[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72221-72222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30655]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION


Public Input on Improving Agency Procedures

AGENCY: International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation of written comments

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SUMMARY: The United States International Trade Commission invites 
public input on specific ways in which it could improve its conduct of 
antidumping and countervailing duty (CVD) injury investigations.

DATES: Written comments are invited to be filed no later than March 4, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: A signed original and 14 copies of each set of comments, 
along with a cover letter, should be submitted to Marilyn R. Abbott, 
Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, 
SW., Room 112, Washington, DC 20436. Hand-delivered comments must be 
delivered to the prescribed room during the Commission's official 
business hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in order to be deemed filed on 
the day they are delivered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilyn R. Abbott (202-205-2799), 
Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission. Hearing-impaired 
persons can obtain information on this matter by contacting the 
Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-1810. General information 
concerning the Commission also may be obtained by accessing its 
Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is an independent federal 
agency that is charged, inter alia, with conducting import injury 
investigations under the antidumping and CVD statutes. See title VII of 
the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.). In these 
investigations, the Commission determines whether a U.S. industry is 
materially injured, or threatened with material injury, by reason of 
imports of merchandise that the U.S. Department of Commerce has found 
to be subsidized or sold at less than fair value. The statutes also 
provide for a Commission review, after five years, of the continued 
need for each antidumping or CVD order to prevent or remedy material 
injury to the relevant U.S. industry.
    In the course of an investigation, the Commission, inter alia: (1) 
Collects data from interested parties (such as domestic and foreign 
producers, U.S. importers, and purchasers) via written questionnaires 
and other means; (2) produces a staff report summarizing information 
collected concerning such indicators as imports, production, shipments, 
employment, profits and losses, and prices; (3) holds a public hearing 
(except in preliminary or expedited proceedings); and (4) produces a 
written opinion explaining the Commission's conclusions on factual and 
legal issues. The Commission's rules of procedure related to these 
import injury investigations are set out in the relevant portions of 19 
CFR parts 201 and 207.
    The Commission is committed to carrying out its mandate in an 
effective and efficient manner. As part of this commitment, the 
Commission endeavors to be responsive to the needs of those who avail 
themselves of the trade laws, those from whom the Commission collects 
information in its investigations, and the public.
    To this end, the Commission is seeking input from the public, 
including persons and entities that appear before the agency, on ways 
the Commission can improve its methods of conducting its original 
antidumping and CVD investigations and its five-year reviews of 
outstanding antidumping and CVD orders. The Commission is interested in 
comments concerning all aspects of its investigations and reviews; in 
particular, questionnaires, hearings, staff reports, schedules and 
opinions.
    With respect to questionnaires, commenters may wish to address 
whether particular standard questions or requests could be eliminated, 
reformulated, or streamlined, in order to obtain more relevant 
information or reduce the burden on those responding to questionnaires. 
In addition, commenters may wish to comment on electronic filing 
issues, including electronic questionnaires. With respect to hearings, 
commenters may wish to address whether a different manner of organizing 
presentations or commissioner questioning of witnesses would be more 
effective at clarifying salient issues or adducing relevant 
information. With respect to staff reports, commenters may wish to 
address whether the reports could be reorganized or whether certain 
parts may be made more concise in order to best present the key 
information collected in the investigation. With

[[Page 72222]]

respect to schedules, commenters may wish to address whether the 
schedule could be modified, particularly in final phases of 
investigations or full five-year reviews, in order to ease the burden 
on parties, to permit additional briefing in order to clarify salient 
issues, or to add to the time available after the Commission's hearing. 
With respect to opinions, commenters may wish to address the 
organization, format, and content of opinions. The above items are 
provided as examples only, and are not intended to limit the topics 
that may be addressed in the comments. Commenters should indicate 
whether their comments pertain to original investigations, five-year 
reviews, or both. Comments should be limited to issues of form and 
procedure and, to the extent possible, should avoid discussion of the 
substance of particular determinations.
    The Commission anticipates that it will hold a public hearing 
concerning the topics raised in comments submitted pursuant to this 
notice, although the need for and procedures of a hearing will depend 
on the comments submitted. The Commission would publish notice of a 
hearing in the Federal Register, and post notice on the Commission's 
Web site.
    Sample questionnaires for original investigations and five-year 
reviews can be found at http://info.usitc.gov/oinv/invest/oinvinvest.nsf, and http://info.usitc.gov/oinv/sunset.nsf, 
respectively. Copies of the generic report outline for both original 
investigations and five-year reviews are available upon request. 
Comments must comply with Commission rule 19 CFR 201.8(a)-(d).
    This notice is issued pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1335 and the 
Commission's Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2001-2006.

    Issued: November 27, 2002.

    By Order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 02-30655 Filed 12-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P