[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 49554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16766]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 24, 2005 / 
Notices  

[[Page 49554]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service


Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Foreign Agricultural Service's (FAS) intention to 
request an extension for a currently approved information collection. 
This information collection is required in petitions filed with the 
Foreign Agricultural Service for emergency relief from duty-free 
imports of perishable products under section 204(d) of the Andean Trade 
Promotion and Drug Eradication Act.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before October 
24, 2005, to be assured consideration.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver comments to Omar Karawa, Import Policies and 
Programs Division, Foreign Agricultural Service, Stop 1021, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1021, or e-mail to 
[email protected], or fax to (202) 720-0876.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Omar Karawa, Stop 1021, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1021, (202) 720-1336.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Emergency Relief from Duty-Free 
Imports of Perishable Products from Andean Countries.
    OMB Number: 0551-0033.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2005.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2005.
    Type of Request: Extension for a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Andean Trade Preference Act (the ``Act'') (19 U.S.C. 
3201 et seq.) was retitled the ``Andean Trade Promotion and Drug 
Eradication Act'' under section 3101 of H.R. 3009, the ``Trade Act of 
2002''. The Act authorized the President to proclaim duty-free 
treatment for imports from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, except 
for specifically excluded products. Section 3104 of H.R. 3009 amended 
the Act to extend the expiration date from December 4, 2001 to December 
31, 2006, and made the Act retroactive to December 4, 2001. Section 
3103(a) of H.R. 3009 renumbered section 204(e) of the Act as section 
204(d). Section 204(d) provides for emergency relief from duty-free 
imports of certain perishable agricultural products from the 
beneficiary Andean countries. Section 204(d) provides, in part, that a 
petition for emergency import relief may be filed with the Secretary of 
Agriculture at the same time a petition for import relief is filed with 
the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) pursuant to the 
provisions of section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 
U.S.C. 2251). Emergency import relief is limited to restoration of MFN 
tariffs during the period of the ITC's investigation. Under 7 CFR 1540 
Subpart C, a procedure is provided for an entity to submit a petition 
for emergency relief to the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural 
Service. Section 150.43 requests that the following information, to the 
extent possible, be included in a petition: A description of the 
imported perishable product concerned; country of origin of imports; 
data indicating increased imports are a substantial cause of serious 
injury (or threat of injury) to the domestic industry producing a like 
or directly competitive product; evidence of serious injury, and a 
statement indicating why emergency action would be warranted. The 
information collected provides essential data for the Secretary 
regarding specific market conditions with respect to the industry 
requesting emergency relief. Within 14 days of the filing of a 
petition, the Secretary shall advise the President if there is reason 
to believe that emergency action is warranted, or to publish a notice 
of a determination not to recommend emergency action and advise the 
petitioner.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated at $553.00.
    Respondents:Non-profit institutions, businesses, or farms.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 23 hours. Copies of 
the information collection can be obtained from Liliana Silva-
Castellanos, the Agency Collection Coordinator, at (202) 690-4055.
    Requests for Comments: The public is invited to submit comments and 
suggestions to the above address regarding the accuracy of the burden 
estimate, ways to minimize the burden, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, or any 
other aspect of this collection of information. Comments on issues 
covered by the Paperwork Reduction Act are most useful to OMB if 
received within 30 days or the publication of the Notice and Request 
for Comments, but must be submitted no later than 60 days from the date 
of publication to be assured consideration. All responses to this 
notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. 
All comments will also be a matter of public record.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on August 5, 2005.
A. Ellen Terpstra,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 05-16766 Filed 8-23-05; 8:45 am]
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