This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

49202

Vol. 62, No. 182

Friday, September 19, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

Determination of Total Amounts and

Quota Period for Tariff-Rate Quotas for

Raw Cane Sugar and Certain Imported

Sugars, Syrups, and Molasses

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice establishes the

aggregate quantity of 1,800,000 metric

tons, raw value, or raw cane sugar that

may be entered under subheading

1701.11.10 during fiscal year (FY) 1998,

with 600,000 metric tons subject to

possible cancellation. This notice in

addition establishes the aggregate

quantity of 50,000 metric tons (raw

value basis) for certain sugars, syrups

and molasses that may be entered under

subheadings 1701.12.10, 1701.91.10,

1701.99.10, 1702.90.10, and 2106.90.44

of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of

the United States (HTS) during FY 1998.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 17, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Inquiries may be mailed or

delivered to the Import Policy and

Programs Division Director, Foreign

Agricultural Service, Room 5531, South

Building, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250–

1000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Hammond (Division Director,

Import Policy and Programs Division),

202–720–2916.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Paragraph

(a)(i) of additional U.S. note 5 to chapter

17 of the HTS provides in pertinent part

as follows:

The aggregate quantity of raw cane sugar

entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption, under subheading 1701.11.10,

during any fiscal year, shall not exceed in the

aggregate an amount (expressed in terms of

raw value), not less than, 1,117,195 metric

tons, as shall be established by the Secretary

of Agriculture * * *, and the aggregate

quantity of sugars, syrups and molasses

entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption, under subheadings 1701.12.10,

1701.91.10, 1701.99.10, 1702.90.10 and

2106.90.44, during any fiscal year, shall not

exceed in the aggregate an amount (expressed

in terms of raw value), less than 22,000

metric tons, as shall be established by the

Secretary. With either the aggregate quantity

for raw cane sugar or the aggregate quantity

for syrups, sugars and molasses other than

raw cane sugar, the Secretary may reserve a

quota quantity for the importation of

specialty sugars as defined by the United

States Trade Representative.

These provisions of paragraph (a)(i) of

additional U.S. note 5 to chapter 17 of

the HTS authorize the Secretary of

Agriculture to establish the total

amounts (expressed in terms of raw

value) for imports of raw cane sugar and

certain other sugars, syrups, and

molasses that may be entered under the

subheadings of the HTS subject to the

lower tier of duties of the tariff-rate

quotas for entry during the fiscal year

beginning October 1.

USDA issued a press release on July

9, 1997, soliciting comment regarding

the FY 1998 TRQ administrative

approach. Approximately 40 comments

were received. All but three of the

comments were either neutral or

supportive of the current administrative

approach, although many suggested

changes that would lead to higher or

lower prices in the U.S. domestic

market. Some suggested a change in the

trigger level. Those suggestions ranged

from a level of 13.5 percent to 17

percent, with the producers supporting

a lower trigger level and the refiners and

manufacturers supporting the higher

end of the trigger level suggestions. One

of the comments suggested abolishment

of he TRQ, and two other comments

suggested that USDA return to an ad hoc

method of determining the TRQ.

After carefully considering those

comments, USDA will use a 15.5

percent trigger for the allocation or

cancellation of 600,000 metric tons,

200,000 tons in January, March, and

May.

Allocaitons of the quota amounts

among supplying countries and areas

will be made by the United States Trade

Representative.

Notice

Notice is hereby given that I have

determined, in accordance with

paragraph (a) of additional U.S. note 5

to chapter 17 of the HTS, that an

aggregate quantity of up to 1,800,000

metric tons, raw value, of raw cane

sugar described in subheading

1701.11.10 of the HTS may be entered

or withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption during the period from

October 1, 1997, through September 30,

1998. Of this quantity, 1,200,000 metric

tons will be immediately available, to be

allocated by the United States Trade

Representative, and the remaining

600,000 metric tons will be held in

reserve.

If the stocks-to-use ratio published in

the January 1998 World Agricultural

Supply and Demand Estimates

(WASDE) is equal to, or less than, 15.5

percent (rounded to the nearest tenth),

an additional 200,000 metric tons of the

reserved quantity for raw cane sugar

will be available for allocation. If the

stocks-to-use ratio published in the

January 1998 WASDE is greater than

15.5 percent, 200,000 metric tons of the

reserved quantity for raw cane sugar

will be automatically canceled without

further notice.

If the stocks-to-use ratio published in

the March 1998 WASDE is equal to, or

less than, 15.5 percent, an additional

200,000 metric tons of the reserved

quantity for raw cane sugar will be

available for allocation. If the stocks-touse ratio published in the March 1998

WASDE is greater than 15.5 percent,

200,000 metric tons of the reserved

quantity for raw cane sugar will be

automatically canceled without further

notice.

If the stocks-to-use ratio published in

the May 1998 WASDE is equal to, or

less than, 15.5 percent, an additional

200,000 metric tons of the reserved

quantity for raw cane sugar will be

available for allocation. If the stocks-touse ratio published in the May 1998

WASDE is greater than 15.5 percent,

200,000 metric tons of the reserved

quantity for raw cane sugar will be

automatically canceled without further

notice.

I have further determined that an

aggregate quantity of up to 50,000

metric tons, raw value, of certain sugars,

syrups, and molasses described in

subheadings 1701.12.10, 1701.91.10,

1701.99.10, 1702.90.10, and 2106.90.44

of the HTS may be entered or

withdrawn from warehouse for

consumption during the period from

October 1, 1997 through September 30,

1998. I have further determined that out

of this quantity of 50,000 metric tons,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 1997 / Notices 49203

the quantity of 4,656 metric tons, raw

value, is reserved for the importation of

specialty sugars. These quota amounts

may be allocated among supplying

countries and areas by the United States

Trade Representative.

I will issue Certificates of Quota

Eligibility (CQEs) to allow the

Philippines, Brazil, and the Dominican

Republic to ship up to 25 percent of

each country’s allocation at the low-tier

tariff during each quarter of FY 1998.

Australia, Guatemala, Argentina, Peru,

Panama, El Salvador, Columbia, South

Africa, and Nicaragua will be allowed to

ship up to 50 percent of their initial

allocations in the first six months of FY

1998. Unentered allocations, during any

quarter or six month period, may be

entered in any subsequent period. For

all other countries, CQEs corresponding

to each country’s allocation may be

entered at the low-tier tariff at any time

during the fiscal year. Should country

allocations result from the January,

March, and May blocks, they may be

entered subsequent to their allocation

by USTR.

Mexico’s North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA) access to the U.S.

market is established at 25,000 metric

tons raw value (27,558 short tons raw

value). That access will be for either raw

or refined sugar, but total access under

the refined sugar allocation and the rawsugar allocation is not to exceed 25,000

metric tons. Mexico’s NAFTA access for

either raw or refined sugar is established

in Annex 703.2.

Signed at Washington, DC on September

16, 1997.

Dan Glickman,

Secretary of Agriculture.

[FR Doc. 97–25071 Filed 9–17–97; 12:46 pm]

BILLING CODE 3410–10–M

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List Additions and

Deletions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Additions to and deletions from

the Procurement List.

SUMMARY: This action adds to the

Procurement List a commodity and

services to be furnished by nonprofit

agencies employing persons who are

blind or have other severe disabilities,

and deletes from the Procurement List

commodities previously furnished by

such agencies.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 20, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403,

1735 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–3461.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beverly Milkman (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 6,

July 18, 25 and August 1, 1997, the

Committee for Purchase From People

Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled

published notices (62 FR 31065, 38518,

40049 and 41339) of proposed additions

to and deletions from the Procurement

List:

Additions

After consideration of the material

presented to it concerning capability of

qualified nonprofit agencies to provide

the commodity and services and impact

of the additions on the current or most

recent contractors, the Committee has

determined that the commodity and

services listed below are suitable for

procurement by the Federal Government

under 41 U.S.C. 46–48c and 41 CFR 51–

2.4.

I certify that the following action will

not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this

certification were:

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities other than the small

organizations that will furnish the

commodity and services to the

Government.

2. The action will not have a severe

economic impact on current contractors

for the commodity and services.

3. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodity and services to the

Government.

4. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodity and

services proposed for addition to the

Procurement List.

Accordingly, the following

commodity and services are hereby

added to the Procurement List:

Commodity

Bottle, Oil Sample

8125–01–082–9697

Services

Food Service Attendant, U.S. Coast

Guard Activities New York, Fort

Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York

Janitorial/Grounds Maintenance, Naval

Air Station North Island, San Diego

Aviation Branch Facility, Building

1480, San Diego, California

Laundry Service, Transient Personnel

Unit, Bachelor Enlisted Quarters &

Bachelor Officer Quarters Naval

Station, San Diego, California

Order Processing Service, McGuire Air

Force Base, New Jersey

This action does not affect current

contracts awarded prior to the effective

date of this addition or options that may

be exercised under those contracts.

Deletions

I certify that the following action will

not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this

certification were:

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities.

2. The action will not have a severe

economic impact on future contractors

for the commodities.

3. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodities to the Government.

4. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodities

deleted from the Procurement List.

After consideration of the relevant

matter presented, the Committee has

determined that the commodities listed

below are no longer suitable for

procurement by the Federal Government

under 41 U.S.C. 46–48c and 41 CFR 51–

2.4.

Accordingly, the following

commodities are hereby deleted from

the Procurement List:

Wrench, Pipe

5120–00–277–1461

5120–00–277–1486

5120–00–277–1485

Beverly L. Milkman,

Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 97–24987 Filed 9–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Proposed Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Proposed additions to

Procurement List.

SUMMARY: The Committee has received a

proposal to add to the Procurement List