2021-01163. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Request for Investigation Under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act

AGENCY:

Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of Information Collection, request for comment.

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 March 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments by email to Mark Crace, IC Liaison, Bureau of Industry and Security, at [e-mail] or to [e-mail]). Please reference OMB Control Number 0694-0120 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 [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

Upon request, BIS will initiate an investigation to determine the effects of imports of specific commodities on the national security and will make the findings known to the President for possible adjustments to imports through tariffs. The findings are made publicly available and are reported to Congress. The purpose of this collection is to account for the public burden associated with the surveys distributed to determine the impact on national security.

These surveys are designed to gather information so that BIS can evaluate the impact of foreign imports of strategic commodities on the national security of the United States. Each Section 232 study is for a specific commodity or technology that is required for national security reasons (e.g., precision bearings, microprocessors, machine tools, etc). These surveys attempt to determine the size of the domestic U.S. industry, how the domestic U.S. industry has been effected by foreign imports, demand for the commodity during peacetime, demand during wartime, the ability of the U.S. domestic industry to meet a surge in demand during wartime, and the potential impact on U.S. national security if wartime demand cannot be met by domestic U.S. suppliers.

II. Method of Collection

BIS custom-designs unique instruments for each Section 232 survey. The method of collection could be via paper or electronic.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0694-0120.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 800.

Estimated Time per Response: 15 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 12,000.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: 0.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

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.