25688 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 100 / Wednesday, May 22, 1996 / Notices

Dated: May 7, 1996.

Roger K. Patterson,

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 96–12747 Filed 5–21–96 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–94–P

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332–360]

International Harmonization of

Customs Rules of Origin

AGENCY: International Trade

Commission.

ACTION: Request for public comment on

draft proposals for chapters 01–24, 92–

97.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 15, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eugene A. Rosengarden, Director, Office

of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements

(O/TA&TA) (202–205–2595), Chapters

01–24 Ronald Heller (202–205–2596), or

Chapters 92–97 Lawrence A. DiRicco

(202–205–2606).

Parties having an interest in particular

products or HTS chapters and desiring

to be included on a mailing list to

receive available documents pertaining

thereto should advise Diane Whitfield

by phone (202–205–2610) or by mail at

the Commission, 500 E St. SW., Room

404, Washington, D.C. 20436. 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, Public Affairs

Officer (202–205–1819).

BACKGROUND: Following receipt of a

letter from the United States Trade

Representative (USTR) on January 25,

1995, the Commission instituted

Investigation No. 332–360, International

Harmonization of Customs Rules of

Origin, under section 332(g) of the Tariff

Act of 1930 (60 FR 19605, April 19,

1995).

The investigation is intended to

provide the basis for Commission

participation in work pertaining to the

Uruguay Round Agreement on Rules of

Origin (ARO), 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 designed to harmonize

and clarify nonpreferential rules of

origin for goods in trade on the basis of

the substantial transformation test;

achieve discipline in the rules’

administration; and provide a

framework for notification, review,

consultation, and dispute settlement.

These harmonized rules are intended to

make country-of-origin 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 the harmonization of 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.

To assist in the Commission’s

participation in work under the

Agreement on Rules of Origin (ARO),

the Commission is making available for

public comment draft proposed rules for

goods of:

Chapter 01—Live Animals

Chapter 02—Meat and Edible Meat Offal

Chapter 03—Fish and Crustaceans,

Molluscs and Other Aquatic

Invertebrates

Chapter 04—Dairy Products; Bird’s

Eggs; Natural Honey; Edible Products

of Animal Origin Not Elsewhere

Specified or Included

Chapter 05—Products of Animal Origin,

Not Elsewhere Specified or Included

Chapter 06—Live Trees and Other

Plants; Bulbs, Roots and the Like; Cut

Flowers and Ornamental Foliage

Chapter 07—Edible Vegetables and

Certain Roots and Tubers

Chapter 08—Edible Fruits and Nuts;

Peel of Citrus Fruit or Melons

Chapter 09—Coffee, Tea, Mate and

Spices

Chapter 10—Cereals

Chapter 11—Products of the Milling

Industry; Malt; Starches; Inulin;

Wheat Gluten

Chapter 12—Oil Seeds and Oleaginous

Fruits; Miscellaneous Grains, Seeds

and Fruits; Industrial or Medicinal

Plants; Straw and Fodder

Chapter 13—Lac; Gums, Resins and

Other Vegetable Saps and Extracts

Chapter 14—Vegetable Plaiting

Materials; Vegetable Products Not

Elsewhere Specified or Included

Chapter 15—Animal or Vegetable Fats

and Oils and their Cleavage Products;

Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or

Vegetable Waxes

Chapter 16—Preparations of Meat, of

Fish or of Crustaceans, Molluscs or

Other Aquatic Invertebrates

Chapter 17—Sugars and Sugar

Confectionary

Chapter 18—Cocoa and Cocoa

Preparations

Chapter 19—Preparations of Cereals,

Flour, Starch, Milk; Pastrycooks

Products

Chapter 20—Preparations of Vegetables,

Fruit, Nuts or Other Parts of Plants

Chapter 21—Miscellaneous Edible

Preparations

Chapter 22—Beverages, Spirits and

Vinegar

Chapter 23—Residues and Waste from

the Food Industries; Prepared Animal

Fodder

Chapter 24—Tobacco and Manufactured

Tobacco Substitutes

Chapter 92—Musical Instruments; Parts

and Accessories of Such Articles

Chapter 93—Arms and Ammunition;

Parts and Accessories Thereof

Chapter 94—Furniture; Bedding,

Mattresses, Mattress Supports,

Cushions, and Similar Stuffed

Furnishings; Lamps and Lighting

Fittings, n.e.s.o.i; Illuminated Signs,

Illuminated Nameplates and the Like;

Prefabricated Buildings

Chapter 95—Toys, Games, and Sports

Requisites; Parts and Accessories

Thereof

Chapter 96—Miscellaneous

Manufactured Articles (e.g., worked

carving materials, brooms and

brushes, travel sets, buttons, slide

fasteners, pens, pencils and similar

articles, typewriter ribbons, smoking

pipes)

Chapter 97—Works of Art, Collectors’

Pieces and Antiques of the
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 100 / Wednesday, May 22, 1996 / Notices 25689

Harmonized System that are not

considered to be wholly made in a

single country. The rules rely largely

on the change of heading as a basis for

ascribing origin.

Copies of the proposed revised rules

will be available from the Office of the

Secretary at the Commission, from the

Commission’s Internet web server

(http://www.usitc.gov), or by submitting

a request on the Office of Tariff Affairs

and Trade Agreements voice messaging

system, 202–205–2592 or by FAX at

202–205–2616.

These proposals, which have been

reviewed by interested government

agencies, are intended to serve as the

basis for the U.S. proposal to the

Technical Committee on Rules of Origin

(TCRO) of the Customs Cooperation

Council (CCC) (now known as the

World Customs Organization or WCO).

The proposals do not necessarily reflect

or restate existing Customs treatment

with respect to country of origin

applications for all current nonpreferential purposes. Based upon a

decision of the Trade Policy Staff

Committee, the proposals are intended

for future harmonization for the

nonpreferential purposes indicated in

the ARO for application on a global

basis. They seek to take into account not

only U.S. Customs’ current positions on

substantial transformation but

additionally seek to consider the views

of the business community and

practices of our major trading partners

as well. As such they represent an

attempt at reaching a basis for

agreement among the contracting

parties. The proposals may undergo

change as proposals from other

government administrations and the

private sector are received and

considered. Under the circumstances,

the proposals should not be cited as

authority for the application of current

domestic law.

If eventually adopted by the TCRO for

submission to the Committee on Rules

of Origin of the World Trade

Organization, these proposals would

comprise an important element of the

ARO work program to develop

harmonized, non-preferential country of

origin rules, as discussed in the

Commission’s earlier notice. Thus, in

view of the importance of these rules,

the Commission seeks to ascertain the

views of interested parties concerning

the extent to which the proposed rules

reflect the standard of substantial

transformation provided in the

Agreement. In addition, comments are

also invited on the format of the

proposed rules and whether it is

preferable to another presentation, such

as the format for the presentation of the

NAFTA origin or marking rules.

Forthcoming Commission notices will

advise the public on the progress of the

TCRO’s work and will contain any

harmonized definitions or rules that

have been provisionally or finally

adopted.

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS: Interested persons

are invited to submit written statements

concerning this phase of the

Commission’s investigation. Written

statements should be submitted as

quickly as possible, and follow-up

statements are permitted; but all

statements must be received at the

Commission by the close of business on

July 1, 1996, in order to be considered.

Information supplied to the Customs

Service in statements filed pursuant to

notices of that agency has been given to

us and need not be separately provided

to the Commission. Again, the

Commission notes that it is particularly

interested in receiving input from the

private sector on the effects of the

various proposed rules and definitions

on 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.

Issued: May 16, 1996.

By order of the Commission.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–12837 Filed 5–21–96;8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree

Pursuant to the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability Act

In accordance with Department of

Justice policy, 28 C.F.R. § 50.7, notice is

hereby given that a proposed Consent

Decree in United States v. Motorola, Inc.

et al., Civ. No. 4:96–CV–226–Y was

lodged on May 6, 1996 with the United

States District Court for the Northern

District of Texas, Fort Worth division.

The proposed Consent Decree

resolves the United States’ claim for

reimbursement of response costs

incurred at the Pesses Company

(S’West) site pursuant to Sections 104,

106 and 107 of the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act, 42

U.S.C. §§ 9604, 9606 and 9607(a)

(‘‘CERCLA’’). The Consent Decree

reimburses the United States and Texas

for $2.46 million of its response costs at

this Fort Worth, Texas site. The United

States filed a Complaint simultaneously

with the lodging of the Consent Decree

alleging that the defendants by contract,

agreement or otherwise arranged for

disposal or treatment of hazardous

substances at the site and are subject to

liability under Section 107(a)(3) of

CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. § 9607(a)(3).

The Department of Justice will

receive, for a period of thirty (30) days

from the date of this publication,

comments relating to the proposed

Consent Decree. Comments should be

addressed to the Assistant Attorney

General for the Environment and

Natural Resources Division, Department

of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20530, and

should refer to United States v.

Motorola et al., DOJ Ref. No. 90–11–3–

665.

The proposed Consent Decree may be

examined at the Region VI Office of the

Environmental Protection Agency, 1445

Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202; and

at the Consent Decree Library, 1120 G

Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington,

D.C. 20005, (202) 624–0892. A copy of

the proposed Consent Decree may be

obtained in person or by mail from the

Consent Decree Library, 1120 G Street,

N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C.

20005. In requesting a copy please refer

to the referenced case and enclose a

check in the amount of $6.00 (25 cents

per page reproduction costs), payable to

the Consent Decree Library.

Joel Gross,

Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section,

Environment and Natural Resources Division.

[FR Doc. 96–12773 Filed 5–21–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–01–P–M

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree

Pursuant to the Clean Water Act

In accordance with Departmental

policy, 28 C.F.R. § 50.7, notice is hereby

given that a proposed consent decree

settling claims brought by the United

States and the State of Indiana against

Defendant American Chemical Service,

Inc. in United States v. Sanitary District

of Hammond, et al., Civil Action No.