[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2003)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 3157-3158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1591]



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Part VI





The President





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Memorandum of January 17, 2003--Presidential Determination on Pedestal 
Actuator Imports From the People's Republic of China
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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 14 / Wednesday, January 22, 2003 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 3157]]

                Memorandum of January 17, 2003

                
Presidential Determination on Pedestal Actuator 
                Imports from the People's Republic of China

                Memorandum for the United States Trade Representative

                Pursuant to section 421 of the Trade Act of 1974, as 
                amended (19 U.S.C. 2451), I have determined the action 
                I will take with respect to the affirmative 
                determination of the United States International Trade 
                Commission (USITC) regarding imports of pedestal 
                actuators from China. The USITC, on the basis of its 
                investigation (No. TA-421-1), determined that pedestal 
                actuators from China are being imported into the United 
                States in such increased quantities or under such 
                conditions as to cause market disruption to the 
                domestic producers of like or directly competitive 
                products.

                After considering all relevant aspects of the 
                investigation, I have determined that providing import 
                relief for the U.S. pedestal actuator industry is not 
                in the national economic interest of the United States. 
                In particular, I find that the import relief would have 
                an adverse impact on the United States economy clearly 
                greater than the benefits of such action.

                In determining not to provide import relief, I 
                considered its overall costs to the U.S. economy. The 
                facts of this case indicate that imposing the USITC's 
                recommended quota would not likely benefit the domestic 
                producing industry and instead would cause imports to 
                shift from China to other offshore sources.

                Even if the quota were to benefit the primary domestic 
                producer, the cost of the quota to consumers, both the 
                downstream purchasing industry and users of the 
                downstream products, would substantially outweigh any 
                benefit to producers' income. The USITC's analysis 
                confirms this conclusion.

                In addition, downstream industries are already under 
                pressure to migrate production offshore to compete with 
                lower-cost imports of finished products. Higher 
                component costs resulting from import relief would add 
                to this pressure. Given the significantly larger number 
                of workers in the downstream purchasing industry when 
                compared with the domestic pedestal actuator industry, 
                I find that imposing import restrictions would do more 
                economic harm than good.

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                Finally, a quota would negatively affect the many 
                disabled and elderly purchasers of mobility scooters 
                and electric wheelchairs, the primary ultimate 
                consumers of pedestal actuators.

                You are authorized and directed to publish this 
                memorandum in the Federal Register.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, January 17, 2003.

[FR Doc. 03-1591
Filed 1-21-03; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3190-01-P