Federal Acquisition Regulation; Caribbean Basin Country End Products

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to convert this FAR case from an interim rule to a final rule with changes. This interim rule amended the FAR to implement the determination of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to extend the treatment of certain end products, from countries designated by the President as beneficiaries under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as eligible products under the Trade Agreements Act, with the exception of end products from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Panama. It also implemented section 211 of the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act and the determination of the USTR as to which countries qualify for the enhanced trade benefits under that Act. However, on July 12, 2002, the USTR published a notice in the Federal Register to reinstate the treatment on Government procurement of products from Honduras. The determination to reinstate Honduras as published by the USTR has been incorporated in this final rule.