[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17672-17673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8727]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation 332-452]


Steel-Consuming Industries: Competitive Conditions With Respect 
to Steel Safeguard Measures

AGENCY: International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of public hearing.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: April 4, 2003.
SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on March 18, 2003, from the 
Committee on Ways and Means (Committee), U.S. House of Representatives, 
the Commission instituted investigation No. 332-452, Steel-Consuming 
Industries: Competitive Conditions with Respect to Steel Safeguard 
Measures, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
1332(g)).
    On March 5, 2003, the Commission instituted an investigation under 
section 204(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (Inv. No. TA-204-9) in order to 
prepare a report on the results of its monitoring of developments 
relating to the domestic steel industry since the President imposed 
tariffs and tariff-rate quotas on imports of certain steel products (68 
FR 12380, March 14, 2003). In its letter, the Committee on Ways and 
Means requests that the Commission provide its report in this section 
332 investigation and its monitoring report in the section 204(a) 
investigation in a single document. In a March 27, 2003 letter to the 
Commission, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
referenced the format requested by the Committee and informed the 
Commission that USTR has no objection to receiving the section 
204(a)(2) report and the section 332(g) report in a single document. 
Accordingly, the Commission will transmit to the President and the 
Congress these two separate reports in the requested format.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information specific to this 
investigation may be obtained from James Fetzer, Project Leader (202-
708-5403; [email protected]), Office of Economics; Karl Tsuji, Deputy 
Project Leader (202-205-3434; [email protected]), Office of Industries; 
or Catherine DeFilippo, Chief, Applied Economics Division (202-205-
3253; [email protected]), Office of Economics, U.S. International 
Trade Commission, Washington, DC, 20436. For information on the legal 
aspects of this investigation, contact William Gearhart of the Office 
of the General Counsel (202-205-3091; [email protected]). Hearing 
impaired individuals are advised that information on this matter can be 
obtained by contacting the TDD terminal on (202) 205-1810.

Background

    As requested by the Committee, the Commission will investigate the 
current competitive conditions facing the steel-consuming industries in 
the United States, with respect to tariffs and tariff-rate quotas 
imposed by the President on March 5, 2002, and with respect to foreign 
competitors not subject to such measures. As requested, the Commission 
will conduct its analysis along sectoral lines in order to assess the 
impact on differing segments of the U.S. manufacturing sector; and also 
examine the data as related to steel products on which the President 
imposed steel safeguard measures. To the extent possible, the 
investigation will address the effects of the safeguard measures on 
steel consuming industries and on industries that rely on steel imports 
such as the ports, including the following:
    (1) Changes in employment, wages, profitability, sales, 
productivity, and capital investment of steel-consuming industries;
    (2) An examination of the reported effects of the safeguard 
remedies on factors such as steel prices paid by consuming industries, 
steel shortages/availability, the ability of steel consumers to obtain 
required products or quality specifications, lead times and delivery 
times, contract abrogation, sourcing of finished parts from overseas by 
customers of steel consumers, and the relocation or shift of U.S. 
downstream production to foreign plants or facilities;
    (3) The impact of international competitive factors, such as 
relative differences in steel costs to foreign steel-consuming 
industries, on steel consumers' exports and imports of steel-containing 
products;
    (4) An examination of any shifts in steel-consuming patterns in the 
United States, i.e., how much steel was purchased from domestic steel 
producers by U.S. steel-consuming industries before the safeguard 
action, and how has this sourcing changed following the implementation 
of the safeguard measures; and
    (5) A discussion of the likely impact on employment, profitability, 
capital investment, and international competitiveness of steel-
consuming industries of (i) continuation of the safeguard measures for 
the period September 2003-March 2005 and (ii) termination of the 
safeguard measures effective September 20, 2003.
    In addition, as requested, the Commission will provide an analysis 
of the potential economy-wide effects of these safeguard measures 
(e.g., on costs borne by steel consumers, tariff revenues entering the 
U.S. Treasury, income to steel producers, and the net effect on the 
U.S. economy) using appropriate simulation models.
    The Committee asked that the Commission furnish its report by 
September 20, 2003, along with the Commission's section 204 steel 
monitoring report in a single document. The Committee also requested 
that the Commission make its report available to the public, consistent 
with procedures set forth in section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 
concerning the release of confidential business information.

Public Hearing

    A public hearing in connection with this investigation is scheduled 
to begin at 9:30 a.m. on June 19, 2003, at the U.S. International Trade 
Commission Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC. All persons have 
the right to appear by counsel or in person, to present information, 
and to be heard. Persons wishing to appear at the public hearing should 
file a letter with the Secretary, United States International Trade 
Commission, 500 E St., SW, Washington, DC 20436, not later than the 
close of business (5:15 p.m.) on June 2, 2003. In addition, persons 
appearing should file prehearing briefs (original and 14 copies) with 
the Secretary by the close of business on June 4, 2003. Posthearing 
briefs should be filed with the Secretary by the close of business on 
June 27, 2003. In the event that no requests to appear at the hearing 
are received by the close of business on June 2, 2003, the hearing will 
be canceled. Any person interested in attending the hearing as an 
observer or non-participant may call the Secretary to the Commission 
(202-205-1816) after June 4, 2003 to determine whether the hearing will 
be held.

Written Submissions

    In lieu of or in addition to appearing at the public hearing, 
interested persons are invited to submit written statements concerning 
the investigation. Written statements should be received by the close 
of business on June 27, 2003. Commercial or financial information which 
a submitter desires the

[[Page 17673]]

Commission to treat as confidential must be submitted on separate 
sheets of paper, each clearly marked ``Confidential Business 
Information'' at the top. All submissions requesting confidential 
treatment must conform with the requirements of section 201.6 of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). All 
written submissions, except for confidential business information, will 
be made available for inspection by interested persons. The Commission 
intends to publish only a public report in this investigation. 
Accordingly, any confidential business information received by the 
Commission in this investigation and used in preparing the report will 
not be published in a manner that would reveal the operations of the 
firm supplying the information. All submissions should be addressed to 
the Secretary at the Commission's office in Washington, DC. 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). The public record for this investigation may be 
viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov. Hearing-impaired individuals are advised that 
information on this matter can be obtained by contacting our TDD 
terminal on (202) 205-1810.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: April 4, 2003.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 03-8727 Filed 4-9-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P