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

18311

Vol. 62, No. 72

Tuesday, April 15, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Notice of Request for Collection of

Public Information with Use of a

Survey

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments

request.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Rural BusinessCooperative Service’s (RBS) intention to

request clearance for a new information

collection in order to render service to

associations of producers of agricultural,

forestry, and fisheries products and

federations and subsidiaries thereof as

authorized in the Cooperative Marketing

Act of 1926.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by June 16, 1997 to be assured

of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tracey L. Kennedy, Agricultural

Economist, RBS, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue

S.W., Stop 3252, Washington, D.C.

20250–3252, Telephone (202) 690–1428.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Annual Survey of Cooperative

Involvement in International Markets.

Type of Request: New information

collection.

Abstract: The mission of the Rural

Business-Cooperative Service (RBS),

formerly Agricultural Cooperative

Service (ACS), is to assist farmer-owned

cooperatives in improving the economic

well-being of their farmer-members.

This is accomplished through a

comprehensive program of research on

structural, operational, and policy

issues affecting cooperatives; technical

advisory assistance to individual

cooperatives and to groups of producers

who wish to organize cooperatives; and

development of educational and

informational material. The authority to

carry out RBS’s mission is defined in

the Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926

(44 Stat. 802–1926).

Authority and Duties of Division (7

U.S.C. 453)

(a) The division shall render service

to associations of producers of

agricultural products, and federations

and subsidiaries thereof, engaged in the

cooperative marketing of agricultural

products including processing,

warehousing, manufacturing, storage,

the cooperative purchasing of farm

supplies, credit, financing, insurance,

and other cooperative activities.

(b) The division is authorized to:

(1) acquire, analyze and disseminate

economic, statistical, and historical

information regarding the progress,

organization, and business methods of

cooperative associations in the United

States and foreign countries.

(2) conduct studies of the economic,

legal, financial, social and other phases

of cooperation, and publish the results

thereof. Such studies shall include the

analyses of the organization, operation,

financial and merchandising problems

of cooperative organizations.

(3) make surveys and analyses if

deemed advisable of the accounts and

business practices of representative

cooperative associations upon their

request; to report to the association so

surveyed the results thereof; and with

the consent of the association so

surveyed to publish summaries of the

results of such surveys, together with

similar facts, for the guidance of

cooperative associations and for the

purpose of assisting cooperative

associations in developing methods of

business and market analysis.

(4) acquire from all available sources,

information concerning crop prospects,

supply, demand, current receipts,

exports, imports, and prices of

agricultural products handled or

marketed by cooperative associations,

and to employ qualified commodity

marketing specialists to summarize and

analyze this information and

disseminate the same among

cooperative associations and others.’’

RBS also has a stated objective to

‘‘assist U.S. farmer cooperatives to

expand their participation in

international trade of agricultural

products and supplies and to review

their progress.’’ As trade agreements are

implemented and domestic farm

supports are reduced, a global presence

is increasingly important to producers,

their communities, and to job-creation

and retention in agri- and food-related

industries. Measurement and

monitoring of cooperatives’ global

presence are stated objectives of RBS’s

International Trade Program. In order to

carry out the agency’s mission and

objectives, RBS needs to collect

information from the cooperative

community. This information collection

is designed to provide time-series data

that will provide a better understanding

of the opportunities and limitations of

producer-owned cooperatives in global

markets. The data provide the basis for

research on trade-related issues affecting

cooperatives, and background for traderelated policy analysis.

Beginning in 1980, RBS’s predecessor

agency Agricultural Cooperative Service

(ACS) collected cooperative trade data

at five year intervals. Value of

cooperative exports by commodity and

destination were measured, as well as

information related to method of sale.

Values of imports by cooperatives, by

commodity and country of origin were

collected in 1986 and 1991. However,

data collected at five-year intervals do

not provide for meaningful analysis.

Further, previous collections have been

strictly limited to exports and imports,

neglecting other important international

arrangements such as strategic alliances

and foreign direct investment. A more

comprehensive, annual information

collection is required to accomplish

RBS objectives and paint a more

accurate picture of cooperative

involvement in international markets.

These data are generally not available to

RBS unless provided by the

cooperatives.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average one (1) hour per

response.

Respondents: Cooperatives involved

in international activities.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

170.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: one per year.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 170 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Sam Spencer,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Division, at (202) 720–

9725.
18312 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 72 / Tuesday, April 15, 1997 / Notices

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the function of the Agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the

Agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Comments may be sent to Sam Spencer,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Division, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Rural Development, 1400

Independence Avenue S.W., Stop 0743,

Washington, D.C. 20250. All responses

to this notice will be summarized and

included in the request for OMB

approval. All comments will also

become a matter of a public record.

Dated: April 7, 1997.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative

Service.

[FR Doc. 97–9637 Filed 4–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 26–97]

Foreign-Trade Zone 50—Long Beach,

CA; Application for Subzone; L.A.

Gear, Inc. (Casual and Athletic

Footwear) Long Beach, CA

An application has been submitted to

the Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the

Board) by the Board of Harbor

Commissioners of the City of Long

Beach, grantee of FTZ 50, requesting

subzone status for the footwear

distribution facility of L.A. Gear, Inc.,

located in Ontario, California, some 40

miles northeast of Long Beach. The

application was submitted pursuant to

the provisions of the Foreign-Trade

Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a–

81u), and the regulations of the Board

(15 CFR part 400). It was formally filed

on April 7, 1997.

The L.A. Gear facility (412,358 sq. ft.

on 19.08 acres; 149 employees) is

located at 1661 & 1777 South Vintage

Avenue in Ontario. It is used to

distribute a wide range of casual and

athletic shoes, most of which are

sourced from abroad. The products are

distributed throughout the U.S. and

abroad.

Zone procedures would exempt L.A.

Gear from Customs duty payments on

the foreign products that are reexported.

On its domestic sales, it would be able

to defer Customs duty payments on

merchandise that is sourced from

abroad. The application indicates that

zone savings would help improve the

international competitiveness of the

facility.

In accordance with the Board’s

regulations, a member of the FTZ staff

has been appointed examiner to

investigate the application and report to

the Board.

Public comment is invited from

interested parties. Submissions (original

and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the

Board’s Executive Secretary at the

address below. The closing period for

their receipt is June 16, 1997. Rebuttal

comments in response to material

submitted during the foregoing period

may be submitted during the subsequent

15-day period July 1, 1997.

A copy of the application and

accompanying exhibits will be available

for public inspection at each of the

following locations:

U.S. Department of Commerce Export

Assistance Center, Joe Sachs, Director, One

World Trade Center, Ste. 1670, Long

Beach, California 90831

Office of the Executive Secretary, ForeignTrade Zones Board, Room 3716, U.S.

Department of Commerce, 14th &

Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.

20230

Dated: April 8, 1997.

John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,

Executive Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–9657 Filed 4–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–M

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A–301–602]

Certain Fresh Cut Flowers From

Colombia: Initiation of Administrative

Review and Request for Revocation in

Part of the Antidumping Duty Order

AGENCY: Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of initiation of

antidumping administrative review and

request for revocation in part of the

antidumping duty order.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce

(the Department) has received requests

to conduct an administrative review of

the antidumping duty order on certain

fresh cut flowers from Colombia. A

request for revocation from the

antidumping duty order was also

received from HOSA, Ltda. In

accordance with the Department’s

regulations, we are initiating this

administrative review for the period

March 1, 1996 through February 28,

1997, for those named exporters/

growers for whom a request for review

was received. The Department is also

noting HOSA’s request for revocation

from the antidumping duty order.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 15, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Elizabeth A. Graham, Office of AD/CVD

Enforcement, Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th

Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20230, telephone:

(202) 482–4105.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Department has received timely

requests, in accordance with 19 C.F.R.

353.22(a), for an administrative review

of the antidumping duty order on

certain fresh cut flowers from Colombia.

The Department has also received a

request for revocation from HOSA, Ltda.

Initiation of Reviews

In accordance with section 19 C.F.R.

353.22(c), we are initiating an

administrative review of the

antidumping duty order on certain fresh

cut flowers from Colombia. We intend

to issue the final results of this review

not later than March 31, 1998.

We received requests for review of the

following specifically-named exporters/

growers who shipped subject

merchandise during the period:

Abaco Tulipanex de Colombia

Achalay

Aga Group

Agricola la Celestina

Agricola la Maria

Agricola Benilda Ltda.

Agrex de Oriente

Agricola Acevedo Ltda.

Agricola Altiplano

Agricola Arenales Ltda.

Agricola Bonanza Ltda.

Agricola Circasia Ltda.

Agricola de Occident

Agricola del Monte

Agricola el Cactus S.A.

Agricola el Redil

Agricola Guali S.A.

Agricola la Corsaria Ltda.

Agricola la Siberia

Agricola Las Cuadras Group

Agricola las Cuadras Ltda.