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, U.S. 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 2001 Annual

Materials Plan (AMP) and revisions to commodity disposals approved

under the FY 2000 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 November 8, 1999.

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, N.W., Washington, D.C.

20230; FAX (202) 482-5650.

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

[[Page 54864]]

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.''

Attachment 1 lists the current FY 2000 AMP quantities, the proposed

revisions to the FY 2000 AMP quantities, and the proposed FY 2001 AMP.

The Committee is seeking public comment on the potential market impact

of the sale of these materials as proposed in the revised FY 2000 AMP

and FY 2001 AMP.

The quantities listed in Attachment 1 are not sales target disposal

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

quantity of each listed 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 each 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 November 8, 1999 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 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: October 5, 1999.

R. Roger Majak,

Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.

Attachment 1

Proposed Annual Material Plans for FY 2001 and Revised FY 2000

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Current FY Revised FY Proposed FY

Material Units 2000 quantity 2000 quantity 2001 quantity

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

Aluminum Oxide, Fused Crude.......... ST 65,000 65,000 5,000

Analgesics........................... AMA Lb \1\ 2,815 \1\ 2,815 \1\ 2,815

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

Asbestos (all types)................. ST 20,000 20,000 0

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

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

Bauxite, Refractory.................. LCT \1\ 4,000 \1\ 4,000 \1\ 4,000

Beryl Ore............................ ST 2,000 4,000 4,000

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

Beryllium Copper Master Alloy........ ST 1,250 1,500 1,500

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 \1\ 100,000

Chromite, Metallurgical.............. SDT 250,000 250,000 \1\ 250,000

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

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

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

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

Columbium, Carbide Powder............ LB Cb 21,500 21,500 \1\ 21,500

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

Columbium, Ferro..................... LB Cb 400,000 400,000 \1\ 300,000

Columbium Metal Ingots............... LB Cb 20,000 20,000 20,000

Diamond Bort......................... CT \1\ 65,000 \1\ 0 ..............

Diamond Dies......................... PC \1\ 5,000 \1\ 5,000 \1\ 5,000

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

Fluorspar, Metallurgical............. SDT 50,000 60,000 60,000

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

Graphite............................. ST 3,760 3,760 3,760

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

Jewel Bearings....................... PC 56,000,000 56,000,000 56,000,000

Kyanite.............................. SDT 150 150 \1\ 150

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

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

Manganese, Battery Grade Synthetic... SDT 3,011 3,011 \1\ 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

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

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

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

Platinum-Iridium..................... TR Oz \1\ 4,450 \1\ 1,000 \1\ 1,000

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

Quinine.............................. Oz 750,000 1,000,000 \1\ 1,000,000

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

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

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

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

Tantalum Metal Ingots................ LB Ta 40,000 40,000 40,000

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

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

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

Thorium Nitrate \3\.................. LB 6,494,891 6,494,891 \1\ 7,091,891

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

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

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

Tungsten, Ferro...................... LB W 300,000 300,000 300,000

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

Tungsten Ores & Concentrates......... LB W 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000

Vegetable Tannin Extract, Chestnut... LT \1\ 1,100 \1\ 1,100 \1\ 1,100

Vegetable Tannin Extract, Quebrac.... LT 16,000 16,000 16,000

Vegetable Tannin Extract, Wattle..... LT \1\ 6,500 \1\ 6,500 \1\ 6,500

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

Zirconium (Baddeleyite).............. SDT 17,383 17,383 \1\ 17,383

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Notes:

\1\ FY 2000 entries (current or proposed revision) are an adjustment to available inventory. For FY 2001

entries, actual quantity will be limited to remaining sales authority or inventory.

\2\ The radioactive nature of this material may restrict sales or disposal options.

[FR Doc. 99-26394 Filed 10-7-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-33-P