[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39445-39446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13828]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-477]


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

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Scheduling of second annual report and public hearing; industry 
coverage of second report.

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SUMMARY: In a letter dated July 26, 2006, the United States Trade 
Representative (USTR) requested, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act 
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), that the U.S. International Trade 
Commission (Commission) prepare three annual reports relating to 
factors that affect trade patterns of selected industries in sub-
Saharan African (SSA) countries. In response, the Commission instituted 
investigation No. 332-477, Sub-Saharan Africa: Factors Affecting Trade 
Patterns of Selected Industries, and delivered its first report on 
April 3, 2007. This notice announces the scheduling of the second 
report in this series, the industries to be covered, and the scheduling 
of a public hearing.

DATES: October 1, 2007: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.

October 3, 2007: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and statements.
October 23, 2007: Public hearing.
November 2, 2007: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
April 3, 2008: Transmittal of Commission report to USTR.

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 leader Falan Yinug (202-205-
2160 or ([email protected]) or deputy project leader James Fetzer 
(202-

[[Page 39446]]

708-5403 or ([email protected]) for information specific to this 
investigation (the second report). 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: As indicated above, this notice concerns the second of 
three annual reports that the USTR requested the Commission to provide 
concerning factors affecting trade patterns of selected industries in 
SSA countries. In her July 26, 2006, letter, the USTR described the 
type of information that the Commission should provide in its reports 
with respect to each industry and identified the industries and 
products produced to be covered in the first annual report. The USTR 
indicated that she would provide additional lists of industries and 
products produced for each of the second and third annual reports. She 
requested that the Commission deliver its first annual report by April 
3, 2007, and its second and third annual reports by April 3, 2008, and 
April 3, 2009, respectively. The Commission published notice of 
institution of this investigation in the Federal Register on August 29, 
2006 (71 F.R. 51212), and delivered its first report to USTR on April 
3, 2007.
    On June 19, 2007, the Commission received a memorandum from the 
Office of the United States Trade Representative listing the industries 
and products to be covered in the second annual report. In its second 
annual report the Commission will provide profiles of SSA industries 
that produce the following products: (1) In the agriculture sector, 
coffee, certain spices (including ginger), shea butter and downstream 
products thereof, and tropical fruits (e.g. bananas, pineapples, and 
guavas) and processed products thereof; (2) in the mining and 
manufacturing sector, natural rubber and downstream products thereof, 
footwear, textiles, jewelry and downstream diamond processing (e.g., 
polishing and cutting), and wood furniture; and (3) in the services 
sector, aviation services and communications services.
    Each industry profile will include the following information, to 
the extent data are available, for the most recently available 5-year 
period:
     A description of the leading industries within the 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 AGOA, privatization, and 
liberalization.)
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this 
investigation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. on October 23, 2007, 
at the United States 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. October 1, 
2007, in accordance with the requirements in the ``Written 
Submissions'' section below. In the event that, as of the close of 
business on October 1, 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 October 1, 2007, for 
information concerning whether the hearing will be held.
    Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to participating in 
the hearing, interested parties are invited to submit written 
statements or briefs concerning this investigation. All written 
submissions, including requests to appear at the hearing, statements, 
and briefs, should be addressed to the Secretary. Any pre-hearing 
statements or briefs should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., October 
3, 2007; and post-hearing statements and briefs and all other written 
submissions should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m. November 2, 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 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.
    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 her office intends to 
make the Commission's reports in this investigation available to the 
public in their entirety, and asked that the Commission not include any 
confidential business or national security information in its reports. 
Consequently, the reports that the Commission sends to the USTR will 
not contain any such information. Any confidential business information 
received by the Commission in this investigation and used in preparing 
its reports will not be published in a manner that would reveal the 
operations of the firm supplying the information.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: July 12, 2007.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
 [FR Doc. E7-13828 Filed 7-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P