[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51212-51213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14302]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-477]


Sub-Saharan Africa: Factors Affecting Trade Patterns of Selected 
Industries

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on July 27, 2006 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 U.S. International Trade 
Commission (``the Commission'') instituted investigation No. 332-477, 
Sub-Saharan Africa: Factors Affecting Trade Patterns of Selected 
Industries.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 18, 2006.
    Background: As requested by the USTR, the Commission will conduct 
an investigation under section 332(g) and prepare three annual reports 
providing certain information on the competitive factors affecting 
industries within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that have experienced 
significant shifts in exports.
    In each of the reports, the Commission will provide an overview of 
the trends in SSA exports in the (1) Agriculture, (2) mining and 
manufacturing, and (3) services sectors, as well as profiles of SSA 
industries within those sectors that produce products (as identified by 
the USTR) that have shown significant export shifts in recent years. 
The reports will be based on the most recent 5-year period for which 
data are available.
    Each industry profile will provide the following information, to 
the extent data are available:
     A description of the leading industries within SSA that 
export the subject products, including their position relative to 
global competitors;
     Identification of the leading SSA exporting countries and 
their key markets; and
     Analysis of the competitive factors, by country, that have 
contributed to the shift in exports. (Such factors may include access 
to inputs, labor, technology, investment, trade policies-e.g., tariffs 
and trade preference programs such as the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act (AGOA), privatization, and liberalization.)
    As specified in the USTR's letter, the first annual report will 
cover industries producing the following products: (1) Agriculture--cut 
flowers, cocoa butter and paste, nuts (coconuts, Brazil nuts, and 
cashews), and prepared and preserved fish; (2) mining and 
manufacturing--acyclic alcohol, unwrought aluminum, textiles and 
apparel, petroleum gas (liquified natural gas), flat-rolled steel, and 
wood veneer sheets; and (3) services--financial services and tourism.
    The Commission expects to deliver the first annual report to the 
USTR by April 3, 2007. The second and third reports will be delivered 
12 and 24 months, respectively, after delivery of the first annual 
report.
    The Commission anticipates that industry coverage for the 
subsequent reports will be determined in consultation with the USTR no 
later than 2 months after delivery of the previous year's report.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader: Brad C. Gehrke (202-
3329 or [email protected]). Deputy Project Leader: Joanne E. Guth 
(202-205-3264 or [email protected]).
    Industry-specific information may be obtained from the above 
persons. For more information on legal aspects of the investigation, 
contact William Gearhart of the Commission's Office of the General 
Counsel at 202-205-3091 or [email protected]. The media should 
contact Margaret O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations at 202-205-
1819 or [email protected].

[[Page 51213]]

Hearing impaired individuals are advised that information on this 
matter can be obtained by contacting the TDD terminal at 202-205-1810. 
General information concerning the Commission may also 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-ONLINE) at http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with the first 
report in this investigation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. on 
December 6, 2006, at the United States 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 to such effect with the Secretary, United States International 
Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20436, not later 
than the close of business (5:15 p.m. EST) on November 13, 2006, in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``Written Submissions'' section 
below.
    Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to participating in 
the hearing, interested parties are invited to submit written 
statements or briefs concerning the first report in this investigation. 
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. Any prehearing statements or briefs should be filed not later 
than close of business, November 15, 2006; the deadline for filing 
posthearing statements or briefs is close of business, December 15, 
2006. 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 information must be deleted (see the 
following paragraph for further information regarding confidential 
business 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 rules (see Handbook for 
Electronic Filing Procedures, http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/rules/documents/handbook_on_electronic_filing.pdf; persons 
with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Office of 
the Secretary at 202-205-2000 or [email protected]).
    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 201.6 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 ``non-
confidential'' version, and that the confidential business information 
be clearly identified by means of brackets. 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.
    In her request letter, the USTR stated that she intended to make 
the Commission's report available to the public in its entirety, and 
asked that the Commission not include any confidential business or 
national security information in the report it sends to her office. 
Consequently, the Commission's report will not contain any such 
information. 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.
    Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance 
in gaining access to the Commission should contact the Secretary at 
202-205-2000.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: August 23, 2006.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
 [FR Doc. E6-14302 Filed 8-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P