[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 13 (Thursday, January 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3489-3490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-962]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. TA-131-034 and TA 2104-026]


U.S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement: Advice on 
Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on December 15, 2009, of a request from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted 
investigation nos. TA-131-034 and TA-2104-026, U.S.-Trans-Pacific 
Partnership Free Trade Agreement: Advice on Probable Economic Effect of 
Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports.

DATES: February 16, 2010: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing. February 18, 2010: Deadline for filing pre-hearing 
briefs and statements. March 2, 2010: Public hearing. March 16, 2010: 
Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements. March 23, 2010: 
Deadline for filing all other written submissions. June 2, 2010: 
Transmittal of Commission report to the Office of the United States 
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)

[[Page 3490]]

at http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Newman, Project Leader (202-205-
3328; [email protected]), or Craig Thomsen, Deputy Project 
Leader (202-205-3226, [email protected]), of the Commission's 
Office of Industries, for information specific to this investigation. 
For information on the legal aspects of these investigations, 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: On December 14, 2010, the USTR notified the Congress of 
the President's intent to enter into negotiations for a free trade 
agreement with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, 
Singapore, and Vietnam, collectively known as the Trans-Pacific 
Partnership (TPP). Accordingly, the USTR, under authority delegated by 
the President and pursuant to section 131 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 
U.S.C. 2151), requested that the Commission provide a report containing 
its advice as to the probable economic effect of providing duty-free 
treatment for imports of products from the seven TPP countries (i) on 
industries in the United States producing like or directly competitive 
products, and (ii) on consumers. The USTR asked that the Commission's 
analysis consider each article in chapters 1 through 97 of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) for which tariffs 
will remain, taking into account implementation of U.S. commitments in 
the World Trade Organization and under U.S. free trade agreements that 
the United States has with a TPP country. The USTR asked that the 
advice be based on the HTS in effect during 2010 and trade data for 
2008. The USTR also requested that the Commission, in preparing its 
advice, assume that any known U.S. non-tariff barrier will not be 
applicable to such imports, and that the Commission note in its report 
any instance in which the continued application of a U.S. non-tariff 
barrier would result in different advice with respect to the effect of 
the removal of the duty.
    In addition, the USTR requested that the Commission prepare an 
assessment, pursuant to section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002 (19 
U.S.C. 3804(b)(2)), of the probable economic effects of eliminating 
tariffs on imports from the TPP countries of those agricultural 
products on the list attached to his letter on (i) industries in the 
United States producing the product concerned, and (ii) the U.S. 
economy as a whole.
    As requested, the Commission will provide its report to the USTR by 
June 2, 2010. The USTR indicated that those sections of the 
Commission's report that relate to the advice and assessment of 
probable economic effects will be classified. The USTR also indicated 
that he considers the Commission's report to be an inter-agency 
memorandum that will contain pre-decisional advice and be subject to 
the deliberative process privilege.
    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., 
March 2, 2010. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed 
with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., February 16, 2010, in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. 
All pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than 
5:15 p.m., February 18, 2010; and all post-hearing briefs and 
statements should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., March 16, 2010.
    Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to participating in 
the hearing and filing briefs and statements relating to 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., March 23, 
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 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.


    Issued: January 11, 2010

    By order of the Commission.

Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-962 Filed 1-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P