[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9724-9725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3717]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Petitions To Modify the Rules of Origin Under the 
Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to file petitions requesting changes to 
the non-textile and non-apparel products rules of origin under the 
Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement 
(``the Agreement'' or ``CAFTA-DR'').

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SUMMARY: This notice solicits proposals on appropriate changes that 
USTR should consider for modifying the CAFTA-DR's rules of origin under 
Article 4.14 of the Agreement.

DATES: Public comments are due at USTR by close of business, April 17, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov. For 
alternatives to on-line submissions please contact Kent Shigetomi at 
(202) 395-9459.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Shigetomi, Director for Mexico, 
NAFTA, and the Caribbean, at (202) 395-9459.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 23, 2012, the CAFTA-DR Free Trade 
Commission (``FTC'' or ``the Commission''), the plurilateral 
ministerial-level body responsible for supervising the implementation 
of the CAFTA-DR, agreed to consider modifying the rules of origin 
established in the Agreement, particularly in light of more recent free 
trade agreements. The CAFTA-DR requires each government to provide 
preferential tariff treatment to goods that meet the Agreement's origin 
rules. In the United States, those rules are implemented through the 
Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement 
Implementation Act (Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462) (19 U.S.C. 
4011(a) (``the Act'')). Under the Act, goods imported into the United 
States qualify for preferential treatment if they meet the requirements 
of the general CAFTA-DR rules of origin set out in section 203 of the 
Act and the CAFTA-DR product-specific rules set out in the Harmonized 
Tariff System. The Agreement allows the Parties to amend the 
Agreement's origin rules as they deem appropriate. Section 203(o)(3) of 
the Act authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the 
CAFTA-DR product-specific origin rules set forth in the HTS, subject to 
the consultation and layover provisions of section 104 of the Act.
    Additional Information: The United States and the other CAFTA-DR 
Parties have not yet decided whether to make changes to the Agreement's 
rules of origin and, if such changes were made, what the scope or 
extent of such changes should be. The United States and the other 
CAFTA-DR Parties expect to take into account several factors in 
considering whether to make such changes, including: (1) The extent 
that any such changes may reduce transaction and manufacturing costs or 
increase trade among the Parties; (2) the feasibility of devising, 
implementing, and monitoring new rules of origin; and (3) the level and 
breadth of interest that manufacturers, processors, traders, and 
consumers in the Parties express for making particular changes. The 
Parties expect to make only those changes that are broadly supported by 
stakeholders in all countries.
    Requirements for Comments/Proposals: Submitters should indicate 
whether they have discussed their proposals with representatives of the 
relevant sector in the other Parties and, if such discussions have 
taken place, the result of those discussions. Submissions should 
indicate if representatives of the relevant sector in the other Parties 
do not support the proposal. USTR encourages interested parties to 
consider submitting proposals jointly with interested parties in the 
other Parties.
    Scope and Coverage of Proposals: USTR encourages interested parties 
to review the broadest appropriate range of items and to submit 
proposals that reflect a consensus reached after such a broad-based 
review. A single proposal can thus include requests covering multiple 
tariff headings. Proposals should cover entire 8-digit tariff 
subheadings, and may also be submitted at the 6, 4, or 2 digit level 
where the intent is to cover all subsidiary tariff lines.
    Requirements for Submissions: Persons submitting written comments 
must do so in English and must identify (on the first page of the 
submission) ``CAFTA-DR Rules of Origin.'' In order to be assured of 
consideration, comments should be submitted by noon, [60 days after 
publication].
    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments 
should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2012-0002. To find 
the docket, enter the docket number in the ``Enter Keyword or ID'' 
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click 
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all 
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice 
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results 
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further 
information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult 
the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the ``Help'' 
tab.)
    The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of 
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a 
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached 
document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See 
attached'' in the ``Type Comment'' and attach a file in the ``Upload 
File(s)'' field. USTR also prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) 
or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission is in an application other 
than those two, please indicate the name of the application in the 
``Comments'' field.
    A person seeking to request that information contained in a 
submission from that person be treated as business confidential 
information must certify that such information is business confidential 
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter. 
For any comments submitted electronically containing business 
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential 
version should begin with the characters ``BC.'' 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.

[[Page 9725]]

Additionally, ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' must be included in the ``Type 
Comment'' field. Filers of submissions containing business confidential 
information must also submit a public version of their comments 
indicating where confidential information has been redacted. The non-
confidential summary will be placed in the docket and open to public 
inspection. The file name of the public version should begin with the 
character ``P.'' The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be followed by the name of 
the person or entity submitting the comments or reply comments. Filers 
submitting comments containing no business confidential information 
should name their file using the character ``P,'' followed by the name 
of the person or entity submitting the comments.
    Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic 
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a 
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in 
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.
    USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
www.regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements 
must be made with Kent Shigetomi in advance of transmitting a comment. 
Mr. Shigetomi should be contacted at (202) 395-9459. General 
information concerning USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.
    Inspection of Submissions: Submissions in response to this notice, 
except for information granted ``business confidential'' status, will 
be available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov. Such 
submissions may be viewed by entering the docket number USTR-2012-0002 
in the search field at: http://www.regulations.gov.

John M. Melle,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Americas.
[FR Doc. 2012-3717 Filed 2-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W2-P