[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 241 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71432-71434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24287]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-496]


Caribbean Region: Review of Economic Growth and Development

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on November 7, 2007, from the 
Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives 
pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
1332(g)), the Commission instituted investigation No. 332-496, 
Caribbean Region: Review of Economic Growth and Development.

DATES: 
    January 16, 2008: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    January 22, 2008: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    January 29, 2008: Public hearing.
    February 5, 2008: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements and all other written submissions.

[[Page 71433]]

    May 7, 2008: Transmittal of Commission report to 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 Walker Pollard (202-
205-3228 or [email protected]) or Nannette Christ (202-205-3263 
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: As requested by the Committee, the Commission will 
conduct an investigation under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 
and prepare a report that provides (1) an in-depth description of the 
current level of economic development in the Caribbean basin, and (2) 
an overview of the economic literature on potential Caribbean 
development.
    The Committee requested that the Commission institute a fact-
finding investigation to provide a report containing information that 
will assist the Committee in identifying the ways that U.S. trade and 
aid policy can most help the Caribbean Basin. The Committee noted that 
the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) will expire on 
September 30, 2008 (ending temporary trade preferences for imports of 
apparel, petroleum and petroleum products, and several other products 
not otherwise eligible for preferences under the Caribbean Basin 
Economic Recovery Act (CBERA)). In its request letter, the Committee 
noted the importance of economic development in the Caribbean region, 
and also noted that, despite many successes, parts of the region still 
lack the economic development that will allow a wider population in 
CBERA countries to compete globally and become strong economic and 
political partners for the United States. The Committee expressed a 
need, in deciding on the best policy moving forward, to examine past 
successes and failures of the region's economic growth. The letter 
further notes that there are companies in the Caribbean that have found 
creative ways to use the region's strengths to overcome its constraints 
and compete successfully in the global market, and that their success 
may suggest ways that U.S. policy can best assist the region.
    Current level of Caribbean economic development. With respect to 
the current level of Caribbean economic development, the report will 
provide an overview of the current level of economic development in the 
Caribbean, at the regional level and the country level. To the extent 
possible, the regional level overview will include:
     Data on standard indicators of economic development in the 
Caribbean region;
     Data relating to the importance of trade, especially with 
the United States, in the economies of countries in the region; and
     Data on the extent of utilization of CBERA preferences, 
including the textile and apparel provisions.
    The country level overview will include country profiles of the 18 
non-DR-CAFTA CBERA countries. For each country, the Commission in the 
report will, to the extent possible, seek to:
     Identify the major industries/sectors, by output, exports, 
employment, and wages and also indicate the extent to which people in 
each country live in economic conditions below poverty levels;
     Identify the division of output, employment, and exports 
between agriculture, services, and manufacturing;
     Identify the industries/sectors (if any) that have been 
particularly successful in attracting investment, creating jobs and 
exports, and raising the standard of living for a broad portion of the 
population. The Commission will, if it finds it feasible, include brief 
case studies of successful industries that have been able to compete 
globally despite small size or capacity constraints, with an eye toward 
identifying what enabled these smaller industries to be successful; and
     Identify the non-trade-related factors that have had major 
impacts on the country's economic development.
    Overview of economic literature on potential Caribbean development. 
The report will also summarize the literature assessing the direction 
of future Caribbean development, and in particular, articles that 
address the following:
     Economic development policies that have been tried in the 
Caribbean, including how these policies have fared, the extent to which 
progress reached a broad portion of the population, the role of 
international financial institutions, and the major impediments to 
further economic development in the region today;
     The importance of trade liberalization and subsequent 
trade growth to progress in economic development;
     The extent to which trade growth allowed goods and 
services providers in CBERA countries to move to production that yields 
higher value-added per worker and/or higher wages for workers, and 
whether there is evidence that trade growth has contributed to poverty 
reduction, faster economic growth, or other aspects of economic 
development;
     The industries/sectors that may show promise for output, 
job, and export creation in the Caribbean, based either on the success 
of those industries/sectors in other Caribbean countries or the success 
of those industries/sectors in other world regions with similar 
national economic characteristics. Identify (1) industries/sectors that 
bring widespread benefits, (2) smaller industries/sectors that are 
globally competitive, (3) the potential for a hub-and-spoke system in 
the region, and (4) industries/sectors that are non-traditional in the 
region;
     The extent to which Caribbean goods and services 
industries/sectors compete in the global economy against other 
countries' goods and services, as well as the major impediments to the 
global competitiveness of Caribbean goods and services.
     The extent to which agreements such as NAFTA, the Uruguay 
Round, the International Technology Agreement, and CAFTA have affected 
Caribbean trade with the United States.
     Countries that have benefited from CBERA preferences, and 
from CBERA textile and apparel preferences in particular. Describe the 
extent to which these preferences (1) allowed these countries to move 
into production that yields higher value-added per worker and/or higher 
wages, and (2) attracted

[[Page 71434]]

industries other than apparel and textiles;
     The extent of loans and other financial support provided 
by the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank;
     Types of policies that might encourage a wider use of the 
CBERA program.
     Ways that U.S. trade policy, including through preference 
programs and trade expansion, as well as economic aid (e.g., financial 
aid for training, technical assistance, etc.) as part of a coordinated 
policy, might strengthen the ability of the region to compete globally 
in terms of increasing output, employment, and exports.
     Identify ways that U.S. trade policy liberalization, 
special tax preference programs, and/or economic aid might help 
Caribbean countries to develop new industries that will improve the 
Caribbean standard of living.
     Identify U.S. investment or services trade liberalization 
policies that could assist the Caribbean region, if those policies will 
benefit a broad base of the populations of the affected countries.
    As requested by the Committee, the Commission will provide its 
report by May 7, 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 
January 29, 2008. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be 
filed with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., January 16, 2008, 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., January 22, 2008, and all post-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., February 5, 2008. In the 
event that, as of the close of business on January 16, 2008, 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 January 16, 2008, 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 5, 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 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).
    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.
    Committee staff has indicated that the Committee intends to make 
the Commission's report available to the public in its entirety, and 
has asked that the Commission not include any confidential business 
information or national security classified information in the report 
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: December 11, 2007.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E7-24287 Filed 12-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P