National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for Public Comments

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Export Administration

National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee Request for

Public Comments

AGENCY: Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, Bureau of

Export Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment on the potential market

impact of proposed disposals of excess commodities currently held in

the National Defense Stockpile under the Fiscal Year 2000 Annual

Materials Plan (AMP) and revisions to commodities proposed for disposal

under the FY 1999 AMP.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that the National Defense

Stockpile Market Impact Committee (co-chaired by the Departments of

Commerce and State) is seeking public comment on the potential market

impact of proposed disposals of excess materials from the National

Defense Stockpile as set forth in Attachment 1 to this notice.

DATES: Comments must be received by October 23, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Richard V. Meyers, Co-

Chair, Stockpile Market Impact Committee, Office of Strategic

Industries and Economic Security, Room 3876, U.S. Department of

Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

20230; FAX (202) 501-0657.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard V. Meyers, Office of Strategic

Industries and Economic Security, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202)

482-3634; or Stephen H. Muller, Office of International Energy and

Commodity Policy, U.S. Department of State, (202) 647-3423; co-chairs

of the National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the authority of the Strategic and

Critical Materials Stock Piling Act of 1979, as amended, (50 U.S.C. 98

et seq.), the Department of Defense (DOD), as National Defense

Stockpile Manager, maintains a stockpile of strategic and critical

materials to supply the military, industrial, and essential civilian

needs of the United States for national defense. Section 3314 of the

Fiscal Year (FY) 1993 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (50

U.S.C. 98h-1) formally established a Market Impact Committee (the

Committee) to ``advise the National Defense Stockpile Manager on the

projected domestic and foreign economic effects of all acquisitions and

disposals of materials from the stockpile. . . .'' The Committee must

also balance market impact concerns with the statutory requirement to

protect the Government against avoidable loss.

The Committee is comprised of representatives from the Departments

of Commerce, State, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury

and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is co-chaired by the

Departments of Commerce and State. The FY 1993 NDAA directs the

Committee to ``consult from time to time with representatives of

producers, processors and consumers of the types of materials stored in

the stockpile.''

The proposed FY 2000 AMP and revisions to the FY 1999 AMP have not

been prepared in final form, as the Committee is now considering

Defense's Stockpile material disposal levels as listed in Attachment 1.

The AMP materials listed in bold in Attachment 1 cannot be sold until

Congress has approved their disposal. The Committee is seeking public

comment on the potential market impact of the sale of these materials

in the event that Congress does grant such disposal authority.

The attached AMP listing includes the proposed maximum disposal

quantity for each material. These quantities are not sales target

disposal quantities. They are only a statement of the proposed maximum

disposal quantity of each material that may be sold in a particular

fiscal year. The quantity of each material that will actually be

offered for sale will depend on the market for the material at the time

as well as on the quantity of material approved for disposal by

Congress.

The Committee requests that interested parties provide written

comments, supporting data and documentation, and any other relevant

information on the potential market impact of the sale of these

commodities. Although comments in response to this Notice must be

received by October 23, 1998 to ensure full consideration by the

Committee, interested parties are encouraged to submit additional

comments and supporting information at any time thereafter to keep the

Committee informed as to the market

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impact of the sale of these commodities. Public comment is an important

element of the Committee's market impact review process.

Public comments received will be made available at the Department

of Commerce for public inspection and copying. Material that is

national security classified or business confidential will be exempted

from public disclosure. Anyone submitting business confidential

information should clearly identify the business confidential portion

of the submission and also provide a non-confidential submission that

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: September 18, 1998.

Brad I. Botwin,

Acting Director, Strategic Industries and Economic Security.

Proposed FY 2000 and Revised FY 1999 AMPs

[The materials in bold and italic are under Congressional consideration]

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Current FY Revised FY Proposed FY

Material Units 1998 quantity 1999 quantity 2000 quantity

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Aluminum............................... ST 62,881 0 0

Aluminum Oxide, Abrasive............... ST 6,000 6,000 6,000

Aluminum Oxide, Fused Crude............ ST 30,000 65,000 65,000

Analgesics............................. AMA Lb 64,127 40,000 40,000

Antimony............................... ST 5,000 5,000 5,000

Asbestos (all types)................... ST 20,000 20,000 20,000

Bauxite, Metallurgical (Jamaican)...... LDT 1,200,000 2,000,000 2,000,000

Bauxite, Metallurgical (Surinam)....... LDT 800,000 1,500,000 1,500,000

Bauxite, Refractory.................... LCT 80,000 0 0

Beryl Ore.............................. ST 2,000 2,000 2,000

Beryllium Metal........................ ST 0 40 40

Beryllium Copper Master Alloy.......... ST 1,250 1,250 1,250

Cadmium................................ LB 1,200,000 1,200,000 1,200,000

Celestite.............................. SDT 3,600 3,600 3,600

Chromite, Chemical..................... SDT 100,000 100,000 100,000

Chromite, Metallurgical................ SDT 250,000 250,000 250,000

Chromite, Refractory................... SDT 100,000 100,000 100,000

Chromium, Ferro........................ ST 50,000 150,000 150,000

Chromium, Metal........................ ST 0 500 500

Cobalt................................. LB Co 6,000,000 6,500,000 6,500,000

Columbium, Carbide Powder.............. LB Cb 0 21,500 21,500

Columbium Concentrates (Minerals)...... LB Cb 0 200,000 200,000

Columbium, Ferro....................... LB Cb 200,000 400,000 400,000

Diamond, Bort.......................... CT 1,000,000 65,000 65,000

Diamond Dies, Small.................... PC 25,473 25,473 25,473

Diamond Stone.......................... CT 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000

Fluorspar, Acid Grade.................. SDT 180,000 100,000 100,000

Fluorspar, Metallurgical............... SDT 50,000 50,000 50,000

Germanium.............................. KG 8,000 8,000 8,000

Graphite............................... ST 2,660 3,760 3,760

Indium................................. TR Oz 35,000 15,000 15,000

Iodine................................. LB 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000

Jewel Bearings......................... PC 52,000,000 52,000,000 52,000,000

Kyanite................................ SDT 1,200 150 150

Lead................................... ST 60,000 60,000 60,000

Manganese, Battery Grade Natural....... SDT 20,000 30,000 30,000

Manganese, Battery Grade Synthetic..... SDT 3,011 3,011 3,011

Manganese, Chemical Grade.............. SDT 40,000 40,000 40,000

Manganese, Ferro....................... ST 50,000 50,000 50,000

Manganese, Metal Electrolytic.......... ST 2,000 2,000 2,000

Manganese, Metallurgical Grade......... SDT 250,000 250,000 250,000

Mercury................................ FL 20,000 20,000 20,000

Mica (All Types)....................... LB 2,260,000 2,260,000 2,260,000

Nickel................................. ST 10,000 2,500 2,500

Palladium.............................. TR Oz 0 200,000 200,000

Platinum............................... TR Oz 0 125,000 125,000

Quinidine.............................. Av Oz 750,000 750,000 750,000

Quinine................................ Av Oz 750,000 750,000 750,000

Rubber................................. LT 0 70,000 70,000

Sebacic Acid........................... LB 400,000 400,000 400,000

Silicon Carbide........................ ST 9,000 5,000 5,000

Silver (for coinage)................... Tr Oz 9,000,000 10,000,000 10,000,000

[[Page 50867]]

Talc................................... ST 1,000 1,000 1,000

Tantalum Carbide Powder................ LB Ta 2,000 4,000 4,000

Tantalum Metal Powder.................. LB Ta 0 50,000 50,000

Tantalum Minerals...................... LB Ta 100,000 200,000 200,000

Tantalum Oxide......................... LB Ta 0 20,000 20,000

Thorium................................ LB 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000

Tin.................................... MT 12,000 12,000 12,000

Titanium Sponge........................ ST 4,000 5,000 5,000

Tungsten, Carbide Powder............... LB W 0 1,000,000 1,000,000

Tungsten, Ferro........................ LB W 0 100,000 100,000

Tungsten, Metal Powder................. LB W 0 150,000 150,000

Tungsten Ores & Concentrates........... LB W 0 1,500,000 1,500,000

Vegetable Tannin Extract, Chestnut..... LT 7,500 3,000 3,000

Vegetable Tannin Extract, Quebrac...... LT 10,000 10,000 10,000

Vegetable Tannin Extract, Wattle....... LT 10,000 7,500 7,500

Zinc................................... ST 50,000 50,000 50,000

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[FR Doc. 98-25412 Filed 9-22-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-33-P