[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 189 (Thursday, September 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 58342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25093]



[[Page 58341]]

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Part IV





Office of the United States Trade Representative





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Trade Policy Staff Committee; Request for Public Comment on Draft 
Environmental Review of Proposed United States-Jordan Free Trade 
Agreement; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 189 / Thursday, September 28, 2000 / 
Notices

[[Page 58342]]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Trade Policy Staff Committee; Request for Public Comment on Draft 
Environmental Review of Proposed United States-Jordan Free Trade 
Agreement

ACTION: Notice of Availability and Request for Public Comment on the 
Draft Environmental Review of the proposed U.S.-Jordan Free Trade 
Agreement.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises that a draft environmental review of the 
proposed Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area Between 
the Government of the United States and the Government of the Hashemite 
Kingdom of Jordan is now available for review and comment. This review 
was performed pursuant to Executive Order 13141 and initiated in the 
Federal Register on June 28, 2000 (65 Fed. Reg. 37976). The draft 
environment review is available at the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR) Reading Room (room 101), at 600 17th 
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20508, as well as electronically at the 
USTR website at: http://www.ustr.gov. Persons submitting written 
comments should note the expedited comment deadline necessitated by the 
negotiating timetable.

DATES: Comments on the review should be submitted on or before October 
11, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
public comments, contact Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy 
Staff Committee (TPSC), Office of the USTR, 600 17th Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20508, (202) 395-3475. All other questions regarding 
the draft review should be addressed to Kira Alvarez, Director for 
Marine Resources and Regional Affairs, Office of the USTR (202) 395-
7230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 6, 2000, President Clinton agreed to 
negotiate a biolateral free trade agreement with Jordan's King Abdullah 
II.. In the negotiations, the United States and Jordan are seeking to 
eliminate duties and commercial barriers to bilateral trade in U.S. and 
Jordanian origin goods and are also addressing trade in services, 
trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, trade-related 
environmental and labor matters, and other issues. The TPSE requested 
written comments from the public to assist USTR in formulating 
negotiating objectives for the agreement in the Federal Register on 
June 2000 (65 FR 37594).
    An evironmental review of the proposed agreement was initiated on 
June 28, 2000 (65 FR 39976). In that notice, USTR also requested 
comments on the scope of the review, including the potential 
environmental effects that might flow from the free trade agreement and 
the potential implications for U.S. environmental laws and regulations.
    Written Comments. Person submitting written comments should provide 
twenty(20) copies no later than noon October 11, 2000, to Gloria Blue 
at the address listed above. Written comments submitted in connection 
with this request, except for information granted ``business 
confidential'' status pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6, will be available for 
public inspection in the USTR Reading Room (Room 101) at the address 
noted above. An appointment to review the file may be made by calling 
Brenda Webb at (202) 395-6186. The Reading Room is open to the public 
from 10:00 a. m. to 12 noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through 
Friday.
    Business confidential information will be subject to the 
requirements of 15 CFR 2003.6. Any business confidential material must 
be clearly marked as such on the cover letter or page and each 
succeeding page, and must be accompanied by a non-confidential summary 
thereof. If the submission contains confidential information, twenty 
(20) copies of a public version that does not contain confidential 
information must be submitted. A justification as to why the 
information contained in the submission should be treated 
confidentially must be included in the submission. In addition, any 
submissions containing business confidential information must be 
clearly marked ``Confidential'' at the top and bottom of the cover page 
(or letter) and each succeeding page of the submission. The versions 
that do not contain confidential information should also be clearly 
marked, at the top and bottom of each page, ``public version'' or 
``non-confidential''.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 00-25093 Filed 9-26-00; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M