Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 12686 [2016-05375]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 12686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05375]



[[Page 12686]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    On behalf of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements (CITA), the Department of Commerce will submit to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for 
collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements.
    Title: Interim Procedures for Considering Requests under the 
Commercial Availability Provision of the United States-Panama Trade 
Promotion Agreement.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    OMB Control Number: 0625-0273.
    Type of Request: Regular submission.
    Burden Hours: 89.
    Number of Respondents: 16 (10 for Requests; 3 for Responses; 3 for 
Rebuttals).
    Average Hours per Response: 8 hours per Request; 2 hours per 
Response; and 1 hour per Rebuttal.
    Needs and Uses:
    Title II, Section 203(o) of the United States-Panama Trade 
Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ``Act'') [Pub. L. 112-43] 
implements the commercial availability provision provided for in 
Article 3.25 of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (the 
``Agreement''). The Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012. 
Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of the Agreement, and 
pursuant to the textile provisions of the Agreement, a fabric, yarn, or 
fiber produced in Panama or the United States and traded between the 
two countries is entitled to duty-free tariff treatment. Annex 3.25 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 Panama or the United States. The items 
listed in Annex 3.25 are commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and 
fibers. Articles containing these items are entitled to duty-free or 
preferential treatment despite containing inputs not produced in Panama 
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 3.25, Paragraphs 4-6 of the Agreement. Under this provision, 
interested entities from Panama 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 3.25 of the Agreement.
    Pursuant to Chapter 3, Article 3.25, paragraph 6 of the Agreement, 
which requires that the President 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 Panama as set out in Annex 
3.25 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. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (``OTEXA'') 
(See Proclamation No. 8894, 77 FR 66507, November 5, 2012).
    The intent of the 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, in a 
timely manner, 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 and responses; 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 Panamanian 
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 Panama, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Frequency: Varies.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: Wendy Liberante, (202) 395-3647.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0336, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
JJessup@doc.gov.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to OIRA Submission@omg.eop.gov or fax to (202) 075-5806.

    Dated: March 7, 2016.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-05375 Filed 3-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P