[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66523-66524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25595]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; 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, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before January 24, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments by email 
to Mark Crace, IC Liaison, Bureau of Industry and Security, at 
[email protected] or to [email protected]). Please reference OMB 
Control Number 0694-0141 in the subject line of your comments. Do not 
submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Mark Crace, IC Liaison, Bureau of Industry and Security, phone 202-
482-8093 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    On March 8, 2018, the President issued Proclamations 9704 and 9705 
concurring with the findings of the two reports and determining that 
adjusting imports through the imposition of duties on steel and 
aluminum is necessary so that imports of steel and aluminum will no 
longer threaten to impair the national security. The Proclamations also 
authorized the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of 
State, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the 
President for Economic Policy, the Assistant to the President for 
National Security Affairs, and other senior executive branch officials 
as appropriate, to grant exclusions from the duties for domestic 
parties affected by the duties. This could take place if the Secretary 
determines the steel or aluminum for which the exclusion is requested 
is not produced in the United States in a sufficient and reasonably 
available amount or of a satisfactory quality or should be excluded 
based upon specific national security considerations. The President 
directed the Secretary to promulgate regulations as may be necessary to 
implement an exclusion process. The purpose of this information 
collection is to allow for submission of exclusions requests from the 
remedies instituted in presidential proclamations adjusting imports of 
steel into the United States and 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

    Electronic.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0694-0141.
    Form Number(s): 0694-0141.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, extension of a current 
information collection.

[[Page 66524]]

    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 41,128.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 41,128.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: 0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, 
Presidential Proclamations 9704 and 9705.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2021-25595 Filed 11-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P