Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 233 / Monday, December 4, 2000 / Notices 75763

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(address above).

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[FR Doc. 00–30812 Filed 12–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–05–U

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Implementation of Tariff-Rate Quota for

Imports of Beef

AGENCY: Office of the United States

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Correction of Notice.

SUMMARY: The Office of the United

States Trade Representative (USTR) is

providing notice that USTR has

determined that effective January 1,

2001, all imports of beef from New

Zealand will need to be accompanied by

an export certificate in order to qualify

for the in-quota tariff rate. The

exception to this certificate requirement

for exports made prior to January 1,

2001, announced in the Federal

Register on October 26, 2000, is hereby

eliminated.

DATES: The action is effective December

4, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Suchada Langley, Senior Economist for

Agricultural Affairs, Office of the United

States Trade Representative, 600 17th

Street NW, Washington, DC 20508;

telephone: (202) 395–6127.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

United States maintains a tariff-rate

quota on imports of beef as part of its

implementation of the Marrakesh

Agreement Establishing the World

Trade Organization. The in-quota

quantity of that tariff-rate quota is

allocated in part among a number of

countries. As part of the administration

of that tariff-rate quota, USTR provided,

in 15 CFR part 2012, for the use of

export certificates with respect to

imports of beef from countries that have

an allocation of the in-quota quantity.

The export certificates apply only to

those countries that USTR determines

are participating countries for purposes

of 15 CFR part 2012.

On September 26, 2000, USTR

received a request and the necessary

supporting information from the

government of New Zealand to be

considered as a participating country for

purposes of the export certification

program. Accordingly, USTR has

determined that, effective January 1,

2001, New Zealand is a participating

country for purposes of 15 CFR part

2012. As a result, USTR published a

notice on October 26, 2000 stating that

effective on and after January 1, 2001,

imports of beef from New Zealand will

need to be accompanied by an export

certificate in order to qualify for the inquota tariff rate, but that imports

exported from New Zealand prior to

January 1, 2001, including exports

currently warehoused, will not require

an export certificate.

Since the publication of the October

26, 2000 notice, USTR has determined

in consultation with the United States

Department of Agriculture and New

Zealand that given existing

circumstances, including the imminent

fill of the beef tariff quota for the current

quota year, exemption of exports made

prior to January 1, 2001, from the export

certificate requirement for imports

entered into the United States after

January 1, 2001, is not necessary.

Accordingly, the October 26, 2000

notice is hereby revised to provide that

effective on January 1, 2001, imports of

beef from New Zealand will need to be

accompanied by an export certificate in

order to qualify for the in-quota tariff

rate. There will be no exceptions made

for exports of beef from New Zealand

made prior to January 1, 2001.

Charlene Barshefsky,

United States Trade Representative.

[FR Doc. 00–30782 Filed 12–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–M

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Trade Policy Staff Committee; Public

Comments on Environmental Review

of Proposed Free Trade Area of the

Americas

ACTION: Notice of Initiation of

Environmental Review and Request for

Comments on Scope of Review, and

Notice of Availability of the Report of

the Quantitative Analysis Working

Group and Request for Comments.

SUMMARY: This publication gives notice

that pursuant to Executive Order 13141

signed by President Clinton on

November 16, 1999 (64 FR 63169) the

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

(USTR), through the Trade Policy Staff

Committee (TPSC), is formally initiating

an environmental review of the

proposed Free Trade Area of the

Americas (FTAA). USTR has established

an FTAA interagency group, chaired at

the TPSC level, to oversee the

development and implementation of the

environmental review, and an

interagency working group composed of

economic and environmental experts, to

provide guidance on the quantitative

and methodological parameters of the

review. Thus far, the working group has

developed a draft report which provides

advice on the quantitative aspects of the

environmental review. This document,

entitled: Report of the Quantitative

Analysis Working Group to the FTAA

Interagency Environment Group, is

available for review on the USTR

website www.ustr.gov.

In this notice, the TPSC is requesting

written comments from the public

regarding what should be included in

the scope of the environmental review,

including the identification of

potentially significant environmental

impacts, both positive and negative, that

may arise in the context of trade

liberalization. Respondents should

provide as much detail as possible on

the degree to which the subject matter

they propose may raise significant

environmental issues in the context of

the negotiation. In addition, the TPSC is

seeking comments on advice provided

by the interagency working group

regarding the methodology for

performing quantitative aspects of the

environmental review.

DATES: Although USTR will accept any

comments received during the course of

the negotiations, comments should be

submitted on or before January 19, 2001

to be assured of timely consideration in

determining the scope of the

environmental review.