[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41773-41774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14687]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-491]


China: Government Policies Affecting U.S. Trade in Selected 
Sectors

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of Investigation and Scheduling of Hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request dated May 23, 2007 (received 
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 U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) instituted 
investigation No. 332-491, China: Government Policies Affecting U.S. 
Trade in Selected Sectors, for the purpose of preparing the second 
report.

DATES: 
    October 16, 2007: Deadline for Filing Request to Appear at the 
Public Hearing.
    October 16, 2007: Deadline for Filing Pre-Hearing Briefs and 
Statements.
    October 30, 2007: Public Hearing.
    November 13, 2007: Deadline for Filing Post-Hearing Briefs and 
Submissions.
    February 1, 2008: Deadline for Filing all Other Written Statements.
    July 29, 2008: 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 Deborah McNay (202-
205-3425 or [email protected]) or Joanne Guth (202-205-3264 or 
[email protected]) for information specific to this investigation 
(the second report). For information on the legal aspects of these 
investigations, 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: This notice announces institution of an investigation 
relating to preparation of the second in a series of three reports, as 
further described below. In its letter of May 23, 2007, 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 earlier request by adding two more 
components to its investigation 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 allotted additional 
time to complete these requests, with the first report to be delivered 
7 months after receipt of the May 23, 2007 letter, and the second and 
third reports to be delivered 14 and 24 months, respectively, after 
receipt of the letter. To prepare the first report, the Commission 
instituted investigation No. 332-492, China: Description of Selected 
Government Practices and Policies Affecting Decision-Making in the 
Economy, on June 21, 2007; the Commission expects to submit its report 
to the Committee in that investigation by December 29, 2007. In its 
letter the Committee also requested that the Commission expand the 
scope of its ongoing 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. The Commission will issue a notice amending the scope and 
announcing the schedule for that investigation at a later date.
    As requested by the Committee in its letter of May 23, 2007, the 
Commission in its second report will build on the report in its first 
China investigation under the revised schedule (Investigation No. 332-
492) by comprehensively cataloguing and where possible, quantifying the 
government policies and interventions described in the first report in 
specific sectors. The Commission will include case studies on sectors 
where leading U.S. exports have not penetrated the Chinese market, and 
on sectors which are the primary drivers of the U.S.-China trade 
deficit. The report will also include case studies on sectors where 
government policies and interventions are prevalent, including the 
semiconductor, telecommunications, banking, textiles and apparel, 
steel, automotive parts, and aircraft sectors. Where applicable, the 
case studies will describe how Chinese policies and actions are 
exacerbating existing global overcapacity in specific

[[Page 41774]]

sectors. In addition, consistent with the focus described above, this 
second report will include the information requested by the Committee 
for the second report outlined in its letter of September 21, 2006, 
with respect to the macro-economic and other driving factors behind the 
rapid growth in U.S.-China trade. The Commission will provide this 
consolidated second report to the Committee by July 29, 2008.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this 
investigation will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on 
October 30, 2007. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be 
filed with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., October 16, 2007, in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. 
All pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than 
5:15 p.m., October 16, 2007; and all post-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., November 13, 2007. In the 
event that, as of the close of business on October 16, 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 16, 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 concerning this investigation. All written submissions 
should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be received not later 
than 5:15 p.m., February 1, 2008. 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 
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 Sec.  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).
    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.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: July 25, 2007.
William R. Bishop,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
 [FR Doc. E7-14687 Filed 7-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P