[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42324-42325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20107]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. NAFTA-103-023]


Certain Textile Articles Containing Rayon and Other Manmade 
Fibers: Effect of Modifications of NAFTA Rules of Origin for Goods of 
Canada and Mexico

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on July 30, 2009, from the 
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) under authority 
delegated by the President and pursuant to section 103 of the North 
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 
3313), the Commission instituted investigation No. NAFTA-103-023, 
Certain Textile Articles Containing Rayon and Other Manmade Fibers: 
Effect of Modifications of NAFTA Rules of Origin for Goods of Canada 
and Mexico.

DATES:
    October 2, 2009: Deadline for filing all written submissions.
    On or before November 30, 2009: Transmittal of report to the USTR.

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 https://edis.usitc.gov/edis3-internal/app.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader Andrea Boron (202-205-
3433 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: Annex 300-B, Chapter 4, and Annex 401 of the NAFTA 
contain the rules of origin for textiles and apparel for application of 
the tariff provisions of the NAFTA. These rules are set forth for the 
United States in general note 12 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
(HTS). According to the USTR's request letter, U.S. negotiators have 
recently reached agreement in principle with representatives of the 
governments of Canada and Mexico on proposed modifications to the rules 
of origin of the NAFTA for certain textile articles containing rayon 
and other manmade fibers as described in part I of the attachment to 
the letter (for the text of the letter and attachment, see the 
Commission's Web site for this investigation at http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/332/). (The USTR's letter also requested 
Commission advice regarding proposed modifications to the rules of 
origin of the NAFTA for certain textile articles containing acrylic and 
modacrylic staple fibers, described in part II of the attachment to the 
letter. The Commission is preparing that advice on the same schedule 
under investigation No. NAFTA-103-024, Certain Textile Articles 
Containing Acrylic and Modacrylic Fibers: Effect of Modifications of 
NAFTA Rules of Origin for Goods of Canada.)
    Section 202(q) of the North American Free Trade Agreement 
Implementation Act (the Act) authorizes the President, subject to the 
consultation and layover requirements of section 103 of the Act, to 
proclaim such modifications to the rules of origin as are necessary to 
implement an agreement with one or more of the NAFTA countries pursuant 
to paragraph 2 of section 7 of Annex 300-B of the Agreement. One of the 
requirements set out in section 103 of the Act is that the President 
obtain advice from the United States International Trade Commission. 
The request letter asks that the Commission provide advice on the 
probable effect of the proposed modifications on U.S. trade under the 
NAFTA, total U.S. trade, and on domestic producers of the affected 
articles. The USTR asked that the Commission submit its advice to USTR 
by November 30, 2009, and that the Commission shortly thereafter issue 
a public version of the report with any confidential business 
information deleted.
    Additional information concerning the articles and the proposed 
modifications, including a copy of the USTR's request letter, can be 
obtained by accessing the Commission's Web site at http://www.usitc.gov. The current NAFTA rules of origin applicable to U.S. 
imports can be found in general note 12 of the HTS (see ``General 
Notes'' link at http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/index.htm).
    Written Submissions: No public hearing is planned. However, 
interested parties are invited to file written submissions and other 
information concerning the matters to be addressed in this 
investigation. All written submissions should be addressed to the 
Secretary. To be assured of consideration by the Commission, written 
submissions related to the Commission's report should be submitted at 
the earliest possible date, and should be received not later than 5:15 
p.m., October 2, 2009. All written submissions must conform to the 
provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and

[[Page 42325]]

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 the filing submissions 
with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means only to the extent 
permitted by section 201.8 of the rules (see Handbook on Electronic 
Filing Procedures, http://www.usitc.gov/docket_services/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.
    The Commission may include some or all of the confidential business 
information submitted in the course of this investigation in the report 
it sends to the USTR and the President. As requested by the USTR, the 
Commission will publish a public version of the report. However, in the 
public version, the Commission will not publish confidential business 
information in a manner that would reveal the operations of the firm 
supplying the information.

    Issued: August 17, 2009.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E9-20107 Filed 8-20-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P