Automobile Parts Content Labeling; Review: American Automobile Labeling Act; Evaluation Report

AGENCY:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Request for comments on technical report.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces NHTSA's publication of a Technical Report reviewing and evaluating its existing regulation Part 583, Automobile Parts Content Labeling. The report's title is Evaluation of the American Automobile Labeling Act.

DATES:

Comments must be received no later than July 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Report: You may obtain a copy of the report free of charge by sending a self-addressed mailing label to Publications Ordering and Distribution Services (NAD-51), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. A summary of the report is available on the Internet for viewing on line at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/regrev/evaluate/809208.html. The full report is available on the Internet in PDF format at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/regrev/evaluate/pdf/809208.pdf.

Comments: All comments should refer to the Docket number of this notice (NHTSA-2001-9023). You may submit your comments in writing to: U. S. Department of Transportation Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. You may also submit your comments electronically by logging onto the Dockets Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov. Click on “Help & Information” or “Help/Info” to obtain instructions for filing the document electronically.

You may call Docket Management at 202-366-9324 and visit the Docket from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NPP-22, Plans and Policy, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-2560. FAX: 202-366-2559. E-mail: ckahane@nhtsa.dot.gov.

For information about NHTSA's evaluations of the effectiveness of existing regulations and programs: Visit the NHTSA web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov and click “Regulations & Standards” underneath “Car Safety” on the home page; then click “Regulatory Evaluation” on the “Regulations & Standards” page.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

NHTSA regulation Part 583 (49 CFR 583), Automobile Parts Content Labeling requires passenger vehicles manufactured after October 1, 1994 to have labels specifying their percentage value of U.S./Canadian parts content, the country of assembly, and countries of origin of the engine and transmission (59 FR 37294). This regulation implements the American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA) of 1992, and its purpose is to help consumers in the selection of new vehicles by providing information about the country of origin of vehicles and their parts.

As required by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735), NHTSA reviews existing regulations to determine if they are achieving policy goals. This evaluation is based on a 1998 consumer survey to see if new-vehicle purchasers know about the labels, understand them, and/or use them to help select a vehicle; manufacturer and dealer surveys to learn about their response to the labels; and statistical analyses of the actual trends in U.S./Canadian parts content in new motor vehicles after 1994.

Over 75 percent of the 646 consumer survey participants were unaware of the existence of the AALA labels. Many participants who did read the label said they used the country-of-assembly information, but none said they used the numerical U.S./Canadian parts content score or the engine/transmission information. Overall U.S./Canadian parts content in new cars and light trucks dropped from 70 percent in model year 1995 to 67.6 percent in 1998; however, it increased from 47 to 59 percent in transplants while dropping from 89 to 84 percent in Big 3 vehicles.

How can I influence NHTSA's thinking on this evaluation?

NHTSA welcomes public review of the technical report and invites reviewers to submit comments about the data and the statistical methods used in the analyses. NHTSA will submit to the Docket a response to the comments and, if appropriate, additional analyses that update, supplement or revise the technical report.

The agency is especially interested in learning of any additional data or information on the following topics:

• Measures that could make the labels more widely known, more convenient, easier to understand or more influential for consumers, or less costly to produce.
• Evidence that consumers are aware of and/or influenced by the labels, or related information.
• Evidence that the labels, or related data, have been used as a marketing, advertising, or public-information tool by manufacturers, dealers, or any other organizations.
• Evidence that the labels, or related considerations have influenced decisions on where to manufacture or purchase parts, or to assemble vehicles.
• Factors that have influenced the trends in U.S./Canadian parts content before, during and after the 1994-98 period studied in the report.

How do I prepare and submit comments?

Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the Docket number of this document (NHTSA-2001-9023) in your comments.

Your primary comments must not be more than 15 pages long (49 CFR 553.21). However, you may attach additional documents to your primary comments. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.

Please send two paper copies of your comments to Docket Management or submit them electronically. The mailing address is U. S. Department of Transportation Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. If you submit your comments electronically, log onto the Dockets Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov and click on “Help & Information” or “Help/Info” to obtain instructions.

We also request, but do not require you to send a copy to Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NPP-22, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590 (alternatively, FAX to 202-366-2559 or e-mail to ckahane@nhtsa.dot.gov). He can check if your comments have been received at the Docket and he can expedite their review by NHTSA.

How can I be sure that my comments were received?

If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket Management will return the postcard by mail.

How do I submit confidential business information?

If you wish to submit any information under a claim of confidentiality, send three copies of your complete submission, including the information you claim to be confidential business information, to the Chief Counsel, NCC-01, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room 5219, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR Part 512).

In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the claimed confidential business information to Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, or submit them electronically.

Will the agency consider late comments?

In our response, we will consider all comments that Docket Management receives before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated above under DATES. To the extent possible, we will also consider comments that Docket Management receives after that date.

Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly, we recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material.

How can I read the comments submitted by other people?

You may read the comments by visiting Docket Management in person at Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You may also see the comments on the Internet by taking the following steps:

• Go to the Docket Management System (DMS) Web page of the Department of Transportation ( http://dms.dot.gov ).
• On that page, click on “search.”
• On the next page (( http://dms.dot.gov/search/ ) type in the four-digit Docket number shown at the beginning of this Notice (6545). Click on “search.”
• On the next page, which contains Docket summary information for the Docket you selected, click on the desired comments. You may also download the comments.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168; delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.