[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 250 (Thursday, December 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73518-73519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33862]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Industry Sector Advisory Committees (ISACs) 10 and 12 for Trade
Policy Matters; Request for Nominations
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Trade Development,
Commerce.
ACTION: Request for nominations.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Commerce (Commerce) and the United States
Trade Representative (USTR) are seeking nominations for appointment of
environmental representatives to the Industry Sector Advisory Committee
on Lumber and Wood Products (ISAC 10) and the Industry Sector Advisory
Committee on Paper and Paper Products (ISAC 12). Appointments will be
effective for the remainder of the current charter term of these
Committees, which expires March 19, 2000, and will be extended for the
following two-year charter term. In order to be considered for
appointment to one of these Committees, a nominee must be a U.S.
citizen, must have an interest in and specialized knowledge of
environmental issues relevant to the work of the Committee, and may not
be a registered foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration
Act. This notice responds to a November 8, 1999 order of the Federal
District Court for the Western District of Washington in Northwest
Ecosystems Alliance v. USTR (No. C99-1165R), directing Commerce and
USTR to appoint a ``properly qualified environmental representative''
to each of these committees.
In order to receive full consideration, nominations for the current
charter period should be received not later than January 21, 2000.
Recruitment information is available on the International Trade
Administration website at www.ita.doc.gov/icp. Further inquiries may be
directed to Tamara Underwood, Director, Industries Consultations
Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW,
Room 2015-B, Washington, D.C. 20230.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In section 135 of the 1974 Trade Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2155),
Congress established a private-sector advisory system to ensure that
U.S. trade policy and trade negotiation objectives adequately reflect
U.S. commercial and economic interests. Section 135(a)(1) of the 1974
Trade Act directs the President to--
``Seek information and advice from representative elements of the
private sector and the non-Federal governmental sector with respect
to--
(A) Negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before entering
into a trade agreement under [title I of the 1974 Trade Act and section
1102 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988];
(B) The operation of any trade agreement once entered into;
including preparation for dispute settlement panel proceedings to which
the United States is a party; and
(C) Other matters arising in connection with the development,
implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United
States * * * .''
Section 135(c)(2) of the 1974 Trade Act provides--
(2) The President shall establish such sectoral or functional
advisory committees as may be appropriate. Such committees shall,
insofar as is practicable, be representative of all industry, labor,
agricultural, or service interests (including small business interests)
in the sector or functional areas concerned. In organizing such
committees, the United States Trade Representative and the Secretaries
of Commerce, Labor, Agriculture, the Treasury, or other executive
departments, as appropriate, shall--
(A) Consult with interested private organizations; and
(B) Take into account such factors as--
(i) Patterns of actual and potential competition between United
States industry and agriculture and foreign enterprise in international
trade,
[[Page 73519]]
(ii) The character of the nontariff barriers and other distortions
affecting such competition,
(iii) The necessity for reasonable limits on the number of such
advisory committees,
(iv) The necessity that each committee be reasonably limited in
size, and
(v) In the case of each sectoral committee, that the product lines
covered by each committee be reasonably related.
Pursuant to this provision, Commerce and USTR have established and co-
chair seventeen Industry Sector Advisory Committees (ISACs) and four
Industry Functional Advisory Committees (IFACs). The Committees'
efforts have resulted in strengthening U.S. negotiating positions by
enabling the United States to display a united front when it negotiates
trade agreements with other nations. Committees meet an average of four
times a year in Washington, D.C. Members serve without compensation and
are responsible for all expenses incurred in attending Committee
meetings. For additional information regarding the functions and
membership of these committees, and general qualifications for
membership, see 64 FR 10448-10449, March 4, 1999 (Volume 64, Number
42).
On July 21, 1999, several groups interested in forest conservation
issues brought a lawsuit against USTR and Commerce challenging the
balance of representation on ISACs 10 and 12. The district court ruled
in favor of plaintiffs on November 8, 1999 and ordered USTR and
Commerce to ``make a good faith effort to expedite the appointment of
at least one properly qualified environmental representative'' to each
of these advisory committees. This notice is issued in compliance with
the court's order.
Eligibility
Eligibility to serve as an environmental representative on ISAC 10
or ISAC 12 is limited to U.S. citizens who are not full-time employees
of a governmental entity, who represent a ``U.S. entity'', and who are
not registered with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents
Registration Act. For purposes of the preceding sentence, a ``U.S.
entity'' is an organization incorporated in the United States (or, if
unincorporated, having its headquarters in the United States):
(1) That is controlled by U.S. citizens or by another U.S. entity.
An entity is not a U.S. entity if more than 50 percent of its Board of
Directors or membership is made up of non-U.S. citizens. If the nominee
is to represent an organization more than 10 percent of whose Board of
Directors or membership is made up of non-U.S. citizens, or non-U.S.
entities, the nominee must demonstrate at the time of nomination that
this non-U.S. interest does not constitute control and will not
adversely affect his or her ability to serve as a trade advisor to the
United States; and
(2) At least 50 percent of whose annual revenue is attributable to
non-governmental, U.S. sources.
Selection Criteria
USTR and Commerce will select environmental representatives
eligible for appointment to ISACs 10 and 12 based upon the following:
(1) The nominee should demonstrate personal interest in and
knowledge of the formulation of environmental policies in the sector
relevant to the work of the Committee, and ability to work with
governmental and officials and industry representatives to reach
consensus on complex environmental and trade issues affecting the
relevant industry sector.
(2) Preference will be accorded nominees who also demonstrate
knowledge of and familiarity with the relevant industry sector, as well
as with international trade matters, including trade policy
development, relevant to that sector.
Two representatives will be appointed, one for each Committee.
Representatives will require a security clearance. Members serve
without compensation and are responsible for all expenses incurred in
attending Committee meetings.
Applicant Procedures
Requests for applications should be sent to the Director of the
Industry Consultations Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and
Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 2015-B, Washington, D.C. 20230.
This notice is issued under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
U.S.C., app. 2) and 21 CFR part 14 relating to advisory committees.
Michael J. Copps,
Assistant Secretary for Trade Development.
[FR Doc. 99-33862 Filed 12-29-99; 8:45 am]
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