Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Request for Information Concerning Labor Rights in the Republic of Korea and Its Laws Governing Exploitative Child Labor, 10554-10555 [E6-2879]

Download as PDF wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES 10554 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 40 / Wednesday, March 1, 2006 / Notices Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s); and (c) The quantity and value of U.S. internal consumption/company transfers of the Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s). (8) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from the Subject Countries, provide the following information on your firm’s(s’) operations on that product during calendar year 2005 (report quantity data in short tons and value data in U.S. dollars). If you are a trade/business association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms which are members of your association. (a) The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including antidumping duties) of U.S. imports and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise from each Subject Country accounted for by your firm’s(s’) imports; (b) The quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping duties) of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject Merchandise imported from each Subject Country; and (c) The quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping duties) of U.S. internal consumption/company transfers of Subject Merchandise imported from each Subject Country. (9) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in the Subject Countries, provide the following information on your firm’s(s’) operations on that product during calendar year 2005 (report quantity data in short tons and value data in U.S. dollars, landed and duty-paid at the U.S. port but not including antidumping duties). If you are a trade/business association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms which are members of your association. (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in each Subject Country accounted for by your firm’s(s’) production; and (b) The quantity and value of your firm’s(s’) exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise from each Subject Country accounted for by your firm’s(s’) exports. (10) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand conditions or business cycle for the Domestic Like Product that have occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject Merchandise in VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:25 Feb 28, 2006 Jkt 208001 each Subject Country after 1999, and significant changes, if any, that are likely to occur within a reasonably foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include technology; production methods; development efforts; ability to increase production (including the shift of production facilities used for other products and the use, cost, or availability of major inputs into production); and factors related to the ability to shift supply among different national markets (including barriers to importation in foreign markets or changes in market demand abroad). Demand conditions to consider include end uses and applications; the existence and availability of substitute products; and the level of competition among the Domestic Like Product produced in the United States, Subject Merchandise produced in each Subject Country, and such merchandise from other countries. (11) (Optional) A statement of whether you agree with the above definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why and provide alternative definitions. Authority: These reviews are being conducted under authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission’s rules. Issued: February 21, 2006. By order of the Commission. Marilyn R. Abbott, Secretary to the Commission. [FR Doc. 06–1816 Filed 2–28–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7020–02–P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Office of the Secretary Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Request for Information Concerning Labor Rights in the Republic of Korea and Its Laws Governing Exploitative Child Labor Office of the Secretary, Labor; Office of the United States Trade Representative and Department of State. ACTION: Request for comments from the public. AGENCIES: SUMMARY: This notice is a request for comments from the public to assist the Secretary of Labor, the United States Trade Representative, and the Secretary of State in preparing reports regarding labor rights in the Republic of Korea and describing the extent to which it has in effect laws governing exploitative child labor. The Trade Act of 2002 requires PO 00000 Frm 00093 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 reports on these issues and others when the President intends to use trade promotion authority procedures in connection with legislation approving and implementing a trade agreement. The President assigned the functions of preparing reports regarding labor rights and the existence of laws governing exploitative child labor to the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the United States Trade Representative. The Secretary of Labor further assigned these functions to the Secretary of State and the United States Trade Representative, to be carried out by the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of State and the United States Trade Representative. DATES: Public comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. April 17, 2006. ADDRESSES: Persons submitting comments are strongly advised to make such submissions by electronic mail to the following address: FRFTAKorea@dol.gov. Submissions by facsimile may be sent to: Howard R. Dobson, Office of International Economic Affairs, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, at (202) 693–4851. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions regarding the submissions, please contact Howard R. Dobson, Office of International Economic Affairs, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, at (202) 693–4871, facsimile (202) 693–4851. These are not toll-free numbers. Substantive questions concerning the labor rights report and/ or the report on the Republic of Korea’s laws governing exploitative child labor should be addressed to Gregory Schoepfle, Acting Director, Office of International Economic Affairs, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693–4887, facsimile (202) 693–4851. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background On February 2, 2006, in accordance with section 2104(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 2002, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) notified the Congress of the President’s intent to enter into free trade negotiations with the Republic of Korea. The notification letters to the Senate and the House of Representatives can be found on the USTR Web site at https://www.ustr.gov/ assets/Trade_Agreements/Bilateral/ Republic_of_Korea_FTA/ asset_upload_file123_8900.pdf and https://www.ustr.gov/assets/ E:\FR\FM\01MRN1.SGM 01MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 40 / Wednesday, March 1, 2006 / Notices Trade_Agreements/Bilateral/ Republic_of_Korea_FTA/ asset_upload_file253_8899.pdf, respectively. In February, USTR announced its intention to hold a public hearing on March 14, 2006, for the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) to receive written comments and oral testimony from the public to assist USTR in formulating positions and proposals with respect to all aspects of the negotiations (71 FR 6820) (Feb. 9, 2006). USTR intends to launch the negotiations in May 2006. The Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107– 210) (the Trade Act) sets forth special procedures (Trade Promotion Authority) for approval and implementation of Agreements subject to meeting conditions and requirements in Division B of the Trade Act, ‘‘Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority.’’ Section 2102(a)– (c) of the Trade Act includes negotiating objectives and a listing of priorities for the President to promote in order to ‘‘address and maintain United States competitiveness in the global economy’’ in pursuing future trade agreements. The President assigned several of the functions in section 2102(c) to the Secretary of Labor. (E.O. 13277). These include the functions set forth in section 2102(c)(8), which requires that the President ‘‘in connection with any trade negotiations entered into under this Act, submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a meaningful labor rights report of the country, or countries, with respect to which the President is negotiating,’’ and the function in section 2102(c)(9), which requires that the President ‘‘with respect to any trade agreement which the President seeks to implement under trade authorities procedures, submit to the Congress a report describing the extent to which the country or countries that are parties to the agreement have in effect laws governing exploitative child labor.’’ wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES II. Information Sought Interested parties are invited to submit written information as specified below to be taken into account in drafting the required reports. Materials submitted are expected to be confined to the specific topics of the reports. In particular, agencies are seeking written submissions on the following topics: 1. Labor laws of the Republic of Korea, including laws governing exploitative child labor, and that country’s implementation and enforcement of its labor laws and regulations; VerDate Aug<31>2005 18:25 Feb 28, 2006 Jkt 208001 2. The situation in the Republic of Korea with respect to core labor standards; 3. Steps taken by the Republic of Korea to comply with International Labor Organization Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor; and 4. The nature and extent, if any, of exploitative child labor in the Republic of Korea. Section 2113(6) of the Trade Act defines ‘‘core labor standards’’ as: (A) The right of association; (B) The right to organize and bargain collectively; (C) A prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor; (D) A minimum age for the employment of children; and (E) Acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. III. Requirements for Submissions This document is a request for facts or opinions submitted in response to a general solicitation of comments from the public. To ensure prompt and full consideration of submissions, it is strongly recommended that interested persons submit comments by electronic mail to the following e-mail address: FRFTAKorea@dol.gov. Persons making submissions by e-mail are expected to use the following subject line: ‘‘The Republic of Korea: Labor Rights and Child Labor Reports.’’ Documents must be submitted in WordPerfect, MSWord, or text (.TXT) format. Supporting documentation submitted as spreadsheets is acceptable in Quattro Pro or Excel format. Persons who make submissions by e-mail need not provide separate cover letters; information that might appear in a cover letter is expected to be included in the submission itself. Similarly, to the extent possible, any attachments to the submission are expected to be included in the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate files. Written comments will be placed in a file open to public inspection at the Department of Labor, Room S–5317, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, and in the USTR Reading Room in Room 3 of the annex of the Office of the USTR, 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508. An appointment to review the file at the Department of Labor may be made by contacting Howard R. Dobson at (202) 693–4871. An appointment to review the file at USTR may be made by calling (202) 395–6186. The USTR Reading Room is generally open to the public from 10 a.m.–12 noon and 1 p.m.–4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments PO 00000 Frm 00094 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 10555 must be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance. Signed at Washington, DC this 23rd of February 2006. Martha E. Newton, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs. [FR Doc. E6–2879 Filed 2–28–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–28–P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment Standards Administration Proposed Collection; Comment Request ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment Standards Administration is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection: Rehabilitation Maintenance Certificate (OWCP–17). A copy of the proposed information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this Notice. DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the addresses section below on or before May 1, 2006. ADDRESSES: Ms. Hazel M. Bell, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Room S–3201, Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693–0418, fax (202) 693–1451, e-mail bell.hazel@dol.gov. Please use only one method of transmission for comments (mail, fax, or e-mail). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background: The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). These Acts provide vocational rehabilitation services to eligible workers with E:\FR\FM\01MRN1.SGM 01MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10554-10555]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2879]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary


Bureau of International Labor Affairs; Request for Information 
Concerning Labor Rights in the Republic of Korea and Its Laws Governing 
Exploitative Child Labor

AGENCIES: Office of the Secretary, Labor; Office of the United States 
Trade Representative and Department of State.

ACTION: Request for comments from the public.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice is a request for comments from the public to 
assist the Secretary of Labor, the United States Trade Representative, 
and the Secretary of State in preparing reports regarding labor rights 
in the Republic of Korea and describing the extent to which it has in 
effect laws governing exploitative child labor. The Trade Act of 2002 
requires reports on these issues and others when the President intends 
to use trade promotion authority procedures in connection with 
legislation approving and implementing a trade agreement. The President 
assigned the functions of preparing reports regarding labor rights and 
the existence of laws governing exploitative child labor to the 
Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the 
United States Trade Representative. The Secretary of Labor further 
assigned these functions to the Secretary of State and the United 
States Trade Representative, to be carried out by the Secretary of 
Labor, the Secretary of State and the United States Trade 
Representative.

DATES: Public comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. April 17, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Persons submitting comments are strongly advised to make 
such submissions by electronic mail to the following address: 
FRFTAKorea@dol.gov. Submissions by facsimile may be sent to: Howard R. 
Dobson, Office of International Economic Affairs, Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, at (202) 693-
4851.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions regarding the 
submissions, please contact Howard R. Dobson, Office of International 
Economic Affairs, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. 
Department of Labor, at (202) 693-4871, facsimile (202) 693-4851. These 
are not toll-free numbers. Substantive questions concerning the labor 
rights report and/or the report on the Republic of Korea's laws 
governing exploitative child labor should be addressed to Gregory 
Schoepfle, Acting Director, Office of International Economic Affairs, 
Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, telephone (202) 693-
4887, facsimile (202) 693-4851.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On February 2, 2006, in accordance with section 2104(a)(1) of the 
Trade Act of 2002, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
notified the Congress of the President's intent to enter into free 
trade negotiations with the Republic of Korea. The notification letters 
to the Senate and the House of Representatives can be found on the USTR 
Web site at https://www.ustr.gov/assets/Trade_Agreements/Bilateral/
Republic_of_Korea_FTA/asset_upload_file123_8900.pdf and https://
www.ustr.gov/assets/

[[Page 10555]]

Trade--Agreements/Bilateral/Republic--of--Korea--FTA/asset--upload--
file253--8899.pdf, respectively. In February, USTR announced its 
intention to hold a public hearing on March 14, 2006, for the 
interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) to receive written 
comments and oral testimony from the public to assist USTR in 
formulating positions and proposals with respect to all aspects of the 
negotiations (71 FR 6820) (Feb. 9, 2006). USTR intends to launch the 
negotiations in May 2006.
    The Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210) (the Trade Act) sets forth 
special procedures (Trade Promotion Authority) for approval and 
implementation of Agreements subject to meeting conditions and 
requirements in Division B of the Trade Act, ``Bipartisan Trade 
Promotion Authority.'' Section 2102(a)-(c) of the Trade Act includes 
negotiating objectives and a listing of priorities for the President to 
promote in order to ``address and maintain United States 
competitiveness in the global economy'' in pursuing future trade 
agreements. The President assigned several of the functions in section 
2102(c) to the Secretary of Labor. (E.O. 13277). These include the 
functions set forth in section 2102(c)(8), which requires that the 
President ``in connection with any trade negotiations entered into 
under this Act, submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a 
meaningful labor rights report of the country, or countries, with 
respect to which the President is negotiating,'' and the function in 
section 2102(c)(9), which requires that the President ``with respect to 
any trade agreement which the President seeks to implement under trade 
authorities procedures, submit to the Congress a report describing the 
extent to which the country or countries that are parties to the 
agreement have in effect laws governing exploitative child labor.''

II. Information Sought

    Interested parties are invited to submit written information as 
specified below to be taken into account in drafting the required 
reports. Materials submitted are expected to be confined to the 
specific topics of the reports. In particular, agencies are seeking 
written submissions on the following topics:
    1. Labor laws of the Republic of Korea, including laws governing 
exploitative child labor, and that country's implementation and 
enforcement of its labor laws and regulations;
    2. The situation in the Republic of Korea with respect to core 
labor standards;
    3. Steps taken by the Republic of Korea to comply with 
International Labor Organization Convention No. 182 on the worst forms 
of child labor; and
    4. The nature and extent, if any, of exploitative child labor in 
the Republic of Korea.
    Section 2113(6) of the Trade Act defines ``core labor standards'' 
as:
    (A) The right of association;
    (B) The right to organize and bargain collectively;
    (C) A prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory 
labor;
    (D) A minimum age for the employment of children; and
    (E) Acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, 
hours of work, and occupational safety and health.

III. Requirements for Submissions

    This document is a request for facts or opinions submitted in 
response to a general solicitation of comments from the public. To 
ensure prompt and full consideration of submissions, it is strongly 
recommended that interested persons submit comments by electronic mail 
to the following e-mail address: FRFTAKorea@dol.gov. Persons making 
submissions by e-mail are expected to use the following subject line: 
``The Republic of Korea: Labor Rights and Child Labor Reports.'' 
Documents must be submitted in WordPerfect, MSWord, or text (.TXT) 
format. Supporting documentation submitted as spreadsheets is 
acceptable in Quattro Pro or Excel format. Persons who make submissions 
by e-mail need not provide separate cover letters; information that 
might appear in a cover letter is expected to be included in the 
submission itself. Similarly, to the extent possible, any attachments 
to the submission are expected to be included in the same file as the 
submission itself, and not as separate files. Written comments will be 
placed in a file open to public inspection at the Department of Labor, 
Room S-5317, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, and in 
the USTR Reading Room in Room 3 of the annex of the Office of the USTR, 
1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508. An appointment to review the 
file at the Department of Labor may be made by contacting Howard R. 
Dobson at (202) 693-4871. An appointment to review the file at USTR may 
be made by calling (202) 395-6186. The USTR Reading Room is generally 
open to the public from 10 a.m.-12 noon and 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday. Appointments must be scheduled at least 48 hours in 
advance.

    Signed at Washington, DC this 23rd of February 2006.
Martha E. Newton,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-2879 Filed 2-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-28-P

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