USTR Announces Results of Preliminary Review of Certain Petitions Filed for 2003 Annual ATPA Review, Etc
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing the results of the preliminary review of certain petitions it received in connection with its 2003 Annual Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) Review.
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(The ATPA, as renewed and amended by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act of 2002 (ATPDEA), provides trade benefits to certain eligible Andean countries. The USTR has previously stated that Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru are all designated as ATPA and ATPDEA beneficiary countries.)
Review of Certain Petitions Terminated, Results of Other Reviews Still Pending
Review of five petitions terminated. The USTR states that the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) has determined that the following petitions do not require action and terminates their review: Nortel Networks (Colombia); PhRMA (Peru); Big 3 Marine (Peru); Duke Energy (Ecuador); and PhRMA (Ecuador).
Results for seven petitions to be announced later. In addition, the TPSC has decided to modify the date of the announcement of the results of preliminary review for the following petitions: Engelhard (Peru); Princeton Dover (Peru); LeTourneau (Peru); Duke Energy (Peru); AFL-CIO (Ecuador); Human Rights Watch (Ecuador); and US/LEAP (Ecuador).
The USTR states that it will announce the results of the preliminary review of these petitions at the same time it publishes a list of qualifying petitions filed pursuant to the 2004 Annual ATPA Review.
(The USTR has previously explained that in order to qualify for benefits of the ATPA and ATPDEA, each country must meet several eligibility criteria, as set forth in certain sections of the ATPA, as renewed and amended by the ATPDEA.
In addition, any person may submit a petition that the designation of a country as an ATPA or ATPDEA beneficiary country be withdrawn or suspended, or the application of certain preferential treatment to any article of any ATPA or ATPDEA beneficiary country be withdrawn, suspended, or limited. See ITT's Online Archives or 07/31/03 news, 03073120, for BP summary of final rule on this petition process.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/19/03 news, 03081910, for BP summary of the initiation of the 2003 ATPA Annual Review.
See ITT's Online Archives or 11/17/03, 01/22/04, and 04/07/04 news, 03111799 3, 04012299 5, and 04040799 3, for BP summaries of a USTR notice listing the petitions filed and two USTR notices postponing the announcement of the preliminary results of these petitions.)
USTR Contact - Bennett Harman (202) 395-9446
USTR Notice (FR Pub 07/21/04) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-16479.pdf