[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12400-12401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5082]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Dispute No. WTO/DS414]


WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding China--Countervailing 
and Anti-Dumping Duties on Grain Oriented Flat-rolled Electrical Steel 
From the United States

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 February 11, 2011, the United 
States requested the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under 
the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization 
(``WTO Agreement'') with the People's Republic of China (``China'') 
concerning countervailing and anti-dumping duties on Grain Oriented 
Flat-rolled Electrical Steel (``GOES'') from the United States. That 
request may be found at http://www.wto.org, in a document designated as 
WT/DS414/2. 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 May 2, 2011, to be assured of timely 
consideration by USTR.

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be submitted electronically to http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2010-0027. If you are unable 
to provide submissions by http://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: Joseph Laroski, Associate General 
Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative; or Joseph 
Rieras, Assistant General Counsel, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative. Contact information is: 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. 3527(b)(1)) requires that notice 
and opportunity for comment be provided after the United States submits 
or receives a request for establishment of a WTO dispute settlement 
panel. Consistent with this obligation, USTR is providing notice that 
the United States has requested a panel pursuant to the WTO 
Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of 
Disputes (``DSU''). Once it is established pursuant to the panel will 
hold its meetings in Geneva, Switzerland, and would be expected to 
issue a report on its findings and recommendations within nine months 
after it is established.

Major Issues Raised by the United States

    The United States considers that certain measures imposing 
countervailing duties and anti-dumping duties on GOES from the United 
States are inconsistent with China's commitments and obligations under 
the WTO Agreement. The measures are set forth in the Ministry of 
Commerce of the People's Republic of China (``MOFCOM'') Notice No. 21 
[2010], including its annexes. These measures appear to be inconsistent 
with Articles 1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 6.4, 6.5.1, 6.8, 6.9, 12.2, 12.2.2, and 
Paragraph 1 of Annex II of the Anti Dumping Agreement; Articles 10, 
11.2, 11.3, 12.3, 12.4.1, 12.7, 12.8, 15.1, 15.2, 15.5, 22.3, and 22.5 
of the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement; and Article VI 
of the GATT 1994. On September 15, 2010, the United States requested 
consultations with China. That request may be found at http://www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS414/1. The 
United States and China held consultations on November 1, 2010, 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 http://www.regulations.gov, docket number 
USTR-2010-0027. If you are unable to provide submissions by http://www.regulations.gov, please contact Sandy McKinzy at (202) 395-9483 to 
arrange for an alternative method of transmission.
    To submit comments via http://www.regulations.gov, enter docket 
number USTR-2010-0027 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 ``Submit a Comment.'' (For 
further information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site, 
please consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on 
``How to Use This Site'' on the left side of the home page.)
    The http://www.regulations.gov site provides the option of 
providing comments by filling in a ``Type Comment and Upload File'' 
field, or by attaching a document. 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 Comment and Upload 
File'' field.
    A person requesting that information contained in a comment 
submitted by that person be treated as confidential business 
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 http://www.regulations.gov. The non-confidential summary will be placed in the 
docket and open to public inspection.
    Information or advice contained in a comment submitted, other than 
business confidential information, may be determined by USTR to be 
confidential

[[Page 12401]]

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 http://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 URAA (19 U.S.C. 3537(e)), USTR 
will maintain a docket on this dispute settlement proceeding accessible 
to the public. The public file will include non-confidential comments 
received by USTR from the public with respect to the dispute. If a 
dispute settlement panel is convened or in the event of an appeal from 
such a panel, the U.S. submissions, any non-confidential submissions, 
or non-confidential summaries of submissions, received from other 
participants in the dispute, will be made available to the public on 
USTR's Web site at http://www.ustr.gov, and the report of the panel, 
and, if applicable, the report of the Appellate Body, will be available 
on the Web site of the World Trade Organization, http://www.wto.org. 
Comments open to public inspection may be viewed on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site.

Bradford Ward,
Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for Monitoring and 
Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 2011-5082 Filed 3-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P