Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; Annual Certification of Shrimp-Harvesting Nations, 24074-24076 [2020-09185]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
24074
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 84 / Thursday, April 30, 2020 / Notices
Percent
Non-Profit Organizations With
Credit Available Elsewhere ...
Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
For Economic Injury:
Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
2.750
2.750
2.750
The number assigned to this disaster
for physical damage is 164276 and for
economic injury is 164280.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number 59008)
Cynthia Pitts,
Acting Associate Administrator for Disaster
Assistance.
[FR Doc. 2020–09183 Filed 4–29–20; 8:45 am]
The following areas have been
determined to be adversely affected by
the disaster:
Primary Counties: Columbia, Garfield,
Grays Harbor, Island, King, Lewis,
Mason, Pacific, San Juan, Skagit,
Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum,
Walla Walla, Whatcom.
The Interest Rates are:
Percent
For Physical Damage:
Non-Profit Organizations With
Credit Available Elsewhere ...
Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
For Economic Injury:
Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
2.750
2.750
U.S. Small Business Administration,
409 3rd Street SW, Suite 6050,
Washington, DC 20416, (202) 205–6734.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given that as a result of the
President’s major disaster declaration on
04/23/2020, Private Non-Profit
organizations that provide essential
services of a governmental nature may
file disaster loan applications at the
address listed above or other locally
announced locations.
The following areas have been
determined to be adversely affected by
the disaster:
Primary Counties: Attala, Carroll,
Claiborne, Clay, Copiah, Grenada,
Hinds, Holmes, Leflore, Warren, Yazoo.
The Interest Rates are:
Percent
2.750
BILLING CODE 8026–03–P
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
[Disaster Declaration #16425 and #16426;
Washington Disaster Number WA–00084]
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number 59008)
Presidential Declaration of a Major
Disaster for Public Assistance Only for
the State of Washington
Cynthia Pitts,
Acting Associate Administrator for Disaster
Assistance.
U.S. Small Business
Administration.
ACTION: Notice.
[FR Doc. 2020–09184 Filed 4–29–20; 8:45 am]
SUMMARY: This is a Notice of the
Presidential declaration of a major
disaster for Public Assistance Only for
the State of Washington (FEMA–4539–
DR), dated 04/23/2020.
Incident: Severe Storms, Flooding,
Landslides, and Mudslides.
Incident Period: 01/20/2020 through
02/10/2020.
DATES: Issued on 04/23/2020.
Physical Loan Application Deadline
Date: 06/22/2020.
Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan
Application Deadline Date: 01/25/2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan
applications to: U.S. Small Business
Administration, Processing and
Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport
Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A.
Escobar, Office of Disaster Assistance,
U.S. Small Business Administration,
409 3rd Street SW, Suite 6050,
Washington, DC 20416, (202) 205–6734.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
hereby given that as a result of the
President’s major disaster declaration on
04/23/2020, Private Non-Profit
organizations that provide essential
services of a governmental nature may
file disaster loan applications at the
address listed above or other locally
announced locations.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AGENCY:
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
The number assigned to this disaster
for physical damage is 164256 and for
economic injury is 164260.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Apr 29, 2020
Jkt 250001
BILLING CODE 8026–03–P
[Disaster Declaration #16423 and #16424;
MISSISSIPPI Disaster Number MS–00125]
Presidential Declaration of a Major
Disaster for Public Assistance Only for
the State of Mississippi
U.S. Small Business
Administration.
ACTION: Notice.
For Physical Damage:
Non-Profit Organizations With
Credit Available Elsewhere ...
Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
For Economic Injury:
Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
2.750
2.750
2.750
The number assigned to this disaster
for physical damage is 164236 and for
economic injury is 164240.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number 59008)
Cynthia Pitts,
Acting Associate Administrator for Disaster
Assistance.
[FR Doc. 2020–09190 Filed 4–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026–03–P
AGENCY:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
This is a Notice of the
Presidential declaration of a major
disaster for Public Assistance Only for
the State of Mississippi (FEMA–4538–
DR), dated 04/23/2020.
Incident: Severe Storms, Flooding,
and Mudslides.
Incident Period: 02/10/2020 through
02/18/2020.
DATES: Issued on 04/23/2020.
Physical Loan Application Deadline
Date: 06/22/2020.
Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan
Application Deadline Date: 01/25/2021.
ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan
applications to: U.S. Small Business
Administration, Processing and
Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport
Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A.
Escobar, Office of Disaster Assistance,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00133
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
[Public Notice: 11102]
Bureau of Oceans and International
Environmental and Scientific Affairs;
Annual Certification of ShrimpHarvesting Nations
ACTION:
Notice of annual certification.
SUMMARY: On April 24, 2020, Keith J.
Krach, the Under Secretary of State for
Economic Growth, Energy, and the
Environment declared that wild-caught
shrimp harvested in the following
nations, particular fisheries of certain
nations, and Hong Kong are eligible to
enter the United States: Argentina,
Australia (Northern Prawn Fishery, the
Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery,
the Spencer Gulf, and the Torres Strait
Prawn Fishery), the Bahamas, Belgium,
Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Denmark, the Dominican
E:\FR\FM\30APN1.SGM
30APN1
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 84 / Thursday, April 30, 2020 / Notices
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji,
Finland, France (French Guiana),
Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana,
Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica,
Japan (shrimp baskets in Hokkaido),
Republic of Korea (mosquito nets),
Malaysia (Kelantan, Terengganu,
Pahang, and Johor), Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru,
Russia, Spain (Mediterranean red
shrimp), Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden,
the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. For
nations, economies, and fisheries not
listed above, only shrimp harvested
from aquaculture is eligible to enter the
United States. All shrimp imports into
the United States must be accompanied
by the DS–2031 Shrimp Exporter’s/
Importer’s Declaration.
DATES: This certification is effective on
April 30, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joseph Fette, Section 609 Program
Manager, Office of Marine Conservation,
Bureau of Oceans and International
Environmental and Scientific Affairs,
Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20520–2758; telephone:
(202) 647–2335; email: DS2031@
state.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
609 of Public Law 101–162 (‘‘Sec. 609’’)
prohibits imports of wild-caught shrimp
or products from shrimp harvested with
commercial fishing technology unless
the President certifies to the Congress by
May 1, 1991, and annually thereafter,
that either: (1) The harvesting nation has
adopted a regulatory program governing
the incidental taking of relevant species
of sea turtles in the course of
commercial shrimp harvesting that is
comparable to that of the United States
and that the average rate of that
incidental taking by the vessels of the
harvesting nation is comparable to the
average rate of incidental taking of sea
turtles by United States vessels in the
course of such harvesting; or (2) the
particular fishing environment of the
harvesting nation does not pose a threat
of the incidental taking of sea turtles in
the course of shrimp harvesting. The
President has delegated the authority to
make this certification to the Secretary
of State (‘‘Secretary’’) who further
delegated the authority to the Under
Secretary of State for Economic Growth,
Energy, and the Environment (‘‘Under
Secretary’’). The Department of State’s
(‘‘Department’’) Revised Guidelines for
the Implementation of Section 609 were
published in the Federal Register on
July 8, 1999, at 64 FR 36946.
On April 24, 2020, Under Secretary
Keith J. Krach certified the following
nations on the basis that their sea turtle
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Apr 29, 2020
Jkt 250001
protection programs are comparable to
that of the United States: Colombia,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon,
Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, and
Suriname. The Department changed the
basis of certification for Costa Rica from
Section 609(b)(2)(A) and (B) to Section
609(b)(2)(C), as noted below, due to a
change in the method of harvesting
shrimp. Under Secretary Krach also
certified several shrimp-harvesting
nations and one economy as having
fishing environments that do not pose a
danger to sea turtles. The following
nations have shrimping grounds only in
cold waters where the risk of taking sea
turtles is negligible: Argentina, Belgium,
Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom,
and Uruguay. The following nations and
Hong Kong only harvest shrimp using
small boats with crews of less than five
that use manual rather than mechanical
means to retrieve nets or catch shrimp
using other methods that do not
threaten sea turtles: The Bahamas,
Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican
Republic, Fiji, Jamaica, Oman, Peru, and
Sri Lanka. Use of such small-scale
technology does not adversely affect sea
turtles. The Department suspended the
certification of the People’s Republic of
China (‘‘PRC’’) due to the use of
methods of harvesting shrimp that may
adversely affect sea turtles. The
Department certified Costa Rica
pursuant to Section 609(b)(2)(C) because
the current method of harvesting shrimp
involves small boats with crews of less
than five manually casting and
retrieving nets. The Department
suspended Venezuela’s certification due
to the inability to confirm whether its
methods of harvesting shrimp may
adversely affect sea turtles.
A completed DS–2031 Shrimp
Exporter’s/Importer’s Declaration (‘‘DS–
2031’’) must accompany all imports of
shrimp and products from shrimp into
the United States. Importers of shrimp
and products from shrimp harvested in
the certified nations and one economy
listed above must either provide the
DS–2031 form to Customs and Border
Protection at the port of entry or provide
the information required by the DS–
2031 through the Automated
Commercial Environment. DS–2031
forms accompanying all imports of
shrimp and products from shrimp
harvested in uncertified nations and
economies must be originals with Box
7(A)(1), 7(A)(2), or 7(A)(4) checked,
consistent with the form’s instructions
with regard to the method of harvest of
PO 00000
Frm 00134
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
24075
the shrimp and based on any relevant
prior determinations by the Department,
and signed by a responsible government
official of the harvesting nation. The
Department did not determine that
shrimp or products from shrimp
harvested in a manner as described in
7(A)(3) in any uncertified nation or
economy is eligible to enter the United
States.
Shrimp and products of shrimp
harvested with turtle excluder devices
(‘‘TEDs’’) in an uncertified nation may,
under specific circumstances, be eligible
for importation into the United States
under the DS–2031 Box 7(A)(2)
provision for ‘‘shrimp harvested by
commercial shrimp trawl vessels using
TEDs comparable in effectiveness to
those required in the United States.’’
Use of this provision requires that the
Secretary or his or her delegate
determine in advance that the
government of the harvesting nation has
put in place adequate procedures to
monitor the use of TEDs in the specific
fishery in question and to ensure the
accurate completion of the DS–2031
forms. At this time, the Department as
determined that only shrimp and
products from shrimp harvested in the
Northern Prawn Fishery, the
Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery,
and the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery in
Australia, in the French Guiana
domestic trawl fishery, and in the
fisheries of Kelantan, Terengganu,
Pahang, and Johor, Malaysia, are eligible
for entry under this provision. The
importation of TED-caught shrimp from
any other uncertified nation will not be
allowed. A responsible government
official of Australia, France, or Malaysia
must sign in Block 8 of the DS–2031
form accompanying these imports into
the United States.
In addition, the Department has
determined that shrimp and products
from shrimp harvested in the Spencer
Gulf region in Australia, with shrimp
baskets in Hokkaido, Japan, with
‘‘mosquito’’ nets in the Republic of
Korea, and Mediterranean red shrimp
(Aristeus antennatus) and products from
that shrimp harvested in the
Mediterranean Sea by Spain may be
imported into the United States under
the DS–2031 Box 7(A)(4) provision for
‘‘shrimp harvested in a manner or under
circumstances determined by the
Department of State not to pose a threat
of the incidental taking of sea turtles.’’
A responsible government official of
Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
or Spain must sign in Block 8 of the DS–
2031 form accompanying these imports
into the United States.
The Department has communicated
these certifications and determinations
E:\FR\FM\30APN1.SGM
30APN1
24076
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 84 / Thursday, April 30, 2020 / Notices
under Sec. 609 to the Office of
International Trade of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection.
Joseph A. Fette,
Section 609 Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2020–09185 Filed 4–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–09–P
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket Number USTR–2020–0018]
Request for Comments Concerning the
Extension of Particular Exclusions
Granted Under the July 2019 Product
Exclusion Notice from the $16 Billion
Action Pursuant to Section 301:
China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices
Related to Technology Transfer,
Intellectual Property, and Innovation
Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Effective August 23, 2018, the
U.S. Trade Representative imposed
additional duties on goods of China
with an annual trade value of
approximately $16 billion as part of the
action in the Section 301 investigation
of China’s acts, policies, and practices
related to technology transfer,
intellectual property, and innovation.
The U.S. Trade Representative initiated
the exclusion process in September
2018 and granted multiple sets of
exclusions. He granted the first set of
exclusions in July 2019, which are
scheduled to expire on July 31, 2020.
The U.S. Trade Representative has
decided to consider a possible extension
for up to 12 months of particular
exclusions granted in July 2019. The
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
(USTR) invites public comment on
whether to extend particular exclusions.
DATES: May 1, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. ET:
The public docket on the web portal at
https://comments.USTR.gov will open
for parties to submit comments on the
possible extension of particular
exclusions. June 1, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.
ET: To be assured of consideration,
submit written comments on the public
docket by this deadline.
ADDRESSES: You must submit all
comments through the online portal:
https://comments.USTR.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Associate General Counsel Philip Butler
or Assistant General Counsel Benjamin
Allen at (202) 395–5725.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:56 Apr 29, 2020
Jkt 250001
A. Background
For background on the proceedings in
this investigation, please see prior
notices including 82 FR 40213 (August
23, 2017), 83 FR 14906 (April 6, 2018),
83 FR 28710 (June 20, 2018), 83 FR
33608 (July 17, 2018), 83 FR 38760
(August 7, 2018), 83 FR 40823 (August
16, 2018), 83 FR 47236 (September 18,
2018), 83 FR 47974 (September 21,
2018), 83 FR 65198 (December 19,
2018), 84 FR 7966 (March 5, 2019), 84
FR 20459 (May 9, 2019), 84 FR 29576
(June 24, 2019), 84 FR 37381 (July 31,
2019), 84 FR 49600 (September 20,
2019), 84 FR 52553 (October 2, 2019),
and 84 FR 69011 (December 17, 2019).
Effective August 23, 2018, the U.S.
Trade Representative imposed
additional 25 percent duties on goods of
China classified in 279 8-digit
subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS),
with an approximate annual trade value
of $16 billion. See 83 FR 40823. The
U.S. Trade Representative’s
determination included a decision to
establish a process by which U.S.
stakeholders may request exclusion of
particular products classified within an
8-digit HTSUS subheading covered by
the $16 billion action from the
additional duties. The U.S. Trade
Representative issued a notice setting
out the process for the product
exclusions, and opened a public docket.
See 83 FR 47236 (September 18 notice).
The September 18 notice required
submission of requests for exclusion
from the $16 billion action no later than
December 18, 2018, and noted that the
U.S. Trade Representative periodically
would announce decisions. The U.S.
Trade Representative granted multiple
sets of exclusions. He granted the first
set of exclusions in July 2019, which are
scheduled to expire on July 31, 2020.
See 84 FR 37381 (July 31, 2019) (the
July 2019 notice).
B. Possible Extensions of Particular
Product Exclusions
The U.S. Trade Representative has
decided to consider a possible extension
for up to 12 months of particular
exclusions granted in the July 2019
notice. Accordingly, USTR invites
public comments on whether to extend
particular exclusions granted in the July
2019 notice. For exclusions amended or
corrected by a later issued notice of
product exclusions, parties should
provide their extension comments on
the docket corresponding to the initial
notice of product exclusions.
USTR will evaluate the possible
extension of each exclusion on a caseby-case basis. The focus of the
PO 00000
Frm 00135
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
evaluation will be whether, despite the
first imposition of these additional
duties in August 2018, the particular
product remains available only from
China. In addressing this factor,
commenters should address specifically:
• Whether the particular product
and/or a comparable product is
available from sources in the United
States and/or in third countries.
• Any changes in the global supply
chain since August 2018 with respect to
the particular product or any other
relevant industry developments.
• The efforts, if any, the importers or
U.S. purchasers have undertaken since
August 2018 to source the product from
the United States or third countries.
In addition, USTR will continue to
consider whether the imposition of
additional duties on the products
covered by the exclusion will result in
severe economic harm to the commenter
or other U.S. interests.
C. Procedures To Comment on the
Extension of Particular Exclusions
To submit a comment regarding the
extension of a particular exclusion
granted in the July 2019 notice,
commenters must first register on the
portal at https://comments.USTR.gov.
As noted above, the public docket on
the portal will be open from May 1,
2020, to June 1, 2020. After registration,
the commenter may submit an exclusion
extension comment form to the public
docket.
Fields on the comment form marked
with an asterisk (*) are required fields.
Fields with a gray (BCI) notation are for
Business Confidential Information and
the information entered will not be
publicly available. Fields with a green
(Public) notation will be publicly
available. Additionally, parties will be
able to upload documents and indicate
whether the documents are BCI or
public. Commenters will be able to
review the public version of their
comments before they are posted.
In order to facilitate the preparation of
comments prior to the May 1 opening of
the public docket, a facsimile of the
exclusion extension comment form
parties will use on the portal is annexed
to this notice. Please note that the colorcoding of public fields and BCI fields is
not visible on the attached facsimile, but
will be apparent on the actual comment
form used on the portal.
Set out below is a summary of the
information to be entered on the
exclusion extension comment form.
• Contact information, including the
full legal name of the organization
making the comment, whether the
commenter is a third party (e.g., law
firm, trade association, or customs
E:\FR\FM\30APN1.SGM
30APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 84 (Thursday, April 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24074-24076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09185]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 11102]
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific
Affairs; Annual Certification of Shrimp-Harvesting Nations
ACTION: Notice of annual certification.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On April 24, 2020, Keith J. Krach, the Under Secretary of
State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment declared that
wild-caught shrimp harvested in the following nations, particular
fisheries of certain nations, and Hong Kong are eligible to enter the
United States: Argentina, Australia (Northern Prawn Fishery, the
Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery, the Spencer Gulf, and the Torres
Strait Prawn Fishery), the Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Dominican
[[Page 24075]]
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France (French Guiana),
Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Jamaica,
Japan (shrimp baskets in Hokkaido), Republic of Korea (mosquito nets),
Malaysia (Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Johor), Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama,
Peru, Russia, Spain (Mediterranean red shrimp), Sri Lanka, Suriname,
Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. For nations, economies, and
fisheries not listed above, only shrimp harvested from aquaculture is
eligible to enter the United States. All shrimp imports into the United
States must be accompanied by the DS-2031 Shrimp Exporter's/Importer's
Declaration.
DATES: This certification is effective on April 30, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Fette, Section 609 Program
Manager, Office of Marine Conservation, Bureau of Oceans and
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of
State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520-2758; telephone: (202)
647-2335; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 (``Sec.
609'') prohibits imports of wild-caught shrimp or products from shrimp
harvested with commercial fishing technology unless the President
certifies to the Congress by May 1, 1991, and annually thereafter, that
either: (1) The harvesting nation has adopted a regulatory program
governing the incidental taking of relevant species of sea turtles in
the course of commercial shrimp harvesting that is comparable to that
of the United States and that the average rate of that incidental
taking by the vessels of the harvesting nation is comparable to the
average rate of incidental taking of sea turtles by United States
vessels in the course of such harvesting; or (2) the particular fishing
environment of the harvesting nation does not pose a threat of the
incidental taking of sea turtles in the course of shrimp harvesting.
The President has delegated the authority to make this certification to
the Secretary of State (``Secretary'') who further delegated the
authority to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy,
and the Environment (``Under Secretary''). The Department of State's
(``Department'') Revised Guidelines for the Implementation of Section
609 were published in the Federal Register on July 8, 1999, at 64 FR
36946.
On April 24, 2020, Under Secretary Keith J. Krach certified the
following nations on the basis that their sea turtle protection
programs are comparable to that of the United States: Colombia,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, and Suriname. The Department changed the
basis of certification for Costa Rica from Section 609(b)(2)(A) and (B)
to Section 609(b)(2)(C), as noted below, due to a change in the method
of harvesting shrimp. Under Secretary Krach also certified several
shrimp-harvesting nations and one economy as having fishing
environments that do not pose a danger to sea turtles. The following
nations have shrimping grounds only in cold waters where the risk of
taking sea turtles is negligible: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile,
Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. The
following nations and Hong Kong only harvest shrimp using small boats
with crews of less than five that use manual rather than mechanical
means to retrieve nets or catch shrimp using other methods that do not
threaten sea turtles: The Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican
Republic, Fiji, Jamaica, Oman, Peru, and Sri Lanka. Use of such small-
scale technology does not adversely affect sea turtles. The Department
suspended the certification of the People's Republic of China (``PRC'')
due to the use of methods of harvesting shrimp that may adversely
affect sea turtles. The Department certified Costa Rica pursuant to
Section 609(b)(2)(C) because the current method of harvesting shrimp
involves small boats with crews of less than five manually casting and
retrieving nets. The Department suspended Venezuela's certification due
to the inability to confirm whether its methods of harvesting shrimp
may adversely affect sea turtles.
A completed DS-2031 Shrimp Exporter's/Importer's Declaration (``DS-
2031'') must accompany all imports of shrimp and products from shrimp
into the United States. Importers of shrimp and products from shrimp
harvested in the certified nations and one economy listed above must
either provide the DS-2031 form to Customs and Border Protection at the
port of entry or provide the information required by the DS-2031
through the Automated Commercial Environment. DS-2031 forms
accompanying all imports of shrimp and products from shrimp harvested
in uncertified nations and economies must be originals with Box
7(A)(1), 7(A)(2), or 7(A)(4) checked, consistent with the form's
instructions with regard to the method of harvest of the shrimp and
based on any relevant prior determinations by the Department, and
signed by a responsible government official of the harvesting nation.
The Department did not determine that shrimp or products from shrimp
harvested in a manner as described in 7(A)(3) in any uncertified nation
or economy is eligible to enter the United States.
Shrimp and products of shrimp harvested with turtle excluder
devices (``TEDs'') in an uncertified nation may, under specific
circumstances, be eligible for importation into the United States under
the DS-2031 Box 7(A)(2) provision for ``shrimp harvested by commercial
shrimp trawl vessels using TEDs comparable in effectiveness to those
required in the United States.'' Use of this provision requires that
the Secretary or his or her delegate determine in advance that the
government of the harvesting nation has put in place adequate
procedures to monitor the use of TEDs in the specific fishery in
question and to ensure the accurate completion of the DS-2031 forms. At
this time, the Department as determined that only shrimp and products
from shrimp harvested in the Northern Prawn Fishery, the Queensland
East Coast Trawl Fishery, and the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery in
Australia, in the French Guiana domestic trawl fishery, and in the
fisheries of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Johor, Malaysia, are
eligible for entry under this provision. The importation of TED-caught
shrimp from any other uncertified nation will not be allowed. A
responsible government official of Australia, France, or Malaysia must
sign in Block 8 of the DS-2031 form accompanying these imports into the
United States.
In addition, the Department has determined that shrimp and products
from shrimp harvested in the Spencer Gulf region in Australia, with
shrimp baskets in Hokkaido, Japan, with ``mosquito'' nets in the
Republic of Korea, and Mediterranean red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus)
and products from that shrimp harvested in the Mediterranean Sea by
Spain may be imported into the United States under the DS-2031 Box
7(A)(4) provision for ``shrimp harvested in a manner or under
circumstances determined by the Department of State not to pose a
threat of the incidental taking of sea turtles.'' A responsible
government official of Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, or
Spain must sign in Block 8 of the DS-2031 form accompanying these
imports into the United States.
The Department has communicated these certifications and
determinations
[[Page 24076]]
under Sec. 609 to the Office of International Trade of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection.
Joseph A. Fette,
Section 609 Program Manager.
[FR Doc. 2020-09185 Filed 4-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P
