[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48392-48393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19117]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-499]


Property and Casualty Insurance Services: Competitive Conditions 
In Foreign Markets

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 June 18, 2008 from the 
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. 
International Trade Commission (Commission) instituted investigation 
No. 332-499, Property and Casualty Insurance Services: Competitive 
Conditions in Foreign Markets, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act 
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)).

Important Dates

    September 2, 2008--Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    September 5, 2008--Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    September 23, 2008--Public hearing.
    September 30, 2008--Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
submissions.
    October 7, 2008--Deadline for filing all other written statements.
    March 18, 2009--Transmittal of final report to the Office of the 
U.S. Trade Representative.

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 Eric Forden (202-205-
3235 or [email protected]), Deputy Project Leader Jeremy Wise (202-
205-3190 or [email protected]), or Chief, Services Division, 
Richard Brown (202-205-3438 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 site (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 USTR, the Commission will conduct 
an investigation and prepare a report on property and casualty (P&C) 
insurance markets that (1) provides an overview of global and selected 
foreign markets for P&C insurance services, including factors affecting 
supply and demand in these markets; (2) examines the nature and extent 
of cross-border trade and affiliate sales in the global market for P&C 
insurance services; and (3) identifies and examines policies and 
practices that affect U.S. firms' access to, and competitiveness in, 
foreign markets for such services. In terms of geographic coverage, the 
USTR has requested that the Commission include examples of both 
developed- and developing-country markets. The USTR requested that the 
Commission deliver its report by March 18, 2009.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this 
investigation will

[[Page 48393]]

be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E 
Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on September 23, 
2008. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed with the 
Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., September 2, 2008, in accordance 
with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. All pre-
hearing briefs and statements should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m., 
September 5, 2008; and all post-hearing briefs and statements should be 
filed no later than 5:15 p.m., September 30, 2008. In the event that, 
as of the close of business on September 2, 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 September 2, 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 no later 
than 5:15 p.m., October 7, 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.
    In its request letter, the USTR stated that it intends to make the 
Commission's report available to the public in its entirety. As a 
result, the Commission will not include any confidential business 
information or national security classified information in the report 
it sends to the USTR. Any confidential business information received by 
the Commission during the course of this investigation and used in 
preparing this report will not be published in a manner that would 
reveal the identities of individuals or companies supplying such 
information.

    Issued: August 13, 2008.

    By order of the Commission.
William R. Bishop,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E8-19117 Filed 8-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P