26268 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 88 / Friday, May 5, 2000 / Notices

Korea-Treatment of Foreign, ResearchBased Pharmaceuticals

U.S. concerns about Korea’s treatment

of foreign, research-based

pharmaceuticals have centered around

(1) discrimination in the reimbursement

pricing system; (2) lack of protection of

intellectual property rights (IPR),

particularly with respect to clinical data

and patents; and (3) burdensome and

non-science-based Korean regulatory

requirements, particularly on the

acceptance of foreign clinical test data,

testing, and approval of new drugs. In

response to multiple government-togovernment exchanges, including at

high levels, the Korean Government has

made some changes to address U.S.

concerns. Specifically, imported

pharmaceuticals are now listed, as are

domestic drugs, on Korea’s national

health insurance reimbursement

schedule. Also, the Korean Government

has introduced a new system to

reimburse hospitals for drugs at actual

transaction prices to eliminate the

illegal hospital margins that were

available only for domestic drugs.

Finally, Korea has taken some minor

steps to address U.S. concerns on data

protection and regulatory issues.

However, serious questions remain

regarding how the new reimbursement

pricing system in Korea will treat

foreign innovative drugs, and regarding

whether Korea provides TRIPSconsistent data protection. Korean

authorities have resisted committing to

a system of ‘‘linkage’’ between health

and IPR authorities that would prevent

the launch into the Korean market of

drugs that would infringe valid patents.

Finally, new Korean regulations

finalized in December 1999 do not

conform to international guidelines on

the acceptance of foreign clinical test

data. Prior to December of last year, in

communications with the U.S.

Government, the Korean Government

indicated that it would implement these

guidelines. In fact, the final Korean

regulations appear to perpetuate

requirements for redundant clinical

testing and fail to shorten and

streamline Korea’s drug approval

process. The U.S. Government will

continue discussions with the Korean

Government until U.S. concerns are

addressed.

Malaysia-Trade and Investment in

Motor Vehicles

The United States will continue to

monitor Malaysia’s compliance with its

WTO obligations in the motor vehicle

sector. Malaysia imposes local content

requirements on producers of

motorcycles, automobiles and

commercial vehicles (45 to 60 percent

for passenger and commercial vehicles

and 60 percent for motorcycles). Under

the TRIMs Agreement, Malaysia was

required to remove these measures by

January 1, 2000 unless additional time

was granted by the WTO. On December

29, 1999, Malaysia made a formal

request for an additional two years to

bring these measures into compliance

with its obligations under the

Agreement, but approval of this request

has not been forthcoming. For these

reasons, Malaysia appears to be in

violation of the TRIMs Agreement. The

approximate size of the automobile and

commercial vehicle market in Malaysia

in 1998 was 164,000 units. A large

portion of the vehicles sold in Malaysia

are produced locally. Motor vehicle

parts sales into Malaysia are also

reduced by these measures.

The United States hopes to receive

increased interest from Malaysia in

resolving this issue in a timely fashion.

It will be important to increase the

dialogue regarding the extension request

made by the Malaysians. A meaningful

first step will be for Malaysia to provide

answers to a series of questions posed

by several WTO members. The United

States provided its questions on

February 8, 2000 and on several

occasions encouraged Malaysia to

respond. Absent progress toward

resolving Malaysia’s request, we will

need to consider alternate action to

resolve this apparent violation.

Additionally, other facets of Malaysia’s

motor vehicle policies will be reviewed

to ensure their consistency with WTO

obligations.

Mexico-Customs Valuation

The United States has requested

bilateral consultations with the

Government of Mexico regarding its use

of reference prices for a wide range of

imported products, including foods,

distilled spirits, chemicals, paper,

textiles, apparel, footwear, steel, hand

tools, and appliances. Based on

currently available information,

effective May 1, 2000, companies

importing affected products below the

Government’s minimum reference price

must deposit cash in a designated

Mexican financial institution (or arrange

one of two alternative guarantees) to

cover the difference in duties and taxes.

This cash deposit requirement is to

replace a bond requirement that has

been in place for several years. These

practices appear to violate a number of

WTO agreements, including the WTO

Agreement on Customs Valuation,

GATT 1994, the WTO Agreement on

Import Licensing Procedures, the

Agreement on Preshipment Inspection,

and the Agreement on Textiles and

Clothing. If consultations underway do

not result, in a timely manner, in

Mexican policies which are in

compliance with its international

agreements, the United States will

initiate WTO consultations.

Mexico-Nutritional Products

Mexican Health Ministry regulations

require the inspection and approval of

manufacturing facilities in order to sell

nutritional products, such as low-dosage

vitamins, in Mexico. However, Mexican

authorities refuse to inspect U.S.-based

manufacturing facilities. Denying U.S.

exporters the ability to have their

facilities inspected and approved on the

same basis as their Mexican

counterparts raises serious concerns

about Mexico’s adherence to its trade

obligations under the NAFTA and the

WTO. The United States has raised

these concerns with Mexico and has

requested further consultations with

Mexico. If this problem is not resolved

in a timely manner that will allow U.S.

companies without Mexican-based

production facilities to resume

exporting nutritional products to

Mexico, the United States will consider

proceeding to dispute settlement.

A. Jane Bradley,

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for

Monitoring and Enforcement.

[FR Doc. 00–11289 Filed 5–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory

Committee Meeting on Noise

Certification Issues

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice

to advise the public of a meeting of the

Federal Aviation Administration

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory

Committee to discuss noise certification

issues.

DATES: The meeting will be held on May

18, 2000, at 10 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the General Aviation Manufacturers

Association, 1400 K Street NW,

Washington, DC

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Angela. O. Anderson, (202) 267–9681,

Office of Rulemaking (ARM–204), 800

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20591.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 88 / Friday, May 5, 2000 / Notices 26269

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–

463; 5 U.S.C. App. II), notice is hereby

given of a meeting of the Aviation

Rulemaking Advisory Committee

(ARAC) to discuss noise certification

issues. This meeting will be held May

18, 2000, at 10 a.m., at the General

Aviation Manufacturers Association.

The agenda for this meeting will include

the presentation and vote on the NPRM

from FAR/JAR Harmonization Working

Group for Subsonic Transport

Airplanes. Members of the public may

obtain copies of this NPRM by

contacting the person listed above under

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

Attendance is open to the interested

public but may be limited to the space

available. The public must make

arrangements in advance to present oral

statements at the meeting or may

present statements to the committee at

any time. Written statements may be

presented to the committee at any time

by providing 16 copies to the Assistant

Chair or by providing the copies at the

meeting. If you are in need of assistance

or require a reasonable accommodation

for the meeting, please contact the

person listed under the heading FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. In

addition, sign and oral interpretation

can be made available at the meeting, as

well as an assistive listening device, is

requested 10 calendar days before the

meeting. Arrangements may be made by

contacting the person listed under the

heading FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT.

Issued in Washington, DC, on April 27,

2000.

Paul Dykeman,

Assistant Executive Director for Noise

Certification Issues, Aviation Rulemaking

Advisory Committee.

[FR Doc. 00–11326 Filed 5–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

RTCA Special Committee 196 Night

Vision Goggle (NVG) Appliances and

Equipment

Pursuant to section 10(a) (2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (P.L.

92–463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice is

hereby given for Special Committee

(SC)–196 meeting to be held March 28–

29, 2000, starting at 9:00 a.m. each day.

The meeting will be held at RTCA Inc.,

1140 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite

1020, Washington, DC 20036.

The agenda will include: May 31: (1)

Welcome and Introductory Remarks; (2)

Agenda Overview; (3) Review/Approval

of Previous Minutes; (4) Action Item

Status Review; (5) Overview SC–196

Working Group (WG) Activities: (a)

WG–1, Operational Concept/

Requirements; (b) WG–2, Night Vision

Goggles Minimum Operational

Performance Standards; (c) WG–3, Night

Vision Imaging System Lighting; (d)

WG–4, Maintenance/Serviceability; (e)

WG–5, Training Guidelines/

Considerations; (6) WG Breakout

Sessions. June 1: (7) Night vision

Imaging Systems Terminology Review;

(8) Technical Standard Order Process;

(9) RTCA Ballot Process; (10) Risk and

System Safety Assessment Discussion;

(11) Working Group Breakout Sessions.

June 2: (12) Status of SC–196 WG

Activities; (a) WG–1, Operational

Concept/Requirements; (b) WG–2, Night

Vision Goggles Minimum Operational

Performance Standards; (c) WG–3, Night

Vision Imaging System Lighting; (d)

WG–4, Maintenance/Serviceability; (e)

WG–5, Training Guidelines/

Considerations; (13) Other Business;

(14) Establish Agenda for Next Meeting;

(15) Date and Location of Next Meeting;

(16) Workgroup Breakout Sessions; (17)

Working Group Chairpersons Meeting;

(18) Closing.

Attendance is open to the interested

public but limited to space availability.

With the approval of the chairman,

members of the public may present oral

statements at the meeting. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the RTCA

Secretariat, 1140 Connecticut Avenue,

NW., Suite 1020, Washington, DC,

20036; (202) 833–9339 (phone); (202)

833–9434 (fax); or http://www.rtca.org

(web site). Members of the public may

present a written statement to the

committee at any time.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 1, 2000.

Jane P. Caldwell,

Designated Official.

[FR Doc. 00–11327 Filed 5–4–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA–2000–7315]

Notice of Request for Renewal of Five

Currently Approved Information

Collections

AGENCY: Department of Transportation,

Federal Highway Administration

(FHWA).

ACTION: Notice and request for public

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

requirements in section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

this notice announces the intention of

the FHWA to request the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) to

renew its clearances for the five

currently approved FHWA collections

of information identified below under

Supplementary Information.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before July 5, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All signed, written

comments should refer to the docket

number that appears in the heading of

this document and must be submitted to

the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets,

Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington DC 20590–0001.

Commenters should refer to the OMB

control number to specify the

information collection they are

commenting on. All comments received

will be available for examination at the

above address between 10 a.m. to 5

p.m., et., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays. Those desiring

notification of receipt of comments must

include a self-addressed, stamped

envelope or postcard.

Public Comments Invited

Interested parties are invited to send

comments regarding any aspect of these

five information collections, including,

but not limited to: (1) The necessity and

utility of the information collection for

the proper performance of the functions

of the FHWA; (2) the accuracy of the

estimated burdens; (3) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarity of the

collected information; and (4) ways to

minimize the collection burden without

reducing the quality of the collected

information. Comments submitted in

response to this notice will be

summarized and/or included in the

requests for OMB’s clearance of the

following five collections of

information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: (1) Title:

Federal-aid Highway Construction

Equal Employment Opportunity.

OMB Control Number: 2125–0019

(Expiration Date: December 31, 2000).

Affected Public: State highway

agencies.

Abstract: Title 23, part 140(a),

requires the FHWA to ensure equal

opportunity regarding contractors’

employment practices on Federal-aid

highway projects. To carry out this

requirement the contractors must

submit to the State highway agencies an

annual report providing employment