[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35260-35262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12428]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-492]


China: Description of Selected Government Practices and Policies 
Affecting Decision-Making in the Economy

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on May 29, 2007, from the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives 
(Committee) for a series of three reports under section 332(g) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. (332(g)) on U.S.-China trade, the 
Commission instituted investigation No. 332-492, China: Description of 
Selected

[[Page 35261]]

Government Practices and Policies Affecting Decision-Making in the 
Economy, for the purpose of preparing the first report.

DATES: August 17, 2007: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    August 17, 2007: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    September 6, 2007: Public hearing.
    September 20, 2007: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements and other written submissions.
    December 29, 2007: Transmittal of Commission report to the 
Committee on Ways and Means.

ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing 
rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission 
Building, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC. All written submissions 
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://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project leaders James Stamps (202-205-
3227 or [email protected]) or John Fry (202-708-4157 or 
[email protected]) for information specific to this investigation. For 
information on the legal aspects of this 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 External Relations (202-205-1819 or 
[email protected]). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain 
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal 
at 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 Office of the 
Secretary at 202-205-2000.

Background

    In its May 23, 2007, letter, the Committee noted that it had 
earlier, in a letter dated September 21, 2006, requested that the 
Commission prepare three reports relating to U.S.-China trade. In its 
May 23, 2007 letter, the Committee requested that the Commission 
augment the September 21, 2006, letter by adding two more components to 
its investigation in order to provide an in-depth assessment of the 
causes of the U.S.-China trade imbalance and whether and to what extent 
China uses various forms of government intervention to promote 
investment, employment, and exports. The Committee indicated that it 
may supplement its request with additional questions, including 
questions related to the functioning of China's labor market. The 
Committee also allotted more time to the Commission to submit its 
reports, with the first report under the revised schedule to be 
delivered 7 months after receipt of the letter and the second and third 
reports, 14 and 24 months after receipt of the letter, respectively.
    This notice announces institution of an investigation related to 
preparation of the first report described in the Committee's May 23, 
2007, letter. The Commission will issue notices concerning 
investigations that relate to preparation of the second and third 
reports at a later date. In its letter the Committee also expanded the 
scope of ongoing Commission investigation No. 332-478, U.S.-China 
Trade: Implications of U.S.-Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends. 
The report in that investigation will be the third in the series of 
three reports, and the Committee has extended the transmittal date to 
May 29, 2009.
    As requested by the Committee, in its first report the Commission 
will describe and where possible quantify the practices and policies 
that central, provincial, and local government bodies in China use to 
support and attempt to influence decision making in China's 
agricultural, manufacturing and services sectors, and by individual 
firms. The Commission's report will include, but not be limited to, 
chapters describing government policies and interventions related to: 
(1) The privatization of state-owned enterprises and private ownership; 
(2) price coordination; (3) industrial development, particularly 
policies that target specific industries; (4) the banking and finance 
sectors, including policies and interventions to promote indicative 
lending and on the treatment of nonperforming loans; (5) utility rates; 
(6) infrastructure development; (7) taxation; (8) restraints on imports 
and exports; (9) research and development; (10) worker training and 
retraining; and (11) the rationalization and closure of uneconomic 
enterprises. The Committee also requested that the Commission include 
an analysis of the likely impact of a recently announced policy 
directive from China's State-Owned Assets Supervision and 
Administration Commission, which the Committee indicated raises serious 
concerns about China's interventions in a number of sectors.
    As requested by the Committee, the Commission will provide its 
first report to the Committee by December 29, 2007.

Public Hearing

    A public hearing in connection with this investigation and report 
will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E 
Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on September 6, 
2007. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed with the 
Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., August 17, 2007, in accordance with 
the requirements in the ``Written Submissions'' section below. In the 
event that, as of the close of business on August 17, 2007, no 
witnesses are scheduled to appear at the hearing, the hearing will be 
canceled. Any person interested in attending the hearing as an observer 
or nonparticipant may call the Secretary to the Commission (202-205-
2000) after August 17, 2007, for information concerning whether the 
hearing will be held.
    The Commission is also interested in receiving public comments, 
through hearing testimony or written submissions, identifying the 
industries, products, or services in which Chinese government policies 
and interventions are prevalent and in which leading U.S. exports have 
not penetrated the Chinese market, as well as public comments regarding 
the sectors that are perceived to be the primary drivers of the U.S.-
China trade deficit.

Written Submissions

    In lieu of or in addition to participating in the hearing, 
interested parties are invited to submit written statements and briefs 
concerning this investigation. All written submissions, including 
requests to appear at the hearing, statements, and briefs, should be 
addressed to the Secretary to the Commission. All pre-hearing briefs 
and statements should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., August 17, 
2007; and all post-hearing briefs and statements and all other written 
submissions should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., September 20, 
2007. 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 requires that a signed original (or a copy so 
designated) and fourteen (14) copies of each document be filed. In the 
event that confidential treatment of a document is requested, at least 
four (4) additional copies must be filed, in which the confidential 
information must be deleted (see the

[[Page 35262]]

following paragraph for further information regarding confidential 
business information). The Commission's rules authorize filing 
submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means only 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 Secretary 
(202-205-2000 or http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.
    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 
for inspection by interested parties.
    In its request letter, the Committee stated that it intends to make 
the Commission's reports available to the public in their entirety, and 
asked that the Commission not include any confidential business 
information or national security classified information in the reports 
that the Commission sends to the Committee. Any confidential business 
information received by the Commission in this investigation and used 
in preparing this report will not be published in a manner that would 
reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.

     Issued: June 21, 2007.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
 [FR Doc. E7-12428 Filed 6-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P