Page:Title 3 CFR 2000 Compilation.djvu/32

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Proc. 7274 Title 3--The President Proclamation 7274 of February 18, 2000 To Facilitate Positive Adjustment to Competition From Imports of Certain Circular Welded Carbon Quality Line Pipe By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation 1. On December 22, 1999, the United States International Trade Commis- sion (USITC) transmitted to the President an affirmative determination in its investigation under section 202 of the Trade Act of \177974, as amended (the "Trade Act") (\1779 U.S.C. 2252), with respect to imports of certain cir- cular welded carbon quality line pipe (line pipe) provided for in sub- headings 7306AOA0 and 7306A0.50 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). The USITC determined that line pipe is being im- ported in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury or the threat of serious injury to the domestic industry producing a like or directly competitive article. 2. Pursuant to section 3\177(a) of the North American Free Trade Agree- ment Implementation Act (the "NAFTA Implementation Act") (\1779 U.S.C. 337\177(a)), the USITC made negative findings with respect to imports of line pipe from Mexico and Canada. The USITC also transmitted to the President its recommendations made pursuant to section 202(e) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2252(e)) with respect to the action that would address the serious injury or threat thereof to the domestic industry and be most effective in facilitating the efforts of the domestic industry to make a positive adjust- ment to import competition. 3. Pursuant to section 203 of the Trade Act (\1779 U.S.C. 2253), and after taking into account the considerations specified in section 203(a)(2) of the Trade Act, I have determined to implement action of a type described in section 203(a)(3). Pursuant to section 3\1772(a) of the NAFTA Implementation Act (\1779 U.S.C. 3372(a)), I have determined that imports of line pipe from Mexico, considered individually, do not contribute importantly to the seri- ous injury, or threat of serious injury, found by the USITC, and that im- ports from Canada, considered individually, do not contribute importantly to such injury or threat. Accordingly, pursuant to section 3\1772(b) of the NAFTA Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3372(b)), I have excluded line pipe the product of Mexico or Canada from the action I am taking under section 203 of the Trade Act. 4. Such action shall take the form of an increase in duty on imports of certain line pipe provided for in HTS subheadings 7306AOA0 and 7306A0.50, imposed for a period of 3 years plus \177 day, with the first 9,000 short tons of imports that are the product of each supplying country ex- cluded from the increased duty during each year that this action is in ef- fect, and with annual reductions in the rate of duty in the second and third years, as provided for in the Annex to this proclamation. 5. Except for products of Mexico and Canada, which shall be excluded from this action, the increase in duty shall apply to imports of line pipe from all countries. Pursuant to section 203(a)(1)(A) of the Trade Act (\1779 U.S.C. 2253(a)(\177)(A)), I have further determined that this action will facili- 32