[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17410-17411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7930]


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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); Continuation of Request for 
Nominations

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Trade Development.

ACTION: Continuation of request for nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Commerce (Commerce) and the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR) continue to seek nominations for 
appointment of an environmental representative to the Industry Sector 
Advisory Committee on Chemicals and Allied Products for Trade Policy 
Matters (ISAC 3; see Federal Register notice, Vol. 65, Number 149, 
47405-47406, dated August 2, 2000, and Federal Register notice, Vol. 
65, Number 189, 58264-58265, dated September 28, 2000). 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 represent a U.S. 
organization with an interest in environmental issues relevant to the 
work of the Committee, and may not be a registered foreign agent under 
the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Nominees' special interest in and 
knowledge of environmental, trade and sectoral issues will be 
considered.
    This Notice will remain in effect for the duration of the current 
charter period; however, priority will be given to nominations received 
by April 30, 2000. Nominations will be considered as they are received. 
Recruitment information is available on the International Trade 
Administration website at http://www.ita.doc.gov/icp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further inquiries may be directed to 
Ingrid Mitchem, Director, Industries Consultations Program, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 2015-B, 
Washington, DC 20230 or Christina Sevilla, Acting Assistant USTR for 
Intergovernmental Affairs, Winder Building, Room 100, 600 17th Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20580.

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. This committee has a past practice 
of meeting on a monthly basis. Members serve without compensation and 
are responsible for all expenses incurred in attending committee 
meetings. For additional information regarding the functions and 
membership of this committee and general qualifications for membership, 
see 64 FR 10448-10449, March 4, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 42). Commerce 
and USTR now solicit nominations for qualified environmental 
representatives to serve on ISAC 3 (Chemicals and Allied Products). For 
further background regarding this solicitation, see Federal Register 
notice, Vol. 65, Number 149, 47405-47406, dated August 2, 2000, and 
Federal Register notice, Vol. 65, Number 189, 58264-58265, dated 
September 28, 2000).

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'' that is an 
organization interested in environmental issues relevant to the work of 
the committee, 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

[[Page 17411]]

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 organization to be represented will be considered based on 
environmental interest in trade policies in the sector relevant to the 
work of the committee.
    (2) 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 officials and industry representatives to reach consensus 
on complex environmental and trade issues affecting the relevant 
industry sector.
    (3) 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: March 26, 2001.
Jonathan C. Menes,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Trade Development.
[FR Doc. 01-7930 Filed 3-29-01; 8:45 am]
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