OFFICE
OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Notice
of Entry Into Force of Trade Agreement With the Lao
People’s
Democratic
Republic and the Grant of Normal Trade
Relations Treatment to Products of Laos
AGENCY: Office of the United
States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of entry into
force of trade agreement.
_______________________________
SUMMARY:
On September 18, 2003, the United States and the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic (Laos) signed a trade
agreement obligating reciprocal most-favored-nation treatment between Laos and the United States. The trade agreement
entered into force as of
February 4, 2005, the effective date of this notice, after which
time all products of Laos entered, or withdrawn from
warehouse for consumption, shall be granted most-favored-nation treatment by
the United States.
DATES: The effective date of
this notice is February 4, 2005.
ADDRESSES:
Office
of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20508.
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Elena Bryan, Deputy
Assistant U.S.
Trade Representative for
Southeast
Asia and the Pacific (202) 395–6813 or
Catherine Field, Chief
Counsel for Legal Affairs (202) 395–3432.
SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION:
On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed into law H.R. (Pub. L. No.
108– 429), which makes products of Laos eligible for normal trade relations
(NTR) treatment by the United States as of the effective date of a notice
published in the Federal Register by the USRT that a trade agreement between
the United States and Laos containing reciprocal MFN obligations has entered
into force. On September 18, 2003, the United States and Laos signed a bilateral
trade agreement containing reciprocal NTR obligations. Through an exchange of written
notes of acceptance of the terms of the agreement by the two parties on February 4, 2005, the parties brought the agreement into force.
Therefore, pursuant to the terms of Public Law No. 108–429, products of Laos
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after February 4,
2005, are granted NTR
treatment by the United States. Pursuant to the terms
of the trade agreement, products of the United States will receive reciprocal
NTR treatment by Laos as of the effective
date of this notice.
John Veroneau,
General
Counsel.
[FR Doc. 05–2723 Filed 2–10–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING
CODE 3190–W5–M