[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11042-11043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5296]


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

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Inv. Nos. TA-131-29 and TA-2104-12]


U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement: Advice Concerning the 
Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports

AGENCY: International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigations and scheduling of hearing.

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 3, 2004.
SUMMARY: Following receipt on February 19, 2004, of a request from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted 
investigation Nos. TA-131-29 and TA-2104-12, U.S.-Thailand Free Trade 
Agreement: Advice Concerning the Probable Economic Effect of Providing 
Duty-Free Treatment for Imports, under section 131 of the Trade Act of 
1974 and section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information specific to these 
investigations may be obtained from Tracy Quilter (202-205-3437; 
[email protected]) or Falan Yinug (202-205-2160; 
[email protected]), Office of Industries, United States 
International Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20436. For information 
on the legal aspects of these investigations, contact William Gearhart 
of the Office of the General Counsel (202-205-3091; 
[email protected]). General information concerning the 
Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server 
(http://www.usitc.gov).

Background

    On February 12, 2004, the USTR notified the Congress of the 
President's intent to initiate free trade agreement negotiations with 
Thailand. Accordingly, the USTR, pursuant to section 131 of the Trade 
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2151), requested the Commission to provide a 
report including advice as to the probable economic effect of providing 
duty-free treatment for imports of products of Thailand (i) on 
industries in the United States producing like or directly competitive 
products, and (ii) on consumers. In preparing the advice, the 
Commission's analysis will consider each article in chapters 1 through 
97 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States for which 
U.S. tariffs will remain after the United States fully implements its 
Uruguay Round tariff commitments. The import advice will be based on 
the 2004 Harmonized Tariff System nomenclature and 2003 trade data. The 
advice with respect to the removal of U.S. duties on imports from 
Thailand will assume that any known U.S. nontariff barrier will not be 
applicable to such imports. The Commission will note in its report any 
instance in which the continued application of a U.S. nontariff barrier 
to such imports would result in different advice with respect to the 
effect of the removal of the duty.
    Also as requested, pursuant to section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act 
of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804(b)(2)), the Commission will provide advice as 
to the probable economic effect of eliminating tariffs on imports of 
certain agricultural products of Thailand on (i) industries in the 
United States producing the product concerned, and (ii) the U.S. 
economy as a whole.
    The Commission expects to provide its report to the USTR by August 
19, 2004. The USTR indicated that the Commission's report will be 
classified and that USTR considered it to be an interagency memorandum 
containing pre-decisional advice and subject to the deliberative 
process privilege.

Public Hearing

    A public hearing in connection with these investigations is 
scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on April 20, 2004, at the U.S. 
International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, 
DC. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed with the 
Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., April 2, 2004, in accordance with 
the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. In the event 
that, as of the close of business on April 2, 2004, no witnesses are 
scheduled to appear, the hearing will be canceled. Any person 
interested in attending the hearing as an observer or non-participant 
may call the Secretary (202-205-2000) after April 2, 2004, to determine 
whether the hearing will be held.

Statements and Briefs

    In lieu of or in addition to participating in the hearing, 
interested parties are invited to submit written statements or briefs 
concerning these investigations in accordance with the requirements in 
the ``Submissions'' section below. Any prehearing briefs or statements 
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., April 6, 2004; the deadline 
for filing post-hearing briefs or statements is 5:15 p.m., April 27, 
2004.

Submissions

    All written submissions including requests to appear at the 
hearing, statements, and briefs should be addressed to the Secretary, 
United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20436. All written submissions must conform with the 
provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's rules of practice and 
procedure (19 CFR 201.8); any submissions that contain confidential 
business information must also conform with the requirements of section 
201.6 of the Commission's rules of practice and procedure (19 CFR 
201.6). Section 201.8 of the rules require that a signed original (or a 
copy designated as an original) and fourteen (14) copies of each 
document be filed.
    In the event that confidential treatment of the document is 
requested, at least four (4) additional copies must be filed, in which 
the confidential information must be deleted. Section 201.6 of the 
rules requires that the cover of the document and the individual pages 
be clearly marked as to whether they are the ``confidential'' or 
``nonconfidential'' version, and that the

[[Page 11043]]

confidential business information be clearly identified by means of 
brackets.
    All written submissions, except for confidential business 
information, will be made available for inspection by interested 
parties. The Commission may include confidential business information 
submitted in the course of these investigations in the report it sends 
to the USTR. However, should the Commission publish a public version of 
this report, such confidential business information will not be 
published in a manner that would reveal the operations of the firm 
supplying the information.
    The Commission's rules do not authorize filing submissions with the 
Secretary by facsimile or electronic means, except to the extent 
permitted by section 201.8 of the Commission's rules of practice and 
procedure (19 CFR 201.8) (see Handbook for Electronic Filing 
Procedures, ftp://ftp.usitc.gov/pub/reports/electronic_filing_handbook.pdf). Persons with questions regarding electronic filing 
should contact the Secretary (202-205-2000 or [email protected]).
    The public record for these investigations 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. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special 
assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the 
Secretary at 202-205-2000.

List of Subjects

    Thailand, tariffs, and imports.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: March 4, 2004.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 04-5296 Filed 3-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P