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15 C.F.R. §§ 2006.0–2006.3

4 sections in range

§2006.0. Submission of petitions requesting action under section 301.

15 C.F.R. § 2006.0

(a)
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Trade Act”) requires the United States Trade Representative, subject to the specific direction, if any, of the President regarding such action, to take appropriate and feasible action in response to a foreign government's violation of a trade agreement, or any other international agreement the breach of which burdens or restricts United States commerce; and authorizes the Trade Representative, subject to the specific direction of the President, if any, to take action to obtain the elimination of acts, policies, and practices of foreign countries that are unjustifiable, unreasonable, or discriminatory and burden or restrict United States commerce. Section 302 of the Trade Act provides for petitions to be filed with the Trade Representative requesting that action be taken under section 301. Petitions filed under section 302 will be treated as specified in these regulations.
(b)
Petitions may be submitted by an interested person. An interested person is deemed to be any party who has a significant interest affected by the act, policy, or practice complained of, for example: A producer, a commercial importer, or an exporter of an affected product or service; a United States person seeking to invest directly abroad, with implications for trade in goods or services; a person who relies on protection of intellectual property rights; a trade association, a certified union or recognized union or group of workers which is representative of an industry engaged in the manufacture, production or wholesale distribution in the United States of a product or service so affected; or any other private party representing a significant economic interest affected directly by the act, policy or practice complained of in the petition.
(c)
The petitioner shall submit 20 copies of the petition in English, clearly typed, photocopied, or printed to: Chairman, Section 301 Committee, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20506.

To ensure proper docketing, petitions may be filed only during the following hours on days when the Federal Government is open for business: between 9 a.m. and 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

(d)
Recorded information on section 302 petitions and investigations may be obtained by calling (202) 395-3871.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: Sec. 309(a)(1), Trade Act of 1974, as amended by sec. 1301 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-418, 102 Stat. 1176 (19 U.S.C. 2419).

Source

Source: 55 FR 20595, May 18, 1990, unless otherwise noted.

§2006.1. Information to be included in petition.

15 C.F.R. § 2006.1

(a)
General information. Petitions submitted pursuant to section 302 of the Trade Act shall clearly state on the first page that the petition requests that action be taken under section 301 of the Trade Act and shall contain allegations and information reasonably available to petitioner in support of the request, in the form specified below. Petitioners for whom such information is difficult or impossible to obtain shall provide as much information as possible, and assistance in filing their petition may be obtained through the Chairman of the Section 301 Committee. All petitions shall:
(1)
Identify the petitioner and the person, firm or association, if any, which petitioner represents and describe briefly the economic interest of the petitioner which is directly affected by the failure of a foreign government or instrumentality to grant rights of the United States under a trade agreement, or which is otherwise directly affected economically by an act, policy, or practice which is actionable under section 301.
(2)
Describe the rights of the United States being violated or denied under the trade agreement which petitioner seeks to enforce or the other act, policy or practice which is the subject of the petition, and provide a reference to the particular part of section 301 related to the assertion in the petition.
(3)
Include, wherever possible, copies of laws or regulations which are the subject of the petition. If this is not possible, the laws and regulations shall be identified with the greatest possible particularity, such as by citation.
(4)
Identify the foreign country or instrumentality with whom the United States has an agreement under which petitioner is asserting rights claimed to be denied or whose acts, policies or practices are the subject of the petition.
(5)
Identify the product, service, intellectual property right, or foreign direct investment matter for which the rights of the United States under the agreement claimed to be violated or denied are sought, or which is subject to the act, policy or practice of the foreign government or instrumentality named in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.
(6)
Demonstrate that rights of the United States under a trade agreement are not being provided; or show the manner in which the act, policy or practice violates or is inconsistent with the provisions of a trade agreement or otherwise denies benefits accruing to the United States under a trade agreement, or is unjustifiable, unreasonable, or discriminatory and burdens or restricts United States commerce.
(7)
Provide information concerning
(i)
The degree to which U.S. commerce is burdened or restricted by the denial of rights under a trade agreement or by any other act, policy, or practice which is actionable under section 301,
(ii)
The volume of trade in the goods or services involved, and
(iii)
A description of the methodology used to calculate the burden or restriction on U.S. commerce.
(8)
State whether petitioner has filed or is filing for other forms of relief under the Trade Act or any other provision of law. If the foreign government practice at issue is the subject of investigation under any other provision of law, the USTR may determine not to initiate an investigation; or if the same matter is subsequently subject to investigation under some other provision of law, USTR may terminate the section 302 investigation.
(b)
Additional specific information—
(1)
Subsidies. If the petition includes an assertion that subsidy payments are having an adverse effect upon products or services of the United States in United States' markets or in other foreign markets, it shall include an analysis supporting any claim that the subsidy complained of is inconsistent with any trade agreement and describe the manner in which it burdens or restricts United States commerce.
(2)
Certain unreasonable practices. If the petition asserts that an unreasonable practice defined in section 301(d) (3) denies fair and equitable opportunities for the establishment of an enterprise, or denies adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights, or denies fair and equitable market opportunities, and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce, the petition should include, to the extent possible, identification of reciprocal opportunities in the United States that may exist for foreign nationals and firms; and
(i)
If the petition asserts that fair and equitable opportunities for the establishment of an enterprise in a foreign country are denied, the petition shall
(A)
Describe in detail the nature of any foreign direct investment proposed by the United States person, including estimates of trade in goods and services that could reasonably be expected to result from that investment,
(B)
Indicate the manner in which the foreign government is denying the United States person a fair and equitable opportunity for the establishment of an enterprise,
(C)
State whether action by the foreign government is in violation of or inconsistent with the international legal rights of the United States, citing the relevant provisions of any international agreements to which the United States and the foreign government are party, and
(D)
To the extent possible, provide copies of all relevant foreign government statutes, regulations, directives, public policy statements and correspondence with the United States person with respect to the proposed investment.
(ii)
If the petition asserts that fair and equitable provision of adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights in a foreign country is denied, the petition shall
(A)
Identify the intellectual property right for which protection has been sought,
(B)
Indicate how persons who are not citizens or nationals of such foreign country are denied the opportunity to secure, exercise, and enforce rights relating to patents, process patents, registered trademarks, copyrights, or mask works, and
(C)
Provide information on the relevant laws of the foreign country and an analysis of how the foreign country's law or policies conform to provisions of international law or international agreements to which both the United States and the foreign country are parties;
(iii)
If the petition asserts that fair and equitable market opportunities are denied through the toleration by a foreign government of systematic private anticompetitive activities, the petition shall specifically
(A)
Identify the private firms in the foreign country whose systematic anticompetitive activities have the effect of restricting access of United States goods to purchasing by those firms, inconsistent with commercial considerations,
(B)
Describe in detail the private activities in question,
(C)
State whether evidence of such activities has been provided (by petitioner or others) to the appropriate foreign government authorities, and describe the evidence indicating that the foreign government is aware of and supports, encourages, or tolerates such activities,
(D)
Describe the duration and pervasiveness of such activities,
(E)
Indicate whether such activities are inconsistent with the laws of the foreign country involved, making specific reference to any laws in question, and
(F)
Indicate whether the foreign government's enforcement of (or failure to enforce) its relevant laws with respect to the private activities at issue is inconsistent with its enforcement practices in other situations;
(iv)
If the petition asserts that an act, policy or practice, or combination thereof constitutes export targeting, the petition shall
(A)
Identify the specific enterprise, industry, or group thereof which has been assisted in becoming more competitive in the export of the affected product or products,
(B)
Describe the elements of the foreign government's plan or scheme consisting of coordinated actions to assist that enterprise, industry, or group, and
(C)
Provide information on how and to what degree exports of the affected products by that enterprise, industry, or group have become more competitive as a result of the foreign government's plan or scheme; and
(v)
If the petition asserts that an act, policy or practice, or combination thereof constitutes a persistent pattern of conduct that denies workers the right of association or the right to organize and bargain collectively, or permits forced or compulsory labor, or fails to provide a minimum age for employment of children or standards for minimum wages, hours, and occupational safety and health of workers, the petition shall
(A)
Describe the rights or standards denied and provide information on the laws, policies and practices of the foreign country involved, if any, that relate to such rights or standards, and
(B)
Indicate, to the extent such information is available to petitioner, whether the foreign country has taken, or is taking, actions that demonstrate a significant and tangible overall advancement in providing these rights or standards.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: Sec. 309(a)(1), Trade Act of 1974, as amended by sec. 1301 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-418, 102 Stat. 1176 (19 U.S.C. 2419).

Source

Source: 55 FR 20595, May 18, 1990, unless otherwise noted.

§2006.2. Adequacy of the petition.

15 C.F.R. § 2006.2

If the petition filed pursuant to section 302 does not conform substantially to the requirements of §§ 2006.0 and 2006.1, the Chairman of the Section 301 Committee may decline to docket the petition as filed and, if requested by petitioner, return it to petitioner with guidance on making the petition conform to the requirements, or may nevertheless determine that there is sufficient information on which to proceed to a determination whether to initiate an investigation.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: Sec. 309(a)(1), Trade Act of 1974, as amended by sec. 1301 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-418, 102 Stat. 1176 (19 U.S.C. 2419).

Source

Source: 55 FR 20595, May 18, 1990, unless otherwise noted.

§2006.3. Determinations regarding petitions.

15 C.F.R. § 2006.3

Within 45 days after the day on which the petition is received, the Trade Representative shall determine, after receiving the advice of the Section 301 Committee, whether to initiate an investigation.
(a)
If the Trade Representative determines not to initiate an investigation, the Section 301 Chairman shall notify the petitioner of the reasons and shall publish notice of the negative determination and a summary of the reasons therefor in the Federal Register.
(b)
If the Trade Representative determines to initiate an investigation regarding the petition, the Section 301 Chairman shall publish a summary of the petition in the Federal Register, and provide an opportunity for the presentation of views concerning the issues, including a public hearing if requested. A hearing may be requested by the petitioner or any interested person, including but not limited to a domestic firm or worker, a representative of consumer interests, a United States product exporter, or any industrial user of any goods or services that may be affected by actions taken under section 301 with respect to the act, policy or practice that is the subject of the petition.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: Sec. 309(a)(1), Trade Act of 1974, as amended by sec. 1301 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-418, 102 Stat. 1176 (19 U.S.C. 2419).

Source

Source: 55 FR 20595, May 18, 1990, unless otherwise noted.