[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 30, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16581-16583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06579]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of Industry and Security
[Docket No. 210325-0067]
RIN 0694-XC075
Virtual Forum for Risks in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and
Advanced Packaging Supply Chain
AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Technology
Evaluation, U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of virtual forum.
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[[Page 16582]]
SUMMARY: On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued the Executive
Order on ``America's Supply Chains,'' which directs several Federal
agency actions to secure and strengthen America's supply chains. One of
these directions is for the Secretary of Commerce to submit, within 100
days, a report to the President identifying risks in the semiconductor
manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains, and proposing
policy recommendations to address these risks. Additionally, the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 includes a title for
``Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America''
that mandates several Federal actions in securing the semiconductor-
related supply chain. On March 15, 2021, the Bureau of Industry and
Security (BIS) published a notice of request for public comments, Risks
in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Packaging Supply Chain
(March 15 notice). The March 15 notice requests written comments and
information from the public to assist the Department of Commerce in
preparing the report required by the Executive Order with written
comments due by April 5, 2021. BIS is publishing today's notice to
announce a virtual forum that will occur on April 8, 2021, that will
allow participants to orally address the policy objectives listed in
the Executive Order as they affect the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing
and advanced packaging supply chains, including but not limited to the
elements included in the March 15 notice. Today's notice sets forth the
procedures for public participation in the virtual forum.
DATES:
Virtual forum: The virtual forum will be held on April 8, 2021. The
virtual forum will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and
conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Registration for the virtual forum: Requests to register for the
virtual forum, including requests to make a presentation, must be
submitted by 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2021. See the ADDRESSES section
of this notice. Registration for the virtual forum will open on March
26, 2021.
Confirmation of registration and/or speaking slot: The Department
will contact each person that has been confirmed to provide oral
comments in the virtual forum by email no later than 12:00 p.m. EDT on
April 5, 2021.
ADDRESSES: BIS has created a web page on the BIS website for the
virtual forum. This web page will be used by the public to register for
the virtual forum, including submitting requests to speak at the
virtual forum. The landing page for the virtual forum will be accessed
through this web page on https://www.bis.doc.gov/semiconductorforum .
Click on the link for `Register for the Virtual Forum' on this web
page to register for the virtual forum. People interested in providing
oral comments during the virtual forum should make this request when
registering for the virtual forum, including submitting a brief
overview of their remarks.
After registration is completed by the Department, this web page
will include the agenda and the list of the scheduled speakers for the
virtual forum. Once a person's registration has been accepted by BIS,
the person will receive an email notification from BIS with information
needed to access the virtual forum. Registrants that requested to
provide oral comments at the virtual forum will be notified by email if
their request has been accepted and will be provided the allotted
amount of time for their speaking at the virtual forum. People not
selected to make a presentation may provide written comments and submit
those in response to the March 15 notice by the comment deadline of
April 5, 2021. See the March 15 notice for instructions on submitting
written comments. Participants should be prepared to attend the forum
in its entirety as allotted speaker time slots are subject to change
and the program will continue if a speaker is not available when called
to speak. Within 7 business days after the virtual forum is completed,
BIS will add a link to a recording of the virtual forum and a written
transcript to make the recording physically accessible to people with
disabilities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erika Maynard, Defense Industrial Base
Division, Office of Technology Evaluation, Bureau of Industry and
Security, at 202-482-5572 or [email protected] .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On February 24, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14017,
``America's Supply Chains'' (86 FR 11849) (E.O. 14017). E.O. 14017
focuses on the need for resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains to
ensure U.S. economic prosperity and national security. Such supply
chains are needed to address conditions that can reduce U.S.' critical
manufacturing capacity, as well as the availability and integrity of
critical goods, products, and services. In relevant part, E.O. 14017
directs that within 100 days, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary)
shall submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs (APNSA) and the Assistant to
the President for Economic Policy (APEP), identifying the risks in the
semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains, and
proposing policy recommendations to address these risks.
Additionally, Title XCIX of the National Defense Authorization Act
of 2021 (FY21 NDAA), ``Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce
Semiconductors for America,'' mandates several Federal actions to
secure the security of the semiconductor-related supply chain. Section
9904 of the FY21 NDAA (``Department of Commerce Study on Status of
Microelectronics Technologies in the United States'') requires the
Secretary to assess the capabilities of the U.S. microelectronics
industrial base to support the national defense, in light of the global
nature and interdependence of the supply chain with respect to
manufacture, design, and end use. The Secretary must submit a report to
Congress that includes a list of critical technology areas impacted by
potential disruptions in the production of microelectronics and an
assessment of gaps and vulnerabilities in the microelectronics supply
chain.
On March 15, 2021, BIS published a notice of request for public
comments, Risks in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced
Packaging Supply Chain (86 FR 14308) (the March 15 notice). The March
15 notice requests comments and information from the public to assist
the Department of Commerce (Department) in preparing the report
required by E.O. 14017. In developing this report, the Secretary will
consult with the heads of appropriate agencies and will be advised by
all relevant bureaus and components of the Department including, but
not limited to, BIS and the International Trade Administration. After
that report is completed, the Department will assess whether additional
information will be needed to conduct the assessment required by
Section 9904 of the FY21 NDAA.
BIS is publishing today's notice to announce a virtual forum that
will occur on April 8, 2021 that will allow commenters to address the
policy objectives listed in E.O. 14017 as they affect the U.S.
semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains
including, but not limited to, the elements included in the March 15
notice. This notice sets forth the procedures for public participation
in the virtual forum.
[[Page 16583]]
Virtual Forum
Consistent with the interest of the Department in soliciting public
comments on issues affecting risks in the semiconductor manufacturing
and advanced packaging supply chain as described in the March 15
notice, the Department is holding a virtual forum. The virtual forum
will assist the Department in preparing the report required by E.O.
14017. Public comments at the virtual forum should address the policy
objectives listed in E.O. 14017 as they affect the U.S. semiconductor
manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains, including but not
limited to the elements identified in the March 15 notice. See the
March 15 notice for the elements and E.O. 14017. The virtual forum will
be held on April 8, 2021. The forum will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT and
conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
Procedure for Requesting Participation
See the ADDRESSES section of this notice for how to register and
access the virtual forum. The Department encourages interested public
participants to present their views orally at the virtual forum. Any
person wishing to make an oral presentation at the virtual forum must
register with the Department at the Web address indicated in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. The request to speak in the virtual
forum must be accompanied by an overview of the oral presentation.
Speakers' registration, including overviews of written remarks, must be
received by the Department no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 1,
2021. BIS will not accept any registrations after that time for the
virtual forum.
Please note that the submission of overviews of presentations at
the virtual forum is separate from the request for written comments
described in March 15 notice. Since it may be necessary to limit the
number of persons making presentations, the overview should describe
the individual's interest in the virtual forum and, where appropriate,
explain why the individual is a proper representative of a group or
class of persons that has such an interest. If all interested parties
cannot be accommodated at the virtual forum, the overviews of the oral
presentations will be used to allocate speaking time and to ensure that
a full range of comments is heard.
Each person selected to make a presentation will be notified by the
Department no later than 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2021. The
Department will arrange the presentation times for the speakers.
Representatives from the Department and other U.S. Government agencies,
as appropriate, will make up the virtual forum panel. Written overview
submissions by persons not selected to make presentations will be made
part of the public record of the proceeding, as well as the overview
submission of those persons selected to make presentations.
Confidential business information may not be submitted at a virtual
forum. The virtual forum will be recorded.
Copies of the requests to speak at the virtual forum and the
transcript of the forum will be maintained on BIS's web page, which can
be found at http://www.bis.doc.gov (see Freedom of Information Act link
at the bottom of the page) and at https://www.bis.doc.gov/semiconductorforum . These documents will also be posted through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov under docket
number BIS-2021-0011, which is the docket number for the May 15 notice.
If the requesters cannot access the website, they may call (202) 482-
0795 for assistance. The records related to this assessment are made
accessible in accordance with the regulations published in part 4 of
title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations (15 CFR 4.1 et seq.).
Conduct of the Virtual Forum
The Department reserves the right to select the persons to be heard
at the virtual forum, to schedule their respective presentations, and
to establish the procedures governing the conduct of the virtual forum.
Each speaker will be limited to a time set by the Department and
comments must be directly related to the policy objectives listed in
E.O. 14017 as they affect the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and
advanced packaging supply chains, including but not limited to the
elements included in the March 15 notice.
A Department official will be designated to preside at the virtual
forum. The presiding officer shall determine all procedural matters
during the virtual forum. Representatives from the Department, and
other U.S. Government agencies, as appropriate, will make up the
virtual forum panel. This will be a fact-finding proceeding. It will
not be a judicial or evidentiary-type virtual forum. Only members of
the virtual forum panel may ask questions and there will be no cross-
examination of persons presenting statements. No formal rules of
evidence will apply to the virtual forum. Any further procedural rules
for the proper conduct of the virtual forum will be announced by the
presiding officer.
Special Accommodations
This virtual forum is physically accessible to people with
disabilities. See the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Matthew S. Borman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-06579 Filed 3-26-21; 4:15 pm]
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