[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 237 (Friday, December 11, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65787-65788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29518]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Inv. No. 332-510]


Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Characteristics and 
Performance

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 October 6, 2009, from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR) under section 332(g) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the Commission instituted 
investigation No. 332-510, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: 
Characteristics and Performance, to prepare the third in a series of 
three reports requested by the USTR relating to small and medium-sized 
enterprises.

DATES: January 26, 2010: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    January 28, 2010: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    February 9, 2010: Public hearing (Washington, DC).
    February 23, 2010: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    May 28, 2010: Deadline for filing written submissions.
    October 6, 2010: Transmittal of Commission 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 http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leaders Laura Bloodgood (202-
708-4726 or [email protected]) or William Deese (202-205-2626 
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

[[Page 65788]]

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: In his letter the USTR requested, under the authority 
of section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, that the Commission 
provide three reports during the next 12 months relating to small and 
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this notice the Commission is 
instituting the third of three investigations under section 332(g) for 
the purpose of preparing the third report, which is to be transmitted 
to the USTR by October 6, 2010. The Commission published notices of 
institution of the first investigation, investigation No. 332-508, in 
the Federal Register of October 28, 2009 (74 FR 55581) and the second 
investigation, investigation No. 332-509, in the Federal Register of 
December 1, 2009 (74 FR 62812).
    As requested, in the third report the Commission will, to the 
extent possible:
    1. Examine U.S. SMEs engaged in providing services, including the 
characteristics of firms that produce tradable services, the growth in 
these services exports, and the differences between SME and large 
services exporters;
    2. Identify how data gaps might be overcome to further enhance our 
understanding of SMEs in services sector exports;
    3. For both goods and services exports, identify trade barriers 
(nontariff barriers and tariffs) that may disproportionately affect SME 
export performance, as well as possible linkages between exporting and 
SME performance; and
    4. Provide insights on the degree to which SMEs operate as 
multinationals, as affiliate firms, or as contributors of indirect 
exports to international trade through sales to larger exporting firms.
    The USTR requested that the Commission deliver the second report by 
October 6, 2010.
    Public Hearing: The Commission will hold a joint public hearing in 
connection with this investigation and investigation No. 332-509 at the 
U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 
(and continuing on February 10, 2010, if needed). Requests to appear at 
the public hearing should be filed with the Secretary no later than 
5:15 p.m., January 26, 2010, in accordance with the requirements in the 
``Submissions'' section below. Persons wishing to appear should 
indicate in their request to appear whether they plan to provide 
testimony with respect to investigation No. 332-509, investigation No. 
332-510, or both investigations. All pre-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., January 28, 2010; and all 
post-hearing briefs and statements responding to matters raised at the 
hearing should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., February 23, 2010. In 
the event that, as of the close of business on January 26, 2010, 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 non-participant may call the Office of the Secretary (202-205-2000) 
after January 26, 2010, for information concerning whether the hearing 
will be held. The Commission is also considering holding additional 
hearings in Portland, Oregon and St. Louis, Missouri. Notice of the 
time, date, and place of those hearings will be published at a later 
date.
    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., May 28, 2010. 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 ``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 his request letter, the USTR stated that his office intends to 
make the Commission's reports available to the public in their 
entirety, and asked that the Commission not include any confidential 
business information or national security classified information in the 
reports that the Commission transmits to his office. 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.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: December 7, 2009.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E9-29518 Filed 12-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P