[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 6, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38980-38981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13234]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-468]


Economywide Simulation Modeling: Technical Analysis of the Doha 
Round

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation.

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DATES: Effective Date: June 24, 2005.
SUMMARY: Following receipt on May 25, 2005 of a request from the United 
States Trade Representative (USTR) under section 332(g) of the Tariff 
Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332 (g)), the Commission instituted 
investigation No. 332-468, Economywide Simulation Modeling: Technical 
Analysis of the Doha Round.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project manager William Donnelly (202-
205-3225 or [email protected]) Office of Economics, or deputy 
project manager David Ingersoll (202-205-2218 or 
[email protected]) Office of Industries, U.S. United 
International Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20436. General 
information concerning the Commission may be obtained by accessing its 
Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov). For information on legal 
aspects of the investigation, contact William Gearhart of the 
Commission's Office of the General Counsel (202-205-3091 or 
[email protected]). The media should contact Margaret 
O'Laughlin, Office of Public Affairs (202-205-1819 or 
[email protected]).
    Background: As requested by the USTR, the Commission will provide 
an economy-wide analysis of the economic effects of selected 
prospective results of the World Trade Organizations (WTO) Doha Round 
of trade negotiations. Specifically, the Commission will provide the 
following in its report:
    (1) Changes in production, consumption, trade, and prices that may 
be associated with the Doha Round, with regional and sectoral 
aggregations appropriate to illustrate those changes; and
    (2) The trade liberalization scenarios associated with those 
regional and sectoral aggregations.
    As requested, the Commission will provide those estimates, to the 
extent possible, for scenarios that reflect a range of possible 
outcomes with respect to market access for all products and trade-
distorting domestic assistance programs and export subsidies related to 
agriculture, to be informed by the ``July package'' agreed to by the 
WTO's General Council on August 1, 2004.
    The USTR stated that the Administration is conducting an 
environmental review of WTO multilateral trade negotiations known as 
the Doha Round and that the Commission's report would assist the Trade 
Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) in conducting an environmental review. 
For information and background on USTR environmental reviews, see 
http://www.ustr.gov/Trade_ Sectors/ Environment/ Section -- Index. 
html.
    As requested, the Commission will provide its report not later than 
10 months after receipt of the request, or by March 27, 2006. The USTR 
has directed that the Commission mark or identify as ``confidential'' 
the Commission's analytical products, as well as associated working 
papers in this investigation. The letter also stated that USTR 
considers the Commission's analytical products to be inter-agency 
memoranda that will contain pre-decisional advice subject to the 
deliberative process privilege. Accordingly, the Commission does not 
plan to issue a public report.

[[Page 38981]]

    Written Submissions: The Commission does not plan to hold a public 
hearing in connection with the preparation of this report. However, 
interested persons are invited to submit written statements concerning 
the matters to be addressed in the report. All written submissions 
should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade 
Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436. To be assured of 
consideration by the Commission, written statements relating to the 
Commission's report should be submitted to the Commission at the 
earliest practical date and should be received no later than the close 
of business on November 30, 2005. 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). Section 201.8 of the rules 
requires 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 business 
information (CBI) must be deleted (see the following paragraph for 
further information regarding CBI). 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 rules (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]).
    Any submissions that contain CBI must also conform with the 
requirements of section 201.6 of the Commission's rules (19 CFR 201.6). 
Section 201.6 of the rules requires that the cover of the document and 
the individual pages clearly be marked as to whether they are the 
``confidential'' or ``nonconfidential'' version, and that the CBI be 
clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions, 
except for CBI, will be made available for inspection by interested 
parties.
    The Commission may include any CBI received in the confidential 
report it sends to the USTR. Should the Commission at a later date make 
its report available to the public, any CBI received by the Commission 
in this investigation will not be published in that report in a manner 
that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.
    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 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.

    Issued: June 29, 2005.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-13234 Filed 7-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P