[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35204-35205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15891]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security


Notice of Request for Public Comments on Section 232 National 
Security Investigation of Imports of Uranium

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Technology 
Evaluation, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Commerce has initiated an investigation to 
determine the effects on the national security of imports of uranium. 
This investigation has been initiated under section 232 of the Trade 
Expansion Act of 1962, as amended.
    Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, data, 
analyses, or other information pertinent to the investigation to the 
Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security. This notice 
identifies issues on which the Department is especially interested in 
obtaining the public's views.

DATES: Comments may be submitted at any time but must be received by 
September 10, 2018.

ADDRESSES: All written comments on the notice must be submitted by one 
of the following methods:
     By the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Comments on this notice may be submitted to 
regulations.gov docket number BIS-2018-0011.
     By mail or delivery to Michael Vaccaro, Acting Director, 
Office of Technology Evaluation, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 1093, 
Washington, DC 20230.
     By email directly to [email protected].

[[Page 35205]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Vaccaro, Acting Director, 
Office of Technology Evaluation, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. 
Department of Commerce (202) 482-4060, [email protected]. For more 
information about the section 232 program, including the regulations 
and the text of previous investigations, see www.bis.doc.gov/232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 18, 2018, the Secretary of Commerce (``Secretary'') 
initiated an investigation under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act 
of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), to determine the effects on the 
national security of imports of uranium.

Written Comments

    This investigation is being undertaken in accordance with part 705 
of the National Security Industrial Base Regulations (15 CFR parts 700 
to 709) (``NSIBR''). Interested parties are invited to submit written 
comments, data, analyses, or information pertinent to this 
investigation to the Office of Technology Evaluation, U.S. Department 
of Commerce (``the Department''), no later than September 10, 2018.
    The Department is particularly interested in comments and 
information directed to the criteria listed in Sec.  705.4 of the 
regulations as they affect national security, including the following: 
(a) Quantity of or other circumstances related to the importation of 
uranium; (b) Domestic production and productive capacity needed for 
uranium to meet projected national defense requirements; (c) Existing 
and anticipated availability of human resources, products, raw 
materials, production equipment, and facilities to produce uranium; (d) 
Growth requirements of the uranium industry to meet national defense 
requirements and/or requirements to assure such growth; (e) The impact 
of foreign competition on the economic welfare of the uranium industry; 
(f) The displacement of any domestic uranium production causing 
substantial unemployment, decrease in the revenues of government, loss 
of investment or specialized skills and productive capacity, or other 
serious effects; (g) Relevant factors that are causing or will cause a 
weakening of our national economy; and (h) Any other relevant factors.
    Material submitted by members of the public that is business 
confidential information will be exempted from public disclosure as 
provided for by Sec.  705.6 of the regulations. Anyone submitting 
business confidential information should clearly identify the business 
confidential portion of the submission, file a statement justifying 
nondisclosure and referring to the specific legal authority claimed, 
and provide a non-confidential submission which can be placed in the 
public file. Communications from agencies of the United States 
Government will not be made available for public inspection. If public 
hearings are held in support of this investigation, a separate Federal 
Register notice will be published.
    The Bureau of Industry and Security does not maintain a separate 
public inspection facility. Requesters should first view the Bureau's 
web page, which can be found at https://efoia.bis.doc.gov/ (see 
``Electronic FOIA'' heading). If requesters cannot access the website, 
they may call 202-482-0795 for assistance. The records related to this 
assessment are made accessible in accordance with the regulations 
published in part 4 of title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15 
CFR 4.1 et seq.).

    Dated: July 19, 2018.
Wilbur Ross,
Secretary of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2018-15891 Filed 7-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-33-P