[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 240 (Friday, December 12, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75624-75625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28683]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 240 / Friday, December 12, 2008 /
Proposed Rules
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
19 CFR Part 360
[Docket Number 0809261282-81283-01]
RIN 0625-AA82
Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis System
AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce publishes this proposed rule to
request public comment on modifications to the Steel Import Monitoring
and Analysis (SIMA) System. These modifications are proposed to extend
the current SIMA system until March 21, 2013. This extension would
continue the Department's ability to track steel imports and make them
publicly available in advance of the full trade data release.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. EST, January 12,
2009.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the SIMA system may be submitted through any of
the following:
Mail: Kelly Parkhill, Director for Industry Support and
Analysis, Import Administration, Room 3713, Department of Commerce,
14th and Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20230.
E-mail: [email protected]. Please state
``Comments on the 2008 Proposed Rule'' in the subject line.
Federal e-Rulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the SIMA system,
please contact Kelly Parkhill (202) 482-3791; Julie Al-Saadawi (202)
482-1930.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An interim final rule revising part 360 was
published in the Federal Register March 11, 2005, 70 FR 12136. On
December 5, 2005, the Department of Commerce published its final rule
on the current SIMA system (70 FR 72373). Under the final rule, the
system expires on March 21, 2009, unless extended upon review and
notification in the Federal Register.
The purpose of the SIMA system is to provide steel producers, steel
consumers, importers, and the general public with accurate and timely
information on anticipated imports of certain steel products. Import
licenses, obtained through the Internet-based SIMA licensing system,
are required on U.S. imports of basic steel mill products. Aggregate
import data obtained from the licenses is updated weekly and posted on
the SIMA Web site monitor. Details of the current system can be found
at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/steel/license/.
Proposal: The Department proposes to extend the SIMA system beyond
its current expiration date for an additional period of four years (see
19 CFR part 360).
All comments responding to this notice will be a matter of public
record and available for public inspection and copying at Import
Administration's Central Records Unit, Room 1117, between the hours of
8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on business days.
Classification
Regulatory Flexibility Act. The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the
Department of Commerce certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of
the Small Business Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted,
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small entities as that term is defined in the Regulatory Flexibility
Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq. A summary of the factual basis for this
certification is below.
This proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of companies. Companies are already familiar with
the licensing of certain steel products under the current system. In
most cases, brokerage companies will apply for the license for the
steel importers. Most brokerage companies that are currently involved
in filing documentation for importing goods into the U.S., are
accustomed to Customs and Border Protection's automated systems. Today,
more than 99% of the Customs filings are handled electronically.
Therefore, the Web-based nature of this simple license application
should not be a significant obstacle to any firm in completing this
requirement. However, should a company need to apply for an ID or
license non-electronically, a fax/phone option will be available at
Commerce during regular business hours. There is no cost to register
for a company-specific ID user code and no cost to file for the
license. Each license form is expected to take less than 10 minutes to
complete using much of the same information used to complete the
Customs Entry Summary documentation. This is the one additional
requirement of the importers or their representative to fulfill U.S.
entry requirements to import each covered steel product shipment.
Commerce estimates that fewer than five percent of the licenses would
be filed by brokerage companies or other businesses that would be
considered small entities. Therefore, Commerce estimates that the
likely aggregate license costs attributable to small entities would be
one percent of the estimated total $2,000,000 cost to all steel
importers, or $20,000 would represent the cost that small entities will
incur as a result of this proposed rule.
Paperwork Reduction Act. This proposed rule contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to review and approval by OMB under
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). These requirements have been
approved by OMB (OMB No.: 0625-0245; Expiration Date: 09/30/2011).
Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to be
less than 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information.
Paperwork Reduction Act Data:
OMB Number: 0625-0245.
ITA Number: ITA-4141P.
Type of Review: Regular Submission.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Number of Registered Users: 3,500.
Estimated Time per Response: Less than 10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 100,000 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Costs: $2,000,000.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required
to respond to nor shall a person be subject to a
[[Page 75625]]
penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject
to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that
collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control Number.
Executive Order 12866
This rule has been determined to be significant for purposes of
Executive Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132
This rule does not contain policies with federalism implications as
that term is defined in EO 13132.
List of Subjects in 19 CFR Part 360
Administrative practice and procedure, Business and industry,
Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Steel.
For reasons discussed in the preamble, we propose amending 19 CFR
360 as follows:
PART 360--STEEL IMPORT MONITORING AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM
1. The authority citation for part 360 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 13 U.S.C. 301(a) and 302.
2. Section 360.105 is revised to read as follows.
Sec. 360.105 Duration of the steel import licensing requirement.
The licensing program will be in effect through March 21, 2013, but
may be extended upon review and notification in the Federal Register
prior to this expiration date. Licenses will be required on all subject
imports entered during this period, even if the entry summary documents
are not filed until after the expiration of this program. The licenses
will be valid for 10 business days after the expiration of this program
to allow for the final filing of required Customs documentation.
Dated: November 26, 2008.
Christopher A. Padilla,
Under Secretary for International Trade.
[FR Doc. E8-28683 Filed 12-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P