Request for Comments and Notice of a Public Hearing Regarding the 2020 Special 301 Review, 70613-70615 [2019-27572]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 246 / Monday, December 23, 2019 / Notices
paid their employees to the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) for tax purposes,
and separately to SSA for retirement
and disability coverage purposes.
Employers should report the same
figures to SSA and the IRS; however,
Modality of
completion
each year some of the employer wage
reports SSA receives show wage
amounts lower than those employers
report to the IRS. SSA uses Forms SSA–
L93–SM, SSA–L94–SM, SSA–95–SM,
and SSA–97–SM to ensure employees
Number of
respondents
SSA–95–SM and SSA-97-SM .................
(and accompanying cover letters .............
SSA–L93, L94) .........................................
Average
burden per
response
(minutes)
Frequency
of response
360,000
1
30
70613
receive full credit for their wages.
Respondents are employers who
reported lower wage amounts to SSA
than they reported to the IRS.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Estimated
total annual
burden
(hours)
180,000
Average
theoretical
hourly cost
amount
(dollars) *
* $22.50
Total annual
opportunity
cost
(dollars) **
** $4,050,000
* We based this figure on average U.S. citizen’s hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
**
This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to respondents to complete the application.
2. Request for Proof(s) from Custodian
of Records—20 CFR 404.703, 404.704,
404.720, 404.721, 404.723, 404.725, &
404.728—0960–0766. SSA sends Form
SSA–L707, Request for Proof(s) from
Custodian of Records, to records
custodians on behalf of individuals who
Modality of
completion
need help obtaining evidence of death,
marriage, or divorce in connection with
claims for benefits. SSA uses the
information from the SSA–L707 to
determine eligibility for benefits. The
respondents are records custodians
including statistics and religious
Number of
respondents
Average
burden per
response
(minutes)
Frequency
of response
entities, coroners, funeral directors,
attending physicians, and State
agencies.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Estimated
total annual
burden
(hours)
Average
theoretical
hourly cost
amount
(dollars) *
Total annual
opportunity
cost
(dollars) **
State or Local Government ......................
Private Sector ..........................................
94
24
1
1
10
10
16
4
* $18.00
* 37.60
** $288
** 150
Totals ................................................
118
........................
........................
20
........................
** 438
* We based these figures on average records custodians in the local/state government, and records custodians in the private sectors hourly
salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather, these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
respondents to complete the application.
Dated: December 18, 2019.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019–27664 Filed 12–20–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191–02–P
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket No. USTR–2019–0023]
Request for Comments and Notice of
a Public Hearing Regarding the 2020
Special 301 Review
Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ACTION: Request for comments and
notice of public hearing.
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
Each year, the Office of the
United States Trade Representative
(USTR) conducts a Special 301 review
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:32 Dec 20, 2019
Jkt 250001
to identify countries that deny adequate
and effective protection of intellectual
property (IP) rights or deny fair and
equitable market access to U.S. persons
who rely on IP protection. Based on this
review, the United States Trade
Representative (Trade Representative)
determines which, if any, of these
countries to identify as Priority Foreign
Countries. USTR requests written
comments that identify acts, policies, or
practices that may form the basis of a
country’s identification as a Priority
Foreign Country or placement on the
Priority Watch List or Watch List. USTR
also requests notices of intent to appear
at the public hearing.
DATES: February 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.
EST: Deadline for submission of written
comments, hearing statements, and
notices of intent to appear at the hearing
from the public.
February 20, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST:
Deadline for submission of written
PO 00000
Frm 00121
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
comments, hearing statements, and
notices of intent to appear at the hearing
from foreign governments.
February 26, 2020: The Special 301
Subcommittee will hold a public
hearing at the Office of the United State
Trade Representative, 1724 F Street NW,
Rooms 1&2, Washington DC. If
necessary, the hearing may continue on
the next business day. Those who
intend to testify at the public hearing
must submit a notice of intent to appear
by the deadlines stated above. Please
consult the USTR website at https://
ustr.gov/issue-areas/intellectualproperty/Special-301, for confirmation
of the date and location and the
schedule of witnesses.
March 5, 2020 at 11:59pm EST:
Deadline for submission of post-hearing
written comments from persons who
testified at the public hearing.
On or about April 30, 2020: USTR
will publish the 2020 Special 301
E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM
23DEN1
70614
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 246 / Monday, December 23, 2019 / Notices
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES
Report within 30 days of the publication
of the National Trade Estimate (NTE)
Report.
ADDRESSES: USTR strongly encourages
electronic submissions made through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
submission instructions in section IV
below. The docket number is USTR–
2019–0023. For alternatives to on-line
submissions, please contact USTR at
Special301@ustr.eop.gov before
transmitting a comment and in advance
of the relevant deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jacob Ewerdt, Director for Innovation
and Intellectual Property, at
Special301@ustr.eop.gov. You can find
information about the Special 301
Review at https://www.ustr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974
(Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242), commonly
known as the ‘‘Special 301’’ provisions,
requires the Trade Representative to
identify countries that deny adequate
and effective IP protections or fair and
equitable market access to U.S. persons
who rely on IP protection. The Trade
Act requires the Trade Representative to
determine which, if any, of these
countries to identify as Priority Foreign
Countries. Acts, policies or practices
that are the basis of a country’s
identification as a Priority Foreign
Country can be subject to the
procedures set out in sections 301–305
of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2411–2415).
In addition, USTR has created a
‘‘Priority Watch List’’ and ‘‘Watch List’’
to assist the Administration in pursuing
the goals of the Special 301 provisions.
Placement of a trading partner on the
Priority Watch List or Watch List
indicates that particular problems exist
in that country with respect to IP
protection, enforcement, or market
access for persons that rely on
intellectual property protection. Trading
partners placed on the Priority Watch
List are the focus of increased bilateral
attention concerning the problem areas.
USTR chairs the Special 301
Subcommittee (Subcommittee) of the
Trade Policy Staff Committee. The
Subcommittee reviews information from
many sources, and consults with and
makes recommendations to the Trade
Representative on issues arising under
Special 301. Written submissions from
the public are a key source of
information for the Special 301 review
process. In 2020, USTR will conduct a
public hearing as part of the review
process and will allow hearing
participants to provide additional
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:32 Dec 20, 2019
Jkt 250001
information relevant to the review. At
the conclusion of the process, USTR
will publish the results of the review in
a Special 301 Report. USTR requests
that interested persons identify through
the process outlined in this notice those
countries whose acts, policies, or
practices deny adequate and effective
protection for IP rights or deny fair and
equitable market access to U.S. persons
who rely on IP protection.
The Special 301 provisions also
require the Trade Representative to
identify any act, policy, or practice of
Canada that affects cultural industries,
was adopted or expanded after
December 17, 1992, and is actionable
under Article 2106 of the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA). USTR invites the public to
submit views relevant to this aspect of
the review.
The Special 301 provisions require
the Trade Representative to identify all
such acts, policies, or practices within
30 days of the publication of the NTE
Report. In accordance with this
statutory requirement, USTR will
publish the annual Special 301 Report
about April 30, 2020.
II. Public Comments
To facilitate this year’s review,
written comments should be as detailed
as possible and provide all necessary
information to identify and assess the
effect of the acts, policies, and practices.
USTR invites written comments that
provide specific references to laws,
regulations, policy statements,
including innovation policies,
executive, presidential, or other orders,
and administrative, court, or other
determinations that should factor in the
review. USTR also requests that, where
relevant, submissions mention
particular regions, provinces, states, or
other subdivisions of a country in which
an act, policy, or practice is believed to
warrant special attention. Finally,
submissions proposing countries for
review should include data, loss
estimates, and other information
regarding the economic impact on the
United States, U.S. industry, and the
U.S. workforce caused by the denial of
adequate and effective intellectual
property protection. Comments that
include quantitative loss claims should
include the methodology used to
calculate the estimated losses.
III. Public Hearing
The Special 301 Subcommittee will
convene a public hearing on February
26, 2020, in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F
Street NW, Washington DC, at which
interested persons, including
representatives of foreign governments,
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
may appear to provide oral testimony. If
necessary, the hearing may continue on
the next business day. Because the
hearing will take place in Federal
facilities, attendees must show photo
identification and will be screened for
security purposes. Please consult the
USTR website at https://ustr.gov/issueareas/intellectual-property/Special-301,
to confirm the date and location of the
hearing and to obtain copies of the
hearing schedule. USTR also will post
the transcript and recording of the
hearing on the USTR website as soon
after the hearing as possible. Witnesses
must deliver prepared oral testimony,
which is limited to five minutes, before
the Special 301 Subcommittee in person
and in English. Subcommittee member
agencies may ask questions following
the prepared statement.
Witnesses not from foreign
governments must submit a notice of
intent to testify and a hearing statement
by February 6, 2020, and foreign
government witnesses must submit a
notice of intent to testify and a hearing
statement by February 20, 2020. The
submissions must be in English and
must include: (1) The name, address,
telephone number, fax number, email
address, and firm or affiliation of the
individual wishing to testify, and (2) a
hearing statement that is relevant to the
Special 301 review.
IV. Submission Instructions
All submissions must be in English
and sent electronically via https://
www.regulations.gov using docket
number USTR–2019–0023. To submit
comments, locate the docket (folder) by
entering the number USTR–2019–0023
in the ‘Enter Keyword or ID’ window at
the https://www.regulations.gov home
page and click ‘Search.’ The site will
provide a search-results page listing all
documents associated with this docket.
Locate the reference to this notice by
selecting ‘Notice’ under ‘Document
Type’ on the left side of the searchresults page, and click on the link
entitled ‘Comment Now!’.
USTR requests that you provide
comments in an attached document, and
that you name the file according to the
following protocol, as appropriate:
Commenter Name, or Organization_
2020 Special 301_Review_Comment, or
Notice of Intent to Testify or Hearing
Statement. Please include the following
information in the ‘Type Comment’
field: ‘‘2020 Special 301 Review’’ and
whether the submission is a comment,
a request to testify at the hearing, or a
hearing statement. Please submit
documents prepared in (or compatible
with) Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe
Acrobat (.pdf) formats. If you prepare
E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM
23DEN1
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 246 / Monday, December 23, 2019 / Notices
the submission in a compatible format,
please indicate the name of the relevant
software application in the ‘Type
Comment’ field. For further information
on using the https://
www.regulations.gov website, please
select ‘How to Use Regulations.gov’ on
the bottom of any page.
Please do not attach separate cover
letters to electronic submissions; rather,
include any information that might
appear in a cover letter in the comments
themselves. Similarly, to the extent
possible, please include any exhibits,
annexes, or other attachments in the
same file as the comment itself, rather
than submitting them as separate files.
For any comments that contains
business confidential information, the
file name of the business confidential
version should begin with the characters
‘BC’. Any page containing business
confidential information must be clearly
marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’
on the top of that page and the
submission should clearly indicate, via
brackets, highlighting, or other means,
the specific information that is business
confidential. A filer requesting business
confidential treatment must certify that
the information is business confidential
and that they would not customarily
released it to the public. Additionally,
the filer should type ‘Business
Confidential’ in the ‘Type Comment’
field.
Filers of comments containing
business confidential information also
must submit a public version of their
comments. The file name of the public
version should begin with the character
‘P’. The ‘BC’ and ‘P’ should be followed
by the name of the person or entity
submitting the comments. Filers
submitting comments containing no
business confidential information
should name their file using the name
of the person or entity submitting the
comments.
As noted, USTR strongly urges
commenters to submit comments
through https://www.regulations.gov.
You must make any alternative
arrangements before transmitting a
document and in advance of the
relevant deadline by contacting USTR at
Special301@ustr.eop.gov.
USTR will place comments in the
docket and they will be open to public
inspection, except business confidential
information. You can view comments
on the https://www.regulations.gov
website by entering Docket Number
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:32 Dec 20, 2019
Jkt 250001
USTR–2019–0023 in the ‘Search’ field
on the home page.
Daniel Lee,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for
Innovation and Intellectual Property (Acting),
Office of the United States Trade
Representative.
[FR Doc. 2019–27572 Filed 12–20–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290–F0–P
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Procurement Thresholds for
Implementation of the Trade
Agreements Act of 1979
Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Trade
Representative has determined the U.S.
dollar procurement thresholds to
implement certain U.S. trade agreement
obligations, as of January 1, 2020, for
calendar years 2020 and 2021.
DATES: This notice is applicable on
January 1, 2020, for calendar years 2020
and 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate
Psillos, Director of International
Procurement Policy at (202) 395–9581
or Kathryn.W.Psillos@ustr.eop.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive
Order 12260 (E.O.) requires the U.S.
Trade Representative to set the U.S.
dollar thresholds for application of Title
III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979,
as amended (19 U.S.C. 2511 et seq.).
These obligations apply to covered
procurements valued at or above
specified U.S. dollar thresholds. In
conformity with the provisions of the
E.O., and in order to carry out U.S. trade
agreement obligations, the U.S. Trade
Representative has determined the U.S.
dollar procurement thresholds, effective
on January 1, 2020, for calendar years
2020 and 2021 as follows:
SUMMARY:
I. World Trade Organization (WTO)
Agreement on Government
Procurement
A. Central Government Entities listed
in U.S. Annex 1:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$182,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
B. Sub-Central Government Entities
listed in U.S. Annex 2:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$498,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
C. Other Entities listed in U.S. Annex
3:
PO 00000
Frm 00123
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
70615
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$561,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
II. Chapter 15 of the United StatesAustralia Free Trade Agreement
A. Central Government Entities listed
in the U.S. Schedule to Annex 15–A,
Section 1:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$83,099; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
B. Sub-Central Government Entities
listed in the U.S. Schedule to Annex 15–
A, Section 2:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$498,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
C. Other Entities listed in the U.S.
Schedule to Annex 15–A, Section 3:
(1) Procurement of goods and services
for List A Entities— $415,495;
(2) Procurement of goods and services
for List B Entities— $561,000;
(3) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
III. Chapter 9 of the United StatesBahrain Free Trade Agreement
A. Central Government Entities listed
in the U.S. Schedule to Annex 9–A–1:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$182,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$10,802,884.
B. Other Entities listed in the U.S.
Schedule to Annex 9–A–2:
(1) Procurement of goods and services
for List B entities—$561,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$13,296,478.
IV. Chapter 9 of the United States–Chile
Free Trade Agreement
A. Central Government Entities listed
in the U.S. Schedule to Annex 9.1,
Section A:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$83,099; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
B. Sub-Central Government Entities
listed in the U.S. Schedule to Annex 9.1,
Section B:
(1) Procurement of goods and
services—$498,000; and
(2) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
C. Other Entities listed in the U.S.
Schedule to Annex 9.1, Section C:
(1) Procurement of goods and services
for List A Entities— $415,495;
(2) Procurement of goods and services
for List B Entities— $561,000;
(3) Procurement of construction
services—$7,008,000.
E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM
23DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 246 (Monday, December 23, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70613-70615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27572]
=======================================================================
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket No. USTR-2019-0023]
Request for Comments and Notice of a Public Hearing Regarding the
2020 Special 301 Review
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Request for comments and notice of public hearing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Each year, the Office of the United States Trade
Representative (USTR) conducts a Special 301 review to identify
countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual
property (IP) rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S.
persons who rely on IP protection. Based on this review, the United
States Trade Representative (Trade Representative) determines which, if
any, of these countries to identify as Priority Foreign Countries. USTR
requests written comments that identify acts, policies, or practices
that may form the basis of a country's identification as a Priority
Foreign Country or placement on the Priority Watch List or Watch List.
USTR also requests notices of intent to appear at the public hearing.
DATES: February 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST: Deadline for submission of
written comments, hearing statements, and notices of intent to appear
at the hearing from the public.
February 20, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST: Deadline for submission of
written comments, hearing statements, and notices of intent to appear
at the hearing from foreign governments.
February 26, 2020: The Special 301 Subcommittee will hold a public
hearing at the Office of the United State Trade Representative, 1724 F
Street NW, Rooms 1&2, Washington DC. If necessary, the hearing may
continue on the next business day. Those who intend to testify at the
public hearing must submit a notice of intent to appear by the
deadlines stated above. Please consult the USTR website at https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/intellectual-property/Special-301, for
confirmation of the date and location and the schedule of witnesses.
March 5, 2020 at 11:59pm EST: Deadline for submission of post-
hearing written comments from persons who testified at the public
hearing.
On or about April 30, 2020: USTR will publish the 2020 Special 301
[[Page 70614]]
Report within 30 days of the publication of the National Trade Estimate
(NTE) Report.
ADDRESSES: USTR strongly encourages electronic submissions made through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
submission instructions in section IV below. The docket number is USTR-
2019-0023. For alternatives to on-line submissions, please contact USTR
at [email protected] before transmitting a comment and in advance
of the relevant deadline.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacob Ewerdt, Director for Innovation
and Intellectual Property, at [email protected]. You can find
information about the Special 301 Review at https://www.ustr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242),
commonly known as the ``Special 301'' provisions, requires the Trade
Representative to identify countries that deny adequate and effective
IP protections or fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who
rely on IP protection. The Trade Act requires the Trade Representative
to determine which, if any, of these countries to identify as Priority
Foreign Countries. Acts, policies or practices that are the basis of a
country's identification as a Priority Foreign Country can be subject
to the procedures set out in sections 301-305 of the Trade Act (19
U.S.C. 2411-2415).
In addition, USTR has created a ``Priority Watch List'' and ``Watch
List'' to assist the Administration in pursuing the goals of the
Special 301 provisions. Placement of a trading partner on the Priority
Watch List or Watch List indicates that particular problems exist in
that country with respect to IP protection, enforcement, or market
access for persons that rely on intellectual property protection.
Trading partners placed on the Priority Watch List are the focus of
increased bilateral attention concerning the problem areas.
USTR chairs the Special 301 Subcommittee (Subcommittee) of the
Trade Policy Staff Committee. The Subcommittee reviews information from
many sources, and consults with and makes recommendations to the Trade
Representative on issues arising under Special 301. Written submissions
from the public are a key source of information for the Special 301
review process. In 2020, USTR will conduct a public hearing as part of
the review process and will allow hearing participants to provide
additional information relevant to the review. At the conclusion of the
process, USTR will publish the results of the review in a Special 301
Report. USTR requests that interested persons identify through the
process outlined in this notice those countries whose acts, policies,
or practices deny adequate and effective protection for IP rights or
deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on IP
protection.
The Special 301 provisions also require the Trade Representative to
identify any act, policy, or practice of Canada that affects cultural
industries, was adopted or expanded after December 17, 1992, and is
actionable under Article 2106 of the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA). USTR invites the public to submit views relevant to
this aspect of the review.
The Special 301 provisions require the Trade Representative to
identify all such acts, policies, or practices within 30 days of the
publication of the NTE Report. In accordance with this statutory
requirement, USTR will publish the annual Special 301 Report about
April 30, 2020.
II. Public Comments
To facilitate this year's review, written comments should be as
detailed as possible and provide all necessary information to identify
and assess the effect of the acts, policies, and practices. USTR
invites written comments that provide specific references to laws,
regulations, policy statements, including innovation policies,
executive, presidential, or other orders, and administrative, court, or
other determinations that should factor in the review. USTR also
requests that, where relevant, submissions mention particular regions,
provinces, states, or other subdivisions of a country in which an act,
policy, or practice is believed to warrant special attention. Finally,
submissions proposing countries for review should include data, loss
estimates, and other information regarding the economic impact on the
United States, U.S. industry, and the U.S. workforce caused by the
denial of adequate and effective intellectual property protection.
Comments that include quantitative loss claims should include the
methodology used to calculate the estimated losses.
III. Public Hearing
The Special 301 Subcommittee will convene a public hearing on
February 26, 2020, in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street NW, Washington DC,
at which interested persons, including representatives of foreign
governments, may appear to provide oral testimony. If necessary, the
hearing may continue on the next business day. Because the hearing will
take place in Federal facilities, attendees must show photo
identification and will be screened for security purposes. Please
consult the USTR website at https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/intellectual-property/Special-301, to confirm the date and location of the hearing
and to obtain copies of the hearing schedule. USTR also will post the
transcript and recording of the hearing on the USTR website as soon
after the hearing as possible. Witnesses must deliver prepared oral
testimony, which is limited to five minutes, before the Special 301
Subcommittee in person and in English. Subcommittee member agencies may
ask questions following the prepared statement.
Witnesses not from foreign governments must submit a notice of
intent to testify and a hearing statement by February 6, 2020, and
foreign government witnesses must submit a notice of intent to testify
and a hearing statement by February 20, 2020. The submissions must be
in English and must include: (1) The name, address, telephone number,
fax number, email address, and firm or affiliation of the individual
wishing to testify, and (2) a hearing statement that is relevant to the
Special 301 review.
IV. Submission Instructions
All submissions must be in English and sent electronically via
https://www.regulations.gov using docket number USTR-2019-0023. To
submit comments, locate the docket (folder) by entering the number
USTR-2019-0023 in the `Enter Keyword or ID' window at the https://www.regulations.gov home page and click `Search.' The site will provide
a search-results page listing all documents associated with this
docket. Locate the reference to this notice by selecting `Notice' under
`Document Type' on the left side of the search-results page, and click
on the link entitled `Comment Now!'.
USTR requests that you provide comments in an attached document,
and that you name the file according to the following protocol, as
appropriate: Commenter Name, or Organization_2020 Special
301_Review_Comment, or Notice of Intent to Testify or Hearing
Statement. Please include the following information in the `Type
Comment' field: ``2020 Special 301 Review'' and whether the submission
is a comment, a request to testify at the hearing, or a hearing
statement. Please submit documents prepared in (or compatible with)
Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. If you prepare
[[Page 70615]]
the submission in a compatible format, please indicate the name of the
relevant software application in the `Type Comment' field. For further
information on using the https://www.regulations.gov website, please
select `How to Use Regulations.gov' on the bottom of any page.
Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in
the same file as the comment itself, rather than submitting them as
separate files.
For any comments that contains business confidential information,
the file name of the business confidential version should begin with
the characters `BC'. Any page containing business confidential
information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top
of that page and the submission should clearly indicate, via brackets,
highlighting, or other means, the specific information that is business
confidential. A filer requesting business confidential treatment must
certify that the information is business confidential and that they
would not customarily released it to the public. Additionally, the
filer should type `Business Confidential' in the `Type Comment' field.
Filers of comments containing business confidential information
also must submit a public version of their comments. The file name of
the public version should begin with the character `P'. The `BC' and
`P' should be followed by the name of the person or entity submitting
the comments. Filers submitting comments containing no business
confidential information should name their file using the name of the
person or entity submitting the comments.
As noted, USTR strongly urges commenters to submit comments through
https://www.regulations.gov. You must make any alternative arrangements
before transmitting a document and in advance of the relevant deadline
by contacting USTR at [email protected].
USTR will place comments in the docket and they will be open to
public inspection, except business confidential information. You can
view comments on the https://www.regulations.gov website by entering
Docket Number USTR-2019-0023 in the `Search' field on the home page.
Daniel Lee,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Innovation and Intellectual
Property (Acting), Office of the United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2019-27572 Filed 12-20-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F0-P
