[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23145-23153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10482]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Requests for Emergency Clearance of a Collection of Information 
by the Office of Management and for Comments

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of requests for OMB emergency information collection 
processing and comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is 
submitting a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
emergency review and clearance on or about June 20, 2019, that will be 
effective for six months from that date, of a new information 
collection request (ICR) titled 301 Exclusion Requests under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations.

DATES: Submit comments no later than June 7, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments about the ICR, including the title 301 
Exclusion Requests, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
at OMB, at [email protected], or 725 Seventeenth Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20503, Attention: USTR Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USTR Assistant General Counsels Philip 
Butler or Megan Grimball, or Director of Industrial Goods Justin 
Hoffmann at (202) 395-5725.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Comments

    Submit written comments and suggestions to OMB addressing one or 
more of the following four points:
    (1) Whether the proposed ICR is necessary for the proper 
performance of USTR's functions, including whether

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the information will have practical utility.
    (2) The accuracy of USTR's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
ICR, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used.
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the ICR.
    (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the ICR on those who are to 
respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

B. Overview of This Information Collection

    Title: 301 Exclusion Requests.
    OMB Control Number: N/A.
    Form Number(s): 301 Exclusion Request/Response/Reply Form.
    Description: Following a comprehensive investigation, the U.S. 
Trade Representative determined that the government of China's acts, 
policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual 
property, and innovation were actionable under section 301(b) of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2411(b)). The Trade Representative 
determined that appropriate action to obtain the elimination of China's 
acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, 
intellectual property, and innovation included the imposition of 
additional ad valorem duties on products from China classified in 
certain enumerated subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS). For background on the proceedings in this 
investigation, please see the prior notices issued in the 
investigation, including 82 FR 40213 (August 23, 2017), 83 FR 14906 
(April 6, 2018), 83 FR 28710 (June 20, 2018), 83 FR 33608 (July 17, 
2018), 83 FR 38760 (August 7, 2018), 83 FR 40823 (August 16, 2018), 83 
FR 47974 (September 21, 2018), and 83 FR 49152 (September 28, 2018), 83 
FR 65198 (December 19, 2018), 84 FR 7966 (March 5, 2019), 84 FR 20459 
(May 9, 2019), and 84 FR 21389 (May 9, 2019).
    USTR is establishing a process by which U.S. stakeholders can 
request the exclusion of particular products classified within a 
covered tariff subheading from the additional duties that went into 
effect on September 21, 2018, and May 10, 2019. USTR anticipates that 
the window for submitting exclusion requests will open on or around 
June 30, 2019. Requests for exclusion will have to identify a 
particular product and provide supporting data and the rationale for 
the requested exclusion. Within 14 days after USTR posts a request for 
exclusion, interested persons can provide a response with the reasons 
they support or oppose the request. Interested persons can reply to the 
response within 7 days after it is posted. To assist in timely and 
comprehensive review of requests for exclusion, USTR will require 
respondents to use the Exclusion Request/Response/Reply Form attached 
to this notice.
    Affected Public: U.S. stakeholders who want to request, or comment 
on a request, to exclude particular products from the additional duties 
on products from China classified in certain enumerated subheadings of 
the HTSUS.
    Frequency of Submission: One submission per request, response, or 
reply.
    Respondent Universe: U.S. stakeholders.
    Reporting Burden:
    Total Estimated Responses: 60,000 requests to exclude a particular 
product; 7,000 responses to a product exclusion request; and 3,000 
replies to a response.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: USTR estimates that preparing and 
submitting a request to exclude a particular product will take 
approximately 60 minutes, and the total time burden for requests is 
60,000 hours. USTR estimates that preparing and submitting a response 
to a product exclusion request will take approximately 30 minutes, and 
the total time burden for responses is approximately 3,500 hours. USTR 
estimates that preparing and submitting a reply will take approximately 
30 minutes, and the total time burden for replies is approximately 
1,500 hours.
    Status: Emergency review. Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.13, USTR is 
requesting emergency processing for this ICR because it cannot 
reasonably comply with normal clearance procedures. To avoid delay that 
could harm interested U.S. stakeholders and negatively effect trade and 
investment, the 301 exclusion process must be in place and available to 
the public on or around June 30, 2019. Upon OMB approval of this 
emergency clearance request, USTR will follow the normal clearance 
procedures for the ICR.

Janice Kaye,
Chief Counsel for Administrative Law.
BILLING CODE 3290-F9-P

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[FR Doc. 2019-10482 Filed 5-20-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F9-C