Generalized System of Preferences: Annual product review (1997) and 1998 de minimis waver and redesignation reviews,

[Federal Register: July 9, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 131)]

[Notices]

[Page 37162-37166]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr09jy98-135]

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Trade Policy Staff Committee; Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); Notice of the Results of the 1997 Annual Review and 1998 De Minimis Waiver and Redesignation Reviews; Designation of Associations of Countries for Treatment as One Country

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of the GSP changes.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the disposition of the petitions accepted for review in the 1997 Annual Review of the GSP program, the results of the 1998 De Minimis Waiver and Redesignation Reviews, exclusions for products that exceeded the GSP competitive need limitations (CNLs), and the designation of the three associations of African countries each as eligible for treatment as a single country for purposes of the rule of origin requirements of the GSP program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW., Room 518, Washington, D.C. 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-6971. A press release on the GSP changes covered by this notice is available through the USTR Fax Retrieval System (202) 395-4809, or by contracting the USTR Office of the Public and Media Affairs at (202) 395-3230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP is provided for in Title V of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461-2465) (the 1974 Act). The President's decisions concerning the GSP changes addressed in this notice are also reflected in Proclamation No. 7107 of June 30, 1998. Unless otherwise specified, the changes in the GSP program addressed in this notice took effect on July 1, 1998.

In the 1997 Annual Review, the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee accepted for review fifteen petitions to designate as eligible for GSP treatment certain articles that currently are designated as GSP eligible articles only from least-developed beneficiary developing countries, one petition to withdraw GSP eligibility for a certain article; and ten petitions for CNL waivers (62 FR 43408 and 62 FR 50426). The disposition of these petitions is indicated in Annex I of this notice.

In the 1998 De Minimis Waiver and Redesignation Reviews, the appraised import values during 1997 of each GSP-eligible article were reviewed to

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determine whether particular articles from particular GSP beneficiary developing countries exceeded the GSP CNLs. De minimis waivers were granted to certain articles which exceeded the 50 percent import share CNL, but for which the aggregate value of the imports of that article was below the 1997 de minimis level of $13.5 million. Annex II to this notice contains a list of these articles.

Certain articles that had previously exceeded GSP CNLs but that had fallen below the CNLs in 1997 ($80 million and 50 percent of U.S. imports of the article) were redesignated for GSP eligibility. These articles are listed in Annex III to this notice.

Articles that exceeded GSP CNLs in 1997, and that are newly excluded from GSP eligibility, are listed in Annex IV to this notice.

The President has determined that the members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Tripartite Commission for East African Cooperation (EAC) should each be treated as one country for purposes of the rule of origin of the GSP program. Proclamation No. 7107 of June 30, 1998 designated WAEMU as an association of countries that shall be treated as one country, and provides that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) shall announce in one or more Federal Register notices the effective dates of designation for countries in the SADC and EAC.

The USTR has determined that three members of the SADC-Botswana, Mauritius, and Tanzania-should be treated as one country for the purposes of the rule of origin requirements of the GSP program, effective on the date of publication of this notice. Annex V to this notice embodies this GSP change in the United States Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Frederick L. Montgomery, Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.

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[FR Doc. 98-18285Filed7-8-98; 8:45 am]

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