerning the EC-Beef Hormones 
dispute; or William Busis, Associate General Counsel and Chair of the 
Section 301 Committee, (202) 395-3150, for questions concerning 
procedures under Section 301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For background concerning the EC-Beef 
Hormones WTO dispute and the January 15 modifications, see 74 FR 4265 
(Jan. 23, 2009).
    In the January 15 modifications, the Trade Representative decided: 
(1) To remove some products from the list of products currently subject 
to 100 percent ad valorem duties; (2) to impose 100 percent ad valorem 
duties on some new products from certain EC member States; (3) to 
modify the coverage with respect to particular EC member States; and 
(4) to raise the level of duties on one of the products that is being 
maintained on the product list.
    Pursuant to Section 305 of the Trade Act of 1974, the Trade 
Representative

[[Page 11614]]

has determined that a one-month delay (until April 23, 2009) in 
implementation of certain elements of the January 15 modifications 
would be desirable to obtain a satisfactory solution with respect to 
the EC's ban on U.S. beef. The elements to be delayed are: (i) The 
imposition of increased duties on additional products, (ii) the 
application to products of additional EC member States of the increased 
duties on currently covered products, and (iii) the increase in the 
level of duties on one of the products that is being maintained on the 
product list. The Trade Representative has not delayed the March 23, 
2009 effective date of the removal of duties under the January 15 
modifications.
    As set out in Annex I to this notice, the removal of duties on 
items deleted from the product list under the January 15 modifications 
shall be effective with respect to products that are entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 23, 2009. 
Any merchandise covered under Part D of Annex I that is admitted to a 
U.S. foreign-trade zone on or after March 23, 2009 must be admitted in 
``privileged foreign status''as defined in 19 CFR 146.41. As set out in 
Annex II to this notice, the full January 15 modifications, including 
the additional duties under those modifications, shall be effective 
with respect to products that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, 
for consumption on or after April 23, 2009. Any merchandise covered 
under Part B of Annex II that is admitted to a U.S. foreign-trade zone 
on or after April 23, 2009 must be admitted in ``privileged foreign 
status'' as defined in 19 CFR 146.41. Questions concerning customs 
matters may be directed to Renee Chovanec, International Coordination, 
Office of International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 202-
863-6384.
    The Annexes to this notice supercede and replace in full the Annex 
to the earlier notice published at 74 FR 4265 (Jan. 23, 2009), which 
initially put in place the January 15 modifications.

William Busis,
Chair, Section 301 Committee.

Annex I

    A. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after March 23, 2009, subchapter III 
of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS) is modified by deleting the following HTS subheadings: 
9903.02.31, 9903.02.33, 9903.02.35, 9903.02.36, 9903.02.37, 9903.02.38, 
and 9903.02.47.
    B. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after March 23, 2009, subchapter III 
of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS) is modified by deleting HTS subheading 9903.02.39 and the 
superior text thereto.
    C. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after March 23, 2009, subchapter III 
of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS) is modified by deleting HTS subheadings 9903.02.40, 9903.02.41, 
and 9903.02.42 and the superior text thereto.
    D. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after March 23, 2009, the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) is modified by adding in 
numerical sequence the following superior text and subheading to 
subchapter III of chapter 99 to the HTS. The superior text and 
subheading are set forth in columnar format, and material in such 
columns is inserted in the columns of the HTS designated ``Heading/
Subheading'', ``Article Description'', and ``Rates of Duty 1-General'', 
respectively:

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9903.02.83....................  ``Articles the product
                                 of Austria or France:
                                   Juice of any other             100%''
                                    single fruit, not
                                    elsewhere specified
                                    or included, not
                                    fortified with
                                    vitamins or
                                    minerals,
                                    unfermented and not
                                    containing added
                                    spirit, whether or
                                    not containing added
                                    sugar or other
                                    sweetening matter
                                    (provided for in
                                    subheading
                                    2009.80.60).
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Annex II

    A. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after April 23, 2009, subchapter III 
of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTS) is modified by deleting the following HTS subheadings and the 
superior text thereto: 9903.02.21, 9903.02.22, 9903.02.23, 9903.02.24, 
9903.02.25, 9903.02.26, 9903.02.27, 9903.02.28, 9903.02.29, 9903.02.30, 
9903.02.32, 9903.02.34, 9903.02.43, 9903.02.44, 9903.02.45, 9903.02.46, 
and 9903.02.83.
    B. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse for consumption, on or after April 23, 2009, the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) is modified by adding in 
numerical sequence the following superior text and subheadings to 
subchapter III of chapter 99 to the HTS. The superior text and 
subheadings are set forth in columnar format, and material in such 
columns is inserted in the columns of the HTS designated ``Heading/
Subheading'', ``Article Description'', and ``Rates of Duty 1--
General'', respectively:

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                             ``Articles the product of
                              Austria, Belgium,
                              Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech
                              Republic, Denmark,
                              Estonia, Finland, France,
                              Germany, Greece, Hungary,
                              Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
                              Lithuania, Luxembourg,
                              Malta, the Netherlands,
                              Poland, Portugal, Romania,
                              Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
                              or Sweden:
9903.02.48.................  Meat of bovine animals,
                              fresh or chilled (provided
                              for in heading 0201):
                                Articles of subheading              100%
                                 0201.10.05, 0201.10.10,
                                 0201.20.02, 0201.20.04,
                                 0201.20.06, 0201.20.10,
                                 0201.20.30, 0201.20.50,
                                 0201.30.02, 0201.30.04,
                                 0201.30.06, 0201.30.10,
                                 0201.30.30 or
                                 0201.30.50.
9903.02.49.................     Articles of subheading              100%
                                 0201.10.50, 0201.20.80
                                 or 0201.30.80.
9903.02.50.................  Meat of bovine animals,
                              frozen (provided for in
                              heading 0202):
                                Articles of subheading              100%
                                 0202.10.05, 0202.10.10,
                                 0202.20.02, 0202.20.04,
                                 0202.20.06, 0202.20.10,
                                 0202.20.30, 0202.20.50,
                                 0202.30.02, 0202.30.04,
                                 0202.30.06, 0202.30.10,
                                 0202.30.30 or
                                 0202.30.50.
9903.02.51.................     Articles of subheading              100%
                                 0202.10.50, 0202.20.80
                                 or 0202.30.80.
9903.02.52.................  Meat of swine, fresh or                100%
                              chilled (provided for in
                              subheading 0203.11,
                              0203.12 or 0203.19).
9903.02.53.................  Carcasses and half-                    100%
                              carcasses of swine, frozen
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 0203.21).
9903.02.54.................  Hams, shoulders, and cuts              100%
                              thereof, with bone in, of
                              swine, frozen (provided
                              for in subheading 0203.22).
9903.02.55.................  Processed meat of swine,               100%
                              frozen, other than
                              carcasses and half-
                              carcasses of swine and
                              other than hams,
                              shoulders, and cuts
                              thereof, with bone in
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 0203.29.20).
9903.02.56.................  Edible offal of bovine                 100%
                              animals, fresh or chilled
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 0206.10).

[[Page 11615]]

 
9903.02.57.................  Edible offal of bovine                 100%
                              animals, frozen (provided
                              for in subheading 0206.21,
                              0206.22 or 0206.29).
9903.02.58.................  Meat and edible offal, of              100%
                              the poultry of heading
                              0105, fresh, chilled or
                              frozen (provided for in
                              heading 0207).
9903.02.59.................  Hams, shoulders, and cuts              100%
                              thereof, with bone in, of
                              swine, salted, in brine,
                              dried or smoked (provided
                              for in subheading 0210.11).
9903.02.60.................  Meat of bovine animals,                100%
                              salted, in brine, dried or
                              smoked (provided for in
                              subheading 0210.20).
9903.02.61.................  Meat of poultry of heading             100%
                              0105, salted, in brine,
                              dried or smoked (provided
                              for in subheading
                              0210.99.20).
9903.02.62.................  Roquefort cheese (provided             300%
                              for in subheading
                              0406.40.20 and 0406.40.40).
9903.02.63.................  Foliage, branches and other            100%
                              parts of plants, without
                              flowers or flower buds,
                              and grasses, being goods
                              of a kind suitable for
                              bouquets or for ornamental
                              purposes, fresh, dried or
                              bleached (provided for in
                              subheading 0604.91 or
                              0604.99.30).
9903.02.64.................  Truffles, fresh or chilled             100%
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 0709.59.10).
9903.02.65.................  Rolled or flaked grains of             100%
                              oats (provided for in
                              subheading 1104.12).
9903.02.66.................  Grains of oats, hulled,                100%
                              pearled, sliced, kibbled
                              or otherwise worked, not
                              elsewhere specified or
                              included (provided for in
                              subheading 1104.22).
9903.02.67.................  Sausages and similar                   100%
                              products of beef, and food
                              preparations based on
                              these products, in
                              airtight containers
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 1601.00.40).
9903.02.68.................  Other prepared or preserved            100%
                              meat, meat offal or blood,
                              of liver of any animal
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 1602.20).
9903.02.69.................  Other prepared or preserved            100%
                              meat, meat offal or blood,
                              of poultry of heading 0105
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 1602.31,
                              1602.32, 1602.39).
9903.02.70.................  Other prepared or preserved            100%
                              meat, meat offal or blood,
                              of bovine animals
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 1602.50).
9903.02.71.................  Chewing gum, whether or not            100%
                              sugar-coated, not
                              containing cocoa (provided
                              for in subheading 1704.10).
9903.02.72.................  Chocolate and other food               100%
                              preparations containing
                              cocoa, in blocks, slabs or
                              bars, filled, weighing 2
                              kg or less each (provided
                              for in subheading 1806.31).
9903.02.73.................  Lingonberry and raspberry              100%
                              jams (provided for in
                              subheading 2007.99.05).
9903.02.74.................  Pears, otherwise prepared              100%
                              or preserved, whether or
                              not containing added sugar
                              or other sweetening matter
                              or spirit, not elsewhere
                              specified or included
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 2008.40).
9903.02.75.................  Peaches, excluding                     100%
                              nectarines, otherwise
                              prepared or preserved,
                              whether or not containing
                              added sugar or other
                              sweetening matter or
                              spirit, not elsewhere
                              specified or included
                              (provided for in
                              subheading 2008.70.20).
9903.02.76.................  Articles the product of
                              Finland, France, Ireland,
                              the Netherlands or Sweden:
                                Meat of swine, frozen,              100%
                                 not processed, other
                                 than carcasses and half-
                                 carcasses of swine and
                                 other than hams,
                                 shoulders, and cuts
                                 thereof, with bone in
                                 (provided for in
                                 subheading 0203.29.40).
9903.02.77.................  Articles the product of
                              France:
                                Chestnuts (Castanea                 100%
                                 spp.), fresh or dried,
                                 whether or not shelled
                                 or peeled (provided for
                                 in subheading 0802.40).
9903.02.78.................     Wool grease (other than             100%
                                 crude wool grease) and
                                 fatty substances
                                 derived from wool
                                 grease (including
                                 lanolin) (provided for
                                 in subheading
                                 1505.00.90).
9903.02.79.................  Articles the product of
                              Austria, Cyprus, France or
                              Poland:
                                Grape juice (including              100%
                                 grape must), not
                                 fortified with vitamins
                                 or minerals,
                                 unfermented and not
                                 containing added
                                 spirit, whether or not
                                 containing added sugar
                                 or other sweetening
                                 matter (provided for in
                                 subheading 2009.61 or
                                 2009.69).
9903.02.80.................     Juice of any other                  100%
                                 single fruit, not
                                 elsewhere specified or
                                 included, not fortified
                                 with vitamins or
                                 minerals, unfermented
                                 and not containing
                                 added spirit, whether
                                 or not containing added
                                 sugar or other
                                 sweetening matter
                                 (provided for in
                                 subheading 2009.80.60).
9903.02.81.................     Mixtures of juices,                 100%
                                 other than mixtures of
                                 vegetable juices, not
                                 fortified with vitamins
                                 or minerals,
                                 unfermented and not
                                 containing added
                                 spirit, whether or not
                                 containing added sugar
                                 or other sweetening
                                 matter (provided for in
                                 subheading 2009.90.40).
9903.02.82.................  Articles the product of
                              Italy:
                                Mineral waters and                100%''
                                 aerated waters, not
                                 containing added sugar
                                 or other sweetening
                                 matter nor flavored
                                 (provided for in
                                 subheading 2201.10).
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[FR Doc. E9-5933 Filed 3-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W9-P