[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48737-48738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19745]



[[Page 48737]]

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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the 
Announcement of Petitions Accepted for the 2009 Annual GSP Country 
Practices Review, Acceptance of Pre-Hearing Comments and Requests To 
Testify for the 2009 Annual GSP Country Practices Review Hearing, and 
the Initiation of the 2010 Annual GSP Country Practices Review

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation for public petitions.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
accepted petitions in connection with the 2009 GSP Annual Review to 
modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary developing countries 
because of country practices. This notice sets forth the schedule for 
comment and public hearings on the newly accepted petitions for the 
2009 Country Eligibility Practices Review, for requesting participation 
in the hearings, and for submitting pre-hearing and post-hearing 
briefs, and determines that the deadline for submitting pre-hearing 
comments and requesting participation in the hearings is 5 p.m., 
Friday, September 3, 2010. The list of newly accepted petitions is 
available at: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/current-review-1 
in ``List of Country Practice Petitions Accepted in the 2009 GSP Annual 
Review.'' The petitions accepted include a Worker Rights petition 
regarding Sri Lanka filed by the AFL-CIO and two Arbitral Awards 
petitions regarding Argentina filed by Azurix Corporation and Blue 
Ridge Investments, LLC. The petitions themselves can be found in docket 
USTR-2009-0015 at http://www.regulations.gov.
    This notice also announces the initiation of the 2010 Annual GSP 
Country Eligibility Practices Review and determines that the deadline 
for new country practice petitions is 5 p.m., Friday, September 10, 
2010. Any new country practice petitions accepted for review and any 
hearing schedule would be announced in the Federal Register at a later 
date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tameka Cooper, GSP Program, Office of 
the United States Trade Representative, 1724 F Street, NW., Room 601, 
Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-6971, the fax 
number is (202) 395-2961, and the e-mail address is [email protected].

DATES: The GSP regulations (15 CFR part 2007) provide the schedule of 
dates for conducting an annual review unless otherwise specified in a 
Federal Register notice. The current schedule follows. Notification of 
any other changes will be given in the Federal Register.
    September 3, 2010: Due date for submission of pre-hearing briefs 
and requests to appear at the GSP Subcommittee Public Hearing that 
include the name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail address and 
organization of witnesses to address accepted country practice 
petitions.
    September 10, 2010: Due date for submission of petitions for 
country practices review as part of the 2010 Annual GSP Review.
    September 24, 2010: GSP Subcommittee Public Hearing, for all 
country practice petitions accepted for the 2009 GSP Annual Review, to 
be held in the Truman Room, White House Conference Center, 726 Jackson 
Place, Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
    October 15, 2010: Due date for submission of post-hearing briefs.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP provides for the duty-free 
importation of designated articles when imported from designated 
beneficiary developing countries. The GSP is authorized by title V of 
the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.), as amended (the ``1974 
Act''), and is implemented in accordance with Executive Order 11888 of 
November 24, 1975, as modified by subsequent Executive Orders and 
Presidential Proclamations.

Petitions for Review Regarding Country Practices

    Pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.0(b), the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC has 
recommended, and the TPSC has accepted the review of three country 
practice petitions. The list of newly accepted petitions is available 
at: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/current-review-1 in ``List 
of Country Practice Petitions Accepted in the 2009 GSP Annual Review.'' 
The petitions accepted include a Worker Rights petition regarding Sri 
Lanka filed by the AFL-CIO and two Arbitral Awards petitions regarding 
Argentina filed by Azurix Corporation and Blue Ridge Investments, LLC.

Opportunities for Public Comment and Inspection of Comments

    The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC invites comments in support of or 
in opposition to any petition that has been accepted for the 2009 GSP 
Annual Review. Submissions should comply with 15 CFR part 2007, except 
as modified below. All submissions should identify the subject 
article(s) in terms of the case number, if applicable, as shown in the 
``List of Country Practice Petitions Accepted in the 2009 GSP Annual 
Review,'' available at: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/current-review-1.

Requirements for Submissions

    All submissions for the 2009 GSP Country Practices Eligibility 
Review must conform to the GSP regulations set forth at 15 CFR part 
2007, except as modified below. These regulations are available on the 
USTR Web site at http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/gsp-program-inf.
    To ensure their timely and expeditious receipt and consideration, 
2009 Annual Review submissions in response to this notice must be 
submitted online at http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-
2009-0015. Hand-delivered submissions will not be accepted. Submissions 
must be submitted in English by the applicable deadlines set forth in 
this notice.
    To make a submission using http://www.regulations.gov, enter docket 
number USTR-2009-0015 on the home page and click ``search.'' The site 
will list all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference 
to this notice by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the 
left side of the search results page, and click on the link entitled 
``Submit a Comment.'' The http://www.regulations.gov Web site offers 
the option of providing comments by filling in the ``Type Comment and 
Upload File'' field or by attaching a document. Given the detailed 
nature of the information sought by the GSP Subcommittee, it is 
preferred that comments and submissions be provided in an attached 
document. When attaching a document, type: (1) 2009 GSP Annual Review 
(2) The Country and subject area of the petition (3) ``See attached'' 
in the ``Type Comment and Upload File'' field on the online submission 
form, and indicate on the attachment whether the document is, as 
appropriate, ``Written Comments,''

[[Page 48738]]

``Notice of Intent to Testify,'' ``Pre-hearing brief'' or a ``Post 
hearing brief.'' The list of petitions for the 2009 Annual Review can 
be found in ``List of Country Practice Petitions Accepted in the 2009 
GSP Annual Review,'' found on the USTR Web site at: http://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/current-review-1. Submissions must be 
in English, with the total submission not to exceed 30 single-spaced 
standard letter-size pages in 12-point type, including attachments. Any 
data attachments to the submission should be included in the same file 
as the submission itself, and not as separate files.
    Petitions for the 2010 Country Practices Review must conform to the 
regulations at 15 CFR part 2007. Petitions for the 2010 Country 
Practices Eligibility Review in response to this notice must be 
submitted to docket USTR-2010-0017. To make a submission using http://www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2010-0017 on the home 
page and click ``search.'' The site will list all documents associated 
with this docket. Find a reference to this notice by selecting 
``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the left side of the search 
results page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' The 
http://www.regulations.gov Web site offers the option of providing 
comments by filling in a ``Type Comment and Upload File'' field or by 
attaching a document. Given the detailed nature of the information 
sought by the GSP Subcommittee, it is preferred that comments and 
submissions be provided in an attached document. Any data attachments 
to the submission should be included in the same file as the submission 
itself, and not as separate files. When attaching a document, type: (1) 
2010 GSP Annual Review (2) The Country and subject area of the petition 
(3) ``See attached'' in the ``Type Comment and Upload File'' field on 
the online submission form, and indicate on the attachment whether the 
document is a petition. Submissions must be in English, with the total 
submission not to exceed 30 single-spaced standard letter-size pages in 
12-point type, including attachments.
    Each submitter will receive a submission tracking number upon 
completion of the submissions procedure at http://www.regulations.gov. 
The tracking number will be the submitter's confirmation that the 
submission was received, and it should be kept for the submitter's 
records. USTR is not able to provide technical assistance for the 
website. Documents not submitted in accordance with these instructions 
may not be considered in this review. If unable to provide submissions 
as requested, please contact the GSP Program to arrange for an 
alternative method of transmission.

Business Confidential Comments

    A person requesting that information contained in a submission 
submitted by that person be treated as confidential business 
information must certify that such information is business confidential 
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter. 
Confidential business information must be clearly designated as such, 
the submission must be marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and 
bottom of the cover page and each succeeding page, and the submission 
should indicate, via brackets, the specific information that is 
confidential. Additionally, ``Business Confidential'' must be included 
in the ``Type Comment & Upload File'' field. Anyone submitting a 
comment containing business confidential information must also submit 
as a separate submission a non-confidential version of the confidential 
submission, indicating where confidential information has been 
redacted. The non-confidential version will be placed in the docket and 
open to public inspection.

Notice of Public Hearing

    A hearing will be held by the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC on 
Friday, September 24, 2010 for country practice petitions newly 
accepted in the 2009 GSP Annual Review beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the 
White House Conference Center. The hearing will be open to the public, 
and a transcript of the hearing will be made available for public 
inspection or can be purchased from the reporting company. No 
electronic media coverage (recording devices) will be allowed.
    All interested parties wishing to make an oral presentation at the 
hearing must submit, following the above ``Requirements for 
Submissions'', the name, address, telephone number, and facsimile 
number and email address, if available, of the witness(es) representing 
their organization to Seth Vaughn, Director of the GSP Program by 5 
p.m., September 3, 2010. Requests to present oral testimony must be 
accompanied by a written brief or statement, in English. Oral testimony 
before the GSP Subcommittee will be limited to five-minute 
presentations that summarize or supplement information contained in 
briefs or statements submitted for the record. Post-hearing briefs or 
statements will be accepted if they conform with the regulations cited 
above and are submitted, in English, by 5 p.m., October 15, 2010. 
Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearing may submit pre-
hearing briefs or statements, in English, by 5 p.m., September 3, 2010, 
and post-hearing written briefs or statements, in English, by 5 p.m., 
October 15, 2010.

2010 Annual GSP Country Eligibility Practices Review

    As noted above, the GSP regulations (15 CFR part 2007) provide the 
timetable for conducting an annual review, unless otherwise specified 
by Federal Register notice. Notice is hereby given that, in order to be 
considered in the 2010 Annual GSP Country Eligibility Practices Review, 
all petitions to review the GSP status of any beneficiary developing 
country must be received by the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy 
Staff Committee no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, September 10, 2010. The 
announcement of any petitions accepted for review and any hearing 
schedule for the 2010 GSP Country Practice Eligibility Review will be 
announced by Federal Register at a later date.
    Petitions and requests must be submitted, in English, to the 
Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee, Trade Policy Staff Committee, in 
accordance with the requirements for submissions set forth above. 
Submissions in response to this notice will be available for public 
inspection in docket USTR-2010-0017 at http://www.regulations.gov. 
Documents not submitted in accordance with these instructions may not 
be considered in this review.

Seth Vaughn,
Director, GSP Program; Chairman, GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy 
Staff Committee; Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2010-19745 Filed 8-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W0-P