Where Industry and Security Intersect
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National
Defense Stockpile The interagency National Defense Stockpile Market Impact Committee (MIC) provides expert advice to the Department of Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) on the projected domestic and foreign economic effects of all acquisitions and disposals of materials from the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) that are to be included in the Annual Materials Plan (AMP) submitted by the DNSC to Congress. This advice helps DNSC to meet its statutory obligation to limit undue market impact caused by material acquisitions or disposals while also protecting the government from avoidable loss.
Formally established under the National Defense Authorization Act of FY 1993 (amending the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act), the MIC is co-chaired by the Departments of Commerce and State and includes representatives from the Departments of Interior (Geological Survey), Treasury, Transportation, Agriculture, Energy, and Defense (DNSC), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Commerce is represented on the MIC by SIES staff with technical support provided by the Office of Materials, Machinery, and Chemicals of the Department’s International Trade Administration. These agency representatives bring substantial experience and expertise in mineral commodities markets to MIC deliberations.
The NDS is a reserve of strategic and critical materials which are unavailable in the U.S. in sufficient quantities to meet anticipated national security emergency requirements. DNSC manages the Stockpile by acquiring, disposing, and warehousing these materials. Because there is little need to maintain an extensive Stockpile in the global marketplace of the post-Cold War era, Congress has authorized the disposal of most Stockpile materials.
When the MIC considers proposed material disposal ceilings (maximum quantities that could be sold, not target quantities) for the AMP, it reviews a wide range of data and analysis compiled by DNSC with the assistance of the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies, as appropriate. As part of this review process, the MIC requests public comment to solicit the views of industry and other interested parties. This is accomplished by issuing a Federal Register notice and a press release. The MIC members will also upon request, meet with interested parties to obtain additional information and documentation. Based on this evidence, the MIC can recommend reductions in proposed commodity disposal levels for either next fiscal year’s proposed AMP or for proposed revisions to the current fiscal year’s AMP. Review recently published MIC press releases.
For further information or to obtain copies of recent MIC Federal Register notices, please contact either Richard Meyers (Program Manager) at (202) 482-3634 or Eddy Aparicio at (202) 482-8234 or use our email form [select Stockpile from the pull down menu]. Our address is BIS/SIES, Room 3876, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230; and our FAX no. is (202) 482-5650.