13934 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

Dated: March 19, 1997.

William L. Osteen,

Associate General Counsel and Assistant

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–7447 Filed 3–20–97; 11:07 am]

BILLING CODE 8120–08–M

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. WTO/D–12]

WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding

Regarding Section 609 of Public Law

101–162

AGENCY: Office of the United States

Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Office of the United

States Trade Representative (USTR) is

providing notice that the governments

of Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and

India have requested the establishment

of dispute settlement panels under the

Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the

World Trade Organization (WTO) to

examine certain measures of the United

States pursuant to Section 609 of Public

Law 101–162 (Section 609). Section 609

is intended to promote the conservation

of certain sea turtle species by

restricting the importation of shrimp or

shrimp products harvested by methods

harmful to sea turtles.

DATES: Although USTR will accept any

submissions received during the course

of the dispute settlement proceedings,

comments should be submitted on or

before April 15, 1997 to be assured of

timely consideration by USTR in

preparing its first written submission to

the panel.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be

submitted to Ileana Falticeni, Office of

Monitoring and Enforcement, Room

501, Attn.: Dispute Regarding U.S. Sea

Turtle Conservation Law, Office of the

United States Trade Representative, 600

17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Laura Kneale Anderson, Director for

Trade and Environment, (202) 395–

9590, or William L. Busis, Associate

General Counsel, (202) 395–3150.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: At the

meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement

Body (‘‘DSB’’) held on February 25,

1997, a panel was established to

examine claims of the governments of

Malaysia, Thailand and Pakistan with

respect to U.S. sea turtle conservation

measures pursuant to Section 609. The

European Communities and the

governments of Australia, Colombia,

Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Japan,

Mexico, Nigeria, Singapore and Sri

Lanka indicated their interest to

participate in the dispute as third

parties. Members of the panel are

currently being selected. Under normal

circumstances, panels are expected to

issue reports detailing their findings

within six to nine months after a panel

is established.

By letter dated February 25, 1997, the

government of India requested the

establishment of a panel to examine

claims of the government of India with

respect to U.S. sea turtle conservation

measures pursuant to Section 609. The

request of the government of India for

the establishment of a panel is on the

agenda for the next meeting of the DSB,

scheduled for March 20, 1997.

Major Issues Raised by Malaysia,

Thailand, Pakistan, and India, and

Alleged Legal Basis of Complaint

The government of Malaysia,

Thailand, Pakistan and India have

asserted that U.S. measures affecting the

importation of shrimp pursuant to

Section 609 are inconsistent with U.S.

obligations under the Marrakesh

Agreement Establishing the World

Trade Organization, including the

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

1994 (GATT). In particular, they assert

that the U.S. measures are inconsistent

with at least (a) GATT Article XI:1

(regarding prohibitions or restrictions

on imports); (b) GATT Article I

(regarding most-favored-nation

treatment); and (c) GATT Article XIII:1

(regarding the non-discriminatory

application of import restrictions or

prohibitions).

Requirements for Comments

Interested persons are invited to

submit written comments concerning

the issues raised in the dispute.

Comments must be in English and

provided in fifteen copies. A person

requesting that information contained in

a comment submitted by that person be

treated as confidential business

information must certify that such

information is business confidential and

would not customarily be released to

the public by the submitter.

Confidential business information must

be clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS

CONFIDENTIAL’’ in a contrasting color

ink at the top of each page of each copy.

A person requesting that information

or advice contained in a submission by

that person, other than business

confidential information, be treated as

confidential in accordance with section

135(g)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, as

amended (19 U.S.C. 2155(g)(2)):

(1) must so designate that information

or advice;

(2) must clearly mark the material as

‘‘SUBMITTED IN CONFIDENCE’’ in a

contrasting color ink at the top of each

page of each copy; and

(3) is encouraged to provide a nonconfidential summary of the

information or advice.

Pursuant to section 127(e) of the

URAA (19 U.S.C. 3537(e)), USTR will

maintain a file on this dispute

settlement proceeding, accessible to the

public, in the USTR Reading Room:

Room 101, Office of the United States

Trade Representative, 600 17th Street,

N.W., Washington DC 20508. The public

file will include a listing of any

comments received by USTR from the

public with respect to the proceeding;

the U.S. submissions to the panel in the

proceeding; and the submissions, or

non-confidential summaries of the

submissions, to the panel received from

other parties to the dispute, as well as

the report of the dispute settlement

panel and, if applicable, the report of

the Appellate Body. An appointment to

review the file (Docket No. WTO/D–12,

‘‘U.S. Sea Turtle Conservation Law’’)

may be made by calling Brenda Webb at

(202) 395–6186. The USTR Reading

Room is open to the public from 9:30

a.m. to 12 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00

p.m., Monday through Friday.

A. Jane Bradley,

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for

Monitoring and Enforcement.

[FR Doc. 97–7361 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Aviation Proceedings; Agreements

Filed During the Week Ending 3/14/97

The following Agreements were filed

with the Department of Transportation

under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 412

and 414. Answers may be filed within

21 days of date of filing.

Docket Number: OST–97–2208.

Date filed: March 12, 1997.

Parties: Members of the International

Air Transport Association.

Subject: COMP Telex Reso 024f—

Botswana, Local Currency Fare Changes,

Intended effective date: upon

government approval.

Paulette V. Twine,

Chief, Documentary Services.

[FR Doc. 97–7323 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P