[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 65 (Thursday, April 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13316-13317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06600]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION


Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Petition System; Proposed Information 
Collection; Comment Request; Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Petition 
Submission and Comment Forms

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: In accordance with the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) 
hereby gives notice that it plans to submit a request for approval of 
two forms to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
requests public comment on its draft proposed collection.

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DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before June 3, 2019.

ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing 
rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission 
Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC. All written comments should 
be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade 
Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436 and filed 
electronically on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.
    Written Comments: You may submit comments, identified by docket 
number MISC-034. All submissions should be addressed to the Secretary 
and must conform to the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's 
Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 201.8 and the 
Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures require that interested 
parties file documents electronically on or before the filing deadline. 
Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the 
Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (202-205-1802).
    Additional Information: Copies of the forms, supporting documents, 
and previously submitted comments may be downloaded from the Commission 
website at https://www.usitc.gov/

[[Page 13317]]

mtbpscomments. For any questions about these documents, email 
[email protected] or call Jennifer Rohrbach, USITC MTB Program Manager 
(202-205-2088). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain information on 
this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal at 202-205-
1810. General information concerning the Commission may also be 
obtained by accessing its website (https://www.usitc.gov).
    Purpose of Information Collection: The information requested by 
these forms is for use by the Commission in connection with its 
evaluation of miscellaneous tariff bill petitions submitted under the 
American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 (the Act) (Pub. L. 
114-159, approved May 20, 2016). Section 3 of the Act establishes a 
process for the submission and consideration of petitions for, and 
public comments on, duty suspensions and reductions for imported goods. 
The Act requires the Commission to conduct two petition submission 
cycles. One such cycle, now completed, was conducted beginning in 
October 2016. The cycle that is the subject of this notice begins not 
later than October 15, 2019.
    Summary of Proposal:
    (1) Number of forms submitted: 2.
    (2) Title of forms: Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Petition Submission 
Form and Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Petition Comment Form;
    (3) Type of request: Extension of approval for a collection of 
information.
    (4) Frequency of use: Once.
    (5) Description of affected industry: Domestic firms.
    (6) Estimated number of petitioners and commenters: up to 5,000 
petitions; 3,000 comments.
    (7) Estimated total number of hours to complete the forms: 5 hours 
for compiling information and submitting petitions and 0.5 hours to 
draft and submit comments.
    (8) Information obtained from the forms that qualifies as 
confidential business information will be so treated by the Commission 
and not disclosed in a manner that would reveal the individual 
operations of a firm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Tariff categories and duty rates on imported goods are established 
by Congress and set out in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (HTS). Temporary duty suspensions and reductions are set forth 
in chapter 99, subchapter II of the HTS.
    The Act referenced above requires the Commission to establish a 
process to receive petitions for temporary duty suspensions and 
reductions, and specifies the contents of such petitions. The Act also 
provides that these petitions must be made available on the 
Commission's website for public review and comment. The Act specifies 
the information that the Commission must include in its preliminary and 
final reports to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate 
Committee on Finance (Committees), including certain determinations the 
Commission must make concerning the petitions filed. While the Act only 
requires that the Commission provide one public comment period, the 
Commission may provide additional opportunity for public comment if 
deemed appropriate.
    The Act specifies the schedule for conducting each of the two 
cycles for collection of petitions. The first cycle commenced on 
October 14, 2016, and the Commission delivered its final report to the 
Committees on the submitted petitions on August 8, 2017. This notice 
concerns the second petition submission cycle, which must start not 
later than October 15, 2019.

II. Method of Collection

    Each interested party will be required to establish a user web 
account on the Commission's designated website, the Miscellaneous 
Tariff Bill Petition System (MTBPS), to submit a petition requesting 
the extension or establishment of a temporary duty suspension or 
reduction provision in the HTS. Similarly, each interested party will 
be required to establish a user web account on MTBPS to submit a 
comment on received petitions.

III. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on (1) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) 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.
    The draft forms and other supplementary documents may be downloaded 
from the USITC website at https://www.usitc.gov/mtbpscomments.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: April 1, 2019.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2019-06600 Filed 4-3-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P