[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23820-23821]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11090]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Export Administration
[Docket No. 990427107-9107-01]


Initiation of National Security; Investigation of Imports of 
Crude Oil and Petroleum Products

AGENCY: Bureau of Export Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of initiation of national security investigation and 
request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that an investigation has 
been initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as 
amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), to determine the effects on the national 
security of imports of crude oil and petroleum products. Interested 
parties are invited to submit written comments, opinions, data, 
information, or advice relative to the investigation to the Bureau of 
Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 3, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments (three copies) should be sent to Bernard 
Kritzer, Manager, Special Projects, Office of Chemical and Biological 
Controls and Treaty Compliance, Bureau of Export Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 2093, Washington, D.C., 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hubinger, Senior Policy Analyst, 
Office of Chemical and Biological Controls and Treaty Compliance, 
Bureau of Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202) 
482-3825.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 28, 1999, the Department of Commerce initiated an 
investigation under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as 
amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), to determine the effects on the national 
security of imports of crude oil and petroleum products. The findings 
and recommendations of the investigation are to be reported by the 
Secretary of Commerce to the President not later than January 29, 2000.
    The imported crude oil and refined petroleum products to be 
investigated include:

--Crude oil, under 25 degrees API
--Crude oil, 25 degrees API or more
--Motor fuel, including motor gasoline, naphtha-type jet fuel, and 
kerosene jet fuel
--Motor fuel blending components
--Kerosene derived from petroleum, shale oil, or both, except motor 
fuel
--Naphthas derived from petroleum, shale oil, natural gas, or 
combinations thereof, except motor oil
--Fuel oils, under 25 degrees API
--Fuel oils, 25 degrees API or more
--Mineral oil of medicinal grade derived from petroleum, shale oil, or 
both
--Lubricating oils and greases, derived from petroleum, shale oil, or 
both, with or without additives
--Mixtures of hydrocarbons not specifically provided for, derived 
wholly from petroleum, shale oil, natural gas, or combinations thereof, 
which contain by weight not over 50% of any single hydrocarbon compound
--Paraffin and other petroleum waxes
--Petroleum coke
--Bitumen
--Asphaltum, bitumen, and limestone-rock asphalt
--Petroleum gases (natural gas liquids) and other hydrocarbons
    This investigation is being undertaken in accordance with part 705 
of the National Security Industrial Base Regulations (15 CFR parts 700 
to 709) (the ``regulations''). Interested parties are invited to submit 
written comments, opinions, data, information, or advice relevant to 
this investigation to the Office of Chemical and Biological Controls 
and Treaty Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, no later than June 
3, 1999.
    The Department is particularly interested in comments and 
information directed to the criteria listed in Sec. 705.4 of the 
regulations as they affect national security, including the following:
    (a) Quantity of the article in question or other circumstances 
related to the importation of the articles subject to the 
investigation;
    (b) Domestic production and productive capacity needed for those 
articles to meet protected national defense requirements;
    (c) Existing and anticipated availability of human resources, 
products, raw materials, production equipment, and facilities to 
produce these items;
    (d) Growth requirements of domestic industries to meet national 
defense requirements and/or requirements to assure such growth;
    (e) The impact of foreign competition on the economic welfare of 
the domestic industry; and

[[Page 23821]]

    (f) The displacement of any domestic products causing substantial 
unemployment, decrease in the revenues of government, loss of 
investment or specialized skills and productive capacity, or other 
serious effects.
    All materials should be submitted with three copies. Public 
information will be made available at the Department of Commerce for 
public inspection and copying. Material that is national security 
classified information or business confidential information will be 
exempted from public disclosure as provided for by Sec. 705.6 of the 
regulations. Anyone submitting business confidential information should 
clearly identify the business confidential portion of the submission. 
File a statement justifying nondisclosure and reference to the specific 
legal authority claimed, and provide a non-confidential submission 
which can be placed in the public file. Communications from agencies of 
the United States Government will not be made available for public 
inspection.
    The public record concerning this notice will be maintained in the 
Bureau of Export Administration's Records Inspection Facility, room 
6883, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, 
NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-5653. The records in this 
facility may be inspected and copied in accordance with the regulations 
published in part 4 of title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15 
CFR 4.1 et seq.). Information about the inspection and copying of 
records at the facility may be obtained from Mr. Henry Gaston, the 
Bureau of Export Administration's Freedom of Information Officer, at 
the above address and telephone number.

    Dated: April 28, 1999.
R. Roger Majak,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-11090 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P