[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40880-40881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20451]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


North American Free-Trade Agreement, Article 1904; NAFTA Panel 
Reviews; Request for Panel Review

AGENCY: NAFTA Secretariat, United States Section, International Trade 
Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of First Request for Panel Review.

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SUMMARY: On July 15, 1998, Wolverine Tube (Canada) Inc. filed a First 
Request for Panel Review with the United States Section of the NAFTA 
Secretariat pursuant to Article 1904 of the North American Free Trade 
Agreement. Panel review was requested of the final antidumping duty 
administrative review determination made by the International Trade 
Administration, respecting Brass Sheet and Strip from Canada. This 
determination was published in the Federal Register (63 FR 33037) on 
June 17, 1998. The NAFTA Secretariat has assigned Case Number USA-CDA-
98-1904-03 to this request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James R. Holbein, United States Secretary, NAFTA Secretariat, Suite 
2061, 14th and Constitution Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20230, (202) 482-
5438.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chapter 19 of the North American Free-Trade 
Agreement (``Agreement'') establishes a mechanism to replace domestic 
judicial review of final determinations in antidumping and 
countervailing duty cases involving imports from a NAFTA country with 
review by independent binational panels. When a Request for Panel 
Review is filed, a panel is established to act in place of national 
courts to review expeditiously the final determination to determine 
whether it conforms with the antidumping or countervailing duty law of 
the country that made the determination.
    Under Article 1904 of the Agreement, which came into force on 
January 1, 1994, the Government of the United States, the Government of 
Canada and the Government of Mexico established Rules of Procedure for 
Article 1904 Binational Panel Reviews (``Rules''). These Rules were 
published in the Federal Register on February 23, 1994 (59 FR 8686).
    A first Request for Panel Review was filed with the United States 
Section of the NAFTA Secretariat, pursuant to Article 1904 of the 
Agreement, on July 15, 1998, requesting panel review of the

[[Page 40881]]

final antidumping duty administrative review described above.
    The Rules provide that:

    (a) a Party or interested person may challenge the final 
determination in whole or in part by filing a Complaint in 
accordance with Rule 39 within 30 days after the filing of the first 
Request for Panel Review (the deadline for filing a Complaint is 
August 14, 1998);
    (b) a Party, investigating authority or interested person that 
does not file a Complaint but that intends to appear in support of 
any reviewable portion of the final determination may participate in 
the panel review by filing a Notice of Appearance in accordance with 
Rule 40 within 45 days after the filing of the first Request for 
Panel Review (the deadline for filing a Notice of Appearance is 
August 31, 1998); and
    (c) the panel review shall be limited to the allegations of 
error of fact or law, including the jurisdiction of the 
investigating authority, that are set out in the Complaints filed in 
the panel review and the procedural and substantive defenses raised 
in the panel review.

    Dated: July 22, 1998.
James R. Holbein,
United States Secretary, NAFTA Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 98-20451 Filed 7-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-GT-M