[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 10286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03359]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Industry and Security

[Docket No. 230209-0040]
RIN 0694-XC095


Effectiveness of Licensing Procedures for the Export and Reexport 
of Agricultural Commodities to Cuba

AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is requesting public 
comments on the effectiveness of its licensing procedures as defined in 
the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for the export and reexport 
of agricultural commodities to Cuba. BIS will include a description of 
any comments it receives in its biennial report to the Congress, as 
required by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 
2000, as amended (TSRA).

DATES: Comments must be received by March 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice may be submitted via the Federal 
rulemaking portal: https://www.regulations.gov_you can find this 
notice by searching on its regulations.gov docket number, which is BIS-
2023-0004.
    Comments may also be submitted by mail or delivery to Regulatory 
Policy Division, Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Room 2099B, 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230. Refer to RIN 0694-XC095.
    All comments (including any personally identifying information) 
will be made available for public inspection and copying.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Huang, Office of 
Nonproliferation and Treaty Compliance, Telephone: (202) 482-4252. 
Additional information on BIS procedures and previous biennial reports 
under TSRA is available at http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/policy-guidance/country-guidance/sanctioned-destinations/13-policy-guidance/country-guidance/426-reports-to-congress. Copies of these materials may 
also be requested by contacting the Office of Nonproliferation and 
Treaty Compliance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 906(a) of the Trade 
Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA) (22 U.S.C. 
7205(a)), the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) authorizes exports 
and reexports of agricultural commodities, as defined in part 772 of 
the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), to Cuba. Requirements and 
procedures associated with such authorization are set forth in Sec.  
740.18 of the EAR (15 CFR 740.18). These are the only licensing 
procedures in the EAR currently in effect pursuant to the requirements 
of section 906(a) of TSRA.
    Under the provisions of section 906(c) of TSRA (22 U.S.C. 7205(c)), 
BIS must submit a biennial report to the Congress on the operation of 
the licensing system implemented pursuant to section 906(a) for the 
preceding two-year period. This report must include the number and 
types of licenses applied for, the number and types of licenses 
approved, the average amount of time elapsed from the date of filing of 
a license application until the date of its approval, the extent to 
which the licensing procedures were effectively implemented, and a 
description of comments received from interested parties during a 30-
day public comment period regarding the effectiveness of the licensing 
procedures. Consistent with TSRA's requirements, BIS is currently 
preparing a biennial report on the operation of the licensing system 
for the two-year period from October 1, 2020 through September 30, 
2022.

Request for Comments

    By this notice, BIS requests public comments on the effectiveness 
of the licensing procedures for the export and reexport of agricultural 
commodities to Cuba set forth under Sec.  740.18 of the EAR. Parties 
submitting comments are asked to be as specific as possible. All 
comments received by the close of the comment period will be considered 
by BIS in developing the report to Congress.
    All comments must be in writing and will be available for public 
inspection and copying. Any information that the commenter does not 
wish to be made available to the public should not be submitted to BIS.

Matthew S. Borman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-03359 Filed 2-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-33-P