[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 240 (Friday, December 12, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75624-75625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28683]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 240 / Friday, December 12, 2008 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 75624]]



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

19 CFR Part 360

[Docket Number 0809261282-81283-01]
RIN 0625-AA82


Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis System

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce publishes this proposed rule to 
request public comment on modifications to the Steel Import Monitoring 
and Analysis (SIMA) System. These modifications are proposed to extend 
the current SIMA system until March 21, 2013. This extension would 
continue the Department's ability to track steel imports and make them 
publicly available in advance of the full trade data release.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EST, January 12, 
2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the SIMA system may be submitted through any of 
the following:
     Mail: Kelly Parkhill, Director for Industry Support and 
Analysis, Import Administration, Room 3713, Department of Commerce, 
14th and Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20230.
     E-mail: [email protected]. Please state 
``Comments on the 2008 Proposed Rule'' in the subject line.
     Federal e-Rulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the SIMA system, 
please contact Kelly Parkhill (202) 482-3791; Julie Al-Saadawi (202) 
482-1930.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An interim final rule revising part 360 was 
published in the Federal Register March 11, 2005, 70 FR 12136. On 
December 5, 2005, the Department of Commerce published its final rule 
on the current SIMA system (70 FR 72373). Under the final rule, the 
system expires on March 21, 2009, unless extended upon review and 
notification in the Federal Register.
    The purpose of the SIMA system is to provide steel producers, steel 
consumers, importers, and the general public with accurate and timely 
information on anticipated imports of certain steel products. Import 
licenses, obtained through the Internet-based SIMA licensing system, 
are required on U.S. imports of basic steel mill products. Aggregate 
import data obtained from the licenses is updated weekly and posted on 
the SIMA Web site monitor. Details of the current system can be found 
at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/steel/license/.
    Proposal: The Department proposes to extend the SIMA system beyond 
its current expiration date for an additional period of four years (see 
19 CFR part 360).
    All comments responding to this notice will be a matter of public 
record and available for public inspection and copying at Import 
Administration's Central Records Unit, Room 1117, between the hours of 
8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on business days.

Classification

    Regulatory Flexibility Act. The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the 
Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of 
the Small Business Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted, 
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities as that term is defined in the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq. A summary of the factual basis for this 
certification is below.
    This proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of companies. Companies are already familiar with 
the licensing of certain steel products under the current system. In 
most cases, brokerage companies will apply for the license for the 
steel importers. Most brokerage companies that are currently involved 
in filing documentation for importing goods into the U.S., are 
accustomed to Customs and Border Protection's automated systems. Today, 
more than 99% of the Customs filings are handled electronically. 
Therefore, the Web-based nature of this simple license application 
should not be a significant obstacle to any firm in completing this 
requirement. However, should a company need to apply for an ID or 
license non-electronically, a fax/phone option will be available at 
Commerce during regular business hours. There is no cost to register 
for a company-specific ID user code and no cost to file for the 
license. Each license form is expected to take less than 10 minutes to 
complete using much of the same information used to complete the 
Customs Entry Summary documentation. This is the one additional 
requirement of the importers or their representative to fulfill U.S. 
entry requirements to import each covered steel product shipment. 
Commerce estimates that fewer than five percent of the licenses would 
be filed by brokerage companies or other businesses that would be 
considered small entities. Therefore, Commerce estimates that the 
likely aggregate license costs attributable to small entities would be 
one percent of the estimated total $2,000,000 cost to all steel 
importers, or $20,000 would represent the cost that small entities will 
incur as a result of this proposed rule.
    Paperwork Reduction Act. This proposed rule contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to review and approval by OMB under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). These requirements have been 
approved by OMB (OMB No.: 0625-0245; Expiration Date: 09/30/2011). 
Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to be 
less than 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing 
instructions, and completing and reviewing the collection of 
information.
    Paperwork Reduction Act Data:
    OMB Number: 0625-0245.
    ITA Number: ITA-4141P.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Number of Registered Users: 3,500.
    Estimated Time per Response: Less than 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100,000 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Costs: $2,000,000.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to nor shall a person be subject to a

[[Page 75625]]

penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject 
to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that 
collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control Number.

Executive Order 12866

    This rule has been determined to be significant for purposes of 
Executive Order 12866.

Executive Order 13132

    This rule does not contain policies with federalism implications as 
that term is defined in EO 13132.

List of Subjects in 19 CFR Part 360

    Administrative practice and procedure, Business and industry, 
Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Steel.
    For reasons discussed in the preamble, we propose amending 19 CFR 
360 as follows:

PART 360--STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM

    1. The authority citation for part 360 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 13 U.S.C. 301(a) and 302.

    2. Section 360.105 is revised to read as follows.


Sec.  360.105  Duration of the steel import licensing requirement.

    The licensing program will be in effect through March 21, 2013, but 
may be extended upon review and notification in the Federal Register 
prior to this expiration date. Licenses will be required on all subject 
imports entered during this period, even if the entry summary documents 
are not filed until after the expiration of this program. The licenses 
will be valid for 10 business days after the expiration of this program 
to allow for the final filing of required Customs documentation.

     Dated: November 26, 2008.
Christopher A. Padilla,
Under Secretary for International Trade.
 [FR Doc. E8-28683 Filed 12-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P