[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 87 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 25972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11071]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); Initiation of a Review 
to Consider the Designation of Nigeria as a Beneficiary Developing 
Country Under the GSP; Solicitation of Public Comments Relating to the 
Designation Criteria.

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation of public comment with respect to the 
eligibility of Nigeria for the GSP program.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the initiation of a review to consider 
the designation of Nigeria as a beneficiary developing country under 
the GSP program and solicits public comment relating to the designation 
criteria.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United 
States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, N.W., Room 518, 
Washington, D.C. 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-6971.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The government of Nigeria has requested that 
it be granted eligibility for beneficiary status under the GSP program. 
The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TSPC) has initiated a review to 
determine if Nigeria should be designated as a beneficiary developing 
country under the GSP program. A country may not be designated a 
beneficiary developing country, absent a finding that such designation 
would be in the economic interests of the United States, if any one of 
several elements are found, including: the country is a party to an 
arrangement of countries and participates in any action pursuant to 
such arrangement, the effect of which is to withhold supplies of vital 
commodity resources from international trade or to raise the price of 
such commodities to an unreasonable level, and to cause serious 
disruption of the world economy; the provision by the country of 
preferential treatment to products of other developed countries which 
has a significant adverse effect on U.S. commerce; the expropriation by 
the country of U.S.-owned property without compensation; a failure by 
the country to enforce arbitral awards in favor of U.S. persons; the 
support by the country of international terrorism; or a failure by the 
country to take steps to protect internationally recognized worker 
rights. Other factors taken into account in determining whether a 
country will be designated a beneficiary developing country include: 
the extent to which the country has assured the United States that it 
will provide market access for U.S. goods; the extent to which the 
country has taken action to reduce trade-distorting investment 
practices and policies; and the extent to which the country is 
providing adequate and effective protection of intellectual property 
rights. The criteria for designation are set forth in full in section 
502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.).
    Interested parties are invited to submit comments regarding the 
eligibility of Nigeria for designation as a GSP beneficiary developing 
country. Submission of comments must be made in English in 14 copies to 
the Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee, Trade Policy Staff Committee, and 
be received in Room 518 at 600 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 
20508, no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July 10th. Except for submission 
granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6, 
information and comments submitted regarding Nigeria will be subject to 
public inspection by appointment with the staff of the USTR Public 
Reading Room. For an appointment, please call Ms. Brenda Webb at 202/
395-6186. If the document contains business confidential information, 
14 copies of a nonconfidential version of the submission along with 14 
copies of the confidential version must be submitted. In addition, the 
submission should be clearly marked ``confidential'' at the top and 
bottom of each page of the document. The version which does not contain 
business confidential information (the public version) should also be 
clearly marked at the top and bottom of each page (either ``public 
version'' or ``non-confidential'').

H.J. Rosenbaum,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 00-11071 Filed 5-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M