[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13618-13619]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5460]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Customs and Border Protection


Agency Information Collection Activities: Dominican Republic-
Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland 
Security.

ACTION: 30-Day Notice and request for comments; Extension of an 
existing collection of information.

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SUMMARY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of 
Homeland Security will be submitting the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: 
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 
(CAFTA-DR). This is a proposed extension of an information collection 
that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information 
collection be extended with a change to the burden hours. This document 
is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. 
This proposed information collection was previously published in the 
Federal Register (76 FR 75893) on December 5, 2011, allowing for a 60-
day comment period. One comment was received. This notice allows for an 
additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in 
accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before April 6, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on 
this proposed information collection to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be 
addressed to the OMB Desk Officer for Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security, and sent via electronic mail to [email protected] or faxed to (202) 395-5806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Tracey Denning, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection, Regulations and Rulings, Office of International Trade, 799 
9th Street NW., 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20229-1177, at 202-325-0265.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CBP invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information 
collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 
104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)). The comments should address: (a) Whether 
the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance 
of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of 
the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) 
ways to minimize the burden including the use of automated collection 
techniques or the use of other forms of information technology; and (e) 
the annual costs burden to respondents or record keepers from the 
collection of information (a total capital/startup costs and operations 
and maintenance costs). The comments that are submitted will be 
summarized and included in the CBP request for Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record. In this document CBP is soliciting comments concerning the 
following information collection:
    Title: Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade 
Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
    OMB Number: 1651-0125.
    Form Number: None.
    Abstract: On August 5, 2004, the United States entered into the 
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement 
with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras, and Nicaragua, (also known as CAFTA-DR.) The Agreement was 
approved by Congress in section 101(a) of the Dominican Republic-
Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 
Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462 (19 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.), as amended 
by Sec. 1634(d) of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-
280), and provides for preferential tariff treatment of certain goods 
originating in one or more of the CAFTA-DR countries. It was signed 
into law on August 2, 2005, and the president proclaimed the 
implementation dates as follows: El Salvador (3/1/06), Honduras (4/1/
06), Nicaragua (4/1/04), Guatemala (7/1/06), Dominican Republic (3/1/
07) and Costa Rica (1/1/09).
    In order to ascertain if CAFTA-DR imported goods are eligible for 
preferential tariff treatment, a certification and supporting documents 
may be requested by CBP. This collection of information is provided for 
by 19 CFR 10.583 through 19 CFR 10.592. Guidance on filing claims under 
CAFTA-DR may be found at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/international_agreements/free_trade/dominican_republic/.
    Current Actions: CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this 
information collection with a change to the burden hours. Specifically, 
estimated number of responses was lowered from 10,000 to 3,000 based on 
revised estimates by CBP. The time per response was increased from 24 
minutes to 2 hours based on public comments that CBP received. There is 
no change to the information collected.

[[Page 13619]]

    Type of Review: Extension (with change).
    Affected Public: Businesses.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 3.
    Estimated Number of Total Annual Responses: 3,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,000.

    Dated: March 1, 2012.
Tracey Denning,
Agency Clearance Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
[FR Doc. 2012-5460 Filed 3-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-14-P