Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 75 / Wednesday, April 19, 1995 / Notices 19605

not disclosed in a manner that would

reveal the individual operations of a

firm.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENT:

Copies of the proposed form and

supporting documents may be obtained

from Elizabeth R. Nesbitt, telephone

(202) 205–3355; email:

Elizabeth.Nesbitt@ITC.Sprint.com.

Comments about the proposals should

be directed to the Office of Information

and Regulatory Affairs, Office of

Management and Budget (OMB),

Washington, D.C. 20503, Attention:

Desk Officer for the U.S. International

Trade Commission (telephone no. 202–

395–7340). If you anticipate

commenting on a form but find that

time to prepare comments will prevent

you from submitting them promptly,

you should advise OMB of your intent

within 2 weeks of the date this notice

appears in the Federal Register. Copies

of any comments should be provided to

Robert A. Rogowsky (U.S. International

Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW.,

Washington, D.C. 20436).

Hearing-impaired individuals are

advised that information on this matter

can be obtained by contacting our TDD

terminal on (202) 205–1810.

Issued: April 13, 1995.

By order of the Commission.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–9675 Filed 4–18–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

[Investigation No. 332–360]

International Harmonization of

Customs Rules of Origin

AGENCY: United States International

Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and

request for public comment.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 7, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eugene A. Rosengarden, Director, Office

of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements

(O/TA&TA) (202–205–2592), or Holm J.

Kappler, Deputy Director, O/TA&TA

(202–205–2598). Questions with regard

to specific products may also be referred

to the following coordinators:

Chapters 1–24, 44–49: Ronald H. Heller

(202–205–2596)

Chapters 25, 26, 64–83, 86–89:

Lawrence A. DiRicco (202–205–

2606)

Chapters 27–40: Edward J. Matusik

(202–205–3356)

Chapters 41–43, 61–63, 93–97: Thomas

W. Divers (202–205–2609)

Chapters 50–60: Larry B. Clayton (202–

205–2603)

Chapters 84, 85, 90–92: Craig M. Houser

(202–205–2597)

Hearing impaired persons are advised

that information on this matter can be

obtained by contacting the

Commission’s TDD terminal on 202–

205–1810. The media should contact

Margaret O’Laughlin, Director, Office of

Public Affairs (202–205–1819).

BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF

INVESTIGATION: Following receipt of a

letter from the United States Trade

Representative (USTR) on January 25,

1995, the Commission has instituted

investigation No. 332–360, International

Harmonization of Customs Rules of

Origin, under section 332(g) of the Tariff

Act of 1930. The investigation is

intended to provide the basis for

Commission participation in work

pertaining to the Uruguay Round

Agreement on Rules of Origin (ARO),

negotiated in the Uruguay Round of

Multilateral Trade Negotiations under

the General Agreement on Tariffs and

Trade (GATT) 1994 and adopted along

with the Agreement Establishing the

World Trade Organization (WTO).

The ARO is aimed at obtaining the

harmonization and clarification of

nonpreferential rules of origin for goods

in trade on the basis of the substantial

transformation test; at achieving

discipline in the rules’ administration;

and at providing a framework for

notification, review, consultation, and

dispute settlement. These harmonized

rules are intended to make country-oforigin determinations impartial,

predictable, transparent, consistent, and

neutral, and to avoid restrictive or

distortive effects on international trade.

The ARO provides that technical work

to those ends will be undertaken by the

Customs Cooperation Council (CCC)

(now informally known as the World

Customs Organization or WCO), which

must report on specified matters relating

to such rules for further action by

parties to the ARO. Eventually, the

WTO Ministerial Conference is to

‘‘establish the results of the

harmonization work program in an

annex as an integral part’’ of the ARO.

In order to carry out the work, the

ARO calls for the establishment of a

Committee on Rules of Origin of the

WTO and a Technical Committee on

Rules of Origin (TCRO) of the CCC.

These Committees bear the primary

responsibility for developing rules that

achieve the objectives of the ARO.

A major component of the work

program is aimed at harmonizing origin

rules for the purpose of providing more

certainty in the conduct of world trade.

To this end, the agreement contemplates

a 3-year CCC program, to be initiated as

soon as possible after the entry into

force of the Agreement Establishing the

WTO. Under the ARO, the TCRO is to

undertake (1) to develop harmonized

definitions of goods considered wholly

obtained in one country, and of minimal

processes or operations deemed not to

confer origin, (2) to consider the use of

change in Harmonized System

classification as a means of reflecting

substantial transformation, and (3) for

those products or sectors where a

change of tariff classification does not

allow for the reflection of substantial

transformation, to develop

supplementary or exclusive origin

criteria based on value, manufacturing

or processing operations or on other

standards.

Coordination and representation of

U.S. positions will be managed by the

TPSC subcommittee on Origin (chaired

by USTR) which is principally

concerned with matters before the WTO

Origin Committee and by the

Interagency Committee on CCC Matters

(chaired by Customs) which is

principally concerned with technical

issues before the TCRO.

CONDUCT OF THE INVESTIGATION: This

investigation will provide the basis for

the Commission’s participation in the

harmonization work program and will

include (1) soliciting public input to

ensure that U.S. business interests are

recognized in the development of U.S.

proposals, (2) participating in the

development and representation of U.S.

proposals before the CCC and the WTO,

and (3) conducting such other research

as the exigencies of the technical work

may require.

The Commission will from time to

time issue notices and solicit comments

and proposals with respect to the

development of the work. This initial

notice seeks comments with respect to

the Rules of Origin published by the

U.S. Customs Service as Part 102 of

Title 19 of the Code of Federal

Regulations which will serve as a

starting point in preparing the initial

U.S. positions with respect to the CCC

and WTO work programs. Subsequent

notices will invite comments and

proposals on draft U.S. proposals on the

rules, which generally will be issued on

a product sector basis and will provide

information on the status of the work.

Finally, during the course of the work

program, the Commission will make the

results of the TCRO’s work available for

public comment and hearing.

As called for in the request from the

Trade Representative, the Commission

is conducting a technical review of the

Customs Service’s ‘‘change of tariff

classification’’ provisions in 19 C.F.R.
19606 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 75 / Wednesday, April 19, 1995 / Notices

1The product scope covers natural honey,

artificial honey containing more than 50 percent

natural honey by weight, and preparations of

natural honey containing more than 50 percent

natural honey by weight. The subject products

include all grades and colors of honey whether in

liquid, creamed, comb, cut comb, or chunk form,

and whether packaged for retail or in bulk form.

Part 102. The Commission will address

the sufficiency of these change of tariff

classification provisions as a means of

determining when substantial

transformation has occurred, so as to

result in origin being ascribed to the

situs country. Specifically, the

Commission will attempt to identify

instances in which these change of

classification rules may lead to different

results than the substantial

transformation standard, as the latter

test has been traditionally applied in

determining origin for nonpreferential

purposes by U.S. courts and the U.S.

Customs Service. In addition, the

Commission’s analysis will help

identify those products or sectors where

the change-of-classification approach

does not reflect substantial

transformation, requiring the use of

supplementary or exclusive criteria

based upon value, manufacturing or

processing operations, or other

standards. The Commission will assist

in the development of harmonized

definitions of goods considered wholly

obtained in one country, and of minimal

processes or operations deemed not to

confer origin. Moreover, the

Commission will help analyze foreign

proposals and develop U.S.

counterproposals as the CCC and WTO

work programs progress, and will

review provisionally adopted

harmonized rules proposed by the CCC

Technical Committee.

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS: Interested persons

are invited to submit written statements

concerning this investigation, and, in

particular, the change of tariff

classification provisions set out in

section 102.20 of the U.S. Customs

Service Rules of Origin referenced

above. Written statements are

encouraged early in the investigative

process, and follow-up statements are

permitted; but all such statements must

be received at the Commission by the

close of business on June 15, 1995, in

order to be considered. Information

supplied to the Customs Service in

statements filed pursuant to notices of

that agency have been supplied to us

and need not be separately provided to

the Commission. The Commission is

particularly interested in receiving

views from the private sector on the

suitability of the draft rules as a basis for

determining origin for U.S. exports.

Commercial or financial information

which a submitter desires the

Commission to treat as confidential

must be submitted on separate sheets of

paper, each marked ‘‘Confidential

Business Information’’ at the top. All

submissions requesting confidential

treatment must conform with the

requirements of section 201.6 of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). All written

submissions, except for confidential

business information, will be available

for inspection by interested persons. All

submissions should be addressed to the

Office of the Secretary, United States

International Trade Commission, 500 E

Street SW., Washington, DC 20436.

PUBLIC HEARING: A public hearing in

connection with this investigation may

be held upon the request of interested

parties. Any such hearing will be

announced in a future public notice.

Issued: April 10, 1995.

By order of the Commission.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–9674 Filed 4–18–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

[Investigation No. 731–TA–722 (Final)]

Honey From the People’s Republic of

China

AGENCY: United States International

Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution and scheduling of a

final antidumping investigation.

SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives

notice of the institution of final

antidumping investigation No. 731–TA–

722 (Final) under section 735(b) of the

Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1673d(b))

(the Act) to determine whether an

industry in the United States is

materially injured, or is threatened with

material injury, or the establishment of

an industry in the United States is

materially retarded, by reason of

imports from the People’s Republic of

China of honey,1 provided for in

heading 0409 and subheadings 1702.90

and 2106.90 of the Harmonized Tariff

Schedule of the United States.

For further information concerning

the conduct of this investigation,

hearing procedures, and rules of general

application, consult the Commission’s

Rules of Practice and Procedure, part

201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part

201), and part 207, subparts A and C (19

CFR part 207).

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 20, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Messer (202–205–3193), Office of

Investigations, U.S. International Trade

Commission, 500 E Street SW.,

Washington, DC 20436. Hearingimpaired persons can obtain

information on this matter by contacting

the Commission’s TDD terminal on 202–

205–1810. Persons with mobility

impairments who will need special

assistance in gaining access to the

Commission should contact the Office

of the Secretary at 202–205–2000.

Information can also be obtained by

calling the Office of Investigations’

remote bulletin board system for

personal computers at 202–205–1895

(N,8,1).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background.—This investigation is

being instituted as a result of an

affirmative preliminary determination

by the Department of Commerce that

imports of honey from the People’s

Republic of China are being sold in the

United States at less than fair value

within the meaning of section 733 of the

Act (19 U.S.C. § 1673b). The

investigation was requested in a petition

filed on October 3, 1994, by counsel on

behalf of the American Beekeeping

Federation, Inc. and the American

Honey Producers Association.

Participation in the investigation and

public service list.—Persons wishing to

participate in the investigation as

parties must file an entry of appearance

with the Secretary to the Commission,

as provided in section 201.11 of the

Commission’s rules, not later than

twenty-one (21) days after publication of

this notice in the Federal Register. The

Secretary will prepare a public service

list containing the names and addresses

of all persons, or their representatives,

who are parties to this investigation

upon the expiration of the period for

filing entries of appearance.

Limited disclosure of business

proprietary information (BPI) under an

administrative protective order (APO)

and BPI service list.—Pursuant to

section 207.7(a) of the Commission’s

rules, the Secretary will make BPI

gathered in this final investigation

available to authorized applicants under

the APO issued in the investigation,

provided that the application is made

not later than twenty-one (21) days after

the publication of this notice in the

Federal Register. A separate service list

will be maintained by the Secretary for

those parties authorized to receive BPI

under the APO.

Staff report.—The prehearing staff

report in this investigation will be

placed in the nonpublic record on July

25, 1995, and a public version will be

issued thereafter, pursuant to section

207.21 of the Commission’s rules.

Hearing.—The Commission will hold

a hearing in connection with this