43690 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 19, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

1See 15 U.S.C. 68b(a)(2)(C) (Wool Products 

Labeling Act of 1939) (‘‘Wool Act’’); 15 U.S.C. 

69b(2)(E) (Fur Products Labeling Act) (‘‘Fur Act’’); 

15 U.S.C. 70b(b)(3) (Textile Fiber Products 

Identification Act) (‘‘Textile Act’’); 16 CFR part 300 

(Wool Rules); 16 CFR part 301 (Fur Rules); 16 CFR 

part 303 (Textile Rules). The FTC’s public Web site 

offers a detailed description of products that are 

subject to, or exempt from, these labeling 

requirements. See Federal Trade Commission, 

Threading Your Way Through the Labeling 

Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts, 

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/ 

guidance/threading-your-way-through-labelingrequirements-under-textile. 

2See 16 CFR 300.4 (Wool Rules provision); 16 

CFR 301.26 (Fur Rules provision); 16 CFR 303.30 

(Textile Rules provision). 3See 17 FR 6075, 6077 (July 8, 1952) (Fur Rule 

provision 16 CFR 301.26); 24 FR 4480, 4484 (June 

2, 1959) (Textile Rule provision 16 CFR 303.20); 29 

FR 6622 (May 21, 1964) (Wool Rule provision 16 

CFR 300.4). 4 In recent years, the FTC has issued 

approximately 3,000 RNs per year. 

(i) That the fuel economy or driving 

range information is based on a nonEPA test; 

(ii) The source of the non-EPA test; 

(iii) The EPA fuel economy estimates 

or EPA driving range estimates for the 

vehicle; and 

(iv) All driving conditions or vehicle 

configurations simulated by the nonEPA test that are different from those 

used in the EPA test. Such conditions 

and variables may include, but are not 

limited to, road or dynamometer test, 

average speed, range of speed, hot or 

cold start, temperature, and design or 

equipment differences. 

(2) Disclosure format. The 

Commission regards the following as 

constituting ‘‘substantially more 

prominence’’: 

(i) For visual disclosures on television. 

If the fuel economy claims appear only 

in the visual portion, the EPA figures 

should appear in numbers twice as large 

as those used for any other estimate, and 

should remain on the screen at least as 

long as any other estimate. Each EPA 

figure should be broadcast against a 

solid color background that contrasts 

easily with the color used for the 

numbers when viewed on both color 

and black and white television. 

(ii) For audio disclosures. For radio 

and television advertisements in which 

any other estimate is used only in the 

audio, equal prominence should be 

given to the EPA figures. The 

Commission will regard the following as 

constituting equal prominence: The EPA 

estimated city and/or highway MPG 

should be stated, either before or after 

each disclosure of such other estimate, 

at least as audibly as such other 

estimate. 

(iii) For print and Internet disclosures. 

The EPA figures should appear in 

clearly legible type at least twice as 

large as that used for any other estimate. 

The EPA figures should appear against 

a solid color, and contrasting 

background. They may not appear in a 

footnote unless all references to fuel 

economy appear in a footnote. 

Example 1: An Internet advertisement 

states: ‘‘Independent driving experts took the 

QXT car for a weekend spin and managed to 

get 55 miles-per-gallon under a variety of 

driving conditions.’’ It does not disclose the 

actual EPA fuel economy estimates, nor does 

it explain how conditions during the 

‘‘weekend spin’’ differed from those under 

the EPA tests. This advertisement likely 

conveys that the 55 MPG figure is the same 

or comparable to an EPA fuel economy 

estimate for the vehicle. This claim is 

deceptive because it fails to disclose that fuel 

economy information is based on a non-EPA 

test, the source of the non-EPA test, the EPA 

fuel economy estimates for the vehicle, and 

all driving conditions or vehicle 

configurations simulated by the non-EPA test 

that are different from those used in the EPA 

test. 

Example 2: An advertisement states: ‘‘The 

XZY electric car has a driving range of 110 

miles per charge in summer conditions 

according to our expert’s test.’’ It provides no 

additional information regarding this driving 

range claim. This advertisement likely 

conveys that this 110-mile driving range 

figure is comparable to an EPA driving range 

estimate for the vehicle. The advertisement is 

deceptive because it does not clearly state 

that the test is a non-EPA test; it does not 

provide the EPA estimated driving range; and 

it does not explain how conditions referred 

to in the advertisement differed from those 

under the EPA tests. Without this 

information, consumers are likely to confuse 

the claims with range estimates derived from 

the official EPA test procedures. 

By direction of the Commission. 

Donald S. Clark, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19869 Filed 9–18–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6750–01–P 

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 

16 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303 

RIN 3084–AB29, 3084–AB27, 3084–AB30 

Wool Products Labeling; Fur Products 

Labeling; Textile Fiber Products 

Identification 

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission. 

ACTION: Final rules. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Trade 

Commission (‘‘Commission’’ or ‘‘FTC’’) 

amends the Rules and Regulations 

Under the Wool Products Labeling Act 

of 1939 (‘‘Wool Rules’’), the Rules and 

Regulations Under Fur Products 

Labeling Act (‘‘Fur Rules’’), and the 

Rules and Regulations Under the Textile 

Fiber Products Identification Act 

(‘‘Textile Rules’’) (collectively, ‘‘Rules’’) 

to require the public to submit any 

requests to obtain, update, or cancel 

registered identification numbers via the 

FTC’s Web site. 

DATES: The amended Rules are effective 

October 19, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joshua S. Millard, (202) 326–2454, 

Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal 

Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania 

Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20580. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction 

The Commission is revising the Fur, 

Textile, and Wool Rules to require 

electronic filing of requests to obtain, 

update, or cancel registered 

identification numbers used on fur, 

textile, and wool product labels through 

the FTC’s Web site, unless the 

Commission or its designee instructs 

otherwise as specified below. The 

revisions facilitate the use of the 

Commission’s web-based registered 

identification number (‘‘RN’’) system, 

which will streamline the application 

and update process for participating 

businesses, and greatly increase the 

efficiency with which the FTC delivers 

RN services to the public. This 

document describes the background of 

the RN program and the grounds for 

revising the relevant parts of the Fur, 

Textile, and Wool Rules, and sets forth 

the amended Rules provisions. 

II. Background 

Federal labeling requirements 

mandate that most fur, textile, and wool 

products have a label identifying the 

manufacturer or other business 

responsible for marketing or handling 

the item.1 To comply with this mandate, 

a person or firm residing in the United 

States that imports, manufactures, 

markets, distributes, or otherwise 

handles fur, textile, or wool products 

may apply for an RN to display on 

product labels in lieu of the person or 

firm’s full name.2 RNs are not 

mandatory, but they occupy less space 

on a label and help buyers identify the 

person or firm responsible for a product. 

The public can find contact information 

for each RN registrant by searching the 

FTC’s public Web page dedicated to the 

RN program, https://rn.ftc.gov. 

For over 50 years, to obtain or update 

an RN, one had to complete and submit 

a paper form published in the Federal 

Register, or in more recent years, 

transmit the information requested on 

that form by electronic means.3 The FTC 

receives thousands of new RN 

applications every year in various 

formats, thus complicating and slowing 

the review process.4


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 19, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 43691 

5A regulatory flexibility analysis under the RFA 

is required only when an agency must publish a 

notice of proposed rulemaking for comment. See 5 

U.S.C. 603. 

Recently, the FTC upgraded its RN 

Web page at https://rn.ftc.gov to make it 

easier for the public to obtain, update, 

and cancel RNs. As part of this 

initiative, and to further improve and 

streamline its handling of RN requests, 

the FTC is retiring the paper forms 

previously published in the Federal 

Register and discontinuing the handling 

of RN requests submitted by mail, hand 

delivery, or facsimile. 

The FTC’s upgraded Web site allows 

the public to create a passwordprotected user account to obtain or 

update an RN without requiring more 

company information than before. To 

process a new RN application, the Web 

site asks the applicant in pertinent part 

to identify its legal name, the name 

under which it does business, the 

business’ street address, the type of 

business it conducts (e.g., 

manufacturing or importing), the 

product line(s) it handles that are 

subject to the Fur, Textile, or Wool Acts, 

and additional contact information (e.g., 

phone number and email address). The 

upgraded Web site validates data as 

applicants enter it, and can immediately 

advise an applicant in numerous 

instances if the data is erroneous (e.g., 

a truncated phone number) or does not 

appear to meet the requirements for 

issuance of an RN (e.g., the applicant 

does not provide a street address in the 

United States). Users can also visit the 

Web site and login to request the 

cancellation of their RNs. Because the 

information requested to process RN 

requests has not changed, the FTC is not 

changing the requirements for RN 

requests, only specifying the method by 

which requests must be submitted. 

The amended Rules provide that 

requests made by means other than the 

FTC’s Web site will not be accepted 

unless otherwise indicated by the 

Commission or its designee. This 

provision affords the Commission or its 

designee the discretion to act on 

requests submitted by other means 

when appropriate (e.g., if the FTC’s Web 

site is temporarily unavailable). At this 

time, the Commission’s designee is the 

Associate Director of the Bureau of 

Consumer Protection’s Division of 

Enforcement. 

III. Procedural Requirements 

Under the Administrative Procedure 

Act, notice and comment requirements 

do not apply ‘‘to interpretive rules, 

general statements of policy, or rules of 

agency organization, procedure, or 

practice.’’ 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A). The final 

Rules do not change the substantive 

responsibilities of any entity under the 

Rules. The revisions merely modify the 

procedural mechanism for submitting 

requests relating to RNs. Accordingly, 

the Commission finds that advance 

public notice and comment is 

unnecessary. For this reason, the 

requirements of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act (‘‘RFA’’) also do not 

apply.5

IV. Paperwork Reduction Act 

The amendments to the Rules do not 

constitute a new ‘‘collection of 

information’’ under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3521 

(‘‘PRA’’). The Rules contain various 

existing information collection 

requirements for which the Commission 

has obtained clearance under the PRA 

from the Office of Management and 

Budget. Because these amendments do 

not trigger additional recordkeeping, 

disclosure, or reporting requirements, 

there is no incremental burden under 

the PRA. See 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. 

List of Subjects 

16 CFR Part 300 

Labeling, Trade practices, Wool. 

16 CFR Part 301 

Fur, Labeling, Trade practices. 

16 CFR Part 303 

Labeling, Textiles, Trade practices. 

Final Rule Revisions 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, the Federal Trade 

Commission amends Title 16, Chapter I, 

Subchapter C of the Code of Federal 

Regulations, parts 300, 301, and 303 as 

follows: 

PART 300—RULES AND 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE WOOL 

PRODUCTS LABELING ACT OF 1939 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 300 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 68–68j. 

■ 2. In § 300.4, revise paragraphs (c) and 

(e) to read as follows: 

§ 300.4 Registered identification numbers. 

* * * * * 

(c) Registered identification numbers 

shall be used only by the person or firm 

to whom they are issued, and such 

numbers are not transferable or 

assignable. Registered identification 

numbers shall be subject to cancellation 

whenever any such number was 

procured or has been used improperly 

or contrary to the requirements of the 

Acts administered by the Federal Trade 

Commission, and regulations in this 

part, or when otherwise deemed 

necessary in the public interest. 

Registered identification numbers shall 

be subject to cancellation if the 

Commission fails to receive prompt 

notification of any change in name, 

business address, or legal business 

status of a person or firm to whom a 

registered identification number has 

been assigned, by application duly 

executed in the form and manner set out 

in paragraph (e) of this section, 

reflecting the current name, business 

address, and legal business status of the 

person or firm. 

* * * * * 

(e) Requests for a registered 

identification number, to update 

information pertaining to an existing 

number, or to cancel an existing number 

shall be made through the Commission’s 

Web site at https://rn.ftc.gov. Unless 

otherwise directed by the Commission 

or its designee, requests made by other 

means (including but not limited to 

email) will not be accepted and 

approved. 

PART 301—RULES AND 

REGULATIONS UNDER FUR 

PRODUCTS LABELING ACT 

■ 3. The authority citation for part 301 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 69 et seq. 

■ 4. In § 301.26, revise paragraphs (a), 

(b)(2), and (d) to read as follows: 

§ 301.26 Registered identification 

numbers. 

(a) Registered numbers for use as the 

required identification in lieu of the 

name on fur product labels as provided 

in section 4(2)(E) of the Act will be 

issued by the Commission to qualified 

persons residing in the United States 

upon receipt of an application duly 

executed on the Commission’s Web site 

at https://rn.ftc.gov or by such means as 

the Commission or its designee may 

direct. 

(b) * * * 

(2) Registered identification numbers 

shall be subject to cancellation if the 

Federal Trade Commission fails to 

receive prompt notification of any 

change in name, business address, or 

legal business status of a person or firm 

to whom a registered identification 

number has been assigned, by 

application duly executed in the form 

and manner set out in paragraph (d) of 

this section, reflecting the current name, 

business address, and legal business 

status of the person or firm. 

* * * * * 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with RULES
43692 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 19, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

(d) Requests for a registered 

identification number, to update 

information pertaining to an existing 

number, or to cancel an existing number 

shall be made through the Commission’s 

Web site at https://rn.ftc.gov. Unless 

otherwise directed by the Commission 

or its designee, requests made by other 

means (including but not limited to 

email) will not be accepted and 

approved. 

PART 303—RULES AND 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE TEXTILE 

FIBER PRODUCTS IDENTIFICATION 

ACT 

■ 5. The authority citation for part 303 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 70 et seq. 

■ 6. Revise § 303.20 to read as follows: 

§ 303.20 Registered identification 

numbers. 

(a) Registered numbers for use as the 

required identification in lieu of the 

name on textile fiber product labels, as 

provided in section 4(b)(3) of the Act, 

will be issued by the Commission to 

qualified persons residing in the United 

States upon receipt of an application 

duly executed on the Commission’s 

Web site at https://rn.ftc.gov or by such 

means as the Commission or its 

designee may direct. 

(b)(1) Registered identification 

numbers shall be used only by the 

person or concern to whom they are 

issued, and such numbers are not 

transferable or assignable. 

(2) Registered identification numbers 

shall be subject to cancellation 

whenever any such number was 

procured or has been used improperly 

or contrary to the requirements of the 

Acts administered by the Federal Trade 

Commission, and regulations 

promulgated thereunder, or when 

otherwise deemed necessary in the 

public interest. 

(3) Registered identification numbers 

shall be subject to cancellation if the 

Commission fails to receive prompt 

notification of any change in name, 

business address, or legal business 

status of a person or firm to whom a 

registered identification number has 

been assigned, by application duly 

executed on the Commission’s Web site 

at https://rn.ftc.gov or by such means as 

the Commission or its designee may 

direct. 

(c) Registered identification numbers 

assigned under this section may be used 

on labels required in labeling products 

subject to the provisions of the Wool 

Products Labeling Act and Fur Products 

Labeling Act, and numbers previously 

assigned by the Commission under such 

Acts may be used as and for the 

required name in labeling under this 

Act. When so used by the person or firm 

to whom assigned, the use of the 

numbers shall be construed as 

identifying and binding the applicant as 

fully and in all respects as though 

assigned under the specific Act for 

which it is used. 

(d) Requests for a registered 

identification number, to update 

information pertaining to an existing 

number, or to cancel an existing number 

shall be made through the Commission’s 

Web site at https://rn.ftc.gov. Unless 

otherwise directed by the Commission 

or its designee, requests made by other 

means (including but not limited to 

email) will not be accepted and 

approved. 

By direction of the Commission. 

Donald S. Clark, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19868 Filed 9–18–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6750–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

19 CFR Part 12 

[CBP Dec. 17–12] 

RIN 1515–AE32 

Extension of Import Restrictions 

Imposed on Archaeological and 

Ethnological Materials From the 

Republic of Mali 

AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection, Department of Homeland 

Security; Department of the Treasury. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule amends the 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) regulations to reflect an extension 

of import restrictions on certain 

archaeological materials from Mali. 

These restrictions, which were 

originally imposed by Treasury Decision 

(T.D.) 93–74, and last extended by CBP 

Decision (Dec.) 12–14, are due to expire 

on September 19, 2017. The Acting 

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 

and Public Affairs, United States 

Department of State, has determined 

that conditions warrant the continued 

imposition of import restrictions on 

certain archaeological materials and the 

addition of import restrictions on 

certain ethnological materials from 

Mali. The Designated List of cultural 

property described in CBP Dec. 07–77 is 

revised in this document to reflect the 

addition of ethnological materials to 

include manuscripts dating between the 

twelfth and twentieth centuries in 

paper. The import restrictions imposed 

on the archaeological and ethnological 

materials from Mali will be in effect for 

a five-year period, and the CBP 

regulations are being amended 

accordingly to reflect this extension 

through September 19, 2022. These 

restrictions are being imposed pursuant 

to determinations of the United States 

Department of State made under the 

terms of the Convention on Cultural 

Property Implementation Act, which 

implements the 1970 United Nations 

Educational, Scientific and Cultural 

Organization (UNESCO) Convention on 

the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing 

the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of 

Ownership of Cultural Property. 

DATES: Effective September 19, 2017. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

regulatory aspects, Lisa L. Burley, Chief, 

Cargo Security, Carriers and Restricted 

Merchandise Branch, Regulations and 

Rulings, Office of Trade, (202) 325– 

0215, lisa.burley@cbp.dhs.gov. For 

operational aspects, William R. Scopa, 

Branch Chief, Partner Government 

Agencies Branch, Trade Policy and 

Programs, Office of Trade, (202) 863– 

6554, William.R.Scopa@cbp.dhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Pursuant to the provisions of the 

Convention on Cultural Property 

Implementation Act (hereafter, ‘‘the 

Cultural Property Implementation Act’’ 

or ‘‘the Act’’ (Pub. L. 97–446, 19 U.S.C. 

2601 et seq.)), which implements the 

1970 United Nations Educational, 

Scientific and Cultural Organization 

(UNESCO) Convention on the Means of 

Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit 

Import, Export and Transfer of 

Ownership of Cultural Property 

(hereinafter, the Convention) in U.S. 

law, the United States may enter into 

international agreements with another 

State Party to the Convention to impose 

import restrictions on eligible 

archaeological and ethnological 

materials under procedures and 

requirements prescribed by the Act. 

In certain limited circumstances, the 

Cultural Property Implementation Act 

authorizes the imposition of restrictions 

on an emergency basis (19 U.S.C. 

2603(c)(1)). Under the Act and the 

applicable CBP regulations (19 CFR 

12.104g(b)), emergency restrictions are 

effective for no more than five years 

from the date of the State Party’s request 

and may be extended for three years 


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