Request for Petitions for Duty Suspensions and Reductions, 54924-54925 [2019-21835]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2019 / Notices
will be further opportunities for
comment on the public interest after the
issuance of any final initial
determination in this investigation. Any
written submissions on other issues
must also be filed by no later than the
close of business, eight calendar days
after publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. Complainant may file
replies to any written submissions no
later than three calendar days after the
date on which any initial submissions
were due. Any submissions and replies
filed in response to this Notice are
limited to five (5) pages in length,
inclusive of attachments.
Persons filing written submissions
must file the original document
electronically on or before the deadlines
stated above and submit 8 true paper
copies to the Office of the Secretary by
noon the next day pursuant to § 210.4(f)
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (19 CFR 210.4(f)).
Submissions should refer to the docket
number (‘‘Docket No. 3414’’) in a
prominent place on the cover page and/
or the first page. (See Handbook for
Electronic Filing Procedures, Electronic
Filing Procedures).1 Persons with
questions regarding filing should
contact the Secretary (202–205–2000).
Any person desiring to submit a
document to the Commission in
confidence must request confidential
treatment. All such requests should be
directed to the Secretary to the
Commission and must include a full
statement of the reasons why the
Commission should grant such
treatment. See 19 CFR 201.6. Documents
for which confidential treatment by the
Commission is properly sought will be
treated accordingly. All information,
including confidential business
information and documents for which
confidential treatment is properly
sought, submitted to the Commission for
purposes of this Investigation may be
disclosed to and used: (i) By the
Commission, its employees and Offices,
and contract personnel (a) for
developing or maintaining the records
of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in
internal investigations, audits, reviews,
and evaluations relating to the
programs, personnel, and operations of
the Commission including under 5
U.S.C. Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S.
government employees and contract
personnel,2 solely for cybersecurity
purposes. All nonconfidential written
submissions will be available for public
1 Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures:
https://www.usitc.gov/documents/handbook_on_
filing_procedures.pdf.
2 All contract personnel will sign appropriate
nondisclosure agreements.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:56 Oct 10, 2019
Jkt 250001
inspection at the Office of the Secretary
and on EDIS.3
This action is taken under the
authority of section 337 of the Tariff Act
of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337),
and of §§ 201.10 and 210.8(c) of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (19 CFR 201.10, 210.8(c)).
By order of the Commission.
Issued: October 7, 2019.
Jessica Mullan,
Attorney Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2019–22267 Filed 10–10–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
Request for Petitions for Duty
Suspensions and Reductions
United States International
Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice requesting members of
the public who can demonstrate they
are likely beneficiaries of duty
suspensions or reductions to submit to
the Commission petitions and
disclosure forms.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: As required by section 3(b)(1)
of the American Manufacturing
Competitiveness Act of 2016, the
Commission is publishing notice
requesting members of the public who
can demonstrate that they are likely
beneficiaries of duty suspensions or
reductions to submit petitions for duty
suspensions and reductions. Consistent
with the Act, the Commission will
accept petitions submitted during the
60-day period beginning on October 11,
2019, and ending at 5:15 p.m. EST on
December 10, 2019. All petitions must
be submitted via the Commission’s
designated secure web portal. At a later
date the Commission will publish notice
of the opportunity for the public to
submit comments on the petitions filed.
DATES:
October 11, 2019: Opening date for
filing petitions for duty suspensions and
reductions.
December 10, 2019, 5:15 p.m., EST:
Closing date and time for filing petitions
for duty suspensions and reductions.
ADDRESSES: All Commission offices are
located in the United States
International Trade Commission
Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington,
DC. The public file for this proceeding
may be viewed on the Commission’s
MTB Petition System (MTBPS) at
https://mtbps.usitc.gov.
3 Electronic Document Information System
(EDIS): https://edis.usitc.gov.
PO 00000
Frm 00092
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
For
general inquiries, contact Jennifer
Rohrbach at mtbinfo@usitc.gov. For
filing inquiries, contact the Office of
Secretary, Docket Services division, U.S.
International Trade Commission,
telephone (202) 205–3238.
The media should contact Peg
O’Laughlin, Public Affairs Officer (202–
205–1819 or margaret.olaughlin@
usitc.gov). General information
concerning the Commission may be
obtained by accessing its internet server
(https://www.usitc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Background
The American Manufacturing
Competitiveness Act of 2016 (the Act),
19 U.S.C. 1332 note, establishes a
process for the submission and
consideration of requests for temporary
duty suspensions and reductions. The
Act requires the Commission to initiate
the process by publishing a notice
requesting members of the public who
can demonstrate that they are likely
beneficiaries of duty suspensions or
reductions to submit petitions and
Commission disclosure forms to the
Commission. The Act establishes the
information to be contained in a petition
and sets out the process the Commission
is to follow. The Act requires the
Commission to publish its notice
requesting petitions no later than
October 15, 2019, and to allow the
public to file petitions during the 60-day
period following publication of the
notice. After the period for filing
petitions closes, the Commission is
required to publish the petitions on its
website and provide notice to the public
of the opportunity to submit comments
on the petitions.
The Act requires the Commission to
submit preliminary and final reports to
the House Committee on Ways and
Means and the Senate Committee on
Finance (Committees) on the petitions
received. The reports are to include the
Commission’s analysis and
recommendations regarding the
petitions, including determinations
regarding whether there is domestic
production of the article, whether the
duty suspension or reduction can likely
be administered by the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, whether the
estimated loss in revenues due to the
duty suspension or reduction does not
exceed $500,000, and whether the duty
suspension or reduction will be
available to any person importing the
article. The Commission is required to
classify the petitions into categories
based on whether (1) the petition meets
the requirements for inclusion in a
miscellaneous tariff bill; (2) the
Commission recommends inclusion in
E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM
11OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 198 / Friday, October 11, 2019 / Notices
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
such a bill with specified technical
changes, changes in product scope, or
adjustment in the amount of duty
reduction; (3) the Commission
recommends against inclusion in a bill
because the petition does not meet the
petitioning requirements or the
petitioner is not a likely beneficiary; or
(4) the Commission otherwise
recommends not including the petition.
The Committees and the Congress will
make the final decision regarding the
imported articles to be included in a
bill.
The Act also requires the U.S.
Department of Commerce (Commerce),
with input from U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) and other
Federal agencies, to submit a report to
the Commission and to the Committees.
This report is to include information
related to domestic production and
technical changes that are necessary for
purposes of administration when
articles are presented for importation.
Procedures for Filing a Petition
The Commission has promulgated
rules of practice and procedure
regarding the process for filing petitions
and has also made available a handbook
and other materials to assist members of
the public in filing petitions. The rules,
as amended, are published at 19 CFR
part 220 (84 FR 44692, Aug. 27, 2019)
and are available at https://gov.ecfr.io/
cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2fb26f9e6c
52f71f3c0081573eaabf0e&mc=
true&node=pt19.3.220&rgn=div5. The
rules, handbook, and other materials are
also posted on the Commission’s
website at https://www.usitc.gov/mtb_
landing.htm. Highlights of the filing
procedures are presented below only as
an overview; persons who are
considering filing a petition should
consult the Commission’s rules,
handbook, and other materials.
Who may file. As provided for in the
Act and in the Commission’s rules, only
members of the public who can
demonstrate that they are a likely
beneficiary of the duty suspension or
reduction may file petitions for duty
suspensions or reductions. The Act
defines ‘‘likely beneficiary’’ to mean ‘‘an
individual or entity likely to utilize, or
benefit directly from the utilization of,
an article that is the subject of a petition
for a duty suspension or reduction.’’
Method for filing. Petitions for duty
suspensions and reductions must be
filed electronically via the
Commission’s designated secure web
portal and in the format designated by
the Commission in that portal. The
portal contains a series of prompts and
links that will assist persons in
providing the required information (this
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:56 Oct 10, 2019
Jkt 250001
information concerns both the petitions
and related disclosure forms, so there
will be only one submission). The
Commission will not accept petitions
submitted in paper or in any other form
or format. Petitions, including any
attachments thereto, must otherwise
comply with the Commission’s rules as
further explained in the Commission’s
Handbook on MTB Filing Procedures.
Persons seeking duty suspensions or
reductions on more than one imported
product must submit separate petitions
for each product.
Persons filing petitions should be
prepared to complete their entire
petition when they enter the portal and
because the portal will not allow them
to edit, amend, or complete the petition
at a later time. Should a person filing a
petition be unable to complete it, the
person will need to start the process
again later. Should a person wish to edit
or amend a previously filed petition, the
person will need to file a new petition
that includes the changes, and must
withdraw the earlier petition. Failure to
withdraw the earlier petition (or
petitions) will generally result in the
Commission accepting the earliest filed
petition on the subject product.
Accordingly, a person filing a petition
should have all required information in
hand when entering the portal to begin
the formal filing process. A list of all the
information required to complete a
petition may be found in the
Commission’s Before You File guide
located on the Commission’s MTB
information page on its website.
Time for filing. To be considered,
petitions must be filed between October
11, 2019, and the close of business (5:15
p.m. EST) on December 10, 2019.
Consistent with the Act, the
Commission will not accept petitions
filed after that time and date.
Amendment and withdrawal of
petitions. As indicated above, the
Commission’s secure web portal will
not allow a person who has formally
submitted a petition to amend the
petition. Instead, that person must
withdraw the original petition and file
a new petition that incorporates the
changes. The new petition must be filed
within the 60-day period designated for
filing petitions. The above
notwithstanding, any petitions properly
filed may be withdrawn (without
opportunity to submit a new petition if
withdrawn after the close of the 60-day
period for filing petitions) no later than
30 days after the Commission submits
its preliminary report to the
Committees.
Confidential business information.
The portal will permit persons
submitting petitions to claim that
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
54925
certain information should be treated
either as confidential business
information or as information protected
from disclosure under the Privacy Act,
5 U.S.C. 552a, (e.g., a home address). In
the absence of a claim that such
information should be so treated, the
Commission will disclose the
information to the public when it posts
the petitions and attachments on the
Commission’s website. See further
information below on possible
disclosure of confidential business
information.
Confidential Business Information
The Commission will not release
information that the Commission
considers to be confidential business
information within the meaning of
§ 201.6(a) of its Rules of Practice and
Procedure (19 CFR 201.6) unless the
party submitting the confidential
business information had notice, at the
time of submission, that such
information would be released by the
Commission, or such party subsequently
consents to the release of the
information.
Confidential business information
submitted to the Commission in
petitions and comments may be
disclosed to or used by (1) the
Commission in calculating the
estimated revenue loss required under
the Act, which may be based in whole
or in part on the estimated values of
imports submitted by petitioners in
their petitions; or (2) the Commission,
its employees, and contract personnel
(a) in processing petitions and
comments and preparing reports under
the Act or (b) in internal investigations,
audits, reviews, and evaluations relating
to the programs, personnel, and
operations of the Commission including
under 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3; or (3)
Commerce, for use in preparing its
report to the Commission and the
Committees, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and CBP, for use in
providing information for that report; or
(4) U.S. government employees and
contract personnel, solely for
cybersecurity purposes, subject to the
requirement that all contract personnel
will sign appropriate nondisclosure
agreements.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: October 2, 2019.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2019–21835 Filed 10–10–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
E:\FR\FM\11OCN1.SGM
11OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54924-54925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21835]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Request for Petitions for Duty Suspensions and Reductions
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice requesting members of the public who can demonstrate
they are likely beneficiaries of duty suspensions or reductions to
submit to the Commission petitions and disclosure forms.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As required by section 3(b)(1) of the American Manufacturing
Competitiveness Act of 2016, the Commission is publishing notice
requesting members of the public who can demonstrate that they are
likely beneficiaries of duty suspensions or reductions to submit
petitions for duty suspensions and reductions. Consistent with the Act,
the Commission will accept petitions submitted during the 60-day period
beginning on October 11, 2019, and ending at 5:15 p.m. EST on December
10, 2019. All petitions must be submitted via the Commission's
designated secure web portal. At a later date the Commission will
publish notice of the opportunity for the public to submit comments on
the petitions filed.
DATES:
October 11, 2019: Opening date for filing petitions for duty
suspensions and reductions.
December 10, 2019, 5:15 p.m., EST: Closing date and time for filing
petitions for duty suspensions and reductions.
ADDRESSES: All Commission offices are located in the United States
International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington,
DC. The public file for this proceeding may be viewed on the
Commission's MTB Petition System (MTBPS) at https://mtbps.usitc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general inquiries, contact
Jennifer Rohrbach at [email protected]. For filing inquiries, contact
the Office of Secretary, Docket Services division, U.S. International
Trade Commission, telephone (202) 205-3238.
The media should contact Peg O'Laughlin, Public Affairs Officer
(202-205-1819 or [email protected]). General information
concerning the Commission may be obtained by accessing its internet
server (https://www.usitc.gov).
Background
The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 (the Act),
19 U.S.C. 1332 note, establishes a process for the submission and
consideration of requests for temporary duty suspensions and
reductions. The Act requires the Commission to initiate the process by
publishing a notice requesting members of the public who can
demonstrate that they are likely beneficiaries of duty suspensions or
reductions to submit petitions and Commission disclosure forms to the
Commission. The Act establishes the information to be contained in a
petition and sets out the process the Commission is to follow. The Act
requires the Commission to publish its notice requesting petitions no
later than October 15, 2019, and to allow the public to file petitions
during the 60-day period following publication of the notice. After the
period for filing petitions closes, the Commission is required to
publish the petitions on its website and provide notice to the public
of the opportunity to submit comments on the petitions.
The Act requires the Commission to submit preliminary and final
reports to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate
Committee on Finance (Committees) on the petitions received. The
reports are to include the Commission's analysis and recommendations
regarding the petitions, including determinations regarding whether
there is domestic production of the article, whether the duty
suspension or reduction can likely be administered by the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, whether the estimated loss in revenues due to
the duty suspension or reduction does not exceed $500,000, and whether
the duty suspension or reduction will be available to any person
importing the article. The Commission is required to classify the
petitions into categories based on whether (1) the petition meets the
requirements for inclusion in a miscellaneous tariff bill; (2) the
Commission recommends inclusion in
[[Page 54925]]
such a bill with specified technical changes, changes in product scope,
or adjustment in the amount of duty reduction; (3) the Commission
recommends against inclusion in a bill because the petition does not
meet the petitioning requirements or the petitioner is not a likely
beneficiary; or (4) the Commission otherwise recommends not including
the petition. The Committees and the Congress will make the final
decision regarding the imported articles to be included in a bill.
The Act also requires the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce),
with input from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other
Federal agencies, to submit a report to the Commission and to the
Committees. This report is to include information related to domestic
production and technical changes that are necessary for purposes of
administration when articles are presented for importation.
Procedures for Filing a Petition
The Commission has promulgated rules of practice and procedure
regarding the process for filing petitions and has also made available
a handbook and other materials to assist members of the public in
filing petitions. The rules, as amended, are published at 19 CFR part
220 (84 FR 44692, Aug. 27, 2019) and are available at https://gov.ecfr.io/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=2fb26f9e6c52f71f3c0081573eaabf0e&mc=true&node=pt19.3.220&rgn=div5. The rules, handbook, and other materials are also posted on the
Commission's website at https://www.usitc.gov/mtb_landing.htm.
Highlights of the filing procedures are presented below only as an
overview; persons who are considering filing a petition should consult
the Commission's rules, handbook, and other materials.
Who may file. As provided for in the Act and in the Commission's
rules, only members of the public who can demonstrate that they are a
likely beneficiary of the duty suspension or reduction may file
petitions for duty suspensions or reductions. The Act defines ``likely
beneficiary'' to mean ``an individual or entity likely to utilize, or
benefit directly from the utilization of, an article that is the
subject of a petition for a duty suspension or reduction.''
Method for filing. Petitions for duty suspensions and reductions
must be filed electronically via the Commission's designated secure web
portal and in the format designated by the Commission in that portal.
The portal contains a series of prompts and links that will assist
persons in providing the required information (this information
concerns both the petitions and related disclosure forms, so there will
be only one submission). The Commission will not accept petitions
submitted in paper or in any other form or format. Petitions, including
any attachments thereto, must otherwise comply with the Commission's
rules as further explained in the Commission's Handbook on MTB Filing
Procedures. Persons seeking duty suspensions or reductions on more than
one imported product must submit separate petitions for each product.
Persons filing petitions should be prepared to complete their
entire petition when they enter the portal and because the portal will
not allow them to edit, amend, or complete the petition at a later
time. Should a person filing a petition be unable to complete it, the
person will need to start the process again later. Should a person wish
to edit or amend a previously filed petition, the person will need to
file a new petition that includes the changes, and must withdraw the
earlier petition. Failure to withdraw the earlier petition (or
petitions) will generally result in the Commission accepting the
earliest filed petition on the subject product. Accordingly, a person
filing a petition should have all required information in hand when
entering the portal to begin the formal filing process. A list of all
the information required to complete a petition may be found in the
Commission's Before You File guide located on the Commission's MTB
information page on its website.
Time for filing. To be considered, petitions must be filed between
October 11, 2019, and the close of business (5:15 p.m. EST) on December
10, 2019. Consistent with the Act, the Commission will not accept
petitions filed after that time and date.
Amendment and withdrawal of petitions. As indicated above, the
Commission's secure web portal will not allow a person who has formally
submitted a petition to amend the petition. Instead, that person must
withdraw the original petition and file a new petition that
incorporates the changes. The new petition must be filed within the 60-
day period designated for filing petitions. The above notwithstanding,
any petitions properly filed may be withdrawn (without opportunity to
submit a new petition if withdrawn after the close of the 60-day period
for filing petitions) no later than 30 days after the Commission
submits its preliminary report to the Committees.
Confidential business information. The portal will permit persons
submitting petitions to claim that certain information should be
treated either as confidential business information or as information
protected from disclosure under the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, (e.g.,
a home address). In the absence of a claim that such information should
be so treated, the Commission will disclose the information to the
public when it posts the petitions and attachments on the Commission's
website. See further information below on possible disclosure of
confidential business information.
Confidential Business Information
The Commission will not release information that the Commission
considers to be confidential business information within the meaning of
Sec. 201.6(a) of its Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6)
unless the party submitting the confidential business information had
notice, at the time of submission, that such information would be
released by the Commission, or such party subsequently consents to the
release of the information.
Confidential business information submitted to the Commission in
petitions and comments may be disclosed to or used by (1) the
Commission in calculating the estimated revenue loss required under the
Act, which may be based in whole or in part on the estimated values of
imports submitted by petitioners in their petitions; or (2) the
Commission, its employees, and contract personnel (a) in processing
petitions and comments and preparing reports under the Act or (b) in
internal investigations, audits, reviews, and evaluations relating to
the programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including
under 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3; or (3) Commerce, for use in preparing its
report to the Commission and the Committees, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and CBP, for use in providing information for that report;
or (4) U.S. government employees and contract personnel, solely for
cybersecurity purposes, subject to the requirement that all contract
personnel will sign appropriate nondisclosure agreements.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: October 2, 2019.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2019-21835 Filed 10-10-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
