[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 194 (Friday, October 5, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 50336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21695]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Procedures for 
Submitting Rebuttals and Surrebuttals Requests for Exclusions From and 
Objections to the Section 232 National Security Adjustments of Imports 
of Steel and Aluminum

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security. U.S. Department of Commerce.

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: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before December 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Room 6616, 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 Mark Crace, BIS ICB Liaison, (202) 482-8093 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    On September 11, 2018, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 
published a second interim final rule, Revisions to the Requirements 
for Submissions Requesting Exclusions from the Remedies Instituted in 
Presidential Proclamations Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United 
States and Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States; and 
the filing of Objections to Submitted Exclusion Requests for Steel and 
Aluminum. This second interim final rule that was published by BIS, on 
behalf of the Secretary, made changes to the two supplements added in 
the March 19 rule: Supplement No. 1 to Part 705--Requirements for 
Submissions Requesting Exclusions from the Remedies Instituted in 
Presidential Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018 Adjusting Imports of 
Steel Articles into the United States; and to Supplement No. 2 to Part 
705--Requirements for Submissions Requesting Exclusions from the 
Remedies Instituted in Presidential Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018 
to Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States.
    This collection of information gives U.S. Companies the opportunity 
to submit rebuttals to objections received on posted exclusion requests 
and also allows U.S. companies the opportunity to submit surrebuttals 
for objections they submitted that receive rebuttals under the Section 
232 exclusion process.
    Adding a rebuttal and surrebuttal process is an important step in 
further improving the exclusion request and objection process for 
requesting exclusions from the remedies instituted by the President. 
These voluntary rebuttals and surrebuttals will allow the U.S. 
Government to better evaluate whether an exclusion request should be 
granted based on the information provided in an exclusion request and 
taking into account any objections to a submitted exclusion request, 
rebuttals, and surrebuttals. Many commenters on the March 19 rule, 
referenced above, requested the Department make this type of a change 
to ensure that the process was fair and the Department had all of the 
relevant information when an objection to an exclusion request received 
a rebuttal or a surrebuttal was received.

II. Method of Collection

    Submitted Electronically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0694-0141.
    Form Number(s): 0694-0141.
    Type of Review: Regular Submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 62,823.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 62,823.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, 
Presidential Proclamations 9704 and 9705.
    This information collection request may be viewed on the U.S. 
Department of Commerce website and the Department's responses to clause 
to exclusion requests at reginfo.gov http://www.reginfo.gov/public/. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.

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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-21695 Filed 10-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-33-P