[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 13 (Thursday, January 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3489-3490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-962]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation Nos. TA-131-034 and TA 2104-026]
U.S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement: Advice on
Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.
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SUMMARY: Following receipt on December 15, 2009, of a request from the
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted
investigation nos. TA-131-034 and TA-2104-026, U.S.-Trans-Pacific
Partnership Free Trade Agreement: Advice on Probable Economic Effect of
Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports.
DATES: February 16, 2010: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the
public hearing. February 18, 2010: Deadline for filing pre-hearing
briefs and statements. March 2, 2010: Public hearing. March 16, 2010:
Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements. March 23, 2010:
Deadline for filing all other written submissions. June 2, 2010:
Transmittal of Commission report to the Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing
rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission
Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC. All written submissions
should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20436. The public record
for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's electronic
docket (EDIS)
[[Page 3490]]
at http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Newman, Project Leader (202-205-
3328; douglas.newman@usitc.gov), or Craig Thomsen, Deputy Project
Leader (202-205-3226, craig.thomsen@usitc.gov), of the Commission's
Office of Industries, for information specific to this investigation.
For information on the legal aspects of these investigations, contact
William Gearhart of the Commission's Office of the General Counsel
(202-205-3091 or william.gearhart@usitc.gov). The media should contact
Margaret O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations (202-205-1819 or
margaret.olaughlin@usitc.gov). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal
at 202-205-1810. General information concerning the Commission may also
be obtained by accessing its Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).
Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in
gaining access to the Commission should contact the Office of the
Secretary at 202-205-2000.
Background: On December 14, 2010, the USTR notified the Congress of
the President's intent to enter into negotiations for a free trade
agreement with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Peru,
Singapore, and Vietnam, collectively known as the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP). Accordingly, the USTR, under authority delegated by
the President and pursuant to section 131 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
U.S.C. 2151), requested that the Commission provide a report containing
its advice as to the probable economic effect of providing duty-free
treatment for imports of products from the seven TPP countries (i) on
industries in the United States producing like or directly competitive
products, and (ii) on consumers. The USTR asked that the Commission's
analysis consider each article in chapters 1 through 97 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) for which tariffs
will remain, taking into account implementation of U.S. commitments in
the World Trade Organization and under U.S. free trade agreements that
the United States has with a TPP country. The USTR asked that the
advice be based on the HTS in effect during 2010 and trade data for
2008. The USTR also requested that the Commission, in preparing its
advice, assume that any known U.S. non-tariff barrier will not be
applicable to such imports, and that the Commission note in its report
any instance in which the continued application of a U.S. non-tariff
barrier would result in different advice with respect to the effect of
the removal of the duty.
In addition, the USTR requested that the Commission prepare an
assessment, pursuant to section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002 (19
U.S.C. 3804(b)(2)), of the probable economic effects of eliminating
tariffs on imports from the TPP countries of those agricultural
products on the list attached to his letter on (i) industries in the
United States producing the product concerned, and (ii) the U.S.
economy as a whole.
As requested, the Commission will provide its report to the USTR by
June 2, 2010. The USTR indicated that those sections of the
Commission's report that relate to the advice and assessment of
probable economic effects will be classified. The USTR also indicated
that he considers the Commission's report to be an inter-agency
memorandum that will contain pre-decisional advice and be subject to
the deliberative process privilege.
Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this
investigation will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission
Building, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m.,
March 2, 2010. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed
with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., February 16, 2010, in
accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below.
All pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than
5:15 p.m., February 18, 2010; and all post-hearing briefs and
statements should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., March 16, 2010.
Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to participating in
the hearing and filing briefs and statements relating to the hearing,
interested parties are invited to file written submissions concerning
this investigation. All written submissions should be addressed to the
Secretary, and should be received not later than 5:15 p.m., March 23,
2010. All written submissions must conform with the provisions of
section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19
CFR 201.8). Section 201.8 requires that a signed original (or a copy so
designated) and fourteen (14) copies of each document be filed. In the
event that confidential treatment of a document is requested, at least
four (4) additional copies must be filed, in which the confidential
information must be deleted (see the following paragraph for further
information regarding confidential business information). The
Commission's rules authorize filing submissions with the Secretary by
facsimile or electronic means only to the extent permitted by section
201.8 of the rules (see Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures,
http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/rules/documents/handbook_on_electronic_filing.pdf). Persons with questions regarding
electronic filing should contact the Secretary (202-205-2000).
Any submissions that contain confidential business information must
also conform with the requirements of section 201.6 of the Commission's
Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). Section 201.6 of the
rules requires that the cover of the document and the individual pages
be clearly marked as to whether they are the ``confidential'' or ``non-
confidential'' version, and that the confidential business information
be clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions,
except for confidential business information, will be made available
for inspection by interested parties.
Issued: January 11, 2010
By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-962 Filed 1-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P