[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10962-10964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3390]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

48 CFR Parts 22, 25, and 52

[FAC 2005-24; FAR Case 2007-016; Item III]
[Docket 2008-0001; Sequence 3]
RIN 9000-AK89


Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2007-016, Trade 
Agreements--New Thresholds

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense 
Acquisition Regulations Council (the Councils) have agreed to issue an 
interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to 
incorporate increased thresholds for application of the World Trade 
Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade 
Agreements, as determined by the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR).

DATES: Effective Date: February 28, 2008.
    Comment Date: Interested parties should submit written comments to 
the FAR Secretariat on or before April 28, 2008 to be considered in the 
formulation of a final rule.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by FAC 2005-24, FAR case 2007-
016, by any of the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by inputting ``FAR Case 
2007-016'' under the heading ``Comment or Submission''. Select the link 
``Send a Comment or Submission'' that corresponds with FAR Case 2007-
016. Follow the instructions provided to complete the ``Public Comment 
and Submission Form''. Please include your name, company name (if any), 
and ``FAR Case 2007-016'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat (VPR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, ATTN: Diedra Wingate, 
Washington, DC 20405.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite FAC 2005-24, FAR 
case 2007-016, in all correspondence related to this case. All comments 
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Please include your name and company name (if any) inside the document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For clarification of content, contact 
Ms. Meredith Murphy, Procurement Analyst, at (202) 208-6925. For 
information pertaining to status or publication schedules, contact the 
FAR Secretariat, Room 4035, GS Building, Washington, DC 20405, (202) 
501-4755. Please cite FAC 2005-24, FAR Case 2007-016.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background

    Every two years, the trade agreements thresholds are escalated 
according to a pre-determined formula set forth in the agreements. The 
USTR, in the Federal Register, at 72 FR 71166, December 14, 2007 and 72 
FR 73904, December 28, 2007, specified the following new thresholds:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Supply          Service      Construction
                                                                     contract        contract        contract
                         Trade agreement                           (equal to or    (equal to or    (equal to or
                                                                    exceeding)      exceeding)      exceeding)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WTO GPA FTAs....................................................        $194,000        $194,000      $7,443,000
Australia FTA...................................................          67,826          67,826       7,443,000
Bahrain FTA.....................................................         194,000         194,000       8,817,449
CAFTA-DR (El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras,           67,826          67,826       7,443,000
 and Nicaragua).................................................
Chile FTA.......................................................          67,826          67,826       7,443,000
Morocco FTA.....................................................         194,000         194,000       7,443,000
NAFTA:
    --Canada....................................................          25,000          67,826       8,817,449
    --Mexico....................................................          67,826          67,826       8,817,449
Singapore FTA...................................................          67,826          67,826       7,443,000
Israeli Trade Act...............................................          50,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 10963]]

    This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not 
subject to review under Section 6(b) of Executive Order 12866, 
Regulatory Planning and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is 
not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This interim rule is not expected to have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of 
the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. The dollar 
threshold changes are designed to keep pace with inflation and thus 
maintain the status quo. Therefore, we have not performed an Initial 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. We invite comments from small business 
concerns and other interested parties on this issue. The Councils will 
also consider comments from small entities concerning the affected FAR 
subparts 22, 25, and 52 in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 610. Interested 
parties should submit such comments separately and should cite 5 U.S.C. 
601, et seq. (FAR Case 2007-016), in correspondence.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act does apply, because the interim rule 
affects the prescriptions for use of the certifications at 52.225-4 
(OMB Control 9000-0130), 52.225-6 (OMB Control 9000-0025), and the 
clauses at 52.225-9 and 52.225-11 (OMB Control 9000-0141), which 
contain information collection requirements approved under the 
specified OMB control numbers by the Office of Management and Budget 
under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq. However, there is no impact on the 
estimated burden hours, because the threshold changes are in line with 
inflation and maintain the status quo.

D. Determination To Issue an Interim Rule

    A determination has been made under the authority of the Secretary 
of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, and the 
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
that urgent and compelling reasons exist to promulgate this interim 
rule without prior opportunity for public comment. This interim rule 
incorporates increased dollar thresholds for application of the World 
Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade 
Agreements, as determined by the USTR. This action is necessary because 
the new thresholds are scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2008. 
However, pursuant to Public Law 98-577 and FAR 1.501, the Councils will 
consider public comments received in response to this interim rule in 
the formation of the final rule.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 22, 25, and 52

    Government procurement.

    Dated: February 19, 2008.
Al Matera,
Director, Office of Acquisition Policy.

0
Therefore, DoD, GSA, and NASA amend 48 CFR parts 22, 25, and 52 as set 
forth below:
0
1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 22, 25, and 52 continues to 
read as follows:

    Authority: 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 137; and 42 
U.S.C. 2473(c).

PART 22--APPLICATION OF LABOR LAWS TO GOVERNMENT ACQUISITIONS


22.1503  [Amended]

0
2. Amend section 22.1503 by:
0
a. Removing from paragraph (b)(3) ``$64,786'' and adding ``$67,826'' in 
its place; and
0
b. Removing from paragraph (b)(4) ``$193,000'' and adding ``$194,000'' 
in its place.

PART 25--FOREIGN ACQUISITION


25.202  [Amended]

0
3. Amend section 25.202 in paragraph (c) by removing ``$7,407,000'' and 
adding ``$7,443,000'' in its place.

0
4. Amend section 25.402 by revising the table that follows paragraph 
(b) to read as follows:


25.402  General.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Supply          Service      Construction
                                                                     contract        contract        contract
                         Trade Agreement                           (equal to or    (equal to or    (equal to or
                                                                    exceeding)      exceeding)      exceeding)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WTO GPA FTAs....................................................        $194,000        $194,000      $7,443,000
Australia FTA...................................................          67,826          67,826       7,443,000
Bahrain FTA.....................................................         194,000         194,000       8,817,449
CAFTA-DR (El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras,           67,826          67,826       7,443,000
 and Nicaragua).................................................
Chile FTA.......................................................         194,000         194,000       7,443,000
Morocco FTA.....................................................          25,000          67,826       8,817,449
NAFTA:
    --Canada....................................................          67,826          67,826       8,817,449
    --Mexico....................................................          67,826          67,826       7,443,000
Singapore FTA...................................................          50,000  ..............  ..............
Israeli Trade Act...............................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

25.1101  [Amended]

0
5. Amend section 25.1101 by:
0
a. Removing from paragraph (b)(1)(i)(A) ``$193,000'' and adding 
``$194,000'' in its place;
0
b. Removing from paragraphs (b)(1)(iii) and (b)(2)(iii) ``$64,786'' and 
adding ``$67,826'' in its place; and
0
c. Removing from paragraphs (c)(1) and (d) ``$193,000'' and adding 
``$194,000'' in its place.


25.1102  [Amended]

0
6. Amend section 25.1102 by:
0
a. Removing from paragraphs (a) and (c) ``$7,407,000'' and adding 
``$7,443,000'' in its place; and
0
b. Removing from paragraphs (c)(3) and (d)(3) ``$7,407,000'' and 
``$8,422,165'' and adding ``7,443,000'' and ``$8,817,449'', 
respectively, in its place.

PART 52--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES

0
7. Amend section 52.212-5 by revising the date of the clause and 
paragraph (b)(17) to read as follows:


52.212-5  Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes 
or Executive Orders--Commercial Items.

* * * * *

[[Page 10964]]

CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR 
EXECUTIVE ORDERS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (FEB 2008)

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (17) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and 
Remedies (FEB 2008) (E.O. 13126).
* * * * *

0
8. Amend section 52.213-4 by revising the date of the clause and the 
first sentence in paragraph (b)(1)(i) to read as follows:


52.213-4  Terms and Conditions--Simplified Acquisitions (Other Than 
Commercial Items).

* * * * *

TERMS AND CONDITIONS--SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS (OTHER THAN COMMERCIAL 
ITEMS) (FEB 2008)

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (i) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and 
Remedies (FEB 2008) (E.O. 13126).
* * * * *

0
9. Amend section 52.222-19 by:
0
a. Revising the date of the clause;
0
b. Removing from paragraph (a)(3) ``$64,786'' and adding ``$67,826'' in 
its place; and
0
c. Removing from paragraph (a)(4) ``$193,000'' and adding ``$194,000'' 
in its place.
    The revised text reads as follows:


52.222-19   Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.

* * * * *

CHILD LABOR--COOPERATION WITH AUTHORITIES AND REMEDIES (FEB 2008)

* * * * *
 [FR Doc. E8-3390 Filed 2-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P