[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75147-75148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30555]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Interim 
Procedures for Considering Requests Under the Commercial Availability 
Provision of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (U.S.-
Panama TPA)

AGENCY: International Trade Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 19, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Laurie Mease, Office of Textiles and Apparel, Telephone: 
202-482-3400, Fax: 202-482-0858, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Title II, Section 203(o) of the United States-Panama Trade 
Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ``Act'') [Pub. L. 112-43] 
implements the commercial availability provision provided for in 
Article 3.25 of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (the 
``Agreement''). The Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012. 
Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of the Agreement, pursuant 
to the textile provisions of the Agreement, fabric, yarn, and fiber 
produced in Panama or the United States and traded between the two 
countries are entitled to duty-free tariff treatment. Annex 3.25 of the 
Agreement also lists specific fabrics, yarns, and fibers that the two 
countries agreed are not available in commercial quantities in a timely 
manner from producers in Panama or the United States. The fabrics 
listed are commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers, which 
are also entitled to duty-free treatment despite not being produced in 
Panama or the United States.
    The list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers may 
be changed pursuant to the commercial availability provision in Chapter 
3, Article 3.25, Paragraphs 4-6 of the Agreement. Under this provision, 
interested entities from Panama or the United States have the right to 
request that a specific fabric, yarn, or fiber be added to, or removed 
from, the list of commercially unavailable fabrics, yarns, and fibers 
in Annex 3.25 of the Agreement.
    Chapter 3, Article 3.25, paragraph 6 of the Agreement requires that 
the President ``promptly'' publish procedures for parties to exercise 
the right to make these requests. Section 203(o)(4) of the Act 
authorizes the President to establish procedures to modify the list of 
fabrics, yarns, or fibers not available in commercial quantities in a 
timely manner in either the United States or Panama as set out in Annex 
3.25 of the Agreement. The President delegated the responsibility for 
publishing the procedures and administering commercial availability 
requests to the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
(``CITA''), which issues procedures and acts on requests through the 
U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (``OTEXA'') 
(See Proclamation No. 8894, 77 FR 66507, November 5, 2012).
    The intent of the U.S.-Panama TPA Commercial Availability 
Procedures is to foster the use of U.S. and regional products by 
implementing procedures that allow products to be placed on or removed 
from a product list, on a timely basis, and in a manner that is 
consistent with normal business practice. The procedures are intended 
to facilitate the transmission of requests; allow the market to 
indicate the availability of the supply of products that are the 
subject of requests; make available promptly, to interested entities 
and the public, information regarding the requests for products and 
offers received for those products; ensure wide participation by 
interested entities and parties; allow for careful review and 
consideration of information provided to substantiate requests, 
responses, and rebuttals; and provide timely public dissemination of 
information used by CITA in making commercial availability 
determinations.
    CITA must collect certain information about fabric, yarn, or fiber 
technical specifications and the production capabilities of Panamanian 
and U.S. textile producers to determine whether certain fabrics, yarns, 
or fibers are available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in 
the United States or Panama, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act.

II. Method of Collection

    Participants in a commercial availability proceeding must submit 
public versions of their Requests, Responses or Rebuttals 
electronically (via email) for posting on OTEXA's Web site. 
Confidential versions of those submissions which contain business 
confidential information must be delivered in hard copy to OTEXA.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (new information collection).

[[Page 75148]]

    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 16.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8 hours per Request, 2 hours per 
Response, and 1 hour per Rebuttal.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 89.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,340.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 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 estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: December 14, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-30555 Filed 12-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P