[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 125 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37756-37757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15934]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Docket Number: 100624279-0279-01]
RIN 0625-XA09


Request for Public Comment To Inform Development of National 
Export Initiative Plan

AGENCY: International Trade Administration: Trade Promotion 
Coordinating Committee.

ACTION: Notice and request for information.

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SUMMARY: President Obama launched the National Export Initiative (NEI) 
via Executive Order 13534 in order to achieve the goal of doubling U.S. 
exports of goods and services over five years to facilitate the 
creation of jobs in the United States. As part of the broad Federal 
government effort to support the NEI, the Administration, through the 
interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), is seeking 
information from exporters, other private businesses, trade 
associations, academia, labor organizations, non-governmental 
organizations, and other interested parties.

DATES: Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m., July 26, 2010, to be 
considered. Comments should be no more than 25 pages single spaced.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Online: To submit comments via http://www.regulations.gov, 
enter docket number 100624279-0279-01 in the ``Enter Keyword or ID'' 
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click 
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all 
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice 
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results 
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further 
information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site, please 
consult the resources provided on that Web site by clicking on the 
``Help'' tab.) The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the 
option of making submissions by filling in a ``General Comments'' 
field, or by attaching a document. We expect that most submissions will 
be provided in an attached document. If a document is attached, it is 
sufficient to type ``See attached'' in the ``General Comments'' field. 
We strongly urge submitters to avail themselves of the electronic 
filing, if at all possible. Persons wishing to submit comments 
anonymously may do so by leaving the fields for name and organization 
blank.
     Mail: Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room C102, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20230 Attn.: NEI Comments.
    To facilitate review and consideration of comments, the TPCC 
Secretariat will share comments with other TPCC agencies. Comments will 
be made public and should not contain confidential or business 
sensitive information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grace Hu, Trade Promotion Coordinating 
Committee, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, +1 202-482-5455.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

     On March 11, 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 
13534 to enhance and coordinate Federal efforts to facilitate the 
creation of jobs in the United States through the promotion of exports, 
and to ensure the effective use of Federal resources in support of 
these goals. The Executive Order can be found online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-national-export-initiative. The Executive Order instructs the Export Promotion Cabinet, 
through the TPCC, to provide a report to the President within 180 days 
on a comprehensive plan to carry out the goals of the NEI.
     The TPCC, established by the Export Enhancement Act of 
1992 (Pub. L. 102-429), is an interagency committee that coordinates 
the development of U.S. Government trade promotion policies and 
programs. The TPCC is composed of representatives from 20 Federal 
agencies. The Secretary of Commerce chairs the TPCC. Other agencies and 
offices represented are the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the 
Small Business Administration, the Departments of Agriculture, State, 
Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor, Transportation and 
the Treasury, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. 
Agency for International Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, the National Security 
Council, the National Economic Council, and the Council of Economic 
Advisors.
     The NEI is President Obama's initiative to improve 
conditions that directly affect the private sector's ability to export. 
The NEI will help meet the Administration's goal of doubling exports 
over the next 5 years by working to remove trade barriers, by helping 
firms--especially small businesses--overcome the hurdles to entering 
new export markets, by assisting with financing, and in general by 
pursuing a government-wide approach to export advocacy abroad, among 
other steps.
    General information concerning the NEI and government programs that 
help U.S. businesses export is available at http://www.export.gov.

Public Comments

    The TPCC is seeking information from exporters, other private 
businesses, trade associations, academia, labor organizations, non-
governmental organizations, and other interested parties regarding:
    (1) Identification of Federal government programs or regulations 
that impede the ability of U.S. companies to export;
    (2) Effective foreign trade promotion programs and activities that 
could inform U.S. Federal government program development;
    (3) Identification of the most (or least) effective Federal 
government programs that support U.S. exports, including

[[Page 37757]]

specific experiences with such Federal government programs;
    (4) Steps that the Federal government could take to improve its 
programs to support U.S. exports; and
    (5) More generally, how the Federal government could better help 
U.S. businesses export.
    In particular, we are seeking comments with respect to the 
following eight priority areas set forth by the President in Executive 
Order 13534:
    (a) Exports by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs);
    (b) Federal Export Assistance;
    (c) Trade Missions;
    (d) Commercial Advocacy;
    (e) Increasing Export Credit;
    (f) Macroeconomic Rebalancing;
    (g) Reducing Barriers to Trade; and
    (h) Export Promotion of Services.
    In responding, please indicate your experience with exporting and 
the type of organization you are affiliated with, if any, i.e., small 
business, large company, trade association, academia, labor 
organization, or other non-governmental organization. For organizations 
submitting comments to the Federal Register (FR) notice on the TPCC 
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy to Support the 
NEI (FR Doc. 2010-12982), comments received in response to that notice 
will be considered and do not need to be resubmitted. The information 
received will help the Administration develop the NEI plan called for 
by the President in Executive Order 13534. With regard to the priority 
area involving ``Reducing Barriers to Trade,'' the Administration will 
take into account public comments previously received by the Office of 
the U.S. Trade Representative with regard to the development and 
implementation of U.S. trade policy. See FR notices at http://www.ustr.gov/federal-register-notices and http://www.regulations.gov 
for a complete enumeration of those notices and comments received.

    Dated: June 24, 2010.
Joe Hurd,
Senior Director, Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, U.S. 
Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2010-15934 Filed 6-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P