[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10099-10101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03493]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Request for Nominations for the Industry Trade Advisory
Committees (ITACs)
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Industry and Analysis.
ACTION: Request for nominations.
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SUMMARY: This month, the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) and the
United States Trade Representative (the USTR) are renewing the charters
of the 16 Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) and the Committee
of Chairs of the ITACs for a four-year term to expire in February 2018.
The ITACs provide detailed policy and technical advice, information,
and recommendations to the Secretary and the USTR regarding trade
barriers, negotiation of trade agreements, and implementation of
existing trade agreements affecting industry sectors; and perform other
advisory functions relevant to U.S. trade policy matters as may be
requested by the Secretary and the USTR or their designees. There are
currently opportunities for membership on each ITAC. Nominations will
be accepted for current vacancies and those that occur throughout the
remainder of the charter term, which expires in February 2018.
DATES: Appointments will be made on a rolling basis. For that reason,
nominations will be accepted through February 14, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Submit nominations to Ingrid V. Mitchem, Director, Industry
Trade Advisory Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and
Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4043, Washington, DC 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ingrid V. Mitchem, Director, Industry
Trade Advisory Center, (202) 482-3268.
Recruitment information also is available on the International
Trade Administration Web site at: www.trade.gov/itac.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) and section 135 of the Trade Act of
1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2155), the Secretary and the USTR have
renewed the charters of 16 ITACs and the Committee of Chairs of the
ITACs. The Secretary and the USTR welcome nominations for the ITACs
listed below:
Industry Trade Advisory Committees on:
(ITAC 1) Aerospace Equipment
(ITAC 2) Automotive Equipment and Capital Goods
(ITAC 3) Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Health/Science Products and
Services
(ITAC 4) Consumer Goods
(ITAC 5) Distribution Services
(ITAC 6) Energy and Energy Services
(ITAC 7) Forest Products
(ITAC 8) Information and Communications Technologies, Services, and
Electronic Commerce
(ITAC 9) Building Materials, Construction, and Nonferrous Metals
(ITAC 10) Services and Finance Industries
(ITAC 11) Small and Minority Business
(ITAC 12) Steel
(ITAC 13) Textiles and Clothing
(ITAC 14) Customs Matters and Trade Facilitation
(ITAC 15) Intellectual Property Rights
(ITAC 16) Standards and Technical Trade Barriers
Background
Section 135 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2155),
directed the establishment of a private-sector trade advisory system to
ensure that U.S. trade policy and trade negotiation objectives
adequately reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. Section
135(a)(1) directs the President to:
seek information and advice from representative elements of the
private sector and the non-Federal governmental sector with respect
to--
(A) negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before
entering into a trade agreement under [Subchapter I of the Trade Act
of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2111-2241) and section 2103 of the Bipartisan
Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3803)];
(B) the operation of any trade agreement once entered into,
including preparation for dispute settlement panel proceedings to
which the United States is a party; and
(C) other matters arising in connection with the development,
implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United
States . . .
Section 135(c)(2) of the 1974 Trade Act provides that:
(2) The President shall establish such sectoral or functional
advisory committees as may be appropriate. Such committees shall,
insofar as is practicable, be representative of all industry, labor,
agricultural, or service interests (including small business
interests) in the sector or functional areas concerned. In
organizing such committees, the United States Trade Representative
and the Secretaries of Commerce, Labor, Agriculture, the Treasury,
or other executive departments, as appropriate, shall--
(A) consult with interested private organizations; and
(B) take into account such factors as--
(i) patterns of actual and potential competition between United
States industry and agriculture and foreign enterprise in
international trade,
(ii) the character of the nontariff barriers and other
distortions affecting such competition,
(iii) the necessity for reasonable limits on the number of such
advisory committees,
(iv) the necessity that each committee be reasonably limited in
size, and
(v) in the case of each sectoral committee, that the product
lines covered by each committee be reasonably related.
Pursuant to this provision, the Department of Commerce (Commerce)
and the Office of the USTR (USTR) have established and co-administer 16
ITACs, the Committee of Chairs of the ITACs, and the Industry Trade
Advisory Center.
Functions
The duties of the ITACs are to provide the President, through the
Secretary and the USTR, with detailed policy and technical advice,
information, and recommendations regarding trade barriers, negotiation
of trade agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements
affecting industry sectors; and perform other
[[Page 10100]]
advisory functions relevant to U.S. trade policy matters as may be
requested by the Secretary and the USTR or their designees. The ITACs
provide nonpartisan, industry input in the development of trade policy
objectives. The ITACs' efforts have assisted the United States in
putting forward unified positions when it negotiates trade agreements.
The ITACs address market-access problems; barriers to trade; tariff
levels; discriminatory foreign procurement practices; and information,
marketing, and advocacy needs of their industry sector. Thirteen ITACs
provide advice and information on issues that affect specific sectors
of U.S. industry. Three ITACs focus on cross-cutting, functional issues
that affect all industry sectors: Customs matters and trade
facilitation (ITAC 14); intellectual property rights (ITAC 15); and
standards and technical trade barriers (ITAC 16). In addition to
members appointed exclusively to these three ITACs, ITACs 1-13 each may
select a member to represent their ITAC as a non-voting member on each
of these three cross-cutting ITACs so that a broad range of industry
perspectives is represented. Other trade policy issues, e.g.,
government procurement, subsidies, etc., may be addressed in ad hoc
working groups created by the ITACs.
Each ITAC meets an average of six times a year in Washington, DC.
Some ITACS meet more often depending on the work of a particular
committee.
Each Committee consists of members with experience relevant to the
industry sector for ITACs 1 through 13 or the subject area for ITACs 14
through 16. The members serve in a representative capacity presenting
the views and interests of a sponsoring U.S. entity or U.S.
organization and the entity's or organization's subsector (if
applicable) on trade matters. In selecting members, Commerce and USTR
also consider the nominee's ability to carry out the objectives of the
Committee, including knowledge and expertise of the industry and of
trade matters relevant to the work of the Committee, and ensuring that
the Committee is balanced in terms of points of view, demographics,
geography, and entity or organization size. Because members serve in a
representative capacity, they are, therefore, not Special Government
Employees. Members serve at the discretion of the Secretary and the
USTR.
Members serve without compensation and are responsible for all
expenses incurred to attend the meetings. ITAC members are appointed
jointly by the Secretary and the USTR. Each ITAC elects a chairperson
from the membership of the ITAC, and that chairperson serves on the
Committee of Chairs of the ITACs.
Appointments are made following the re-chartering of each ITAC and
periodically throughout the four-year charter term. Appointments expire
at the end of the ITACs' charter terms, in this case, in February 2018.
Appointments to all ITACs are made without regard to political
affiliation.
Eligibility and Application Process
The following eligibility requirements must be met:
1. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen;
2. The applicant must not be a full-time employee of a U.S.
governmental entity;
3. The applicant must not be a federally-registered lobbyist;
4. The applicant must not be registered with the Department of
Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act;
5. The applicant must be able to obtain and maintain a security
clearance; and
6. The applicant must represent either:
a. a U.S. entity that is directly engaged in the import or export
of goods or services or that provides services in direct support of the
international trading activities of other entities; or
b. a U.S. organization that: Trades internationally; represents
members that trade internationally; or, consistent with the needs of a
Committee as determined by the Secretary and the USTR, represents
members who have a demonstrated interest in international trade.
For eligibility purposes, a ``U.S. entity'' is a for-profit firm
engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities that is
incorporated in the United States (or an unincorporated U.S. firm with
its principal place of business in the United States) that is
controlled by U.S. citizens or by other U.S. entities. An entity is not
a U.S. entity if 50 percent plus one share of its stock (if a
corporation, or a similar ownership interest of an unincorporated
entity) is known to be controlled, directly or indirectly, by non-U.S.
citizens or non-U.S. entities.
For eligibility purposes, a ``U.S. organization'' is an
organization, including trade associations, labor unions and
organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), established
under the laws of the United States, that is controlled by U.S.
citizens, by another U.S. organization (or organizations), or by a U.S.
entity (or entities), as determined based on its board of directors (or
comparable governing body), membership, and funding sources, as
applicable. To qualify as a U.S. organization, more than 50 percent of
the board of directors (or comparable governing body) and more than 50
percent of the membership of the organization to be represented must be
U.S. citizens, U.S. organizations, or U.S. entities. Additionally, in
order for NGOs to qualify as U.S. organizations, at least 50 percent of
the NGO's annual revenue must be attributable to nongovernmental U.S.
sources.
If a nominee is to represent an entity or organization known to
have 10 percent or greater non-U.S. ownership of its shares or equity,
non-U.S. board members, non-U.S. membership, or non-U.S. funding
sources, as applicable, the nominee must certify in its statement
affirming its eligibility that this non-U.S. interest does not
constitute control and will not adversely affect his or her ability to
serve as a trade advisor to the United States.
Historically, the Secretary and the USTR have appointed a
representative of the public health or health care community to each of
ITACs 3 and 15, and an environmental representative to each of ITACs 3
and 7. The Secretary and the USTR will continue to consider nominations
for representatives of such viewpoints to those ITACs.
In order to be considered for ITAC membership, a nominee should
submit:
(1) Name, title, and relevant contact information of the individual
requesting consideration;
(2) The ITAC for which the individual is applying for appointment;
(3) A sponsor letter on the entity's or organization's letterhead
containing a brief description of why the applicant should be
considered for membership on the ITAC;
(4) The applicant's personal resume demonstrating knowledge of
international trade issues;
(5) An affirmative statement that the applicant meets all ITAC
eligibility requirements;
(6) An affirmative statement that the applicant is not a federally
registered lobbyist, and that the applicant understands that if
appointed, the applicant will not be allowed to continue to serve as an
ITAC member if the applicant becomes a federally registered lobbyist;
and
(7) Information regarding the sponsoring entity, including the
control of the entity or organization to be represented and the
entity's or organization's size and ownership, product or service line,
and trade activities.
[[Page 10101]]
Submit applications to Ingrid V. Mitchem, Director, Industry Trade
Advisory Center, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution
Avenue NW., Room 4043, Washington, DC 20230.
Additional requirements exist for nominations of consultants and
legal advisors. The specific requirements will vary depending on the
nature of the entity or organization and interests to be represented.
Interested consultants and legal advisors should contact the Industry
Trade Advisory Center or consult the International Trade Administration
Web site at: www.trade.gov/itac for additional information on the
submission requirements.
Applicants that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered
for membership based on the following criteria: Ability to represent
the sponsoring U.S. entity's or U.S. organization's and the entity's or
organization's subsector's (if applicable) interests on trade matters;
ability to carry out the objectives of the particular ITAC (including
knowledge and expertise of the industry and of trade matters relevant
to the work of the ITAC); and ensuring that the ITAC is balanced in
terms of points of view, demographics, geography, and entity or
organization size.
This notice is issued pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (5 U.S.C., app. 2), 19 U.S.C. 2155, and 41 CFR part 102-3 relating
to advisory committees.
Dated: February 12, 2014.
Elizabeth Emanuel,
Deputy Director, Office Advisory Committees.
[FR Doc. 2014-03493 Filed 2-21-14; 8:45 am]
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