Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 8, 1997 / Notices 52603

4 15 U.S.C. § 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii).

5 17 CFR 240.19b–4(e)(2).

6 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).

C. Self-Regulatory Organization’s

Statement on Comments on the

Proposed Rule Change Received From

Members, Participants, or Others

No written comments were solicited

or received with respect to the proposed

rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the

Proposed Rule Change and Timing for

Commission Action

The proposed rule change establishes

or changes a due, fee, or other charge

imposed by the Exchange and therefore,

has become effective pursuant to

Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) 4 of the Act and

Rule 19b-4(e)(2) 5 thereunder. At any

time within 60 days of the filing of a

rule change, the Commission may

summarily abrogate the rule change if it

appears to the Commission that such

action is necessary or appropriate in the

public interest, for the protection of

investors, or otherwise in furtherance of

the purposes of the Act.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written data, views, and

arguments concerning the foregoing.

Persons making written submissions

should file six copies thereof with the

Secretary, Securities and Exchange

Commission, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20549. Copies of the

submission, all subsequent

amendments, all written statements

with respect to the proposed rule

change that are filed with the

Commission, and all written

communications relating to the

proposed rule change between the

Commission and any person, other than

those that may be withheld from the

public in accordance with the

provisions of 5 U.S.C. § 552, will be

available for inspection and copying at

the Commission’s Public Reference

Room. Copies of such filing will also be

available for inspection and copying at

the principal office of the CBOE. All

submissions should refer to File No.

SR–CBOE–97–47 and should be

submitted by October 29, 1997.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.6

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–26576 Filed 10–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

[License No. 02/72–0576]

Early Stage Enterprises, L.P.; Notice of

Issuance of a Small Business

Investment Company License

On July 19, 1996, an application was

filed by Early Stage Enterprises, L.P., at

221 Nassau Street, 3rd Floor, Princeton,

New Jersey 08542 with the Small

Business Administration (SBA)

pursuant to Section 107.300 of the

Regulations governing small business

investment companies (13 C.F.R.

107.300 (1997)) for a license to operate

as a small business investment

company.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant

to Section 301(c) of the Small Business

Investment Act of 1958, as amended,

after having considered the application

and all other pertinent information, SBA

issued License No. 02/72–0576 on

September 26, 1997, to Early Stage

Enterprises, L.P. to operate as a small

business investment company.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program No. 59.011, Small Business

Investment Companies)

Dated: October 2, 1997.

Don A. Christensen,

Associate Administrator for Investment.

[FR Doc. 97–26689 Filed 10–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Secretary

[Public Notice 2613]

Determination on Export-Import Bank

Support for the Sale to the

Commonwealth of the Bahamas of

Defense Articles or Services to be

Used Primarily for Counter-Narcotics

Purposes

Pursuant to section 2(b)(6) of the

Export-Import Bank Act of 1945, as

amended, and Executive Order 11958 of

January 18, 1977, as amended by

Executive Order 12680 of July 5, 1989,

I hereby determine that:

(1) The defense articles and services

for which the Government of the

Commonwealth of The Bahamas has

requested Export-Import Bank financial

guarantees, two (2) 60 meter patrol craft,

are being sold primarily for antinarcotics purposes;

(2) The sale of such defense articles

and services would be in the national

interest of the United States;

(3) The requirement for a

determination that the Commonwealth

of The Bahamas has complied with all

restrictions imposed by the United

States on the end use of defense articles

or services for which the Export-Import

Bank has provided guarantees or

insurance under section 2(b)(6) of the

Export-Import Bank Act is inapplicable

because the pending financing will be

the first Ex-Im Bank transaction with

The Bahamas made under section

2(b((6) of the Act.

(4) The requirement for a

determination that the Commonwealth

of The Bahamas has not used defense

articles or services for which the ExportImport Bank has provided guarantees or

insurance under section 2(b)(6) of the

Export-Import Bank Act to engage in a

consistent pattern of gross violations of

international recognized human rights is

inapplicable because the pending

financing will be the first Ex-Im Bank

transaction with The Bahamas made

under section 2(b)(6) of the Act.

The determination shall be reported

to the Congress and shall be published

in the Federal Register.

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Strobe Talbott,

Acting Secretary of State.

Justification for Determination

Pursuant to Section 2(b)(6) of the

Export-Import Bank Act of 1945, as

amended, and E.O. 12680 of July 5,

1989, I have made the determination

required to authorize financing by the

Export-Import Bank of the United States

of defense articles or services to be used

by the Government of the

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

primarily for counter-narcotics

purposes.

The defense articles to be financed are

two (2) 60 meter patrol boats built by

Halter Marine, Gulfport, Mississippi.

The new boats, by giving The Bahamas

a better means for patrolling its large

territorial waters, will further the joint

U.S.-Bahamas effort (‘‘Operation

Bahamas and Turks (OPBAT)’’) to

curtail the northward flow of cocaine,

marijuana and other illegal substances

from their production centers to the

south.

Based on assurances from the

Government of the Commonwealth of

The Bahamas and the assessment of our

Embassy in The Bahamas, I have

determined that the vessels to be

financed by the Export-Import Bank will

be used primarily for counter-narcotics

purposes. I have also determined that

the sale will enhance U.S. Bahamas

counter-narcotics cooperation and is

therefore in the national interest. The

Bahamas is a major drug transit country

that the President has certified has

cooperated fully with the United States
52604 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 195 / Wednesday, October 8, 1997 / Notices

or taken adequate steps on its own to

achieve fully compliance with the goals

and objectives established by United

Nations Convention Against Illicit

Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and

Psychotropic Substance. The Bahamas

is a stale parliamentary democracy,

Since this is the first financing by the

Export-Import Bank of defense items or

services to the Commonwealth of The

Bahamas under section 2(b)(6) of the

Export-Import Bank Act, the other

determinations required by the Act are

inapplicble.

[FR Doc. 97–26569 Filed 10–7–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–10–M

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Report on Trade Expansion Priorities

Pursuant to Executive Order 12901

(‘‘Super 301’’)

AGENCY: Office of United States Trade

Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice if hereby given that the

United States Trade Representative

(USTR) has submitted the report on

United States trade expansion priorities

published herein to the Committee on

Finance of the United States Senate and

the Committee on Ways and Means of

the United States House of

Representatives pursuant to the

provisions (commonly referred to as

‘‘Super 301’’) set forth in Executive

Order 12901 of March 3, 1994, as

extended by Executive Order No. 12973

of September 27, 1995.

DATE: The report was submitted on

October 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Irving Williamson, Chairman, Section

301 Committee, Office of the U.S. Trade

Representative, 600 17th Street, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20508, (202) 395–3432.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of

the USTR report is as follows.

Identification of Trade Expansion

Priorities Pursuant to Executive Order

12901

October 1, 1997.

This report is submitted pursuant to

Executive Order No. 12901 of March 3,

1994, as extended by Executive Order

No. 12973 of September 27, 1995,

regarding the ‘‘Super 301’’ annual

review. Under the Executive Order the

United States Trade Representative

(USTR) is required, by September 30,

1997, 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.’’

Keeping America growing and

creating good high-wage jobs by tearing

down foreign barriers to American

goods and services continues to be

President Clinton’s top trade expansion

priority. For this reason the President

has asked Congress to renew fast track

procedures to negotiate tough new trade

agreements that break down trade

barriers and unfair trade restrictions in

key areas, such as in agriculture,

information technology,

telecommunications, automobiles,

medical equipment, environmental

technology and services, and the

creative power of our entertainment and

software industries. Fast track would

enable the United States to complete the

built-in agenda of the World Trade

Organization (WTO) by concluding

major trade negotiations that were

deferred at the end of the Uruguay

Round and by participating in

negotiations mandated by the Uruguay

Round agreements in areas ranging from

rules to origin to services. Fast track

would enable the United States to

pursue market-opening initiatives in

sectors where the United States either

leads the world or is a powerful

competitor, and where extraordinary

potential for growth exists. Fast track is

also essential if the United States is to

negotiate more comprehensive market

access agreements with individual

countries, as well as on a regional basis.

The Clinton Administration intends

to concentrate on the fastest growing

markets in the world in Latin America

and Asia. These markets are growing

three times faster than our own. Without

fast track, our competitors will continue

to negotiate trade agreements that

benefit their products at the expense of

our own. Fast track is necessary, not

only to promote our own economic

well-being, but to enable us to continue

to play a leadership role in advancing

the cause of freedom and prosperity in

the world.

The Administration is addressing the

most significant foreign trade barriers

through an ongoing strategy of vigorous

monitoring and enforcement of trade

agreements, strategic application of U.S.

trade laws, active use of the dispute

settlement provisions of our trade

agreements, and continued engagement

in multilateral, sectoral, regional and

bilateral negotiations. Through this

strategy the Administration has used the

trade law tools and dispute settlement

mechanisms at its disposal on more

than 70 occasions so far to enforce U.S.

rights. As a result of the 1997 review of

priorities, the Administration has

identified one priority foreign country

practice and will proceed under WTO

dispute settlement procedures in four

cases.

Priority Foreign Country Practice

• Korea—barriers to auto imports.

Specific Korean practices of concern

include an array of cumulative tariff and

tax disincentives that disproportionately

affect imports; onerous and costly auto

standards and certification procedures;

auto financing restrictions; and a

climate of bias against imported

vehicles that Korean officials have not

effectively addressed. While some of

these barriers were addressed in the

1995 bilateral agreement,

implementation of that agreement has

been disappointing, especially as new

practices have been introduced that

undermine the 1995 agreement.

Meanwhile, Korean auto manufacturers

are expanding domestic capacity, which

is forecast to rise from 2.8 to over 5

million units by the year 2000.

Although some progress was made

during recent bilateral negotiations to

improve market access in Korea for

foreign automobiles, Korea was not

prepared to undertake the reforms

which are necessary for real opening of

its autos market. In light of the

foregoing, the USTR has decided to

identify Korea’s barriers to imported

automobiles as a priority foreign

country practice under the Executive

Order and will initiate a section 301

investigation of Korea’s practices. The

United States continues to hope that it

can reach an agreement with Korea that

will effectively address U.S. concerns.

Strategic Enforcement

Enforcing our trade agreements and

our trade laws is among the

Administration’s top trade expansion

priorities. A critical part of our job is

what happens after an agreement is

signed. The Administration’s trade

policy recognizes that the best way to

build confidence in trade agreements is

to enforce them. Vigorous enforcement

is critical to ensuring good agreements.

The Administration has assigned top

priority to monitoring implementation

of its trade agreements, especially the

WTO agreements and NAFTA to ensure

that signatories live up to their

commitments and comply with the

rules. In the course of these monitoring

efforts, the Office of the United States

Trade Representative, in cooperation

with the Departments of Commerce and

Agriculture, has focused in particular on

foreign practices that could pose serious

problems to the international trading