[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5651-5652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2513]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-450]


Commercial Availability of Apparel Inputs (2003): Effect of 
Providing Preferential Treatment to Apparel From Sub-Saharan African, 
Caribbean Basin, and Andean Countries

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: January 28, 2003.
SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request from the United States Trade 
Representative (USTR) on December 30, 2002, the Commission instituted 
investigation No. 332-450, Commercial Availability of Apparel Inputs 
(2003): Effect of Providing Preferential Treatment to Apparel from Sub-
Saharan African, Caribbean Basin, and Andean Countries. The Commission 
instituted the investigation under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)) to provide advice regarding the probable 
economic effect of granting preferential treatment for apparel made 
from fabrics or yarns that are the subject of petitions filed in 2003 
with the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) 
under the ``commercial availability'' (previously informally known as 
``short supply'') provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(AGOA), the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act 
(CBTPA), and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act 
(ATPDEA, Division D of the Trade Act of 2002). The Commission conducted 
similar investigations in 2001 and 2002 to provide advice with respect 
to requests filed those years under the AGOA and the CBTPA. The 
recently enacted ATPDEA contains a similar commercial availability 
mechanism.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact 
Jackie W. Jones (202-205-3466, [email protected] of the Office of 
Industries; for information on legal aspects, contact William Gearhart 
(202-205-3091, [email protected]) of the Office of the General 
Counsel. The media should contact Margaret O'Laughlin, Public Affairs 
Officer (202-205-1819). Hearing impaired individuals may obtain 
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal 
on 202-205-1810. 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. General information about 
the Commission may be obtained by accessing its Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov). The public record for this investigation may be viewed 
on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) http://edis.usitc.gov.
    The Commission will follow procedures similar to those in the 
``short supply'' reviews in 2001 and 2002 under investigation Nos. 332-
428 and 332-436, respectively. Thus, during 2003, the Commission will 
provide advice for each commercial availability review under one 
investigation number. However, the Commission will be adjusting its 
procedure for notifying interested parties and the public on the 
initiation of commercial availability reviews. The Commission will not 
publish notices of the initiation of the reviews in the Federal 
Register and will no longer issue news releases as it has in the past. 
Instead, the Commission will post a notification letter announcing the 
initiation of each review on its Internet site (http://www.usitc.gov). 
The Commission also has developed a group list of facsimile addresses 
of interested parties or individuals who wish to be automatically 
notified via facsimile about any requests for which the Commission 
initiated analysis. Interested parties may be added to this list by 
notifying Jackie W. Jones (202-205-3466, [email protected]). The 
notification letter will specify the article(s) under consideration, 
the deadline for submission of public comments on the proposed 
preferential treatment, and the name, telephone number, and Internet e-
mail address of a staff contact for additional information. CITA 
publishes a summary of each request from interested parties in the 
Federal Register and posts them on its Internet site (U.S. Department 
of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/fr.htm). The Commission has developed a special area 
on its Internet site (http://www.usitc.gov/332s/shortsup/shortsupintro.htm) to provide the public with information on the status 
of each request for which the Commission initiated analysis.
    The Commission will submit its reports to the USTR not later than 
the 42nd day after receiving a request for advice. The Commission will 
issue a public version of each report as soon thereafter as possible, 
with any confidential business information deleted.

Written Submissions

    Because of time constraints, the Commission will not hold public 
hearings in connection with the advice provided under this 
investigation number. However, interested parties will be invited to 
submit written statements (original and 3 copies) concerning the 
matters to be addressed by the Commission in this investigation. The 
Commission is particularly interested in receiving input from the 
private sector on the likely effect of any proposed preferential 
treatment on affected segments of the U.S. textile and apparel 
industries, their workers, and consumers. Commercial or financial 
information that a person desires the Commission to treat as 
confidential must be submitted in accordance with section 201.6 of the 
Commission's rules of practice and procedure (19 CFR 201.6). The 
Commission's Rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the 
Secretary by facsimile or electronic means, except to the extent 
permitted by section 201.8 of the Commission's rules, as amended, 67 FR 
68036 (Nov. 8, 2002). All written submissions, except for confidential 
business information, will be made available in the Office of the 
Secretary to the Commission for inspection by interested parties. The 
Commission may include confidential business information submitted in 
the course of this investigation in the reports to the USTR. In the 
public version of these reports, however, the Commission will not 
publish confidential business information in a manner that could reveal 
the individual operations of the firms supplying the information. All 
submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, U.S. International 
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436.
    List of Subjects: Caribbean, African, Andean, tariffs, imports, 
yarn, fabric, and apparel.

    By order of the Commission.

[[Page 5652]]

    Issued: January 29, 2003.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-2513 Filed 2-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P