[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 29 (Friday, February 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7262-7263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3079]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-504]


India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. 
Agricultural Exports

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on January 13, 2009, of a request from the 
United States Senate Committee on Finance (Committee) under section 
332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the U.S. 
International Trade Commission (Commission) instituted investigation 
No. 332-504, India: Effects of Tariffs and Nontariff Measures on U.S. 
Agricultural Exports.

DATES: March 24, 2009: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    April 2, 2009: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and 
statements.
    April 21, 2009: Public hearing.
    April 28, 2009: Deadline for filing posthearing briefs and 
statements.
    June 26, 2009: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
    November 12, 2009: Transmittal of Commission report to the 
Committee.

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 George Serletis (202-
205-3315 or [email protected]) or deputy project leader Brian 
Allen (202-205-3034 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 and prepare a report on the effects of tariffs 
and nontariff measures on U.S. agricultural exports to India. As 
requested, to the extent possible, the report will include--
    (1) An overview of the Indian agricultural market, including recent 
trends in consumption, imports, and domestic supply;
    (2) a description of the principal measures affecting Indian 
agricultural imports, including tariffs, sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures, food regulations, packaging and labeling requirements, 
pricing policies, intellectual property policies, and customs 
procedures;
    (3) information on Indian government regulations, including state 
regulations, covering agricultural markets and foreign direct 
investment affecting U.S. agricultural products in India;
    (4) an evaluation of the impact of India's food marketing and 
distribution system, including market structure, transportation 
infrastructure, and cold-storage capacity, on U.S. agricultural 
products in the Indian market; and
    (5) a quantitative analysis of the economic effects of Indian 
tariffs, and to the extent possible, nontariff measures on U.S. 
agricultural exports to India.
    The Committee requested that the Commission deliver its report 10 
months after receipt of the request letter, or by November 12, 2009.
    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 
Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Requests to appear at the public hearing 
should be filed with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., March 24, 
2009, in accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' 
section below. All prehearing briefs and statements should be filed not 
later than 5:15 p.m., April 2, 2009; and all posthearing briefs and 
statements responding to matters raised at the hearing should be filed 
not later than 5:15 p.m., April 28, 2009. In the event that, as of the 
close of business on March 24, 2009, 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 Office of the Secretary (202-205-2000) after March 24, 
2009, 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 file written submissions 
concerning this investigation. All written submissions should be 
addressed to the Secretary, and all such submissions (other than pre- 
and post-hearing briefs and statements) should be received not later 
than 5:15 p.m., June 26, 2009. 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 Office of 
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 
``nonconfidential'' version, and that the confidential business 
information be clearly identified by means of brackets. All

[[Page 7263]]

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 report available to the public in its entirety, and 
asked that the Commission not include any confidential business 
information in the report it 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: February 9, 2009.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E9-3079 Filed 2-12-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P