[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 40 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12826-12827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4809]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Identification of Priority Foreign Country Practices and Foreign
Countries Engaging in Discriminatory Procurement Practices; Request for
Public Comment
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Request for written submissions from the public.
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SUMMARY: Executive Order 13116 of March 31, 1999 requires the United
States Trade Representative (``USTR''), by April 30, 2001, to conduct a
review of U.S. trade expansion priorities and to identify priority
foreign country practices, the elimination of which is likely to have
the most significant potential to increase United States exports. This
Executive Order also requires the USTR to identify foreign countries
engaging in discriminatory government procurement practices. Pursuant
to this Executive Order, the USTR must submit to the congressional
committees of jurisdiction a report on priority foreign country
practices (the ``Super 301'' report) and a report on countries engaging
in discriminatory government procurement practices (the ``Title VII''
report) and publish these reports in the Federal Register. USTR is
requesting written submissions from the public concerning practices
that should be considered by the USTR for these purposes.
DATES: Submissions must be received by 12:00 noon on March 26, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th Street,
NW, Washington, D.C. 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the filing of
submissions should be directed to Sybia Harrison, Staff Assistant to
Section 301 Committee, (202) 395-3432; legal questions regarding
Executive Order 13116 and Super 301 should be addressed to Demetrios
Marantis, Associate General Counsel, (202) 395-3150; and legal
questions regarding Title VII should be addressed to Melida Hodgson,
Associate General Counsel, (202) 395-3582.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Part I of Executive Order 13116
of March 31, 1999 (64 F.R. 1633), the USTR is required, no later than
April 30, to review United States trade expansion priorities and
identify priority foreign country practices, the elimination of which
is likely to have the most significant potential to increase United
States exports, either directly or through the establishment of a
beneficial precedent. Part II of Executive Order 13116 requires the
USTR, no later than April 30, to review and identify other countries'
compliance with the Agreement on Government Procurement (``GPA'') and
other government procurement agreement obligations, or otherwise
maintain, in government procurement, a significant and persistent
practice of discrimination against U.S. products or services which
results in identifiable harm to United States businesses and whose
products or services are acquired in significant amounts by the United
States Government.
The USTR must submit to the congressional committees of
jurisdiction a report on the priority foreign country practices
identified under Part I of the Executive Order (the ``Super 301''
report). The USTR also may describe in this report foreign country
practices that may warrant identification in the future or that were
not identified because they are being addressed by provisions under
U.S. trade law, existing bilateral trade agreements, or in trade
negotiations, and progress is being made toward their elimination. The
USTR must also submit to the congressional committees of jurisdiction a
report on countries engaging in discriminatory government procurement
practices, identified under Part II of the Executive Order (the ``Title
VII'' report) and publish the reports in the Federal Register.
Executive Order 13116 also requires the USTR to initiate
investigations under section 302(b)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 as
amended (19 U.S.C. 2412 (b)(1)), no later than 90 days after submission
of the reports, with respect to any of the identified practices that
have not been satisfactorily resolved in the interim.
Requirements for Submissions
The USTR invites submissions concerning priority foreign country
practices that should be considered for identification in the Super 301
report in accordance with the criteria established under Executive
Order 13116. The USTR also invites submissions concerning countries
engaging in discriminatory government procurement practices that should
be considered for identification in the Title VII report in accordance
with the criteria established under Executive Order 13116. If the
practice is also the subject of comments submitted in connection with
the 2001 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
(``2001 NTE Report''), the present submission should identify the
related comments in the NTE public docket and include any additional
pertinent information, including information explaining why the
practice rises to the level of a ``priority foreign country practice''
within the meaning of Executive Order 13116. If the practice was not
the subject of comments submitted in connection with the 2001 NTE
Report, the submission should: (1) Include information on the nature
and significance of the practice; (2) identify the United States
product, service, intellectual property right, or foreign direct
investment matter which is affected by the practice; and (3) provide
any other information considered relevant. Such information may include
information on the relevant trade and government procurement agreements
to which a foreign country is a party, its compliance with those
agreements, and any other information related to the factors set forth
in Parts I and II of Executive Order 13116 for identification of
priority foreign country practices and countries that engage in
discriminatory government procurement practices.
Interested persons must provide twenty copies of any submission, in
English, to Sybia Harrison, Staff Assistant to Section 301 Committee,
Office of the United States Trade Representative, by noon on March 26,
2001. Because submissions will be placed in a public file, open to
public inspection at USTR, business-confidential information should not
be submitted. Inspection is only by
[[Page 12827]]
appointment with the staff of the USTR Public Reading Room and can be
arranged by calling Brenda Webb at (202) 395-6186. The Reading Room is
open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4
p.m., Monday through Friday.
A. Jane Bradley,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Monitoring and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 01-4809 Filed 2-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P