Initiation of National Security Investigation of Imports of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Bureau of Export Administration

Initiation of National Security Investigation of Imports of Crude

Oil and Petroleum Products

AGENCY: Bureau of Export Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of initiation of national security investigation and

request for public comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that an investigation is

being initiated under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962,

as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), to determine the effects on the national

security of imports of crude oil and petroleum products. Interested

parties are invited to submit written comments, opinions, data,

information, or advice relative to the investigation to the Strategic

Analysis Division, Office of Industrial Resource Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce.

DATES: Comments must be received by May 12, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments (ten copies) should be sent to Brad Botwin,

Director, Strategic Analysis Division, Office of Industrial Resource

Administration, Department of Commerce, room 3878, U.S. Department of

Commerce, 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC

20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernie Kritzer, Senior Policy Advisor,

Office of Foreign Availability, Telephone: (202) 482-5305.

Karen Swasey, Section 232 Program Manager, Strategic Analysis

Division, Office of Industrial Resource Administration, Telephone:

(202) 482-3795.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In a petition submitted by the Independent Petroleum Association of

America, on March 11, 1994, the Department of Commerce was requested to

initiate an investigation under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act

of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862), to determine the effects on the

national security of imports of crude oil and petroleum products.

On April 5, 1994, the Department of Commerce formally accepted the

application and initiated an investigation. The findings and

recommendations of the investigation are to be reported by the

Secretary of Commerce to the President no later than December 31, 1994

(i.e., within 270 days).

The items to be investigated have distinct Harmonized Tariff System

(HTS) tariff classification numbers. They include the following HTS

numbers and earlier TSUS numbers:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name TSUS HTS

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crude oil, under 25 degrees API.............. 475.05 27100005--0

Crude oil, 25 degrees API or more............ 475.10 27100010--0

Motor fuel, including gas, leaded and

unleaded; naphtha-type jet fuel and kerosene-

type jet fuel............................... 475.25 27100015--0

Kerosene derived from petroleum, shale oil,

or both, except motor fuel.................. 475.30 27100020--0

Naphthas derived from petroleum, shale oil,

natural gas, or combinations thereof, except

motor oil................................... 475.35 27100025--0

36061000--1

Mineral oil of medicinal grade derived from

petroleum, shale oil, or both............... 475.40 27100045--2

Lubricating oils and greases, derived from

petroleum, shale oil, or both, with or

without additives........................... 475.45 27100030--0

34031110--3

34031150--3

34031910--0

475.55 34031110--3

34031150--3

34031950--1

475.60 27100040--0

34031110--3

34031150--3

34031950--1

Mixtures of hydrocarbons not specially

provided for, derived wholly from petroleum,

shale oil, natural gas, or combinations

thereof, which contain by weight not over

50% of any single hydrocarbon compound...... 475.65 27100045--2

475.70 27121000--0

27132000--0

27139000--0

Paraffin and other petroleum waxes........... 494.22 27122000--0

27129020--0

34049050--0

Petroleum coke............................... 517.5120 27040000--2

27131200--0

Asphaltum, bitumen, & limestone-rock asphalt. 517.11 38011050--0

------------------------------------------------------------------------

This investigation is being undertaken in accordance with Part 705

of the National Security Industrial Base Regulations (15 CFR parts 700

to 709) (the ``regulations''). Interested parties are invited to submit

written comments, opinions, data, information, or advice relevant to

this investigation to the Office of Industrial Resource Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce, no later than May 12, 1994.

The Department is particularly interested in comments and

information directed to the criteria listed in Sec. 705.4 of the

regulations as they affect national security, including the following:

(a) Quantity of the circumstances related to the importation of the

articles subject to the investigation;

(b) Domestic production and productive capacity needed for these

articles to meet projected national defense requirements;

(c) Existing and anticipated availability of human resources,

products, raw materials, production equipment, and facilities to

produce these items;

(d) Growth requirements of domestic industries to meet national

defense requirements and/or requirements to assure such growth;

(e) The impact of foreign competition on the economic welfare of

the domestic industry; and

(f) The displacement of any domestic products causing substantial

unemployment, decrease in the revenues of government, loss of

investment or specialized skills and productive capacity, or other

serious effects.

All materials should be submitted with 10 copies. Public

information will be made available at the Department of Commerce for

public inspection and copying. Material that is national security

classified information or business confidential information will be

exempted from public disclosure as provided for by Sec. 705.6 of the

regulations (15 CFR 705.6). Anyone submitting business confidential

information should clearly identify the business confidential portion

of the submission, file a statement justifying nondisclosure and

referring to the specific legal authority claimed, and provide a non-

confidential submission which can be placed in the public file.

Communications from agencies of the United States Government will not

be made available for public inspection.

The public record concerning this notice will be maintained in the

Bureau of Export Administration's Records Inspection Facility, room

4525, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20230, telephone (202) 482-5653. The records in

this facility may be inspected and copied in accordance with the

regulations published in part 4 of title 15 of the Code of Federal

Regulations (15 CFR 4.1 et seq.). Information about the inspection and

copying of records at the facility may be obtained from Ms. Margaret

Cornejo, the Bureau of Export Administration's Freedom of Information

Officer, at the above address and telephone number.

Dated: April 8, 1994.

Sue E. Eckert,

Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

[FR Doc. 94-8827 Filed 4-11-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DT-P