[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 112 (Monday, June 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 31272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14582]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Determination Under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Trade Representative has determined that 
Saint Lucia and Barbados are making substantial progress toward 
implementing and following the customs procedures required by the 
Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act and, therefore, imports of 
eligible products from Saint Lucia and Barbados qualify for the trade 
benefits provided under the Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Wilson, Director for 
Central America and the Caribbean, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, (202) 395-5190.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act 
(Title II of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-
200) (CBTPA) amended the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) 
to provide preferential tariff treatment for imports of certain 
products of beneficiary Caribbean and Central American countries. The 
trade benefits provided by the CBTPA are available to imports of 
eligible products from countries that the President designates as 
``CBTPA beneficiary countries,'' provided that these countries have 
implemented and follow, or are making substantial progress toward 
implementing and following, certain customs procedures that assist the 
Customs Service in verifying the origin of the products.
    In Proclamation 7351 of October 2, 2000, the President designated 
all 24 current beneficiaries under the CBERA as ``CBTPA beneficiary 
countries.'' Proclamation 7351 delegated to the United States Trade 
Representative (USTR) the authority to determine whether the designated 
CBTPA beneficiary countries have implemented and follow, or are making 
substantial progress toward implementing and following, the customs 
procedures required by the CBTPA. The President directed the USTR to 
announce any such determinations in the Federal Register and to 
implement them through modifications of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States (HTS).
    Based on information and commitments provided by the Governments of 
Saint Lucia and Barbados, I have determined that Saint Lucia and 
Barbados are making substantial progress toward implementing and 
following the customs procedures required by the CBTPA. Accordingly, 
pursuant to the authority vested in the USTR by Proclamation 7351, 
general note 17(a) to the HTS, U.S. note 7(b) to subchapter II of 
chapter 98 of the HTS, and U.S. note 1 to subchapter XX of chapter 98 
of the HTS are each modified by inserting in alphabetical sequence in 
the list of eligible CBTPA beneficiary countries the names ``Barbados'' 
and ``Saint Lucia''. The foregoing modifications to the HTS are 
effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse 
for consumption, on or after the effective date of this notice.

Robert B. Zoellick,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 01-14582 Filed 6-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M