Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the 2020 GSP Annual Product Review
| Citation | 85 FR 27261 |
| Record Number | 2020-09781 |
| Published date | 07 May 2020 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Trade Representative Office Of The United States |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 89 (Thursday, May 7, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 89 (Thursday, May 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27261-27262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09781]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket Number USTR-2020-0019]
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the
2020 GSP Annual Product Review
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
has accepted petitions submitted in connection with the 2020 GSP Annual
Product Review for further review. Due to COVID-19, the GSP
Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee will foster public
participation via written submissions rather than an in-person hearing.
This notice includes the schedule for submission of comments and
responses to questions from the GSP Subcommittee, on all petitions that
USTR accepted for the 2020 GSP Annual Product Review.
DATES:
May 27, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for submission of written
comments on petitions accepted for the 2020 GSP Annual Product Review.
June 16, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for the GSP Subcommittee
to pose questions on written comments.
June 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for submission of
commenters' responses to questions from the GSP Subcommittee.
July 10, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for replies from other
interested parties to the written comments and responses to questions.
July 22, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for the GSP Subcommittee
to pose additional questions on written comments.
August 5, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for submission of
responses to any additional questions from the GSP Subcommittee.
ADDRESSES: USTR strongly prefers electronic submissions made through
the Federal eRulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov
(Regulations.gov). Follow the instructions for submitting comments
below. The docket number is USTR-2020-0019. For alternatives to online
submissions, please contact Claudia Chlebek in advance of the relevant
deadline at [email protected] or 202-395-2974.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Claudia Chlebek at [email protected] or
202-395-2974.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
The GSP program provides for the duty-free importation of
designated articles when imported from designated beneficiary
developing countries. The GSP program is authorized by Title V of the
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461-2467), as amended, and is implemented
in accordance with Executive Order 11888 of November 24, 1975, as
modified by subsequent Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations.
B. Petitions Requesting Modifications of GSP Product Eligibility
On March 2, 2020 (85 FR 12381), USTR announced the 2020 GSP Annual
Review to consider petitions to modify the list of products that are
eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program and petitions to
waive competitive need limitations (CNLs) on imports of certain
products from specific beneficiary countries. The GSP Subcommittee
considered the product and CNL waiver petitions submitted in response
to this announcement.
USTR has decided to accept for review several petitions seeking to
add or remove products from GSP eligibility for all GSP beneficiary
countries. USTR posted a list of petitions and products accepted for
review on the USTR website at: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/IssueAreas/gsp/2020_GSP_Annual_Review-Petitions_Accepted_for_Review.pdf
under the title ``2020 GSP Annual Review--Petitions Accepted for
Review. You also can find this list at Regulations.gov in Docket Number
USTR-2020-0019. Acceptance of a petition only indicates that the
subject of the petition warranted further consideration and that a
review of the requested action will take place. The U.S. International
Trade Commission also will review the selected petitions and provide a
report to USTR on the probable economic effects of adding or removing
products from GSP eligibility during the 2020 GSP Annual Review. The
President will proclaim any modifications to the list of articles
eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP resulting from the 2020
GSP Annual Product Review by November 1, 2020.
C. Public Participation
Due to COVID-19, the GSP Subcommittee will foster public
participation via written submissions rather than an in-person hearing
on all petitions USTR accepted for the 2020 GSP Annual Product Review.
USTR invites public comments on these petitions according to the
schedule set out in the Dates section above. The GSP Subcommittee will
review comments and replies to comments, if any, and may ask clarifying
questions to commenters. The GSP Subcommittee will post the questions
it asks on the public docket, other than questions that include
properly designated business confidential information (BCI). USTR will
send questions that include properly designated BCI to the relevant
commenters by email, and will not post
[[Page 27262]]
these questions on the public docket. Replies to questions that contain
BCI must follow the procedures in section E below.
D. Requirements for Submissions
To ensure consideration, interested parties must submit comments
and responses to GSP Subcommittee questions electronically via
Regulations.gov by the applicable deadlines in the DATES section above.
The docket number is USTR-2020-0019. All submissions must be in
English. USTR will not accept hand-delivered submissions.
To submit a comment using Regulations.gov, enter docket number
USTR-2020-0019 in the `search for' field 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' in the `filter results by'
section on the left side of the screen and click on the link entitled
`comment now.' Regulations.gov offers the option of providing comments
by filling in a `type comment' field or by attaching a document using
the `upload file(s)' field. USTR prefers that you provide submissions
in an attached document and, in such cases, that you write `see
attached' in the `type comment' field, on the online submission form.
At the beginning of the submission, include the following text: (1)
2020 GSP Annual Product Review; (2) the relevant product's HTSUS tariff
number; (3) organization name; and (4) whether the document is a
comment, a reply to a comment, or an answer to a GSP Subcommittee
question. Written comments should not exceed 30 single-spaced, standard
letter-size pages in 12-point type, including attachments. Include any
data attachments to the submission in the same file as the submission
itself, and not as separate files.
When you complete the submission procedure at Regulations.gov, you
will receive a tracking number confirming successful transmission into
Regulations.gov. USTR is not able to provide technical assistance for
Regulations.gov. USTR may not consider documents that you do not submit
in accordance with these instructions. If unable to provide submissions
as requested, please contact Claudia Chlebek in advance of the relevant
deadline at [email protected] or 202-395-2974.
E. Business Confidential (BCI) Submissions
An interested party requesting that USTR treat information
contained in a submission as BCI must certify that the information is
business confidential and would not customarily be released to the
public by the submitter. You must clearly designate BCI by marking the
submission ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and bottom of the cover
page and on each succeeding page, and indicating, via brackets, the
specific information that is BCI. Additionally, you must include
`business confidential' in the `type comment' field and add the
designation BCI to the end of the file name for any attachments. For
any submission containing BCI, you must separately submit a non-
confidential version, i.e., not as part of the same submission with the
BCI version, indicating where confidential information has been
redacted. USTR will post the non-confidential version in the docket for
public inspection.
F. Public Viewing of Review Submissions
Submissions in response to this notice, except for information
granted business confidential status under 15 CFR 2003.6, will be
available for public viewing pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.6 at
Regulations.gov upon completion of processing, usually within two weeks
of the relevant due date or the date of the submission. USTR will make
public versions of all documents relating to these reviews available
for public viewing in docket number USTR-2020-0019 at Regulations.gov
upon completion of processing.
Edward Gresser,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2020-09781 Filed 5-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F0-P
