Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (U.S.-Colombia TPA), 33244-33245 [2015-14218]

Download as PDF 33244 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 112 / Thursday, June 11, 2015 / Notices calendar days. The notice will include a summary of the request. Any interested party may submit information to rebut, clarify, or correct public comments submitted by any interested party. CITA will make a determination on any request it considers within 60 calendar days of the close of the comment period. If CITA is unable to make a determination within 60 calendar days, it will publish a notice in the Federal Register, including the date it will make a determination. If a determination under Section 322(b) of the Act is affirmative, CITA may provide tariff relief to a U.S. industry to the extent necessary to remedy or prevent serious damage or actual threat thereof and to facilitate adjustment by the domestic industry to import competition. The import tariff relief is effective beginning on the date that CITA’s affirmative determination is published in the Federal Register. Entities submitting requests, responses or rebuttals to CITA may submit both a public and confidential version of their submissions. If the request is accepted, the public version will be posted on the dedicated Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement textile safeguards section of the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) Web site. The confidential version of the requests, responses or rebuttals will not be shared with the public as it may contain business confidential information. Entities submitting responses or rebuttals may use the public version of the request as a basis for responses. II. Method of Collection When an interested party files a request for a textile and apparel safeguard action with CITA, ten copies of any such request must be provided in a paper format. If business confidential information is provided, two copies of a non-confidential version must also be provided. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES III. Data OMB Control Number: 0625–0271. Form Number(s): None. Type of Review: Regular submission. Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-profit organizations. Estimated Number of Respondents: 6 (1 for Request; 5 for Comments). Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours for a Request; and 4 hours for each Comment. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 24. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $960. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:06 Jun 10, 2015 Jkt 235001 IV. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. Dated: June 5, 2015. Glenna Mickelson, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–14217 Filed 6–10–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability Provision of the United States—Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (U.S.-Colombia TPA) International Trade Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 10, 2015. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at JJessup@doc.gov). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Laurie Mease, Office of Textiles and Apparel, Telephone: 202– 482–2043, Email: Laurie.Mease@ trade.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Title II, Section 203(o) of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ‘‘Act’’) [Public Law 112–42] implements the commercial availability provision provided for in Article 3.3 of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (the ‘‘Agreement’’). The Agreement entered into force on May 15, 2012. Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of the Agreement, pursuant to the textile provisions of the Agreement, fabric, yarn, and fiber produced in Colombia or the United States and traded between the two countries are entitled to duty-free tariff treatment. Annex 3–B of the Agreement also lists specific fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the two countries agreed are not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner from producers in Colombia or the United States. The fabrics listed are commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers, which are also entitled to duty-free treatment despite not being produced in Colombia or the United States. The list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers may be changed pursuant to the commercial availability provision in Chapter 3, Article 3.3, Paragraphs 5–7 of the Agreement. Under this provision, interested entities from Colombia or the United States have the right to request that a specific fabric, yarn, or fiber be added to, or removed from, the list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers in Annex 3–B of the Agreement. Chapter 3, Article 3.3, paragraph 7 of the Agreement requires that the President ‘‘promptly’’ publish procedures for parties to exercise the right to make these requests. Section 203(o)(4) of the Act authorizes the President to establish procedures to modify the list of fabrics, yarns, or fibers not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in either the United States or Colombia as set out in Annex 3–B of the Agreement. The President delegated the responsibility for publishing the procedures and administering commercial availability requests to the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (‘‘CITA’’), which issues procedures and acts on requests through the U.S. E:\FR\FM\11JNN1.SGM 11JNN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 112 / Thursday, June 11, 2015 / Notices Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (‘‘OTEXA’’) (See Proclamation No. 8818, 77 FR 29519, May 18, 2012). The intent of the U.S.-Colombia TPA Commercial Availability Procedures is to foster the use of U.S. and regional products by implementing procedures that allow products to be placed on or removed from a product list, on a timely basis, and in a manner that is consistent with normal business practice. The procedures are intended to facilitate the transmission of requests; allow the market to indicate the availability of the supply of products that are the subject of requests; make available promptly, to interested entities and the public, information regarding the requests for products and offers received for those products; ensure wide participation by interested entities and parties; allow for careful review and consideration of information provided to substantiate requests, responses and rebuttals; and provide timely public dissemination of information used by CITA in making commercial availability determinations. CITA must collect certain information about fabric, yarn, or fiber technical specifications and the production capabilities of Colombian and U.S. textile producers to determine whether certain fabrics, yarns, or fibers are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the United States or Colombia, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act. II. Method of Collection Participants in a commercial availability proceeding must submit public versions of their Requests, Responses or Rebuttals electronically (via email) for posting on OTEXA’s Web site. Confidential versions of those submissions which contain business confidential information must be delivered in hard copy to the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES III. Data OMB Control Number: 0625–0272. Form Number(s): None. Type of Review: Regular submission. Affected Public: Business or for-profit organizations. Estimated Number of Respondents: 16. Estimated Time per Response: 8 hours per Request, 2 hours per Response, and 1 hour per Rebuttal. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 89. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,340. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:06 Jun 10, 2015 Jkt 235001 IV. Request for Comments Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record. Dated: June 5, 2015. Glenna Mickelson, Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2015–14218 Filed 6–10–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD944 Determination That Italy Is Not a LargeScale High Seas Driftnet Nation National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Under the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act and the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA), the Secretary of Commerce has determined that Italy no longer has vessels that use large-scale driftnets to fish on the high seas. Therefore, shipments of certain fish and fish products from Italy are no longer required to be accompanied by a Fisheries Certificate of Origin (NOAA Form 370) for importation into the United States, and any NOAA Form 370 used for fish or fish products from Italy no longer requires certification that the fish was not harvested with large-scale driftnets on the high seas. DATES: Effective June 4, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Niemeier, Foreign Affairs Specialist; SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 33245 telephone: 301–427–8371, paul.niemeier@noaa.gov. On March 28, 1996, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce identified Italy pursuant to the U.S. High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act, 16 U.S.C. 1826a– 1826c, as a nation for which there was reason to believe its nationals or vessels were conducting large-scale high seas driftnet fishing in contravention to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/215. The identification invoked, among other things, the provision of the DPCIA, 16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)(F) that requires that an exporting nation whose fishing vessels engage in high seas driftnet fishing provide documentary evidence that certain fish and fish products (specified in regulations at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)) it wishes to export to the United States were not harvested with large-scale driftnets anywhere on the high seas. Effective May 29, 1996, all shipments from Italy containing the specified fish and fish products became subject to this driftnet reporting requirement. The reporting requirement has persisted to the present day as a deterrent to large-scale high seas driftnet fishing by Italy. The United States has not received any reports of Italian fishing vessels employing large-scale driftnets on the high seas since 2008. On April 2, 2015, the Government of Italy sent notification which certified that no Italian vessel is involved in the use of large-scale driftnets on the high seas. Italy will no longer be required to provide documentary evidence that certain fish and fish products (specified in U.S. regulations at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)(i) and (ii)) it wishes to export to the United States were not harvested with large-scale driftnets on the high seas. Furthermore, fish and fish products exported from Italy, and imported into the United States under Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers specified in U.S. regulations at 50 CFR 216.24(f)(2)(iii), will no longer need to be accompanied by a Fisheries Certificate of Origin (NOAA Form 370). The HSDFEA furthers the purposes of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/215, which called for a worldwide ban on large-scale high seas driftnet fishing beginning December 31, 1992. The DPCIA (16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)(F)) requires that an exporting nation whose fishing vessels engage in high seas driftnet fishing provide documentary evidence that certain fish or fish products it wishes to export to the United States were not harvested with a large-scale driftnet on the high seas. As SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\11JNN1.SGM 11JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33244-33245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14218]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim 
Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability 
Provision of the United States--Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement 
(U.S.-Colombia TPA)

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 10, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Laurie Mease, Office of Textiles and Apparel, Telephone: 
202-482-2043, Email: Laurie.Mease@trade.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Title II, Section 203(o) of the United States-Colombia Trade 
Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ``Act'') [Public Law 112-
42] implements the commercial availability provision provided for in 
Article 3.3 of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement 
(the ``Agreement''). The Agreement entered into force on May 15, 2012. 
Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of the Agreement, pursuant 
to the textile provisions of the Agreement, fabric, yarn, and fiber 
produced in Colombia or the United States and traded between the two 
countries are entitled to duty-free tariff treatment. Annex 3-B of the 
Agreement also lists specific fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the two 
countries agreed are not available in commercial quantities in a timely 
manner from producers in Colombia or the United States. The fabrics 
listed are commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers, which 
are also entitled to duty-free treatment despite not being produced in 
Colombia or the United States.
    The list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers may 
be changed pursuant to the commercial availability provision in Chapter 
3, Article 3.3, Paragraphs 5-7 of the Agreement. Under this provision, 
interested entities from Colombia or the United States have the right 
to request that a specific fabric, yarn, or fiber be added to, or 
removed from, the list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and 
fibers in Annex 3-B of the Agreement.
    Chapter 3, Article 3.3, paragraph 7 of the Agreement requires that 
the President ``promptly'' publish procedures for parties to exercise 
the right to make these requests. Section 203(o)(4) of the Act 
authorizes the President to establish procedures to modify the list of 
fabrics, yarns, or fibers not available in commercial quantities in a 
timely manner in either the United States or Colombia as set out in 
Annex 3-B of the Agreement. The President delegated the responsibility 
for publishing the procedures and administering commercial availability 
requests to the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
(``CITA''), which issues procedures and acts on requests through the 
U.S.

[[Page 33245]]

Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (``OTEXA'') (See 
Proclamation No. 8818, 77 FR 29519, May 18, 2012).
    The intent of the U.S.-Colombia TPA Commercial Availability 
Procedures is to foster the use of U.S. and regional products by 
implementing procedures that allow products to be placed on or removed 
from a product list, on a timely basis, and in a manner that is 
consistent with normal business practice. The procedures are intended 
to facilitate the transmission of requests; allow the market to 
indicate the availability of the supply of products that are the 
subject of requests; make available promptly, to interested entities 
and the public, information regarding the requests for products and 
offers received for those products; ensure wide participation by 
interested entities and parties; allow for careful review and 
consideration of information provided to substantiate requests, 
responses and rebuttals; and provide timely public dissemination of 
information used by CITA in making commercial availability 
determinations.
    CITA must collect certain information about fabric, yarn, or fiber 
technical specifications and the production capabilities of Colombian 
and U.S. textile producers to determine whether certain fabrics, yarns, 
or fibers are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in 
the United States or Colombia, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act.

II. Method of Collection

    Participants in a commercial availability proceeding must submit 
public versions of their Requests, Responses or Rebuttals 
electronically (via email) for posting on OTEXA's Web site. 
Confidential versions of those submissions which contain business 
confidential information must be delivered in hard copy to the Office 
of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0625-0272.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 16.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8 hours per Request, 2 hours per 
Response, and 1 hour per Rebuttal.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 89.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,340.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: June 5, 2015.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-14218 Filed 6-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

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