[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 76 (Friday, April 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19960-19961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7540]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-487]


Wood Flooring and Hardwood Plywood: Competitive Conditions 
Affecting the U.S. Industries

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on March 6, 2007, of a request from the 
Senate Committee on Finance, the Commission instituted investigation 
No. 332-487, Wood Flooring and Hardwood Plywood: Competitive Conditions 
Affecting the U.S. Industries, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act 
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)).

DATES: 
April 11, 2007: Date of institution.
August 22, 2007: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public 
hearing.
August 29, 2007: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and statements.
September 13, 2007, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing.
October 5, 2007: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
December 28, 2007: Deadline for filing written statements.
June 6, 2008: Transmittal of report to the Committee on Finance.

ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing 
rooms, are located in the United States

[[Page 19961]]

International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, 
DC. 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. The public record for this investigation may be 
viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Industry-specific information may be 
obtained from Fred Forstall, Co-Project Leader, (202-205-3443 or 
[email protected]), or David Ingersoll, Co-Project Leader, 
(202-205-2218 or [email protected]). For 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]. Hearing impaired individuals are advised 
that information on this matter can be obtained by contacting the TDD 
terminal on 202-205-1810. General information concerning the Commission 
may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov). Persons with mobility impairments who will need special 
assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the 
Secretary at 202-205-2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As requested by the Committee, the 
Commission will conduct an investigation and provide a report that 
contains, to the extent possible, the following information:
    1. An overview of the U.S. markets for solid and engineered wood 
flooring (both unfinished and factory finished products), and hardwood 
plywood;
    2. A description of the U.S. industries for wood flooring and 
hardwood plywood and the industries in the principal countries 
(including Canada, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Russia) 
supplying the U.S. market, including trends in production, capacity, 
employment, and consumption;
    3. An examination of U.S. trade patterns and the factors affecting 
trade patterns, including tariffs and other border measures;
    4. An analysis of the factors affecting the competitive position of 
U.S. producers and the principal foreign suppliers to the U.S. market 
including raw materials, illegal logging, technological capabilities, 
labor practices, environmental policies, government programs, and 
substitutes for wood flooring and hardwood plywood;
    5. Views of industry, homebuilders, importers and other interested 
parties on developments in the supply of and the demand for wood 
flooring and hardwood plywood, including the effect of imports and 
substitutes for each product.
    As requested by the Committee, the Commission will provide its 
report no later than June 6, 2008.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this 
investigation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. on September 13, 
2007, 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. Requests 
to appear at the public hearing should be filed with the Secretary not 
later than the close of business (5:15 p.m.) on August 22, 2007, in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. 
Any pre-hearing briefs or statements should be filed not later than 
5:15 p.m., August 29, 2007. The deadline for filing post-hearing briefs 
and statements is 5:15 p.m., October 5, 2007. In the event that, as of 
the close of business on August 22, 2007, no witnesses are scheduled to 
appear at the hearing, the hearing will be cancelled. Any person 
interested in attending the hearing as an observer or non-participant 
may call the Secretary (202-205-2000) after August 22, 2007, to 
determine whether the hearing will be held.
    Written Statements: In lieu of or in addition to participating in 
the hearing, interested parties are invited to submit written 
statements concerning this investigation. All submissions should be 
addressed to the Secretary, and should be received no later than the 
close of business on December 28, 2007. All written submissions must 
conform with the provisions of Sec.  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. The Commission's rules do not authorize filing 
submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means, except 
as permitted by section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure (19 CFR 201.8) (See Handbook for Electronic Filing 
Procedures, http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/rules/documents/handbook_on_electronic_filing.pdf. Any submissions that 
contain confidential business information must also conform with the 
requirements of Sec.  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 ``nonconfidential'' 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 for inspection by 
interested parties. In its request letter, the Committee stated that it 
intends to make the Commission's report available to the public in its 
entirety, and asked that the Commission not include any confidential 
business information in the report it sends to the Committee. The 
report that the Commission sends to the Committee 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.

    Issued: April 16, 2007.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E7-7540 Filed 4-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P