Manufacturing & Services' Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative; Update, 104-106 [E9-31188]

Download as PDF 104 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 1 / Monday, January 4, 2010 / Notices DOC Case No. ITC Case No. Country Product A–533–840 ... 731–TA–1066 India ......................... Frozen Warmwater Shrimp ........................ A–549–822 ... 731–TA–1067 Thailand ................... Frozen Warmwater Shrimp ........................ A–552–802 ... 731–TA–1068 Vietnam .................... Frozen Warmwater Shrimp ........................ pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES Filing Information As a courtesy, we are making information related to Sunset proceedings, including copies of the pertinent statute and Department’s regulations, the Department schedule for Sunset Reviews, a listing of past revocations and continuations, and current service lists, available to the public on the Department’s Internet Web site at the following address: https://ia.ita.doc.gov/sunset/. All submissions in these Sunset Reviews must be filed in accordance with the Department’s regulations regarding format, translation, service, and certification of documents. These rules can be found at 19 CFR 351.303. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.103(c), the Department will maintain and make available a service list for these proceedings. To facilitate the timely preparation of the service list(s), it is requested that those seeking recognition as interested parties to a proceeding contact the Department in writing within 10 days of the publication of the Notice of Initiation. Because deadlines in Sunset Reviews can be very short, we urge interested parties to apply for access to proprietary information under administrative protective order (‘‘APO’’) immediately following publication in the Federal Register of this notice of initiation by filing a notice of intent to participate. The Department’s regulations on submission of proprietary information and eligibility to receive access to business proprietary information under APO can be found at 19 CFR 351.304– 306. Information Required From Interested Parties Domestic interested parties defined in section 771(9)(C), (D), (E), (F), and (G) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.102(b) wishing to participate in a Sunset Review must respond not later than 15 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register of this notice of initiation by filing a notice of intent to participate. The required contents of the notice of intent to participate are set forth at 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(ii). In accordance with the Department’s regulations, if we do not receive a notice of intent to VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:11 Dec 31, 2009 Jkt 220001 Department contact participate from at least one domestic interested party by the 15-day deadline, the Department will automatically revoke the order without further review. See 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(iii). If we receive an order-specific notice of intent to participate from a domestic interested party, the Department’s regulations provide that all parties wishing to participate in the Sunset Review must file complete substantive responses not later than 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register of this notice of initiation. The required contents of a substantive response, on an order-specific basis, are set forth at 19 CFR 351.218(d)(3). Note that certain information requirements differ for respondent and domestic parties. Also, note that the Department’s information requirements are distinct from the Commission’s information requirements. Please consult the Department’s regulations for information regarding the Department’s conduct of Sunset Reviews.1 Please consult the Department’s regulations at 19 CFR Part 351 for definitions of terms and for other general information concerning antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings at the Department. This notice of initiation is being published in accordance with section 751(c) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(c). Dated: December 18, 2009. John M. Andersen, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations. [FR Doc. E9–31177 Filed 12–31–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 1 In comments made on the interim final sunset regulations, a number of parties stated that the proposed five-day period for rebuttals to substantive responses to a notice of initiation was insufficient. This requirement was retained in the final sunset regulations at 19 CFR 351.218(d)(4). As provided in 19 CFR 351.302(b), however, the Department will consider individual requests to extend that five-day deadline based upon a showing of good cause. PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Brandon Farlander (202) 482–0182 Brandon Farlander (202) 482–0182 Brandon Farlander (202) 482–0182 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Manufacturing & Services’ Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative; Update ACTION: Notice and request for input on proposed new areas of work for the Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative which could include a series of events nationwide. SUMMARY: The International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Manufacturing & Services Unit held a Sustainability and U.S. Competitiveness Summit on October 8, 2009. Manufacturing & Services is notifying the public of outcomes of this summit and requesting input on next steps. DATES: Submit comments no later than 30 days after publication date of this notice. ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to the Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 2213, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at susmanuf@mail.doc.gov). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William McElnea, Manufacturing & Services’ Office of Trade Policy Analysis, 202–482–2831. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ITA’s Manufacturing and Services (MAS) unit received a great deal of constructive feedback from individual U.S. firms at its October 8, 2009 Sustainability and U.S. Competitiveness Summit. More than 120 representatives from private industry, industry associations, nongovernmental organizations, academia and major federal agencies attended the all-day event to: (1) Discuss the accomplishments of the Department’s Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative (SMI); (2) discuss the sustainable manufacturing-related challenges facing U.S. industry; and (3) identify possible areas of future SMI work. Individual participants indicated that the U.S. government must remain engaged in the area of sustainable business in order to help increase American competitiveness through implementation of manufacturing and E:\FR\FM\04JAN1.SGM 04JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 1 / Monday, January 4, 2010 / Notices services practices that are cost-effective and environmentally sound. MAS has formulated tentative ‘‘next steps’’ based in part on the individual feedback received at the Summit and feedback from public and private sector stakeholders that the agency continues to receive. As the Department moves forward in this arena in collaboration with other relevant federal government agencies, it will keep in mind several over-arching issues voiced at the Summit: • In these tough economic times, U.S. companies need easy access to federal programs and resources that can help them stay in business and maintain profitability; • There is a need for constant evaluation and engagement with stakeholders on what constitutes the most appropriate role for the federal government in addressing U.S. industry’s sustainability needs and challenges (e.g., facilitation vs. direct action); • Stakeholders face general uncertainty, unease, and in some cases confusion regarding all of the competing sustainability-related product and process information, data, metrics and standards (domestic and international); and, • There is a desire for a common sustainability ‘‘language’’ and framework to increase interoperability between firms and industries. Taking into account individual feedback received at the Summit, the input Commerce continues to receive, and being mindful of the over-arching issues above, MAS proposes the following tentative ‘‘next steps’’ to address U.S. industry’s sustainability needs: pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES 1. Expanding Outreach of Commerce and U.S. Government Resources That Support Sustainable Business Phase 1 of MAS’s Sustainable Business Clearinghouse design and operability is complete. Accessed here, www.manufacturing.gov/sustainability, the Clearinghouse currently contains links to all major federal government programs that support sustainable business. Next Steps: MAS will implement Phase 2 which involves inclusion of state-level information in the Clearinghouse, coupled with a more aggressive industry outreach plan aimed at widely advertising both the Clearinghouse and its many programs to U.S. firms across the country. VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:11 Dec 31, 2009 Jkt 220001 2. Utilizing the Sustainable Manufacturing American Regional Tours (SMART) Model To Achieve Greater Industry Specificity The SMART program has been effective at closing the familiarity gap among U.S. manufacturers on the benefits of sustainable manufacturing and business practices. To date, five SMARTs have been held across the country (St. Louis, MO; Grand Rapids, MI; Rochester, NY; Seattle, WA; and Columbus, OH) in which over 100 companies have learned first-hand about the cost-effectiveness of greater natural resource efficiency and waste minimization. The SMI team proposes to utilize this model to accomplish greater industry specificity. Next Steps: Commerce will hold industry-specific SMARTs and facilitate industry discussions via SMART-like events that identify specific sustainability challenges in a selected sector as well as ways to address these challenges. 3. The Creation of Metrics for Sustainable Manufacturing The SMI team’s primary effort on metrics for sustainable manufacturing is focusing on a Commerce-initiated study in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that will result in a ‘‘toolkit’’ of metrics for companies to use to help them assess and then measure the benefits of implementing sustainable manufacturing practices. Commerce has been working to ensure this study will result in a toolkit that is useful to both large and small U.S. companies. The study has entered its final phase and the U.S. government is optimistic that the toolkit will be ready for use sometime in 2010. Next Steps: Commerce will successfully guide completion of the OECD study through active participation in the Advisory Expert Group. Commerce will facilitate greater engagement with the private sector to determine the appropriate role of the federal government in establishing useful, comparable sustainable manufacturing metrics for industry. 4. Information and Analysis of Legislation/Regulations Related to Environment and Health At the October 8 Summit, private sector representatives were particularly concerned about the potential impacts of environment and health-related legislation and regulations on U.S. firms’ bottom line, but few have time to follow the legislative or regulatory process, or know where to find or access PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 105 information or analysis of pending legislation or new regulations. Next Step: MAS will work internally as well as with other relevant federal government agencies to publicize legislative and regulatory information and analyses that would enhance private sector understanding of potential industry and economic impacts on business operations. 5. Sustainable Manufacturing 101 Summit participants stated that many small-to-medium sized U.S. companies are interested in producing environmentally sound, healthy products in resource-efficient ways, but are unfamiliar with sustainable manufacturing practices and the potential scope of these practices. Currently, there is a lack of resources that provide basic information on sustainable manufacturing in a way that is easy to understand. Next Step: MAS will work with its interagency group on sustainable manufacturing to develop an easy-tofollow ‘‘Sustainable Manufacturing 101’’ training module that companies can use to begin the process of considering sustainable manufacturing practices in their own facilities. The online training could be a companion piece to the Clearinghouse, helping to teach basic concepts and terminology and tying concepts to programs and resources available through the Clearinghouse. 6. Addressing Increased Industry Demand for ‘‘Green’’ Skills Summit participants expressed an ongoing and growing need for ‘‘green’’ skills, in a variety of capacities, at the workplace. Whether it be providing educational opportunities to our future engineers in the field of clean technology development or training opportunities to U.S. manufacturers in the area of remanufacturing, arming the U.S. workforce with sustainabilityrelated skills sets will be key to maintaining our innovation-based competitive advantage in world markets. Next Step: MAS will reach out to and work with as appropriate the Department of Labor and Department of Education in identifying the sustainability-related skill demands of U.S. industry and provide input on the various ‘‘green’’ skill-focused workforce development and educational initiatives launched by these agencies. 7. Conducting Sector-Specific Analyses of U.S. Industry Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities To comprehensively address the myriad challenges U.S. firms face in E:\FR\FM\04JAN1.SGM 04JAN1 106 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 1 / Monday, January 4, 2010 / Notices their efforts to enhance natural resource efficiency, minimize waste, and compete in world markets, public and private sector stakeholders require a better collective understanding of these challenges and ways these can be addressed. Thus, there is a need for more in-depth analyses that can educate these stakeholders on where significant challenges and opportunities for enhanced profitability lie. Next Step: MAS will launch a ‘‘Sustainable Manufacturing Sector Focus Study’’ series aimed at informing public and private sector stakeholders about the specific sustainability-related challenges, ongoing efforts, and unrealized opportunities that exist in specific U.S. manufacturing sectors. These studies would be designed to provide clarity on the specific hurdles U.S. firms are facing in their efforts to become more resource efficient, what firms are doing to overcome these hurdles, potential cost-saving and valueadding opportunities that exist in a selected sector, and unexplored areas of public-private collaboration. Dated: December 18, 2009. Matthew Howard, Office of Trade Policy Analysis. [FR Doc. E9–31188 Filed 12–31–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XS41 Marine Mammals; File No. 87–1851–02 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit amendment. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Tammy Adams, Ph.D., (301) 713–2289. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 20, 2009, notice was published in the Federal Register (74 FR 53719) that a request for an amendment to Permit No. 87–1851–01 to conduct research on Antarctic pinnipeds had been submitted by the above-named applicant. The requested permit amendment has been issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216). Permit No. 87–1851–02 authorizes the permit holder to expand the geographic range where research is conducted in Antarctica to include the Ross Sea, and to increase the number of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) captured, sedated, tagged, and sampled from 10 animals per year to 40 animals per year. Permit No. 87–1851–02 expires on January 31, 2012. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Dated: December 28, 2009. P. Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. E9–31191 Filed 12–31–09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–S AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that Daniel P. Costa, Ph.D., University of California at Santa Cruz, Long Marine Laboratory, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA has been issued a major amendment to Permit No. 87–1851–01. ADDRESSES: The permit amendment and related documents are available for review upon written request or by appointment in the following office(s): Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301)713–2289; fax (301) 713–0376; and Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802–4213; phone (562) 980–4001; fax (562) 980–4018. pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Nov<24>2008 17:11 Dec 31, 2009 Jkt 220001 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., App.), notice is hereby given that the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology (VCAT), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will meet Tuesday, February 2, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, February 3, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology is composed of fifteen members appointed PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 by the Director of NIST who are eminent in such fields as business, research, new product development, engineering, labor, education, management consulting, environment, and international relations. The purpose of this meeting is to review and make recommendations regarding general policy for the Institute, its organization, its budget, and its programs within the framework of applicable national policies as set forth by the President and the Congress. The agenda will include an update on NIST, a presentation on the strengthened NIST role in documentary standards, an overview of the NIST organizational structure, a discussion on future VCAT meeting topics, preparation and feedback sessions on draft recommendations for the 2009 VCAT Annual Report, and laboratory tours. The agenda may change to accommodate Committee business. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST Web site at https://www.nist.gov/ director/vcat/agenda.htm. DATES: The VCAT will meet on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, February 3, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Portrait Room, Administration Building, at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Please note admittance instructions under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Shaw, Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899–1060, telephone number (301) 975–2667. Ms. Shaw’s e-mail address is stephanie.shaw@nist.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Individuals and representatives of organizations who would like to offer comments and suggestions related to the Committee’s affairs are invited to request a place on the agenda. On February 2, 2010, approximately onehalf hour will be reserved in the afternoon for public comments, and speaking times will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. The amount of time per speaker will be determined by the number of requests received, but is likely to be about 3 minutes each. The exact time for public comments will be included in the final agenda that will be posted on the NIST Web site at https:// www.nist.gov/director/vcat/agenda.htm. Questions from the public will not be considered during this period. Speakers who wish to expand upon their oral statements, those who had wished to speak but could not be accommodated E:\FR\FM\04JAN1.SGM 04JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 104-106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-31188]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Manufacturing & Services' Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative; 
Update

ACTION: Notice and request for input on proposed new areas of work for 
the Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative which could include a series 
of events nationwide.

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

SUMMARY: The International Trade Administration's (ITA) Manufacturing & 
Services Unit held a Sustainability and U.S. Competitiveness Summit on 
October 8, 2009. Manufacturing & Services is notifying the public of 
outcomes of this summit and requesting input on next steps.

DATES: Submit comments no later than 30 days after publication date of 
this notice.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to the 
Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 
2213, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 
Internet at susmanuf@mail.doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William McElnea, Manufacturing & 
Services' Office of Trade Policy Analysis, 202-482-2831.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ITA's Manufacturing and Services (MAS) unit 
received a great deal of constructive feedback from individual U.S. 
firms at its October 8, 2009 Sustainability and U.S. Competitiveness 
Summit. More than 120 representatives from private industry, industry 
associations, non-governmental organizations, academia and major 
federal agencies attended the all-day event to: (1) Discuss the 
accomplishments of the Department's Sustainable Manufacturing 
Initiative (SMI); (2) discuss the sustainable manufacturing-related 
challenges facing U.S. industry; and (3) identify possible areas of 
future SMI work.
    Individual participants indicated that the U.S. government must 
remain engaged in the area of sustainable business in order to help 
increase American competitiveness through implementation of 
manufacturing and

[[Page 105]]

services practices that are cost-effective and environmentally sound. 
MAS has formulated tentative ``next steps'' based in part on the 
individual feedback received at the Summit and feedback from public and 
private sector stakeholders that the agency continues to receive. As 
the Department moves forward in this arena in collaboration with other 
relevant federal government agencies, it will keep in mind several 
over-arching issues voiced at the Summit:
     In these tough economic times, U.S. companies need easy 
access to federal programs and resources that can help them stay in 
business and maintain profitability;
     There is a need for constant evaluation and engagement 
with stakeholders on what constitutes the most appropriate role for the 
federal government in addressing U.S. industry's sustainability needs 
and challenges (e.g., facilitation vs. direct action);
     Stakeholders face general uncertainty, unease, and in some 
cases confusion regarding all of the competing sustainability-related 
product and process information, data, metrics and standards (domestic 
and international); and,
     There is a desire for a common sustainability ``language'' 
and framework to increase interoperability between firms and 
industries.
    Taking into account individual feedback received at the Summit, the 
input Commerce continues to receive, and being mindful of the over-
arching issues above, MAS proposes the following tentative ``next 
steps'' to address U.S. industry's sustainability needs:

1. Expanding Outreach of Commerce and U.S. Government Resources That 
Support Sustainable Business

    Phase 1 of MAS's Sustainable Business Clearinghouse design and 
operability is complete. Accessed here, www.manufacturing.gov/sustainability, the Clearinghouse currently contains links to all major 
federal government programs that support sustainable business.
    Next Steps: MAS will implement Phase 2 which involves inclusion of 
state-level information in the Clearinghouse, coupled with a more 
aggressive industry outreach plan aimed at widely advertising both the 
Clearinghouse and its many programs to U.S. firms across the country.

2. Utilizing the Sustainable Manufacturing American Regional Tours 
(SMART) Model To Achieve Greater Industry Specificity

    The SMART program has been effective at closing the familiarity gap 
among U.S. manufacturers on the benefits of sustainable manufacturing 
and business practices. To date, five SMARTs have been held across the 
country (St. Louis, MO; Grand Rapids, MI; Rochester, NY; Seattle, WA; 
and Columbus, OH) in which over 100 companies have learned first-hand 
about the cost-effectiveness of greater natural resource efficiency and 
waste minimization. The SMI team proposes to utilize this model to 
accomplish greater industry specificity.
    Next Steps: Commerce will hold industry-specific SMARTs and 
facilitate industry discussions via SMART-like events that identify 
specific sustainability challenges in a selected sector as well as ways 
to address these challenges.

3. The Creation of Metrics for Sustainable Manufacturing

    The SMI team's primary effort on metrics for sustainable 
manufacturing is focusing on a Commerce-initiated study in the 
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that will 
result in a ``toolkit'' of metrics for companies to use to help them 
assess and then measure the benefits of implementing sustainable 
manufacturing practices. Commerce has been working to ensure this study 
will result in a toolkit that is useful to both large and small U.S. 
companies. The study has entered its final phase and the U.S. 
government is optimistic that the toolkit will be ready for use 
sometime in 2010.
    Next Steps: Commerce will successfully guide completion of the OECD 
study through active participation in the Advisory Expert Group. 
Commerce will facilitate greater engagement with the private sector to 
determine the appropriate role of the federal government in 
establishing useful, comparable sustainable manufacturing metrics for 
industry.

4. Information and Analysis of Legislation/Regulations Related to 
Environment and Health

    At the October 8 Summit, private sector representatives were 
particularly concerned about the potential impacts of environment and 
health-related legislation and regulations on U.S. firms' bottom line, 
but few have time to follow the legislative or regulatory process, or 
know where to find or access information or analysis of pending 
legislation or new regulations.
    Next Step: MAS will work internally as well as with other relevant 
federal government agencies to publicize legislative and regulatory 
information and analyses that would enhance private sector 
understanding of potential industry and economic impacts on business 
operations.

5. Sustainable Manufacturing 101

    Summit participants stated that many small-to-medium sized U.S. 
companies are interested in producing environmentally sound, healthy 
products in resource-efficient ways, but are unfamiliar with 
sustainable manufacturing practices and the potential scope of these 
practices. Currently, there is a lack of resources that provide basic 
information on sustainable manufacturing in a way that is easy to 
understand.
    Next Step: MAS will work with its interagency group on sustainable 
manufacturing to develop an easy-to-follow ``Sustainable Manufacturing 
101'' training module that companies can use to begin the process of 
considering sustainable manufacturing practices in their own 
facilities. The online training could be a companion piece to the 
Clearinghouse, helping to teach basic concepts and terminology and 
tying concepts to programs and resources available through the 
Clearinghouse.

6. Addressing Increased Industry Demand for ``Green'' Skills

    Summit participants expressed an ongoing and growing need for 
``green'' skills, in a variety of capacities, at the workplace. Whether 
it be providing educational opportunities to our future engineers in 
the field of clean technology development or training opportunities to 
U.S. manufacturers in the area of remanufacturing, arming the U.S. 
workforce with sustainability-related skills sets will be key to 
maintaining our innovation-based competitive advantage in world 
markets.
    Next Step: MAS will reach out to and work with as appropriate the 
Department of Labor and Department of Education in identifying the 
sustainability-related skill demands of U.S. industry and provide input 
on the various ``green'' skill-focused workforce development and 
educational initiatives launched by these agencies.

7. Conducting Sector-Specific Analyses of U.S. Industry Sustainability 
Challenges and Opportunities

    To comprehensively address the myriad challenges U.S. firms face in

[[Page 106]]

their efforts to enhance natural resource efficiency, minimize waste, 
and compete in world markets, public and private sector stakeholders 
require a better collective understanding of these challenges and ways 
these can be addressed. Thus, there is a need for more in-depth 
analyses that can educate these stakeholders on where significant 
challenges and opportunities for enhanced profitability lie.
    Next Step: MAS will launch a ``Sustainable Manufacturing Sector 
Focus Study'' series aimed at informing public and private sector 
stakeholders about the specific sustainability-related challenges, 
ongoing efforts, and unrealized opportunities that exist in specific 
U.S. manufacturing sectors. These studies would be designed to provide 
clarity on the specific hurdles U.S. firms are facing in their efforts 
to become more resource efficient, what firms are doing to overcome 
these hurdles, potential cost-saving and value-adding opportunities 
that exist in a selected sector, and unexplored areas of public-private 
collaboration.

    Dated: December 18, 2009.
Matthew Howard,
Office of Trade Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. E9-31188 Filed 12-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P
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