Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 5, 1996 / Notices 28627

Canada to assess fees on any softwood

lumber shipped from its four leading

producing provinces in excess of 14.7

billion board feet in each of the next five

years. The agreement establishes

procedures for export licensing and

information collection that will greatly

facilitate scrutiny of cross-border

lumber trade, and for expedited

determinations of whether Canada is

carrying out its obligations under the

agreement. Copies of the agreement are

available to the public in the USTR

reading room.

The agreement is intended to provide

a satisfactory resolution to the acts,

policies and practices of Canada

regarding the exportation of softwood

lumber to the United States that were

the subject of the investigation initiated

under section 302(b)(1)(A) of the Trade

Act and found to be unreasonable and

to burden or restrict U.S. commerce

pursuant to section 304(a) on October 4,

1991. Section 306 of the Trade Act (19

U.S.C. 2416) requires the USTR to

monitor the implementation of each

measure undertaken, or agreement that

is entered into to provide a satisfactory

resolution of a matter subject to a

section 301 investigation. Section 306

further requires that, if the USTR

considers that a country is not

satisfactorily implementing a measure

or agreement, the USTR shall determine

what further action to take under

section 301(a).

Adherence to the terms of the

agreement is vital to the achievement of

its objectives. USTR, the Department of

Commerce, the U.S. Customs Service,

and other agencies as appropriate, will

carefully monitor and vigorously

enforce this agreement. To that end,

Customs will provide USTR and

Commerce the data that Customs

collects on imports (including province

of origin and the type of permit) of

softwood lumber from Canada. If data,

including data provided by the domestic

industry, reveal that export fees called

for under the agreement are not being

collected, or if other information,

including information provided by the

domestic industry, reveals that Canada

is in material non-compliance with any

other of its obligations under the

agreement, USTR will invoke the

dispute settlement provisions of the

agreement. I have determined that if: (a)

An audit under the agreement confirms

that fees have not been collected, and

that action has not been taken

subsequently to collect the fees, (b) an

arbitral panel finds that Canada is

otherwise not in conformity with the

agreement, such as by offsetting,

reducing, or undercutting its obligations

under the agreement, and that the

situation has not been cured, or (c)

Canada unilaterally suspends its

performance of, or terminates, the

agreement in a manner inconsistent

with the agreement, the USTR pursuant

to section 306(b) of the Trade Act will

consider that Canada is not satisfactorily

implementing the agreement. In

response, the USTR will take prompt

and effective action under section 301(a)

of the Trade Act to remedy Canada’s

failure to comply with the agreement,

including, in the case where the

required export fees have not been

collected and action has not

subsequently been taken to collect the

fees, the imposition of duties on

softwood lumber from Canada

commensurate with Canada’s failure to

collect the fees under the agreement and

sufficient to ensure compliance with the

agreement and, as appropriate, other

action to enforce or ensure compliance

with the agreement.

Ira S. Shapiro,

Ambassador, Senior Counselor and

Negotiator.

[FR Doc. 96–13993 Filed 6–4–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–M

POSTAL RATE COMMISSION

[Docket No. A96–15; Order No. 1113]

Lewiston, Nebraska 68380 (Lois

Tegtmeier, Petitioner); Notice and

Order Accepting Appeal and

Establishing Procedural Schedule

Under 29 U.S.C. 404(b)(5)

Issued May 30, 1996.

Docket Number: A96–15.

Name of Affected Post Office: Lewiston,

Nebraska 68380.

Name(s) of Petitioner(s): Lois Tegtmeier.

Type of Determination: Consolidate.

Date of Filing of Appeal Papers: May 20,

1996.

Categories of Issues Apparently Raised:

1. Effect on postal services [39 U.S.C.

404(b)(2)(C)].

2. Effect on the community [39 U.S.C.

404(b)(2)(A)].

After the Postal Service files the

administrative record and the

Commission reviews it, the Commission

may find that there are more legal issues

than those set forth above. Or, the

Commission may find that the Postal

Service’s determination disposes of one

or more of those issues.

The Postal Reorganization Act

requires that the Commission issue its

decision within 120 days from the date

this appeal was filed (39 U.S.C. 404

(b)(5)). In the interest of expedition, in

light of the 120-day decision schedule,

the Commission may request the Postal

Service to submit memoranda of law on

any appropriate issue. If requested, such

memoranda will be due 20 days from

the issuance of the request and the

Postal Service shall serve a copy of its

memoranda on the petitioners. The

Postal Service may incorporate by

reference in its briefs or motions, any

arguments presented in memoranda it

previously filed in this docket. If

necessary, the Commission also may ask

petitioners or the Postal Service for

more information.

The Commission orders:

(a) The Postal Service shall file the

record in this appeal by June 4, 1996.

(b) The Secretary of the Postal Rate

Commission shall publish this Notice

and Order and Procedural Schedule in

the Federal Register.

By the Commission.

Margaret P. Crenshaw,

Secretary.

Appendix

May 20, 1996

Filing of Appeal letter

May 30, 1996

Commission Notice and Order of Filing of

Appeal

June 14, 1996

Last day of filing of petitions to intervene

[see 39 CFR § 3001.111(b)]

June 24, 1996

Petitioner’s Participant Statement or Initial

Brief [see 39 CFR § 3001.115 (a) and (b)]

July 15, 1996

Postal Service’s Answering Brief [see 39

CFR § 3001.115(c)]

July 30, 1996

Petitioner’s Reply Brief should Petitioner

choose to file one [see 39 CFR

§ 3001.115(d)]

August 6, 1996

Deadline for motions by any party

requesting oral argument. The

Commission will schedule oral argument

only when it is a necessary addition to

the written filings [see 39 CFR

§ 3001.116]

September 17, 1996

Expiration of the Commission’s 120-day

decisional schedule [see 39 U.S.C.

§ 404(b)(5)]

[FR Doc. 96–14006 Filed 6–4–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

Upon Written Request, Copies Available

From: Securities and Exchange Commission,

Office of Filings and Information Services,

Washington, DC 20549.

Extension

Rule 19b–1—SEC File No. 270–312; OMB

Control No. 3235–0354.