2018-21695. Proposed Information Collection; 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. U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on or before December 4, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 6616, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet at [e-mail].)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Mark Crace, BIS ICB Liaison, [phone] or at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

On September 11, 2018, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a second interim final rule, Revisions to the Requirements for Submissions Requesting Exclusions from the Remedies Instituted in Presidential Proclamations Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States and Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States; and the filing of Objections to Submitted Exclusion Requests for Steel and Aluminum. This second interim final rule that was published by BIS, on behalf of the Secretary, made changes to the two supplements added in the March 19 rule: Supplement No. 1 to Part 705—Requirements for Submissions Requesting Exclusions from the Remedies Instituted in Presidential Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018 Adjusting Imports of Steel Articles into the United States; and to Supplement No. 2 to Part 705—Requirements for Submissions Requesting Exclusions from the Remedies Instituted in Presidential Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018 to 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

Submitted Electronically.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0694-0141.

Form Number(s): 0694-0141.

Type of Review: Regular Submission.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 62,823.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 62,823.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services required specifically by the collection.)

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

Legal Authority: Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Presidential Proclamations 9704 and 9705.

This information collection request may be viewed on the U.S. Department of Commerce website and the Department's responses to clause to exclusion requests at reginfo.gov http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,

Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.