[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 98 (Friday, May 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24033-24034]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11965]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-227]


Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act: Impact on U.S. Industries 
and Consumers and on Beneficiary Countries

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing and opportunity to submit comments in 
connection with the nineteenth report on the economic impact of the 
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA).

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SUMMARY: Section 215 of the CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2704) requires the 
Commission to report biennially to the Congress and the President by 
September 30 of each reporting year on the economic impact of the Act 
on U.S. industries and U.S. consumers and on the economy of the 
beneficiary countries. This series of biennial reports was instituted 
as investigation No. 332-227, Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act: 
Impact on U.S. Industries and Consumers and on Beneficiary Countries. 
The Commission has scheduled a public hearing for its 2009 CBERA 
report, covering trade during calendar years 2007 and 2008, for June 
30, 2009.

DATES: 
June 17, 2009: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public 
hearing.
June 23, 2009: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and statements.
June 30, 2009: Public hearing.
July 7, 2009: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements 
and all other written submissions.
September 30, 2009: Transmittal of Commission report to Congress and 
the President.

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: Walker Pollard (202-205-3228 or 
[email protected]), or James Stamps (202-205-3227 or 
[email protected]) Country and Regional Analysis Division, Office 
of Economics, U.S. International Trade Commission, Washington, DC 
20436. 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 Peg O'Laughlin, Public Affairs Officer (202-205-1819 or 
[email protected]). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain

[[Page 24034]]

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: Section 215(a)(1) of the Caribbean Basin Economic 
Recovery Act (CBERA) (19 U.S.C. 2704(a)(1)), as amended, requires that 
the Commission submit biennial reports to the Congress and the 
President regarding the economic impact of the Act on U.S. industries 
and consumers, and on the economy of the beneficiary countries. Section 
215(b)(1) requires that the reports include, but not be limited to, an 
assessment regarding:
    (A) The actual effect, during the period covered by the report, of 
[CBERA] on the United States economy generally, as well as on those 
specific domestic industries which produce articles that are like, or 
directly competitive with, articles being imported into the United 
States from beneficiary countries; and
    (B) The probable future effect which this Act will have on the 
United States economy generally, as well as on such domestic industries 
before the provisions of this Act terminate.
    Notice of institution of the investigation was published in the 
Federal Register of May 14, 1986 (51 FR 17678). The nineteenth report, 
covering calendar years 2007 and 2008, is to be submitted by September 
30, 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 
June 30, 2009. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed 
with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., June 17, 2009. All pre-
hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., 
June 23, 2009; and all post-hearing briefs and statements should be 
filed not later than 5:15 p.m., July 7, 2009. All requests to appear 
and pre- and post-hearing briefs and statements should be filed in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``Written Submissions'' section 
below. In the event that, as of the close of business on June 17, 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 June 17, 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 should be received not later than 5:15 
p.m., July 7, 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 
(CBI) 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.
    The Commission intends to publish only a public report in this 
investigation. Accordingly, any CBI received by the Commission in this 
investigation will not be published in a manner that would reveal the 
operations of the firm supplying the information. The report will be 
made available to the public on the Commission's Web site.

    Issued: May 18, 2009.

    By order of the Commission.
 Marilyn R. Abbott,
 Secretary to the Commission.
 [FR Doc. E9-11965 Filed 5-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P