Renewal of Preferential Treatment for Government Purchases of Products from Caribbean Basin Countries

Samenvatting

The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting written public comments on the possible renewal of preferences that certain federal government agencies accord in their purchases to eligible products of countries designated under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (commonly called the Caribbean Basin Initiative or CBI). Since 1995, these preferences have been granted in one-year extensions, the most recent of which, set out in the Federal Register on October 31, 1997 (62 FR 59014), remains in effect until September 30, 1998. That notice stated that future extension for any CBI countries would be conditioned on individual CBI beneficiaries' participation and cooperation in initiatives and agreements on government procurement in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Free Trade Area of the Americans (FTAA) Working Group on Government Procurement. The TPSC seeks public comments in connection with its consideration of a further extension of preferences for products of CBI countries.