[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 1466]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00437]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Agreement on Government Procurement: Effective Date of Amendments 
for the Republic of Korea

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: For the purpose of U.S. Government procurement that is covered 
by Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, the effective date of 
the Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government Procurement, done on 
March 30, 2012 at Geneva, World Trade Organization, for the Republic of 
Korea is January 14, 2016.

DATES: Effective date: January 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th 
Street NW., Washington DC 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Pietan (202) 395-9646), Director 
of International Procurement Policy, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, 600 17th Street NW., Washington DC 20508.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order 12260 (December 31, 1980) 
implements the 1979 and 1994 Agreement on Government Procurement, 
pursuant to Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 as amended 
(19 U.S.C. 2511-2518). In section 1-201 of Executive Order 12260, the 
President delegated to the United States Trade Representative the 
functions vested in the President by sections 301, 302, 304, 305(c) and 
306 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. 2511, 2512, 2514, 
2515(c) and 2516).
    The Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government Procurement, done 
at Geneva on March 30, 2012 (Protocol), entered into force on April 6, 
2014 for the United States and the following Parties: Canada, Chinese 
Taipei, Hong Kong, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, European Union, 
Iceland, and Singapore. See 79 FR 14776 (March 17, 2014). The Protocol 
entered into force on April 16, 2014 for Japan. See 79 FR 21991 (April 
18, 2014). The Protocol entered into force on July 4, 2014 for Aruba. 
See 79 FR 61926 (Oct. 15, 2014). The Protocol entered into force on 
June 5, 2015 for Armenia. See 80 FR 36884 (June 26, 2015).
    The Protocol provides that following its entry into force, the 
Protocol will enter into force for each additional Party to the 1994 
Agreement 30 days following the date on which the Party deposits its 
instrument of acceptance. On December 15, 2015, the Republic of Korea 
deposited its instrument of acceptance to the Protocol. Therefore, the 
Protocol enters into force on January 14, 2016 for the Republic of 
Korea. Effective January 14, 2016 for the Republic of Korea, all 
references in Title III of the Trade Agreement Act of 1979 and in 
Executive Order 12260 to the Agreement on Government Procurement will 
refer to the 1994 Agreement as amended by the Protocol.
    With respect to those Parties that have not deposited their 
instruments of acceptance, all references in Title III of the Trade 
Agreement Act of 1979 and in Executive Order 12260 to the Agreement on 
Government Procurement will continue to refer to the 1994 Agreement 
until 30 days following the deposit by such Party of its instrument of 
acceptance of the Protocol.
    For the full text of the Government Procurement Agreement as 
amended by the Protocol and the new annexes that set out the 
procurement covered by all of the Government Procurement Agreement 
Parties, see GPA-113: http://www.ustr.gov/sites/default/files/GPA%20113%20Decision%20on%20the%20outcomes%20of%20the%20negotiations%20under%20Article%20XXIV%207.pdf.

Michael B.G. Froman,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2016-00437 Filed 1-11-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F6-P