This subpart applies to requests for emergency relief from duty-free imports of perishable products filed with the Department of Agriculture under section 204(e) of the Andean Trade Preference Act, title II of Public Law 102-182, 105 Stat. 1236 (19 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.) (the “Act”).

(a) Perishable product means:

(1) Live plants and fresh cut flowers provided for in chapter 6 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS);

(2) Fresh or chilled vegetables provided in heading 0701 through 0709 (except subheading 0709.52.00) and heading 0714 of the HTS;

(3) Fresh fruit provided for in subheadings 0804.20 through 0810.90 (except citrons of subheadings 0805.90.00, tamarinds and kiwi fruit of subheading 0810.90.20, and cashew apples, mameyes colorados, sapodillas, soursops and sweetsops of subheading 0810.90.40) of the HTS; or

(4) Concentrated citrus fruit juice provided for in subheadings 2009.11.00, 2009.19.40, 2009.20.40, 2009.30.20, and 2009.30.60 of the HTS.

(b) Beneficiary country means any country listed in subsection 203(b)(1) of the Act with respect to which there is in effect a proclamation by the President designating such country as a beneficiary country for purposes of the Act.

A request under this subpart may be filed by an entity, including a firm, or group of workers, trade association, or certified or recognized union which is representative of a domestic industry producing a perishable product like or directly competitive with a perishable product that such entity claims is being imported into the United States duty-free under the provisions of the Act from a beneficiary country(ies) in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to such domestic industry.

(a) A request for emergency action under section 204(e) of the Act shall be submitted in duplicate to the Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Such request shall be supported by appropriate information and data and shall include to the extent possible:

(1) A description of the imported perishable product(s) allegedly causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury;

(2) The beneficiary country(ies) of origin of the allegedly injurious imports;

(3) Data showing that the perishable product allegedly causing, or threatening to cause, serious injury is being imported from the designated beneficiary country(ies) in increased quantities as compared with imports of the same product from the designated beneficiary country(ies) during a previous representative period of time (including a statement of why the period used should be considered to be representative);

(4) Evidence of serious injury or threat thereof to the domestic industry substantially caused by the increased quantities of imports of the product from the beneficiary country(ies); and

(5) A statement indicating why emergency action would be warranted under section 204(e) of the Act (including all available evidence that the injury caused by the increased quantities of imports from the beneficiary country(ies) would be relieved by the suspension of duty-free treatment accorded under the Act).

(b) A copy of the petition and the supporting evidence filed with the United States International Trade Commission under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, must be provided with the request for emergency action.

If the Secretary has reason to believe that the perishable product(s) which is the subject of a petition under § 1504.43 of this subpart is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the domestic industry producing a perishable product like or directly competitive with the imported perishable product and that emergency action is warranted, the Secretary, within 14 days after the filing of the petition under § 1540.43 of this subpart, shall recommend to the President that the President take emergency action. If the Secretary determines not to recommend the imposition of emergency action, the Secretary within 14 days after the filing of the petition shall publish a notice of such determination and so advise the petitioner.

Persons desiring information from the Department of Agriculture regarding the Department's implementation of section 204(e) of the Act should address such inquiries to the Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Issued at Washington, DC this 19th day of March, 1993.