[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28500-28501]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-14026]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

19 CFR Parts 12 and 178

[T.D. 96-46]
RIN 1515-AB96


Removal of Toshiba Sanction Regulations

AGENCY: Customs Service, Treasury.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This document amends the Customs Regulations by removing the 
regulatory provisions that implemented the import sanctions against all 
products produced by the Toshiba Machine Company and the Kongsberg 
Trading Company. The ``Toshiba Sanctions'' were imposed by Executive 
Order No. 12661 for a three year time period, which expired on December 
28, 1991.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 5, 1996.

.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louis Alfano, Office of Field 
Operations, Trade Compliance, Commercial Enforcement, (202) 927-0005.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    As part of Customs continuing effort to ensure that its regulations 
are informative and up-to-date, Customs has determined that four of its 
regulatory provisions in Part 12 of the Customs Regulations (19 CFR 
Part 12) are obsolete and should be removed. The regulatory sections 
are found at 19 CFR 12.140-143, Customs Regulations, and were 
promulgated to implement the import sanctions mandated by section 
2443(a)(2) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub.L. 
100-418, 102 Stat. 1107, 1365, 50 U.S.C. App. 2410a note) and imposed 
by Executive Order No. 12661 of December 27, 1988 (53 FR 779, 3 CFR 
part 1988 Comp. p. 618, 24 Weekly Comp.Pres.Doc. 1661) for a three year 
time period against all products produced by the Toshiba Machine 
Company and the Kongsberg Trading Company. As the three year time 
period expired on December 28, 1991, Customs has decided to remove 
these four obsolete regulatory provisions, commonly referred to as the 
``Toshiba Sanctions''. Also, because the Toshiba Sanction regulations 
required the submission of information to Customs, the listing of 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control numbers found at 19 CFR 
178.2 is amended to remove the information collection authorization for 
Sec. 12.143, which provided for declarations of exception from import 
sanctions.

Inapplicability of Public Notice and Comment Requirements, Delayed 
Effective Date Requirements, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and 
Executive Order 12866

    Because this amendment removes obsolete regulatory provisions to 
conform the Customs Regulations to current legal requirements, which 
have no substantive effect on the public, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 
(b)(B), good cause exists for dispensing with notice and public 
procedure thereon as unnecessary. For the same reasons, it is 
determined under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1) and (d)(3) that 
good cause exists for dispensing with a delayed effective date. Since 
this document is not subject to the notice and public procedure 
requirements of 5 U.S.C. 553, it is not subject to provisions of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). This document does 
not meet the criteria for a ``significant regulatory action'' as 
specified in E.O. 12866.

List of Subjects

19 CFR Part 12

    Customs duties and inspection, Economic sanctions, Imports, 
Licensing, Prohibited merchandise, Restricted merchandise, Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements, Sanctions, Seizure and forfeiture.

19 CFR Part 178

    Administrative practice and procedure, Exports, Imports, Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements.

Amendments to the Regulations

    For the reasons stated above, parts 12 and 178 of the Customs 
Regulations (19 CFR parts 12 and 178) are amended as set forth below:

PART 12--SPECIAL CLASSES OF MERCHANDISE

    1. The general authority citation for Part 12 continues to read as 
follows, and the specific authority citation for Secs. 12.140 through 
12.143 is removed:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 19 U.S.C. 66, 1202 (General Note 20, 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)), 1624;
* * * * *
    2. Part 12 is amended by removing the undesignated centerheading 
``Sanctions Against Toshiba Machine Company and Kongsberg Trading 
Company'' and Secs. 12.140 through 12.143.

PART 178--APPROVAL OF INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS

    1. The authority citation for part 178 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 19 U.S.C. 1624; 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

[[Page 28501]]

Sec. 178.2  [Amended]

    2. Section 178.2 is amended by removing the designation and 
description entry for Sec. 12.143.
George J. Weise,
Commissioner of Customs.

    Approved: May 15, 1996.
Dennis M. O'Connell,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 96-14026 Filed 6-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P