60-day FRN

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2024 / Notices

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

GLTRR’s verified notice failed to
explain why GLTRR had never
requested authority for agreements
pursuant to which it operated over the
Owners’ Association’s and CRRC’s
tracks. Director Order, FD 36764, slip
op. at 3. Rather, GLTRR only stated that
at some point after the January 5, 2018
Decision authorized GLTRR to operate
12,500 feet of track at the Facility,
‘‘additional trackage was added,’’ and
that GLTRR now operates over 22,568
feet of track, including the track owned
by the Owners’ Association and CRRC.
Id. at 2. In its petition, GLTRR clarifies
that its agreement to lease the track GLT
acquired from CenterPoint also included
an assignment to GLTRR of the rights
GLT acquired from CenterPoint to
operate over track owned by CRRC and
the Owner’s Association.5 (GLTRR Pet.
5–6.) For the reasons explained below,
the Board will grant GLTRR’s petition
for exemption for after-the-fact authority
for the Line.
The acquisition of a rail line by a
Class III carrier requires prior approval
from the Board under 49 U.S.C.
10902(a). Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(a),
however, the Board shall, to the
maximum extent consistent with U.S.
Code Title 49, subtitle IV, part A,
exempt a transaction from the detailed
application procedures of 49 U.S.C.
10902 when it finds that: (1) those
procedures are not necessary to carry
out the rail transportation policy of 49
U.S.C. 10101 (RTP); and (2) either (a)
the proposal is of limited scope, or (b)
the full application procedures are not
necessary to protect shippers from an
abuse of market power.
The Board finds an after-the-fact
exemption should be granted to GLTRR
for its acquisition and operation of the
Line pursuant to the 2018 Agreement.
Prior to the 2018 Agreement, in January
2018, GLTRR sought and obtained
authority to sublease from GLR and
operate track at the Facility. See January
5, 2018 Decision, FD 36160. A few
months later, the Facility was sold to
GLT and GLTRR entered into the 2018
Agreement so that it could continue its
operations at that facility after the
filed a letter renewing its request for expedited
consideration.
5 The Director Order also noted GLTRR’s
statement that ‘‘today GLTRR is leasing 14,215
linear feet (2.69 miles) of trackage from NSR and
will continue to operate over [it],’’ and explained
that ‘‘[t]his language suggests that GLT has already
sold the track to NSR and GLTRR has entered into
a lease with NSR without the necessary Board
authority.’’ Director Order, FD 36764, slip op. at 3.
GLTRR’s petition explains that the language quoted
by the Board contained a typo and should have
referred to GLT rather than NSR as the party
currently leasing the track to GLTRR, and that NSR
has not yet purchased GLT’s track or consummated
a lease with GLTRR. (GLTRR Pet. 7.)

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:38 Aug 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

change in ownership.6 (See GLTRR Pet.
5.) GLTRR states that it failed to seek
authority for the 2018 Agreement and
subsequent operations because it
mistakenly believed that the authority it
obtained in January 2018 to operate
pursuant to an agreement with one of its
affiliates, GLR, was sufficient to allow it
to continue to operate at the Facility
pursuant to an agreement with another
of its affiliates, GLT. (Id.) Based on the
nature of the transaction at issue and the
inadvertent nature of the failure to seek
an exemption prior to completing the
transaction, an exemption from the prior
approval requirements of section 10902
is consistent with section 10502(a) and
detailed scrutiny of the transaction
through an application for review under
49 U.S.C. 10902 is not necessary here to
carry out the RTP.7 Granting an
exemption to correct GLTRR’s past error
so that it is authorized to continue
operations at the Facility and can
proceed to file a notice of exemption for
its proposed transaction with NSR
would promote the RTP by minimizing
the need for regulatory control over the
transaction (49 U.S.C. 10101(2)),
ensuring the development and
continuation of a sound rail
transportation system able to compete
with other modes of transportation and
meet the needs of the public (49 U.S.C.
10101(4)), minimizing the need for
regulatory barriers for entry into and
exit from the industry (49 U.S.C.
10101(7)), and providing for the
expeditious handling and resolution of
proceedings required or permitted to be
brought under this part (49 U.S.C.
10101(15)). Other aspects of the RTP
will not be adversely affected.
Regulation of the transaction is not
needed to protect shippers from an
abuse of market power. GLTRR states
that both before and after the 2018
Agreement, its operations consisted of
providing transloading services to
shippers seeking to ship steel rebar and
steel piping by truck after arrival at the
6 As

noted above, the 2018 Agreement also
allowed GLTRR to operate over additional trackage
immediately outside the Facility owned by the
Owners’ Association and CRRC.
7 The Board has granted after-the-fact authority in
similar circumstances. See Ark.-Okla. R.R.—Acquis.
& Operation Exemption—Okla., FD 36323 (STB
served Sept. 19, 2019) (granting an exemption for
after-the-fact authority where a carrier was
previously authorized by the Board to operate a rail
line pursuant to a lease but mistakenly believed it
did not require additional authority to exercise a
purchase option and continue its operations as
owner of the line); Elk River R.R.—Merger
Exemption—Buffalo Creek R.R., FD 36434 (STB
served Nov. 6, 2020) (granting an exemption for
after-the-fact authority where a rail carrier
authorized by the Board to operate mistakenly
believed it did not need additional authority to
merge with its affiliate and for the surviving entity
to continue operations post-merger).

PO 00000

Frm 00062

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

63459

Facility by rail, as well as agriculture
and construction equipment by rail after
arrival at the Facility by truck. (GLTRR
Pet. 10.) Granting the requested
exemption for after-the-fact authority
would give GLTRR authority to provide
these same services to shippers that it
has been providing since 2018.8 In
addition, and as GLTRR contends, there
was no apparent loss of rail competition
and no change in the level of rail service
to the shippers as a result of the 2018
Agreement.
Under 49 CFR 1105.6(c)(1), this
action, which will not result in
significant changes in carrier operations,
is categorically excluded from
environmental review. Similarly, under
49 CFR 1105.8(b)(1), no historic report
is required because the subject
transaction is for continued rail service,
GLT does not intend to dispose of or
alter properties subject to the Board’s
jurisdiction that are 50 years old or
older, (GLTRR Pet. 14), and
discontinuance of service or
abandonment by GLTRR would be
subject to Board jurisdiction.
It is ordered:
1. Under 49 U.S.C. 10502, the Board
grants GLTRR’s petition for exemption
for after-the-fact authority to acquire
and operate the Line.
2. Notice of this exemption will be
published in the Federal Register.
3. This decision will be effective on
August 30, 2024. Petitions for stay must
be filed by August 12, 2024. Petitions to
reopen must be filed by August 20,
2024.
Decided: July 30, 2024.
By the Board, By the Board, Board
Members Fuchs, Hedlund, Primus, and
Schultz.
Eden Besera,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2024–17187 Filed 8–2–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
60-Day Notice of Intent To Seek
Extension of Approval of Collections:
Rail Carrier Financial Reports
Notice and request for
comments.

ACTION:

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork burdens, and as
required by the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface
8 Because regulation of the proposed acquisition
and operation is not needed to protect shippers
from the abuse of market power, the Board need not
determine whether the transaction is limited in
scope. 49 U.S.C. 10502(a)(2).

E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM

05AUN1

63460

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2024 / Notices

Transportation Board (Board) gives
notice of its intent to request from the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval without change of the
six existing collections described below.
DATES: Comments on these information
collections should be submitted by
October 4, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to
Chris Oehrle, PRA Officer, Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20423–0001, or to
[email protected]. When submitting
comments, please refer to ‘‘Paperwork
Reduction Act Comments, Rail Carrier
Financial Reports.’’ For further
information regarding these collections,
contact Pedro Ramirez at (202) 245–
0333 or [email protected]. If you
require an accommodation under the
Americans with Disabilities Act, please
call (202) 245–0245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments
are requested concerning each
collection as to (1) whether the
particular collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Board, including
whether the collection has practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the Board’s
burden estimates; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on the respondents,
including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, when
appropriate. Submitted comments will
be included and summarized in the
Board’s request for OMB approval.
Subjects: In this notice, the Board is
requesting comments on the following
information collections:

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

Description of Collection 1
Title: Quarterly Report of Freight
Commodity Statistics (Form QCS).
OMB Control Number: 2140–0001.
Form Number: Form QCS.
Type of Review: Extension without
change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: One
hour.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly,
with an annual summation.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 35 hours
annually.
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection,
which is based on information
contained in carload waybills used by
railroads in the ordinary course of
business, reports car loadings and total

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:38 Aug 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

revenues by commodity code for each
commodity that moved on the railroad
during the reporting period. See 49 CFR
part 1248. Information reported on Form
QCS is entered into the Agency’s
Uniform Rail Costing System (URCS).
URCS, which was developed by the
Board pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11161–62,
is used in rail rate proceedings as a tool
to calculate the variable costs of
providing a particular rail service in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10707(d).
The Form QCS has been reformatted in
a way that should allow for more
efficient submission and agency
processing, but it contains all of the
same information as required. This
collection is compiled and published on
the Board’s website, https://
www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_
reports.html. The reformatted form and
instructions may be viewed at https://
www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/
Quarterly-and-Annual-FreightCommodity-Statistics-Public.xlsx and
https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/
uploads/Instructions-for-Quarterly-andAnnual-Freight-CommodityStatistics.pdf, respectively. It should be
noted that the form for this report has
been reformatted in a way that should
allow for more efficient submission and
agency processing, but the information
has not changed. The form continues to
contain all of the same data elements.
The information contained in this report
is not available from any other source.
Description of Collection 2
Title: Report of Railroad Employees,
Service and Compensation (Wage Forms
A and B).
OMB Control Number: 2140–0004.
Form Number: Wage Form A; and
Wage Form B.
Type of Review: Extension without
change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: No
more than 3 hours per quarterly report
and 4 hours per annual summation.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly,
with an annual summation.
Total Annual Hour Burden: No more
than 112 hours annually.
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection
shows the number of employees, service
hours, and compensation, by employee
group (e.g., executive, professional,
maintenance-of-way and equipment,
and transportation), of the reporting
railroads. See 49 CFR part 1245. The
information is used by the Board to
forecast labor costs and measure the
efficiency of the reporting railroads. The

PO 00000

Frm 00063

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

information is also used by the Board to
evaluate proposed regulated
transactions that may impact rail
employees, including mergers and
consolidations, acquisitions of control,
purchases, and abandonments. Other
Federal agencies and industry groups,
including the Railroad Retirement Board
(RRB), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),
and Association of American Railroads
(AAR), use the information contained in
the reports to monitor railroad
operations. Certain information from
these reports is compiled and published
on the Board’s website, https://
www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_
reports.html. The reformatted forms and
instructions may be viewed at https://
www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/
Consolidated-Wage-Forms-ABC.csv and
https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/
uploads/Instructions-for-ConsolidatedWage-Forms-A-B-C.pdf, respectively. It
should be noted that the form for these
reports have been reformatted in a way
that should allow for more efficient
submission and agency processing, but
the information has not changed. They
continue to contain all of the same data
elements. The information contained in
these reports is not available from any
other source.
Description of Collection 3
Title: Monthly Report of Number of
Employees of Class I Railroads (Wage
Form C).
OMB Control Number: 2140–0007.
Form Number: STB Form C.
Type of Review: Extension without
change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: 1.25
hours.
Frequency of Response: Monthly.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 105 hours
annually.
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection
shows, for each reporting carrier, the
average number of employees at midmonth in the six job-classification
groups that encompass all railroad
employees. See 49 CFR part 1246. The
information is used by the Board to
forecast labor costs and measure the
efficiency of the reporting railroads. The
information is also used by the Board to
evaluate the impact on rail employees of
proposed regulated transactions,
including mergers and consolidations,
acquisitions of control, purchases, and
abandonments. Other Federal agencies
and industry groups, including the RRB,
BLS, and AAR, use the information
contained in these reports to monitor

E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM

05AUN1

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2024 / Notices
railroad operations. Certain information
from these reports is compiled and
published on the Board’s website,
https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_
reports.html. The reformatted form and
instructions may be viewed at https://
www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/
Consolidated-Wage-Forms-ABC.csv and
https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/
uploads/Instructions-for-ConsolidatedWage-Forms-A-B-C.pdf, respectively. It
should be noted that the form for this
report has been reformatted in a way
that should allow for more efficient
submission and agency processing, but
the information has not changed. The
form continues to contain all of the
same data elements. The information
contained in this report is not available
from any other source.

and rulemakings. This collection is
compiled and published on the Board’s
website, https://www.stb.gov/stb/
industry/econ_reports.html. The
reformatted form and instructions may
be viewed at https://www.stb.gov/wpcontent/uploads/STB-54-Cars-Loadedand-Terminated.csv and https://
www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/
Instructions-for-STB-54-Cars-Loadedand-Terminated.pdf, respectively. It
should be noted that the form for this
report has been reformatted in a way
that should allow for more efficient
submission and agency processing, but
the information has not changed. The
form continues to contain all of the
same data elements. The information
contained in this report is not available
from any other source.

Description of Collection 4
Title: Annual Report of Cars Loaded
and Cars Terminated.
OMB Control Number: 2140–0011.
Form Number: Form STB–54.
Type of Review: Extension without
change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: Four
hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 28 hours
annually.
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection
reports the number of cars loaded and
cars terminated on the reporting
carrier’s line. See 49 CFR part 1247.
Information in this report is entered into
the Board’s Uniform Rail Costing
System (URCS), which is a cost
measurement methodology. URCS,
which was developed by the Board
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 11161, is used as
a tool in rail rate proceedings, in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 10707(d), to
calculate the variable costs associated
with providing a particular service. The
Board also uses URCS to carry out more
effectively other of its regulatory
responsibilities, including: acting on
railroad requests for authority to engage
in Board-regulated financial
transactions such as mergers,
acquisitions of control, and
consolidations, see 49 U.S.C. 11323–
11324; analyzing the information that
the Board obtains through the annual
railroad industry waybill sample, see 49
CFR 1244; measuring off-branch costs in
railroad abandonment proceedings, in
accordance with 49 CFR 1152.32(n);
developing the ‘‘rail cost adjustment
factors,’’ in accordance with 49 U.S.C.
10708; and conducting investigations

Description of Collection 5
Title: Quarterly Report of Revenues,
Expenses, and Income—Railroads (Form
RE&I).
OMB Control Number: 2140–0013.
Form Number: Form RE&I.
Type of Review: Extension without
change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: Six
hours.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 168 hours
annually.
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection is a
report of railroad operating revenues,
operating expenses, and income items.
It is also a profit and loss statement,
disclosing net railway operating income
on a quarterly and year-to-date basis for
current and prior years. See 49 CFR
1243.1. The Board uses the information
in this report to ensure competitive,
efficient, and safe transportation
through general oversight programs that
monitor and forecast the financial and
operating condition of railroads, and
through regulation of railroad rate and
service issues and rail restructuring
proposals, including railroad mergers,
consolidations, acquisitions of control,
and abandonments. Information from
these reports is used by the Board, other
Federal agencies, and industry groups to
monitor and assess industry growth and
operations, detect changes in carrier
financial stability, and identify trends
that may affect the national
transportation system. Some of the
information from these reports is
compiled by the Board in our quarterly
Selected Earnings Data Report, which is
published on the Board’s website,
https://www.stb.gov/stb/industry/econ_

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:38 Aug 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

PO 00000

Frm 00064

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

63461

reports.html. The reformatted form and
instructions may be viewed at https://
www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/
Revenue-Expenses-and-Income.csv and
https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/
uploads/Instructions-for-RevenueExpenses-and-Income.pdf, respectively.
It should be noted that the form for this
report has been reformatted in a way
that should allow for more efficient
submission and agency processing, but
the information has not changed. The
form continues to contain all of the
same data elements. The information
contained in this report is not available
from any other source.
Description of Collection 6
Title: Quarterly Condensed Balance
Sheet—Railroads (Form CBS).
OMB Control Number: 2140–0014.
Form Number: Form CBS.
Type of Review: Extension without
change.
Respondents: Class I railroads.
Number of Respondents: Seven.
Estimated Time per Response: Six
hours.
Frequency of Response: Quarterly.
Total Annual Hour Burden: 168 hours
annually.
Total Annual ‘‘Non-Hour Burden’’
Cost: None identified. Filings are
submitted electronically to the Board.
Needs and Uses: This collection
shows the balance, quarterly and
cumulative, for the current and prior
year of the carrier’s assets and liabilities,
gross capital expenditures, and revenue
tons carried. See 49 CFR 1243.2. The
Board uses the information in this
report to ensure competitive, efficient,
and safe transportation through general
oversight programs that monitor and
forecast the financial and operating
condition of railroads, and through
specific regulation of railroad rate and
service issues and rail restructuring
proposals, including railroad mergers,
consolidations, acquisitions of control,
and abandonments. Information from
these reports is used by the Board, other
Federal agencies, and industry groups to
assess industry growth and operations,
detect changes in carrier financial
stability, and identify trends that may
affect the national transportation
system. Revenue ton-miles, which are
reported in these reports, are compiled
and published by the Board in its
quarterly Selected Earnings Data Report,
which is published on the Board’s
website, https://www.stb.gov/stb/
industry/econ_reports.html. The
reformatted form and instructions may
be viewed at https://www.stb.gov/wpcontent/uploads/Condensed-BalanceSheet.csv and https://www.stb.gov/wpcontent/uploads/Instructions-for-

E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM

05AUN1

63462

Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 150 / Monday, August 5, 2024 / Notices

Condensed-Balance-Sheet.pdf,
respectively. It should be noted that the
form for this report has been reformatted
in a way that should allow for more
efficient submission and agency
processing, but the information has not
changed. The form continues to contain
all of the same data elements. The
information contained in this report is
not available from any other source.
The Board makes this submission
because, under the PRA, a Federal
agency that conducts or sponsors a
collection of information must display a
currently valid OMB control number. A
collection of information, which is
defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR
1320.3(c), includes agency requirements
that persons submit reports, keep
records, or provide information to the
agency, third parties, or the public.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), Federal
agencies are required to provide, prior
to an agency’s submitting a collection to
OMB for approval, a 60-day notice and
comment period through publication in
the Federal Register concerning each
proposed collection of information,
including each proposed extension of an
existing collection of information.
Dated: July 31, 2024.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2024–17184 Filed 8–2–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket Number USTR–2024–0012]

Request for Comments and Notice of
Public Hearing Concerning China’s
Compliance With WTO Commitments
Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ACTION: Request for comments and
notice of public hearing.
AGENCY:

The interagency Trade Policy
Staff Committee (TPSC) is seeking
public comments to assist the Office of
the United States Trade Representative
(USTR) in the preparation of its annual
report to Congress on China’s
compliance with its obligations as a
Member of the World Trade
Organization (WTO). This notice
includes the schedule for the
submission of comments to the TPSC for
the China report and a public hearing.
DATES:
September 10, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
EDT: Deadline for submission of written
comments, requests to testify, and
summaries of written testimony.

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

18:38 Aug 02, 2024

Jkt 262001

China became a Member of the WTO
on December 11, 2001. In accordance
with section 421 of the U.S.-China
Relations Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106–286),
USTR is required to submit, on or about
December 11 of each year, a report to
Congress on China’s compliance with
commitments made in connection with
its accession to the WTO, including
both multilateral commitments and any
bilateral commitments made to the
United States. In accordance with
section 421, and to assist it in preparing
this year’s report, the TPSC is soliciting
public comments. You can find last
year’s report on the USTR website at:
https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/
USTR%20Report%20
on%20China’s%20WTO%20
Compliance%20(Final).pdf.
The terms of China’s accession to the
WTO are contained in the Protocol on
the Accession of the People’s Republic
of China (including its annexes)
(Protocol), the Report of the Working
Party on the Accession of China
(Working Party Report), and the WTO
agreements. You can find the Protocol
and Working Party Report on the WTO
website at http://docsonline.wto.org
(document symbols: WT/L/432, WT/
MIN(01)/3, WT/MIN(01)/3/Add.1, WT/
MIN(01)/3/Add.2).

participation, you must submit requests
to present oral testimony at the hearing
and written testimony by midnight on
September 10, 2024, via
Regulations.gov, using Docket Number
USTR–2024–0012. Instructions for
submission are in Sections III and IV
below. Remarks at the hearing will be
limited to no more than five minutes to
allow for possible questions from the
TPSC. Because it is a public hearing,
testimony should not include any
business confidential information (BCI).
USTR will provide a link in advance of
the virtual hearing to persons wishing to
testify.
The TPSC requests small businesses
or organizations representing small
business members that submit
comments to self-identify as such, so
that we may be aware of issues of
particular interest to small businesses.
Written comments and/or oral
testimony should address China’s
compliance with the commitments
made in connection with its accession
to the WTO, including, but not limited
to, commitments in the following areas:
A. Trading rights.
B. Import regulation (e.g., tariffs,
tariff-rate quotas, quotas, import
licenses).
C. Export regulation.
D. Internal policies affecting trade
(e.g., subsidies, standards and technical
regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary
measures, government procurement,
trade-related investment measures, taxes
and charges levied on imports and
exports).
E. Intellectual property rights
(including intellectual property rights
enforcement).
F. Services.
G. Rule of law issues (e.g.,
transparency, judicial review, uniform
administration of laws and regulations)
and status of legal reform.
H. Other WTO commitments.
In addition, given the United States’
view that China should be held
accountable as a full participant in, and
beneficiary of, the international trading
system, USTR requests that interested
persons specifically identify unresolved
compliance issues that warrant review
and evaluation by USTR.

II. Hearing Participation

III. Procedures for Written Submissions

USTR will convene a public hearing
on September 24, 2024, related to
China’s compliance with its WTO
commitments. Persons wishing to
observe the public hearing will find a
link on USTR’s web page for China on
the day of the hearing at https://
ustr.gov/countries-regions/chinamongolia-taiwan. To ensure

To be assured of consideration,
submit your written comments, requests
to testify, and summaries of written
testimony by the September 10, 2024
11:59 p.m. EDT deadline. All
submissions must be in English. The
TPSC strongly encourages submissions
via Regulations.gov, using Docket
Number USTR–2024–0012.

September 24, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. EDT:
The TPSC will convene a public hearing
to receive oral testimony.
ADDRESSES: USTR strongly prefers
electronic submissions made through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov (Regulations.gov).
Follow the instructions for submitting
written comments and testimony and
requests to testify in sections III and IV
below, using Docket Number USTR–
2024–0012. For alternatives to on-line
submissions, please contact Alex
Martin, Deputy Director for China
Affairs, in advance of the relevant
deadline at Thomas.A.Martin@
ustr.eop.gov or 202.395.9625.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex
Martin, Deputy Director for China
Affairs at Thomas.A.Martin@
ustr.eop.gov or (202) 395–9625.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background

PO 00000

Frm 00065

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

E:\FR\FM\05AUN1.SGM

05AUN1