Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Information Collections: High-Wage Components of the Labor Value Content Requirements Under the USMCA

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed extension of the information collection request (ICR) titled "High-Wage Components of the Labor Value Content Requirements under the USMCA." This comment request is part of continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). The Department proposes to extend the approval of this existing information collection without change to the existing requirements. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. A copy of the proposed information request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this Notice.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 199 (Friday, October 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 199 (Friday, October 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65800-65801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21169]



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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Wage and Hour Division


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Information Collections: High-Wage Components of the Labor Value 
Content Requirements Under the USMCA

AGENCY: Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments 
concerning a proposed extension of the information collection request 
(ICR) titled ``High-Wage Components of the Labor Value Content 
Requirements under the USMCA.'' This comment request is part of 
continuing Departmental efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burden in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). 
The Department proposes to extend the approval of this existing 
information collection without change to the existing requirements. 
This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the 
desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is 
minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the 
impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly 
assessed. A copy of the proposed information request can be obtained by 
contacting the office listed below in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this Notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
ADDRESSES section below on or before December 15, 2026.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Control Number 1235-
0032, by either one of the following methods:
    <bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ddac5c9dddfcccee2e0e0e8e3f9fecde9e2e1a3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c2958a8692908381adafafa7acb6b182a6adaeeca5adb4">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>;
    <bullet> Mail, Hand Delivery, Courier: Division of Regulations, 
Legislation, and Interpretation, Wage and Hour, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210.
    Instructions: Please submit one copy of your comments by only one 
method. All submissions received must include the agency name and 
Control Number identified above for this information collection. 
Comments, including any personal information provided, become a matter 
of public record. They will also be summarized and/or included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the 
information collection request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Navarrete, Division of 
Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation, Wage and Hour Division, 
U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202)-693-0406 (this is not a toll-
free number). Alternative formats are available upon request by calling 
1-866-487-9243. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech 
disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay 
services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (the 
Act) implements the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), an 
agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican 
States, and Canada. Section 202A of the Act, codified at 19 U.S.C. 
4532, in part implements Article 7 of the Automotive Appendix of the 
USMCA. The USMCA establishes labor value content (LVC) requirements for 
passenger vehicles, light trucks, and heavy trucks, pursuant to which 
an importer can only obtain preferential tariff treatment for a covered 
vehicle if the covered vehicle meets certain high-wage component 
requirements. The Act requires importers who claim preferential tariff 
treatment under the USMCA for goods imported into the United States 
from a USMCA Country, and vehicle producers whose goods are the subject 
of a claim for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, to make, 
keep, and, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the 
Secretary, render for examination and inspection records and supporting 
documents related to the LVC requirements. See 19 U.S.C. 1508(b)(4).
    The Act further grants the Secretary authority, during the course 
of a verification, to request any records relating to wages, hours, job 
responsibilities, or any other information in any plant or facility 
relied on by a producer of covered vehicles to demonstrate that the 
production of those vehicles meets the high-wage components of the LVC 
requirements. See 19 U.S.C. 4532(e)(4)(B). The Act grants authority to 
the Secretary to issue regulations.
    The Department issued an interim final rule, High-Wage Components 
of the Labor Value Content Requirements Under the United States-Mexico-
Canada Agreement Implementation Act, 85 FR 39782, to implement the 
Act's requirements and establish procedures for producers concerning 
the high-wage components of the LVC requirements.
    As the WHD Administrator's role in verifications is to verify the 
high-wage components of the LVC requirements, the WHD Administrator may 
request and examine records relating to wages, hours, job 
responsibilities, or any other information related to the producer's 
certification that it meets the high-wage components of the LVC 
requirements. The specific types of records that the Administrator may 
request are those that producers are required to maintain under the 
Department's regulations on recordkeeping requirements, see 29 CFR 
810.600, and will often include worker time records, payroll records, 
and information that the producer is required (under 19 U.S.C. 
1508(b)(4)) to keep on record to support its certification 
calculations. The purpose of this ICR is to obtain approval to collect 
the data needed for the Administrator's role in verifications of the 
high-wage components of the LVC requirements.
    This information collection is subject to the PRA. A federal agency 
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and 
the public is generally not required to respond to an information 
collection, unless the OMB under the PRA approves it and displays a 
currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any 
other provisions of law, no person shall generally be subject to 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that 
does not display a valid Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 
1320.6. The Department obtains OMB approval for this information 
collection under Control Number 1235-0032.
    OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than 3 years 
without renewal, and the current approval for this collection will 
expire on January 31, 2027. The Department seeks to extend PRA 
authorization for this information collection for 3 more years, without 
any change to existing requirements. The Department notes that existing 
information collection requirements submitted to the OMB receive a 
month-to-month extension while they undergo review.
    Interested parties are encouraged to send comments to the 
Department at the address shown in the ADDRESSES section within 60 days 
of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. To help ensure 
appropriate consideration, comments should mention OMB Control Number 
1235-0032.

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II. Review Focus

    The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments 
that:
    <bullet> Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    <bullet> Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    <bullet> Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    <bullet> Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    The Department of Labor seeks an approval for the extension of this 
information collection in order to ensure effective administration of 
the High-Wage Components of the Labor Value Content Requirements under 
the USMCA.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Agency: Wage and Hour Division.
    Title: High-Wage Components of the Labor Value Content Requirements 
under the USMCA.
    OMB Control Number: 1235-0032.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit.
    Total Respondents: 9,343.
    Total Annual Responses: 6,221,407.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 219,689.
    Estimated Time per Response: Varies with type of request (2 
minutes-2 hours).
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Total Burden Costs: $10,202,357.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.
    Total Burden Cost (operation/maintenance): $0.

    Dated: September 30, 2026.
Daniel Navarrete,
Director, Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation.
[FR Doc. 2026-21169 Filed 10-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-27-P


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