Federal Register Notices

[Federal Register: August 30, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 187)]
[Notices]
[Page 59684]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13au10-35]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service

Trade Adjustment Assistance for
Farmers

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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The Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has denied a petition (No. 2011001) for trade adjustment assistance for coffee filed under the fiscal year (FY) 2011 program by 100 Puerto Rico Coffee Export Board, Inc. The petition was accepted for review by USDA on July 21, 2010.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To qualify under the program, Subtitle C of Title I
of the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107– 210) states that petitions must demonstrate, using data for the most recent, full marketing year or full official marketing season, a greater than 15-percent decline in at least one of the following factors: national average price, quantity of production, value of production, or cash receipts.
According to the statute, it is also necessary for the petition to demonstrate that an increase in imports of like or directly competitive articles, during the same marketing period, contributed importantly to the decrease in one of the above factors for the agricultural commodity. All petitions were analyzed by
USDA’s Economic Research Service and reviewed by the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers Program Review Committee, comprised of representatives from USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, Farm Service Agency, Agricultural Marketing Service, and FAS. After a review, the Administrator determined that the petition was unable to demonstrate the ‘greater than 15-percent decline’ criterion, because it showed only a 12.5- percent decline in the average annual price for 2009/2010, when compared to the previous 3-year period.
Additionally, the import data provided for the same time period showed a 6.1- percent decrease, instead of the required increase, under the program. Because the petition was unable to meet the ‘greater than 15-percent decline’ criterion and the ‘increase in imports’ criterion, the Administrator was not able to certify the petition, making coffee producers in Puerto Rico ineligible for trade adjustment assistance in FY 2011

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Trade Adjustment Assistance for
Farmers Program staff, Office of Trade
Programs, USDA; or by phone at (202)
720–0638 or (202) 690–0633; or by email
at: tradeadjustment@fas.usda.gov;
or visit the TAA for Farmers’ Web site
at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/taa.

Dated: September 20, 2010
John D. Brewer,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–24306 Filed 9–27–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–P