[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 188 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 48795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21079]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Agency: International Trade Administration.
Title: Interim Procedures for Considering Requests under the
Commercial Availability Provision of the United States-Colombia Trade
Promotion Agreement.
Form Number(s): N/A.
OMB Control Number: 0625-0272.
Type of Request: Regular submission.
Burden Hours: 89.
Number of Respondents: 16 (10 for Requests; 3 for Responses; 3 for
Rebuttals).
Average Hours per Response: 8 hours per Request; 2 hours per
Response; and 1 hour per Rebuttal.
Needs and Uses: Title II, Section 203(o) of the United States-
Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (the ``Act'')
[Pub. L. 112-42] implements the commercial availability provision
provided for in Article 3.3 of the United States-Colombia Trade
Promotion Agreement (the ``Agreement''). The Agreement entered into
force on May 15, 2012. Subject to the rules of origin in Annex 4.1 of
the Agreement, and pursuant to the textile provisions of the Agreement,
a fabric, yarn, or fiber produced in Colombia or the United States and
traded between the two countries is entitled to duty-free tariff
treatment. Annex 3-B 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 Colombia 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 Colombia 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 3.3, Paragraphs 5-7 of the Agreement. Under this provision,
interested entities from Colombia 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-B of the Agreement.
Chapter 3, Article 3.3, paragraph 7 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 Colombia as set out in
Annex 3-B 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. 8818, 77 FR 29519, May 18, 2012).
The intent of the 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 and responses; 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 Colombian
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 Colombia, subject to Section 203(o) of the Act.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Frequency: Varies.
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-21079 Filed 9-26-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P