[Federal Register: February 12, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 29)]
[Notices]               
[Page 9888-9889]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12fe01-117]                         

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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 
Trinidad and Tobago is 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 
Trinidad and Tobago qualify for the trade benefits provided under the 
Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 6, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Wilson, Director of 
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

[[Page 9889]]

Government of Trinidad and Tobago, I have determined that Trinidad and 
Tobago is 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 name ``Trinidad and Tobago''. 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.

Rita D. Hayes,
Acting United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 01-3514 Filed 2-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M