[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15803-15804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05656]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Petitions To Accelerate Tariff Elimination and Modify 
the Rules of Origin Under the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion 
Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to file petitions requesting accelerated 
tariff elimination and changes to the non-textile and non-apparel 
products rules of origin under the United States-Colombia Trade 
Promotion Agreement (``the Agreement'' or ``USCTPA'').

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SUMMARY: This notice solicits proposals seeking accelerated tariff 
elimination under the USCTPA as well as proposals on appropriate 
changes that USTR should consider for modifying the USCTPA's rules of 
origin under Article 4.14 of the Agreement. This notice also describes 
the procedures for filing proposals.

DATES: Public comments are due at USTR by close of business, May 13, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bennett Harman, Deputy Assistant USTR 
for Latin America, at (202) 395-9446.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Article 2.3.4 of the USCTPA provides that 
the United States and Colombia may agree to accelerate the elimination 
of customs duties set out in their respective tariff schedules. Section 
201(b) of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement 
Implementation Act (``the TPA Act'' or ``the Act'') authorizes the 
President to proclaim modifications in the staging of duty treatment 
set out in the Agreement, subject to the Act's consultation and layover 
requirements.
    The USCTPA requires each government to provide preferential tariff 
treatment to goods that meet the Agreement's rules of origin. In the 
United States, those rules are implemented through the TPA Act. Under 
the Act, goods imported into the United States qualify for preferential 
treatment if they meet the requirements of the general USCTPA rules of 
origin set out in section 203 of the Act, and the USCTPA product-
specific rules set out in the HTS. The Agreement allows the Parties to 
amend the Agreement's rules of origin. Section 203(o)(3) of the USCTPA 
Act authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the USCTPA's 
product-specific origin rules, subject to the consultation and layover 
provisions of section 104 of the Act.
    Additional Information: The United States and Colombia have not yet 
decided whether to accelerate the elimination of tariffs or to make 
further 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 Colombia 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 between Colombia and the United States; (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 United States and Colombia 
express for making particular changes. The United States and Colombia 
expect to make only those changes that are broadly supported by 
stakeholders in both countries.
    Requirements for Comments/Proposals: Submitters should indicate 
whether they have discussed their proposals with representatives of the 
relevant sector in Colombia and, if such discussions have taken place, 
the result of those discussions. Submissions should indicate whether 
representatives of the relevant sector in Colombia do not support the 
proposal. USTR encourages interested parties to consider submitting 
proposals jointly with interested parties in Colombia.
    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) ``Colombia TPA Tariff Acceleration,'' ``Colombia TPA Rules 
of Origin Liberalization,'' or both. In order to be assured of 
consideration, comments should be submitted by noon, May 13, 2013.
    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.

[[Page 15804]]

Comments should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2013-
0017. 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 and click on the link entitled ``Comment Now!'' (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 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. 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 Bennett Harman in advance of transmitting a comment. 
Mr. Harman should be contacted at (202) 395-9446. 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-2013-0017 
in the search field at: http://www.regulations.gov.

Douglas Bell,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2013-05656 Filed 3-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F3-P