Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 233 / Thursday, December 4, 1997 / Notices 64251

country were produced into goods in a

second)?

13. Have you established a reliable

maintenance program or procedure to

ensure you can produce any required

entry documentation and supporting

information, including any required

certificates of origin?

Intellectual Property Rights

Basic Question: Have you determined

or established a reliable procedure to

permit you to determine whether your

merchandise or its packaging bear or use

any trademarks or copyrighted matter or

are patented and, if so, that you have a

legal right to import those items into,

and/or use those items in, the U.S.?

1. If you are importing goods or

packaging bearing a trademark

registered in the U.S., have you checked

or established a reliable procedure to

ensure that it is genuine and not

restricted from importation under the

‘‘gray-market’’ or parallel import

requirements of U.S. law (see 19 CFR

133.21), or that you have permission

from the trademark holder to import

such merchandise?

2. If you are importing goods or

packaging which consist of, or contain

registered copyrighted material, have

you checked or established a reliable

procedure to ensure that it is authorized

and genuine? If you are importing sound

recordings of live performances, were

the recordings authorized?

3. Have you checked or developed a

reliable procedure to see if your

merchandise is subject to an

International Trade Commission or

court ordered exclusion order?

4. Have you established a reliable

procedure to ensure that you maintain

and can produce any required entry

documentation and supporting

information?

Miscellaneous Questions

1. Have you taken measures or

developed reliable procedures to ensure

that your merchandise complies with

other agency requirements (e.g., FDA,

EPA/DOT, CPSC, FTC, Agriculture, etc.)

prior to or upon entry, including the

procurement of any necessary licenses

or permits?

2. Have you taken measures or

developed reliable procedures to check

to see if your goods are subject to a

Commerce Department dumping or

countervailing duty investigation or

determination, and if so, have you

complied or developed reliable

procedures to ensure compliance with

Customs reporting requirements upon

entry (e.g., 19 CFR 141.61)?

3. Is your merchandise subject to

quota/visa requirements, and if so, have

you provided or developed a reliable

procedure to provide a correct visa for

the goods upon entry?

4. Have you taken reliable measures to

ensure and verify that you are filing the

correct type of Customs entry (e.g., TIB,

T&E, consumption entry, mail entry,

etc.), as well as ensure that you have the

right to make entry under the Customs

Regulations?

Additional Questions for Textile and

Apparel Importers

Note: Section 333 of the Uruguay Round

Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 1592a)

authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to

publish a list of foreign producers,

manufacturers, suppliers, sellers, exporters,

or other foreign persons who have been

found to have violated 19 U.S.C. 1592 by

using certain false, fraudulent or counterfeit

documentation, labeling, or prohibited

transshipment practices in connection with

textiles and apparel products. Section 1592a

also requires any importer of record entering,

introducing, or attempting to introduce into

the commerce of the United States textile or

apparel products that were either directly or

indirectly produced, manufactured, supplied,

sold, exported, or transported by such named

person to show, to the satisfaction of the

Secretary, that such importer has exercised

reasonable care to ensure that the textile or

apparel products are accompanied by

documentation, packaging, and labeling that

are accurate as to its origin. Under section

1592a, reliance solely upon information

regarding the imported product from a

person named on the list does not constitute

the exercise of reasonable care. Textile and

apparel importers who have some

commercial relationship with one or more of

the listed parties must exercise a degree of

reasonable care in ensuring that the

documentation covering the imported

merchandise, as well as its packaging and

labeling, is accurate as to the country of

origin of the merchandise. This degree of

reasonable care must rely on more than

information supplied by the named party.

In meeting the reasonable care

standard when importing textile or

apparel products and when dealing with

a party named on the list published

pursuant to section 592A an importer

should consider the following questions

in attempting to ensure that the

documentation, packaging, and labeling

is accurate as to the country of origin of

the imported merchandise. The list of

questions is not exhaustive but is

illustrative.

1. Has the importer had a prior

relationship with the named party?

2. Has the importer had any

detentions and/or seizures of textile or

apparel products that were directly or

indirectly produced, supplied, or

transported by the named party?

3. Has the importer visited the

company’s premises and ascertained

that the company has the capacity to

produce the merchandise?

4. Where a claim of an origin

conferring process is made in

accordance with 19 CFR 102.21, has the

importer ascertained that the named

party actually performed the required

process?

5. Is the named party operating from

the same country as is represented by

that party on the documentation,

packaging or labeling?

6. Have quotas for the imported

merchandise closed or are they nearing

closing from the main producer

countries for this commodity?

7. What is the history of this country

regarding this commodity?

8. Have you asked questions of your

supplier regarding the origin of the

product?

9. Where the importation is

accompanied by a visa, permit, or

license, has the importer verified with

the supplier or manufacturer that the

visa, permit, and/or license is both valid

and accurate as to its origin? Has the

importer scrutinized the visa, permit or

license as to any irregularities that

would call its authenticity into

question?

Dated: December 1, 1997.

Stuart P. Seidel,

Assistant Commissioner, Office of

Regulations and Rulings.

[FR Doc. 97–31802 Filed 12–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4820–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Fiscal Service

Surety Companies Acceptable on

Federal Bonds; Termination of

Authority: Munich American

Reinsurance Company, Munich

Reinsurance Company, U.S. Branch

SUMMARY: (Dept. Circ. 570, 1997—Rev.,

Supp. No. 3).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Surety Bond Branch (202) 874–7102.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is

hereby given that the Certificates of

Authority issued by the Treasury to

Munich American Reinsurance

Company and Munich Reinsurance

Company, U.S. Branch, under the

United States Code, Title 31, Sections

9304–9308, to qualify as an acceptable

surety and as an acceptable reinsuring

company on Federal bonds are hereby

terminated.

Munich American Reinsurance

Company was last listed as an

acceptable surety on Federal bonds at 62

FR 35567, July 1, 1997 and Munich
64252 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 233 / Thursday, December 4, 1997 / Notices

Reinsurance Company, U.S. Branch,

was last listed as an acceptable

reinsuring company on Federal bonds at

62 FR 35581, July 1, 1997.

With respect to any bonds currently

in force with both these companies,

bond-approving officers may let such

bonds run to expiration and need not

secure new bonds. However, no new

bonds should be accepted. In addition,

bonds that are continuous in nature

should not be renewed.

The Treasury Department Circular

570 may be viewed and downloaded

through the Internet (http://

www.fms.treas.gov/c570.html) or

through our computerized public

bulletin board system (FMS Inside Line)

at (202) 874–6887. A hard copy may be

purchased from the Government

Printing Office (GPO), Subscription

Service, Washington, DC, telephone

(202) 512–1800. When ordering the

Circular from GPO, use the following

stock number: 048–000–00509–8.

Questions concerning this notice may

be directed to the U.S. Department of

the Treasury, Financial Management

Service, Funds Management Division,

Surety Bond Branch, 3700 East-West

Highway, Room 6A11, Hyattsville, MD

20782.

Dated: November 20, 1997.

Charles F. Schwan III,

Director, Funds Management Division,

Financial Management Service.

[FR Doc. 97–31807 Filed 12–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4810–35–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request for Form 8498

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Department of the

Treasury, as part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork and respondent

burden, invites the general public and

other Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on proposed

and/or continuing information

collections, as required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C.

3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is

soliciting comments concerning Form

8498, Program Sponsor Agreement for

Continuing Education for Enrolled

Agents.

DATES: Written comments should be

received on or before February 2, 1998

to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Garrick R. Shear, Internal Revenue

Service, room 5571, 1111 Constitution

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or

copies of the form and instructions

should be directed to Carol Savage,

(202) 622–3945, Internal Revenue

Service, room 5569, 1111 Constitution

Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Program Sponsor Agreement for

Continuing Education for Enrolled

Agents.

OMB Number: 1545–1459.

Form Number: Forms 8498.

Abstract: Form 8498 is used by the

Director of Practice to determine the

qualifications of those individuals or

organizations seeking to present

continuing professional educational

programs for persons enrolled to

practice before the Internal Revenue

Service.

Current Actions: There are no changes

being made to the form at this time.

Type of Review: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Individuals and

business or other for-profit

organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

500.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 36

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 300.

The following paragraph applies to all

of the collections of information covered

by this notice:

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless the collection of information

displays a valid OMB control number.

Books or records relating to a collection

of information must be retained as long

as their contents may become material

in the administration of any internal

revenue law. Generally, tax returns and

tax return information are confidential,

as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: Comments

submitted in response to this notice will

be summarized and/or included in the

request for OMB approval. All

comments will become a matter of

public record. Comments are invited on:

(a) Whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

agency, including whether the

information shall have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of the burden of the collection of

information; (c) ways to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on respondents, including

through the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology; and (e) estimates of capital

or start-up costs and costs of operation,

maintenance, and purchase of services

to provide information.

Approved: November 26, 1997.

Garrick R. Shear,

IRS Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–31805 Filed 12–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

Regional Scholar Exchange Program

With the New Independent States and

Freedom Support Act Fellowships in

Contemporary Issues

ACTION: Notice—request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic

Programs, Academic Exchanges

Division, European Programs Branch of

the United States Information Agency’s

Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Affairs announces an open competition

for an assistance award. Public and

private non-profit organizations with at

least four years of experience in

conducting international exchange

programs with the New Independent

States and meeting the provisions

described in IRS regulation 26 CFR

1.501(c) may apply to develop and

administer the recruitment, selection,

orientation, placement, monitoring,

evaluation, and alumni activities for two

programs:

The Regional Scholar Exchange

Program with the new Independent

States: Research fellowships for four

months and six months at host

institutions in the United States for

approximately 130 highly qualified

advanced graduate students pursuing

dissertation research and university

faculty and scholars at the early stages

of their careers in one of twenty-five

designated fields of the social sciences

and humanities who are citizens of

Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus, Georgia,

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the

Russian Federation, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan

and for research fellowships for four

months and six months at host

institutions in the New Independent

States for approximately twenty

advanced graduate student pursuing

dissertation research or special projects