[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49354-49355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17757]



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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Dispute No. WTO/DS427]


WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding China--Anti-Dumping 
and Countervailing Duty Measures on Broiler Products From the United 
States--Recourse by the United States to Article 21.5 of the DSU

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative 
(``USTR'') is providing notice that on May 27, 2016, the United States 
requested the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization with the 
People's Republic of China (``China'') concerning China's continuing 
imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on chicken broiler 
products from the United States. That request may be found at 
www.wto.org in a document designated as WT/DS427/11. USTR invites 
written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this 
dispute.

DATES: Although USTR will accept any comments received during the 
course of the dispute settlement proceedings, comments should be 
submitted on or before August 15, 2016, to be assured of timely 
consideration by USTR.

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be submitted electronically to 
www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2016-0008.
    If you are unable to provide submissions at www.regulations.gov, 
please contact Sandy McKinzy at (202) 395-9483 to arrange for an 
alternative method of transmission. If (as explained below) the comment 
contains confidential information, then the comment should be submitted 
by fax only to Sandy McKinzy at (202) 395-3640.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mayur R. Patel, Associate General 
Counsel, or Nathaniel J. Halvorson, Assistant General Counsel, Office 
of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20508, (202) 395-3150.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 127(b)(1) of the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act (``URAA'') (19 U.S.C. 3537(b)(1)) requires that notice 
and opportunity for comment be provided after the United States submits 
or receives a request for the establishment of a World Trade 
Organization (``WTO'') dispute settlement panel. Pursuant to this 
provision, USTR is providing notice that the United States has 
requested a panel pursuant to Article 21.5 of the WTO Understanding on 
Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (``DSU'').

Major Issues Raised by the United States

    On September 25, 2013, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (``DSB'') 
adopted its recommendations and rulings in the dispute China--Anti-
Dumping and Countervailing Duty Measures on Broiler Products from the 
United States (DS427) (``China--Broiler Products''). The DSB found that 
China imposed antidumping and countervailing duties on U.S. exports of 
chicken broiler products in a manner that breached China's obligations 
under the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General 
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (``AD Agreement''), the Agreement 
on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (``SCM Agreement''), and the 
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (``GATT 1994''). The DSB 
recommended that China bring its measures into conformity with its 
obligations under these Agreements.
    On October 22, 2013, China announced its intention to implement the 
DSB recommendations and rulings in this dispute and stated that it 
would need a reasonable period of time (``RPT'') in which to do so. On 
December 19, 2013, China and the United States informed the DSB that 
they had reached agreement that the RPT for China to implement the DSB 
recommendations and rulings shall be 9 months and 14 days from the 
adoption of the Panel Report, expiring on July 9, 2014. China's 
Ministry of Commerce (``MOFCOM'') subsequently issued a redetermination 
that continues the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties 
on imports of chicken broiler products from the United States. The 
redetermination, which is set forth in MOFCOM's Announcement No. 44 
[2014], including its annexes, states that it came into force as of 
July 9, 2014.
    The United States considers that China has failed to bring its 
measures into conformity with the covered agreements. As there is 
``disagreement as to the existence or consistency with a covered 
agreement of measures taken to comply with the recommendations and 
rulings'' of the DSB, the United States is seeking recourse to Article 
21.5 of the DSU. Specifically, the United States considers that China's 
measures continuing to impose antidumping and countervailing duties on 
chicken broiler products from the United States, as set forth by MOFCOM 
in Announcement No. 44 [2014], Announcement No. 56 [2013], Announcement 
No. 52 [2010], Announcement No. 51 [2010], Announcement No. 26 [2010], 
Announcement No. 8 [2010], and the annexes to the foregoing documents 
are inconsistent with Articles 1, 2.2, 2.2.1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, 
6.1, 6.4, 6.5, 6.8, 6.9, 9.4, 12.2, 12.2.2, and Annex II of the AD 
Agreement; Articles 10, 12.1, 12.3, 12.4, 12.8, 15.1, 15.2, 15.4, 15.5, 
22.3, and 22.5 of the SCM Agreement; and Article VI of the GATT 1994.
    Pursuant to an understanding on procedures under Articles 21 and 22 
of the DSU, the United States requested consultations with China on May 
17, 2016. That request may be found at www.wto.org contained in a 
document designated as WT/DS427/10. The United States and China held 
consultations on May 24, 2016, but the consultations did not resolve 
the matter.

Public Comment: Requirements for Submissions

    Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
concerning the issues raised in this dispute. Persons may submit public 
comments electronically to www.regulations.gov docket number USTR-2016-
0008. If you are unable to provide submissions at www.regulations.gov, 
please contact Sandy McKinzy at (202) 395-9483 to arrange for an 
alternative method of transmission.
    To submit comments via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number 
USTR-2016-0008 on the 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 ``Notice'' 
under ``Document Type'' on the left side of the search-results page, 
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 ``How to Use 
Regulations.gov Site'' on the bottom of the page.)
    The www.regulations.gov site provides the option of providing 
comments by filling in a ``Type Comments'' field, or by attaching a 
document using an ``Upload File'' field. It is expected that most 
comments will be provided in an attached document. If a document is 
attached, it is sufficient to type ``See attached'' in the ``Type 
Comments'' field. A person requesting that information contained in a 
comment that he/she submitted be treated as confidential business

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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 
and the submission must be marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top 
and bottom of the cover page and each succeeding page. Any comment 
containing business confidential information must be submitted by fax 
to Sandy McKinzy at (202) 395-3640. A non-confidential summary of the 
confidential information must be submitted to www.regulations.gov. The 
non-confidential summary will be placed in the docket and open to 
public inspection.
    USTR may determine that information or advice contained in a 
comment submitted, other than business confidential information, is 
confidential in accordance with section 135(g)(2) of the Trade Act of 
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155(g)(2)). If the submitter believes that information 
or advice may qualify as such, the submitter--
    (1) Must clearly so designate the information or advice;
    (2) Must clearly mark the material as ``SUBMITTED IN CONFIDENCE''at 
the top and bottom of the cover page and each succeeding page; and
    (3) Must provide a non-confidential summary of the information or 
advice.
    Any comment containing confidential information must be submitted 
by fax. A non-confidential summary of the confidential information must 
be submitted to www.regulations.gov. The non-confidential summary will 
be placed in the docket and open to public inspection.
    Pursuant to section 127(e) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 
U.S.C. 3537(e)), USTR will maintain a docket on this dispute settlement 
proceeding accessible to the public at www.regulations.gov, docket 
number USTR-2016-0008.
    The public file will include non-confidential comments received by 
USTR from the public with respect to the dispute, which may be viewed 
on the www.regulations.gov Web site. The following documents will be 
made available to the public at www.ustr.gov: the U.S. submissions and 
any non-confidential summaries or submissions received from other 
participants in the dispute. The report of the panel in this 
proceeding, and, if applicable, the report of the Appellate Body, will 
be available on the Web site of the WTO, at www.wto.org.

Annelies Winborne,
Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Monitoring and 
Enforcement, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2016-17757 Filed 7-26-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F6-P