[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 263-264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31233]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 0812221638-81639-01]


Request for Public Comments on the Effects of Export Controls on 
Decisions To Use or Not Use U.S.-Origin Parts and Components in 
Commercial Products and the Effects of Such Decisions

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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[[Page 264]]

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is seeking public 
comment on whether U.S. export controls influence manufacturers' 
decisions to use or not use U.S.-origin parts and components in 
commercial products and the effects of such decisions. BIS is 
interested in obtaining specific information about whether such a 
practice occurs, and if so, its economic effects in order to assess the 
effectiveness of export controls as well as the impact of export 
controls on the U.S. economy.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 19, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted via e-mail to 
[email protected]. Please Refer to ``Parts and Components 
Inquiry'' in the subject line. Comments may also be sent to Parts and 
Components Study, Office of Technology Evaluation, Room 2705, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Watts, Office of Technology 
Evaluation, Bureau of Industry and Security, telephone: 202-482-8343; 
fax: 202-482-5361; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Export controls imposed by various agencies of the United States 
government, including, but not limited to, those imposed by BIS 
necessarily have an impact outside the United States. Certain U.S. 
export control regulations impose license requirements or other 
restrictions on commercial items manufactured outside the United States 
if those foreign-manufactured items contain U.S.-origin parts and 
components. BIS is seeking information to help it assess the impact of 
U.S. export controls on decisions by manufacturers whether to use U.S.-
origin parts and components in their commercial products and the impact 
of such decisions on the effectiveness of export controls, the strength 
of the defense industrial base, employment in the United States, the 
financial strength of U.S. industry, and the ability of U.S. industry 
to compete in the market.
    Specific and quantitative data, from U.S. persons, as well as 
foreign entities and governments, will be particularly helpful to BIS's 
assessment, but other types of information, including anecdotal 
information, will be useful as well. Quantitative data that is 
aggregated to reflect the combined experience of a group of companies 
or an industry segment also will be useful, particularly if individual 
companies are reluctant to provide company-specific quantitative data.
    Regardless of whether it is qualitative or quantitative, if a 
comment asserts that manufacturers have elected not to include U.S.-
origin parts and components in a foreign-manufactured commercial 
product because such inclusion could subject the products to U.S. 
export controls, the following kinds of data would be useful to BIS's 
assessment:
     Any evidence or information about the existence of 
advertising or marketing efforts that use the absence of U.S. origin 
components or exemption from U.S. export controls as a selling point.
     Any information about possible customer preferences for 
products that do not contain U.S.-origin components, and whether such 
preference may be related to relevant U.S. export controls.
     Any information describing parts and components that 
manufacturers may elect not to use because of their U.S. origin and any 
information regarding the products into which such parts and components 
are incorporated.
     Any information about sales lost by U.S. suppliers to non-
U.S. competitors.
     Any information about specific commercial products that 
were designed or modified to explicitly exclude U.S. parts and 
components due to U.S. export controls.
     Any information about decisions to locate or relocate 
production facilities outside the United States, including a 
description of which items (including relevant commodity classification 
information, such as Export Control Classification Number) would be 
produced abroad.
     Any information about the possible economic impact (e.g., 
employment, outsourcing of specific expenditures such as research and 
development) to companies, industry segments or communities of any 
decision not to use U.S.-origin parts and components because of U.S. 
export controls, including any possible impact on the ability to 
support specific defense industrial base activities.

How To Comment

    All comments must be in writing and submitted to one of the 
addresses indicated above. Comments must be received by BIS no later 
than February 19, 2009. BIS may consider comments received after that 
date if feasible to do so, but such consideration can not be assured. 
All comments submitted in response to this notice will be made a matter 
of public record, and will be available for public inspection and 
copying. Anyone submitting business confidential information should 
clearly identify the business confidential portion of the submission 
and also provide a non-confidential submission that can be placed in 
the public record. BIS will seek to protect business confidential 
information from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law.

    Dated: December 24, 2008.
Christopher R. Wall,
Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
 [FR Doc. E8-31233 Filed 1-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3501-33-P