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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Export Administration

[Docket No. 990427107-9107-01]

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 has

been 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 Bureau of

Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

DATES: Comments must be received by June 3, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments (three copies) should be sent to Bernard

Kritzer, Manager, Special Projects, Office of Chemical and Biological

Controls and Treaty Compliance, Bureau of Export Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Room 2093, Washington, D.C., 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hubinger, Senior Policy Analyst,

Office of Chemical and Biological Controls and Treaty Compliance,

Bureau of Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, (202)

482-3825.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 28, 1999, the Department of Commerce initiated 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. The findings

and recommendations of the investigation are to be reported by the

Secretary of Commerce to the President not later than January 29, 2000.

The imported crude oil and refined petroleum products to be

investigated include:

--Crude oil, under 25 degrees API

--Crude oil, 25 degrees API or more

--Motor fuel, including motor gasoline, naphtha-type jet fuel, and

kerosene jet fuel

--Motor fuel blending components

--Kerosene derived from petroleum, shale oil, or both, except motor

fuel

--Naphthas derived from petroleum, shale oil, natural gas, or

combinations thereof, except motor oil

--Fuel oils, under 25 degrees API

--Fuel oils, 25 degrees API or more

--Mineral oil of medicinal grade derived from petroleum, shale oil, or

both

--Lubricating oils and greases, derived from petroleum, shale oil, or

both, with or without additives

--Mixtures of hydrocarbons not specifically 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

--Paraffin and other petroleum waxes

--Petroleum coke

--Bitumen

--Asphaltum, bitumen, and limestone-rock asphalt

--Petroleum gases (natural gas liquids) and other hydrocarbons

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 Chemical and Biological Controls

and Treaty Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, no later than June

3, 1999.

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 article in question or other circumstances

related to the importation of the articles subject to the

investigation;

(b) Domestic production and productive capacity needed for those

articles to meet protected 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

[[Page 23821]]

(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 three 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. Anyone submitting business confidential information should

clearly identify the business confidential portion of the submission.

File a statement justifying nondisclosure and reference 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

6883, 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 Mr. Henry Gaston, the

Bureau of Export Administration's Freedom of Information Officer, at

the above address and telephone number.

Dated: April 28, 1999.

R. Roger Majak,

Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-11090 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-33-P