Notice of Proposed Changes to the Slate of Industry Trade Advisory Committees, 72303-72304 [2021-27537]

Agencies

• Office of the United States Trade Representative

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72303-72304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27537]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Notice of Proposed Changes to the Slate of Industry Trade 
Advisory Committees

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce 
(Secretary) plan to establish a new four-year charter term for the 
Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) beginning in February 2022. 
As part of the re-chartering process, the U.S. Trade Representative and 
the Secretary are proposing changes to the current slate of ITACs and 
invite interested parties to submit their view on these changes.

DATES: The deadline for submission of written comments is December 30, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: We strongly encourage electronic submissions made through 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov 
(Regulations.gov). Follow the submission instructions in section II 
below. The docket number is USTR-2021-0022. For alternatives to on-line 
submissions, please contact Ethan Holmes, Director of Private Sector 
Engagement, at [email protected], before transmitting a 
comment and in advance of the deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ethan Holmes, Director of Private 
Sector Engagement, at [email protected] or (202) 881-9185. 
You can find additional information about the ITACs on the 
International Trade Administration website at: www.trade.gov/industry-trade-advisory-center.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Section 135 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2155), 
establishes a private-sector trade advisory system to ensure that U.S. 
trade policy and trade negotiation objectives adequately reflect U.S. 
commercial and economic interests. Section 135(c)(2) (19 U.S.C. 
2155(c)(2)) directs the President to establish sectoral or functional 
trade advisory committees as appropriate, comprised of representatives 
of all industry, labor, agricultural, and services interests (including 
small business interests) in the sector or functional area. These 
committees provide detailed policy and technical advice, information, 
and recommendations regarding trade barriers, negotiation of trade 
agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements affecting 
industry sectors, and perform other advisory functions relevant to U.S. 
trade policy matters as requested. In organizing these committees, the 
U.S. Trade Representative and the relevant Secretary consult with 
interested private organizations and consider:
     Patterns of actual or potential competition between United 
States industry and agriculture and foreign enterprise in international 
trade.
     the character of the nontariff barriers and other 
distortions affecting such competition.
     the necessity for reasonable limits on the number and size 
of advisory committees.
     in the case of each sectoral committee, that the product 
lines covered by each committee be reasonably related.
    Pursuant to this authority, the U.S. Trade Representative and the 
Secretary established the ITACs to provide detailed policy and 
technical advice, information, and recommendations on trade policy 
matters including:
     Negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before 
entering into trade agreements.
     the impact of the implementation of trade agreements on 
the relevant sector.
     matters concerning the operation of any trade agreement 
once entered into.
     other matters arising in connection with the development, 
implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United 
States.
    The nonpartisan, industry input provided by the ITACs is important 
in developing unified trade policy objectives and positions when the 
United States negotiates and implements trade agreements. The ITACs 
address market-access problems, trade barriers, tariffs, discriminatory 
foreign procurement practices, and information, marketing, and advocacy 
needs of their industry sector. With limited statutory exceptions, the 
ITACs are subject to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act.
    The charters of the current ITACs expire in February 2022, and the 
U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary intend to renew the ITACs for 
new four-year charter terms beginning in February 2022 and ending in 
February 2026. The list of ITACs for the current 2018-2022 charter term 
is as follows:

ITAC 1: Aerospace Equipment
ITAC 2: Automotive Equipment and Capital Goods
ITAC 3: Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Health/Science Products and 
Services
ITAC 4: Consumer Goods
ITAC 5: Forest Products, Building Materials, Construction, and 
Nonferrous Metals
ITAC 6: Energy and Energy Services
ITAC 7: Steel
ITAC 8: Digital Economy
ITAC 9: Small and Minority Business
ITAC 10: Services
ITAC 11: Textiles and Clothing
ITAC 12: Customs Matters and Trade Facilitation
ITAC 13: Intellectual Property Rights
ITAC 14: Standards and Technical Trade Barriers

    For the 2022-2026 charter term, the U.S. Trade Representative and 
the Secretary propose to restructure the ITACs as follows based on the 
nature of the U.S. industry in various sectors, the level of interest 
in serving on an ITAC (using the number of members and applications for 
appointment during the 2018-2022 charter terms), the level of activity 
of each ITAC (using the number of meetings and recommendations

[[Page 72304]]

submitted during the 2018-2022 charter terms), and constraints on the 
resources to support and engage with the ITACs:
     Dividing the current Industry Trade Advisory on Forest 
Products, Building Materials, Construction, and Nonferrous Metals into 
two separate committees with amended names: Industry Trade Advisory 
Committee on Critical Minerals and Nonferrous Metals (ITAC 5), and 
Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Forest Products and Building 
Materials (new ITAC 8).
     Changing the name of the ITAC on Small and Minority 
Business (ITAC 8) to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small, 
Minority, and Woman-led Business to more accurately reflect the full 
scope of the ITAC's work.
     Establishing a Committee of Chairs of the ITACs to 
facilitate cross-sharing of information and provide a powerful tool to 
gather timely cross-cutting input across sectors.
    This restructuring would result in 12 sectoral ITACs and 3 
functional ITACs for the new four-year charter term, and an ITAC 
Committee of Chairs. The proposed slate of ITACs:

Committee of Chairs of the Industry Trade Advisory Committees

ITAC 1: Aerospace Equipment
ITAC 2: Automotive Equipment and Capital Goods
ITAC 3: Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Health/Science Products and 
Services
ITAC 4: Consumer Goods
ITAC 5: Critical Minerals and Nonferrous Metals
ITAC 6: Digital Economy
ITAC 7: Energy and Energy Services
ITAC 8: Forest Products and Building Materials
ITAC 9: Small, Minority, and Woman-led Business
ITAC 10: Services
ITAC 11: Steel
ITAC 12: Textiles and Clothing
ITAC 13: Customs Matters and Trade Facilitation
ITAC 14: Intellectual Property Rights
ITAC 15: Standards and Technical Trade Barriers

II. Request for Comments/Submission Instructions

    In accordance with Section 135(c)(2)(A) (19 U.S.C. 2155(c)(2)) of 
the Trade Act, we invite written comments on the proposed changes to 
the slate of ITACs for the 2022-2026 charter term. The deadline for 
submitting comments is December 29, 2021.
    All submissions must be in English and sent electronically via 
Regulations.gov using docket number USTR-2021-0022. To submit comments, 
locate the docket (folder) by entering the number USTR-2021-0022 in the 
`enter keyword or ID' window at the 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'.
    Please provide comments in an attached document prepared in (or 
compatible with) Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. 
If you prepare the submission in a compatible format, please indicate 
the name of the relevant software application in the `type comment' 
field. You should name the file using the name of the person or entity 
submitting the comments. For further information on using 
Regulations.gov, 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.
    As noted, USTR strongly urges commenters to submit comments through 
Regulations.gov. You must make any alternative arrangements before 
transmitting a document and in advance of the relevant deadline by 
contacting Ethan Holmes, Director of Private Sector Engagement, at 
[email protected].
    USTR will place comments in the docket and they will be open to 
public inspection, except properly designated BCI. You can view 
comments on Regulations.gov by entering Docket Number USTR-2021-0022 in 
the `search' field on the home page.

Sirat Attapit,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for Intergovernmental 
Affairs and Public Engagement, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative.
[FR Doc. 2021-27537 Filed 12-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F2-P