[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47405-47406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19449]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Industry Sector Advisory Committee on Chemicals and Allied 
Products for Trade Policy Matters (ISAC 3); Request for Nominations

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Trade Development.

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 
an environmental representative to the Industry Sector Advisory 
Committee on Chemicals and Allied Products for Trade Policy Matters 
(ISAC 3). Appointment will be effective for the charter term of this 
Committee, which expires March 17, 2002. In order to be considered for 
appointment to the Committee, 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.
    In order to receive full consideration, nominations for the current 
charter period should be received not later than August 25, 2000. 
Recruitment information is available on the International Trade 
Administration website at www.ita.doc.gov/icp.

[[Page 47406]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further inquiries may be directed to 
Dominic Bianchi, Acting Assistant USTR for Intergovernmental Affairs, 
Winder Building, Room 100, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20230 
or Tamara Underwood, Director, Industries Consultations Program, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 2015-B, 
Washington, DC 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,
    (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, DC. 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 April 27, 2000, a lawsuit was brought against Commerce and USTR 
in the United States District Court for the Western District of 
Washington by a group of environmental organizations seeking 
environmental representation on ISAC 3. Commerce and USTR have 
determined not to contest this lawsuit, and now solicit nominations for 
qualified environmental representatives to serve on this committee.

Eligibility

    Eligibility to serve as an environmental representative on ISAC 3 
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 an environmental representative 
eligible for appointment to ISAC 3 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.
    The environmental representative, as a member of the Committee, 
will be required to have a security clearance. Members serve without 
compensation and are responsible for all expenses incurred in attending 
Committee meetings.

Application 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, DC 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.

    Dated: July 27, 2000.
Michael J. Copps,
Assistant Secretary for Trade Development.
[FR Doc. 00-19449 Filed 8-1-00; 8:45 am]
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