[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 72719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33576]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. TRADE DEFICIT REVIEW COMMISSION


Notice of Open Hearing

AGENCY: U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission.

ACTION: Notice of open public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following hearing of the U.S. 
Trade Deficit Review Commission.
    Name: Murray Weidenbaum, Chairman of the U.S. Trade Deficit Review 
Commission.
    The Commission is mandated to report to the Congress and the 
President on the causes, consequences, and solutions to the U.S. trade 
deficit. The purpose of this public hearing is to take testimony on the 
role played by United States participation in NAFTA and U.S.--Latin 
American trade in the causes and consequences of the U.S. trade 
deficit.

Background

    In fulfilling its statutory mission, the Commission is holding 
field hearings to collect input from industry and labor leaders, 
government officials, leading researchers, other informed witnesses, 
and the public.
    Professor Murray Wiedenbaum of Washington University, St. Louis, 
who is a former Chairman of the President's Council of Economic 
Advisors, chairs the Commission. The Vice Chairman is Professor Dimitri 
Papadimitriou, President of The Jerome Levy Economics Institute at Bard 
College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The Dallas hearing will be 
chaired by the Honorable Carla A. Hills, Commissioner.

Purpose of Hearing

    In light of the ongoing massive trade and current account deficits 
incurred by the United States, progress in improving U.S. exporters' 
access to foreign markets is critically important. The failure of the 
WTO Ministerial in Seattle to come up with a negotiating agenda for a 
new round of multilateral trade negotiations highlights how the 
consensus on reducing barriers to trade has fractured. Rebuilding the 
consensus on trade issues in the United States is of critical 
importance in addressing the large U.S. trade deficits. The work of the 
Commission, by analyzing the U.S. trade deficits in a non-partisan 
manner with the input of leading experts, will provide a reasoned and 
informed answer on how to respond to the trade deficit and its 
consequences. The findings of the Commission, while not binding, will 
likely form the basis for Congressional consensus building on trade 
policy as we enter the next century.
    There will be two sessions, one in the morning and one in the 
afternoon, for presentations by invited witnesses on their views on the 
interrelationship between the trade deficit and the topics of the 
hearing. There will be a question and answer period between the 
Commissioners and the witnesses. Public participation is invited and 
there will be an open-mike session for public comment at the conclusion 
of the afternoon session. Sign-up for the open-mike session will take 
place in the afternoon and will be on a first come first served basis. 
Each individual or group making an oral presentation will be limited to 
a total time of 3 minutes. Because of time constraints, parties with 
common interests are encouraged to designate a single speaker to 
represent their views.

DATE AND TIME: Friday, January 21, 2000, 8:30 am-5 pm Central Standard 
Time inclusive.

ADDRESS: The hearing will be held in the 2nd Floor Auditorium of the 
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2200 North Pearl, Dallas, TX 75201. 
Public seating is limited to 75 to 100 seats and will be on a first 
come first served basis. Commercial public parking lots are available 
within the vicinity of the Bank.

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: The Dallas Federal Reserve Bank is a secure 
facility and everyone must abide by security procedures. Everyone 
entering the facility is required to have a picture identification.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing 
further information concerning the hearing or who wishes to submit oral 
or written comments should contact Kathy Michels, Administrative 
Officer for the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission, 444 North Capitol 
Street, NW, Suite 706, Washington, DC 20001; phone 202/624-1409; or via 
e-mail at: [email protected].
Providing Oral or Written comments at the Dallas Hearing
    Copies of the draft meeting agenda, when available, may be obtained 
from the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission by going to the 
Commission's website at www.ustdrc.gov. The Commission requests that 
written public statements submitted for the record be brief and concise 
and limited to two pages in length. Written comments (at least 35 
copies) must be received at the USTDRC Headquarters Office in 
Washington, DC by January 14, 2000. Comments received too close to the 
hearing date will normally be provided to the Commission Members at its 
hearing. Written comments may be provided up until the time of the 
hearing.

    Authority: The Trade Deficit Review Commission Act, Pub. L. 105-
277, Div. A, section 127, 112 Stat. 2681-547 (1998), established the 
Commission to study the nature, causes and consequences of the 
United States merchandise trade and current accounts deficits and 
report its findings to the President and the Congress. By statute, 
the Commission must hold at least 4 regional field hearings and 1 
hearing in Washington, DC. This is the fourth in a series of field 
hearings to be conducted. The schedule of hearings is available at 
the US Trade Deficit Review Commission website <www.ustdrc.gov>.

    For the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission.

    Dated at Washington, DC, December 20, 1999.

Allan I. Mendelowitz,
Executive Director, U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission.
[FR Doc. 99-33576 Filed 12-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-46-P