[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 103 (Wednesday, May 28, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30627-30628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11842]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-352]


Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on 
Andean Drug Crop Eradication

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing and opportunity to submit comments in 
connection with the 2007 report on the Andean Trade Preference Act 
(ATPA).

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SUMMARY: Section 206 of the ATPA (19 U.S.C. 3204) requires the 
Commission to report biennially to the Congress by September 30 of each 
reporting year on the economic impact of the Act on U.S. industries and 
U.S. consumers, as well as on the effectiveness of the Act in promoting 
drug-related crop eradication and crop substitution efforts by 
beneficiary countries. This series of biennial reports was instituted 
as investigation No. 332-352, Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on 
the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication. The Commission 
has scheduled a public hearing for its 2008 ATPA report, covering 
calendar year 2007, for July 22, 2008.

DATES: July 9, 2008: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    July 15, 2008: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    July 22, 2008: Public hearing.
    July 29, 2008: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements and all other written submissions.
    September 30, 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: James Stamps (202-205-3227, or 
[email protected]) or Nannette Christ (202-205-3263, or 
[email protected]), Country and Regional Analysis Division, 
Office of Economics, U.S. International Trade Commission, Washington, 
DC 20436. General information concerning the Commission may be obtained 
by accessing its Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).
    Background: Section 206 of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) 
(19 U.S.C. 3204) requires that the Commission submit biennial reports 
to the Congress regarding the economic impact of the Act on U.S. 
industries and consumers and, in conjunction with other agencies, the 
effectiveness of the Act in promoting drug-related crop eradication and 
crop substitution efforts of the beneficiary countries. Section 206(b) 
of the Act requires that each report include:
    (1) The actual effect of ATPA on the U.S. economy generally as well 
as on specific domestic industries which produce articles that are 
like, or directly competitive with, articles being

[[Page 30628]]

imported under the Act from beneficiary countries;
    (2) the probable future effect that ATPA will have on the U.S. 
economy generally and on such domestic industries; and
    (3) the estimated effect that ATPA has had on drug-related crop 
eradication and crop substitution efforts of beneficiary countries.
    Notice of institution of the investigation and the schedule for 
such reports under section 206 of ATPA was published in the Federal 
Register of March 10, 1994 (59 FR 11308). The thirteenth report, 
covering calendar year 2007, is to be submitted by September 30, 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 
July 22, 2008. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed 
with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., July 9, 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., July 15, 2008, and all post-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., July 29, 2008. In the event 
that, as of the close of business on July 9, 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 July 9, 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., July 29, 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.

    Issued: May 21, 2008.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
 [FR Doc. E8-11842 Filed 5-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P