Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 28, 1996 / Notices 26499

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

U.S.-South Africa Business

Development Committee: Membership

AGENCY: International Trade

Administration, Department of

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of membership

opportunity.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce

is currently seeking nominations of

outstanding individuals to serve on the

U.S. section of the U.S.-South Africa

Business Development Committee

(BDC). On June 4, 1994, the late

Secretary of Commerce Ronald H.

Brown and South African Minister of

Trade and Industry Trevor Manuel

signed the document establishing the

BDC, the purpose of which is to provide

a forum for the public and private

sectors to engage in constructive

exchanges of information on

commercial matters, problem solve, and

more effectively work together on issues

of common interest. The BDC is

composed of two sections, a U.S. section

and a South African section. The U.S.

Section is chaired by Secretary of

Commerce Michael Kantor and is

comprised of 21 private sector

representatives. The inaugural meeting

of the BDC took place September 19–20,

1994. Subsequent plenary and working

group meetings have been held over the

past two years with the government and

private sector members from both

countries in attendance.

Obligations

Private sector members were

originally appointed for a two year term

which expires August 31, 1996.

Nominations are now being sought for

private sector members to serve for a

two year period from September 1, 1996

until August 31, 1998. Private sector

members will serve at the discretion of

the Secretary and shall serve as

representatives of the business

community and the industry their

business represents. They are expected

to participate fully in defining the

agenda for the Committee and in

implementing its work program. It is

expected that private sector individuals

chosen for BDC membership will attend

not less than 75% of the BDC meetings

which will be held in the U.S. and

South Africa.

Private sector members are fully

responsible for travel, living and

personal expenses associated with their

participation on the BDC and may be

responsible for a pro rata share of

administrative and communications

costs of the BDC.

The BDC will continue to work on

issues of common interest to encourage

trade and investment, including the

following:

—Resolving obstacles to trade and

investment between the two

countries;

—Expanding commercial activity

between both countries and

identifying commercial opportunities;

—Developing sectoral or projectoriented approaches to expand

business opportunities;

—Implementing trade and business

development programs, including

trade missions, seminars, exhibits and

other events;

—Identifying further steps to facilitate

and encourage the development of

commercial expansion between the

two countries; and

—Taking any other appropriate steps for

fostering commercial relations

between the U.S. and South Africa.

Criteria

In order to be eligible for membership

in the U.S. section, potential candidates

must be:

(1) U.S. citizens or permanent

residents;

(2) CEOs or other senior management

level employees of a U.S. company or

organization with demonstrated

involvement in trade with and/or

investment in South Africa who will

participate in not less than 75% of the

BDC meetings, which will be held in the

United States and South Africa. (The

representative nominated should be the

individual that will actively participate

in the BDC);

(3) Not a registered Foreign Agent;

and

(4) Actively doing business in South

Africa or actively developing entry

plans for doing business in South

Africa.

To the extent possible, the

Department of Commerce will strive to

achieve membership composition that

reflects U.S. entrepreneurial diversity.

Therefore, in reviewing eligible

candidates, the Department of

Commerce will consider such selection

factors as:

(1) Depth of experience in the South

African market;

(2) Export/investment experience;

(3) Representation of industry or

service sectors of importance to our

commercial relationship with South

Africa;

(4) Company size or, if an

organization, size and number of

member companies;

(5) Location of company or

organization; and

(6) Demographics.

To be considered for membership,

please provide the following: name and

title of individual proposed for

consideration; name and address of the

company or organization of which the

individual is a representative;

company’s or organization’s product or

service line; size of the company or, if

an organization, the size and number of

member companies; export experience/

foreign investment experience in major

markets; a brief statement (not more

than 1 page) of why each candidate

should be considered for membership

on the Committee; the particular

segment of the business community the

candidate would represent; and a

personal resume.

Deadline

In order to receive full consideration,

requests must be received no later than

June 15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Please send your requests

for consideration to Mrs. S.K. Miller,

Director, Office of Africa by fax on 202/

482–5198 or by mail at Room 2037, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Washington,

D.C. 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.

S.K. Miller, Director, Office of Africa,

Room 2037, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230;

telephone: 202/482–4227.

Authority: Act of February 14, 1903, c. 552,

as amended, 15 U.S.C. 1501 et seq., 32 Stat.

825; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1979, 19

U.S.C. 2171 Note, 93 Stat. 1381.

Dated: May 21, 1996.

Sally K. Miller,

Director, Office of Africa.

[FR Doc. 96–13205 Filed 5–24–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DA–P

Export Trade Certificate of Review;

Notice of Application

SUMMARY: The Office of Export Trading

Company Affairs, International Trade

Administration, Department of

Commerce, has received an application

for an Export Trade Certificate of

Review. This notice summarizes the

conduct for which certification is sought

and requests comments relevant to

whether the Certificate should be

issued. The applicant requested, and the

Secretary of Commerce, with the

concurrence of the Attorney General,

has granted expedited review of this

application.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: W.

Dawn Busby, Director, Office of Export

Trading Company Affairs, International

Trade Administration, (202) 482–5131.

This is not a toll-free number.
26500 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 28, 1996 / Notices

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title III of

the Export Trading Company Act of

1982 (15 U.S.C. 4001–21) authorizes the

Secretary of Commerce to issue Export

Trade Certificates of Review. A

Certificate of Review protects the holder

and the members identified in the

Certificate from state and federal

government antitrust actions and from

private, treble damage antitrust actions

for the export conduct specified in the

Certificate and carried out in

compliance with its terms and

conditions. Section 302(b)(1) of the Act

and 15 CFR 325.6(a) require the

Secretary to publish a notice in the

Federal Register identifying the

applicant and summarizing its proposed

export conduct.

Request for Public Comments

Interested parties may submit written

comments relevant to the determination

of whether a Secretary of Commerce

should issue a Certificate to the

applicant. An original and five (5)

copies of such comments should be

submitted no later than 20 days after the

date of this notice to: Office of Export

Trading Company Affairs, International

Trade Administration, Department of

Commerce, Room 1800H, Washington,

D.C. 20230. Information submitted by

any person is exempt from disclosure

under the Freedom of Information Act

(5 U.S.C. 552). Comments should refer

to this application as ‘‘Export Trade

Certificate of Review, application

number 96–00003.’’

Summary of the Application

Applicant: U.S. Rice Millers’

Association, 4301 N. Fairfax Drive,

Arlington, VA 22203–1616; Contact:

David Graves; Telephone: (703) 351–

8161.

Application No.: 96–00003.

Date Deemed Submitted: May 10,

1996.

Members (in addition to applicant):

Affiliated Rice Milling, Inc., Alvin,

Texas; American Rice, Inc., Houston,

Texas; Brinkley Rice Milling Company,

Brinkley, Arkansas; Broussard Rice Mill,

Inc., Mermentau, Louisiana; Busch

Agricultural Resources, Inc., St. Louis,

Missouri; Cargill Rice Milling,

Greenville, Mississippi; Louis Dreyfus

Corporation, Wilton, Connecticut; El

Campo Rice Milling Company, Louise,

Texas; Farmers Rice Milling Company,

Inc., Lake Charles, Louisiana; Farmers’

Rice Cooperative, Sacramento,

California; Gulf Rice Milling, Inc.,

Houston, Texas; Liberty Rice Mill, Inc.,

Kaplan, Louisiana; Producers Rice Mill,

Inc., Stuttgart, Arkansas; The Rice

Company, Roseville, California;

Riceland Foods, Inc., Stuttgart,

Arkansas; RiceTec, Inc., Alvin, Texas;

Riviana Foods Inc., Houston, Texas;

Supreme Rice Mill, Inc., Crowley,

Louisiana; Uncle Ben’s, Inc., Houston,

Texas.

The Rice Millers’ Association seeks a

Certificate to cover the following

specific Export Trade, Export Markets,

and Export Trade Activities and

Methods of Operations.

Export Trade

Products

Semi-milled and wholly milled rice,

whether or not polished or glazed

(Harmonized Tariff Schedule 1006.30)

and husked (brown) rice (Harmonized

Tariff Schedule 1006.20).

Export Markets

For purposes of administering the

European Union’s tariff rate quota: The

countries of the European Union. For all

other purposes: All parts of the world

except the United States (the 50 states

of the United States, the District of

Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto

Rico, the Virgin Islands, American

Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of

the Northern Mariana Islands, and the

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands).

Export Trade Activities and Methods of

Operation

1. Rice Millers’ Association (RMA)

will administer a system for allocating

the U.S. share of the European Union

(EU) tariff rate quotas (‘‘TRQs’’) for

milled white rice and brown rice

(roughly 38,000 tons of milled rice and

8,000 tons of brown rice) agreed to as

compensation to the United States for

the EU enlargement, to include Austria,

Finland and Sweden, as follows:

A. RMA shall establish a special tariff

rate quota (hereinafter referred to as

‘‘Quota A’’) for the balance of calendar

year 1996 and for calendar year 1997 for

those RMA Members which can

document exports of milled rice or

brown rice to Austria, Finland and

Sweden during the period 1990–1993.

For the balance of 1996, RMA shall

award a Member a Quota A milled rice

or brown rice quota amount based upon

a percent of the Members average

documented historical quantity

exported to the three countries in the

period 1990–1993, as determined by

RMA. For 1997, RMA shall award a

Member a milled rice and brown rice

Quota A amount equal to 100 percent of

the annual average quantity of U.S.

milled rice and brown rice that the

Member documents that it exported to

Austria, Finland and Sweden during the

period 1990–1993.

(i) RMA Members receiving a milled

rice or brown rice Quota A allocation

during 1996 may also receive a milled

rice or brown rice Quota B allocation

during 1996. Each Member receiving a

milled rice or brown rice Quota A

allocation during any period in 1997

shall not be eligible to receive a milled

rice or brown rice Quota B allocation

during that period unless the Member

declines a milled rice or brown rice

Quota A allocation during any period

for that year.

B. For any particular time period,

RMA shall establish a tariff rate quota

allocation (hereinafter referred to as

‘‘Quota B’’) for milled rice and brown

rice allocation equal to the EU milled

rice and brown rice tariff rate quota

remaining after deducting the milled

rice and brown rice Quota A quantity,

if any, for that particular time period. (i)

RMA may provide for an amount of the

milled rice or brown rice Quota B

quantity to be available for allocation

during any particular time period, in a

manner which fully utilizes the quota

available for that particular time period.

(ii) RMA shall allocate an amount of

Quota B milled rice and brown rice

available for a given period to eligible

RMA Members based on the Member’s

proportional share of milled rice and

brown rice exports to the EU for the

previous period duly registered with

RMA by a date certain during the period

the quota is being allocated, as

determined by RMA.

2. RMA shall assess a fee to pay for

administration of all matters related to

establishing, operating and auditing

RMA export trade certificate of review

operations and for certain market

development activities.

3. RMA and/or its Member shall use

those funds remaining after payment of

its administrative expenses to carry out

market development activities. Such

activities shall be of the types approved

by RMA that are comparable to those

funded under the Department of

Agriculture’s market access program

with primary emphasis on rice market

development activities in the European

Union.

4. RMA and/or its Members may:

(i) provide for an administrative

structure to implement the foregoing

tariff rate quota system, in compliance

with the U.S.-EU Compensation

Agreement and EU regulations,

(ii) exchange and discuss information

regarding the structure and method for

implementing the foregoing tariff rate

quota system, in compliance with the

U.S.-EU Compensation Agreement and

EU regulations,

(iii) discuss the type of information

needed regarding past transactions and

exports that are necessary for

implementing the foregoing tariff rate
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 28, 1996 / Notices 26501

quota system, in compliance with the

U.S.-EU Compensation Agreement and

EU regulations,

(iv) exchange and discuss information

about U.S. and foreign legislation and

regulations affecting the foregoing tariff

rate quota system, in compliance with

the U.S.-EU Compensation Agreement

and EU regulations,

(v) discuss and establish the fees to be

assessed upon Members to pay for

administrative expenses and market

promotion activities,

(vi) discuss and provide for the

market promotion activities to be

undertaken with the fees remaining after

payment of administrative expenses,

(vii) otherwise exchange and discuss

information as necessary to implement

the foregoing activities and take the

necessary action to implement the

allocation system for the foregoing tariff

rate quota, in compliance with the U.S.-

EU Compensation Agreement and EU

regulations, and

(viii) meet to engage in the activities

described above.

5. In allocating quotas among

Members, those employees or agents of

RMA who are not also employees of a

Member, may receive, and each Member

may supply to such employees or agents

of RMA, information as to the Member’s

sales and exports of milled white rice

and brown rice to the EU as is necessary

to properly administer the quota,

provided that such information is not

disclosed by RMA employees or agents

to any other Member.

Definitions

‘‘Members’’ means a mill member of

the Rice Millers Association who has

been certified as a ‘‘Member’’ within the

meaning of Section 325.1(1) of the

Regulations.

Dated: May 21, 1996.

W. Dawn Busby,

Director, Office of Export Trading Company

Affairs.

[FR Doc. 96–13212 Filed 5–24–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 050196A]

Small Takes of Marine Mammals

Incidental to Specified Activities;

Offshore Seismic Activities in the

Beaufort Sea

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application

and proposed authorization for a small

take exemption; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request

from the BP Exploration (Alaska) 900

East Benson Boulevard, Anchorage, AK

99519 (BPX) for authorization to take

small numbers of marine mammals by

harassment incidental to conducting

seismic surveys in the Northstar Unit, in

the Beaufort Sea in state and federal

waters. Under the Marine Mammal

Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is

requesting comments on its proposal to

authorize BPX to incidentally take, by

harassment, small numbers of bowhead

whales and other marine mammals in

the above mentioned area during the

open water period of 1996.

DATES: Comments and information must

be received no later than June 27, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the

application should be addressed to

Chief, Marine Mammal Division, Office

of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910–

3225. A copy of the application, an

environmental assessment (EA), and a

list of references used in this document

may be obtained by writing to this

address, by telephoning one of the

contacts listed below or by leaving a

voice mail request at (301) 713–4070.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Hollingshead, Office of

Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713–

2055, Ron Morris, Western Alaska Field

Office, NMFS, (907) 271–5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the

MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs

the Secretary of Commerce to allow,

upon request, the incidental, but not

intentional taking of marine mammals

by U.S. citizens who engage in a

specified activity (other than

commercial fishing) within a specified

geographical region if certain findings

are made and either regulations are

issued or, if the taking is limited to

harassment, notice of a proposed

authorization is provided to the public

for review.

Permission may be granted if NMFS

finds that the taking will have a

negligible impact on the species or

stock(s), will not have an unmitigable

adverse impact on the availability of the

species or stock(s) for subsistence uses,

and the permissible methods of taking

and requirements pertaining to the

monitoring and reporting of such taking

are set forth.

On April 10, 1996 (61 FR 15884),

NMFS published an interim rule

establishing, among other things,

procedures for issuing incidental

harassment authorizations under section

101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA in Arctic

waters. For additional information on

the procedures to be followed for this

authorization, please refer to that

document.

Summary of Request

On March 18, 1996, NMFS received

an application from BPX requesting an

authorization for the harassment of

small numbers of several species of

marine mammals incidental to

conducting seismic surveys during the

open water season within the Northstar

Unit, located in the Beaufort Sea in U.S.

waters. The survey is expected to take

place between approximately July 20

and October 20, 1996. A detailed

description of the work planned is

contained in the application (BPX 1996)

and is available upon request (see

ADDRESSES).

Description of Habitat and Marine

Mammal Affected by the Activity

A detailed description of the Beaufort

Sea ecosystem and its associated marine

mammals can be found in the EA

prepared for this authorization (SAIC

1996) or in other documents (Minerals

Management Service (MMS) 1992, 1996)

and need not be repeated here. A copy

of the EA is available upon request (see

ADDRESSES).

Marine Mammals

The Beaufort/Chukchi Seas support a

diverse assemblage of marine mammals

including bowhead whales (Balaena

glacialis), gray whales (Eschrichtius

robustus), belukha (Delphinapterus

leucas), ringed seals (Phoca hispida),

spotted seals (Phoca largha) and

bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus).

Descriptions on the biology and

distribution of these species, and others,

can be found in several other documents

(BPX 1996, Lentfer 1988, MMS 1992,

NMFS 1990 and 1996, Small and

DeMaster 1995). Please refer to those

documents for information on these

species.

Potential Effects of Seismic Surveys

on Marine Mammals.

Disturbance by seismic noise is the

principal means of taking by this

activity. Vessel and aircraft will provide

a secondary source of noise.

Deep seismic surveys are used to

obtain data about formations several

thousands of feet deep. The physical

presence of vessels could also lead to

non-acoustic effects involving visual or

other cues. These surveys are

accomplished by transmitting sound

waves into the earth, which are reflected