[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28059-28060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11971]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-515]


Actual Effects of the Free Trade Agreements With Chile, 
Australia, and Singapore

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on April 13, 2010 from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR) 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. 332-515, Actual 
Effects of the Free Trade Agreements with Chile, Australia, and 
Singapore.

DATES: July 15, 2010: Deadline for filing written submissions. December 
13, 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 https://edis.usitc.gov/edis3-internal/app.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader Jennifer Baumert Powell 
(202-205-3450 or [email protected]) or Deputy Project Leader 
Linda White (202-205-3427 or [email protected]) 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: As requested by the USTR, the Commission will conduct 
an investigation and provide a report on the actual effects of the free 
trade agreements (FTAs) concluded with Chile, Singapore, and Australia. 
In its report the Commission will--
    (1) With respect to each of the FTAs, and for certain goods for 
which the United States agreed to phase out its tariffs and other 
market barriers over an extended period of time, examine U.S. imports 
of these goods, identify any apparent anomalies in U.S. import levels, 
and discuss the possible causes for these anomalies; in identifying 
whether an import level is anomalous, the Commission will consider 
factors affecting such levels, such as tariff changes, trade changes in 
similar products, changes in trade of the same product with other 
trading partners, or other relevant indicators of trade flows;
    (2) With respect to each of the FTAs, and for certain goods for 
which the other party agreed to phase out its tariffs and other market 
access barriers over an extended period of time, examine U.S. exports 
of these goods, identify any apparent anomalies in U.S. export levels, 
and indicate the possible causes for these anomalies, taking into 
account the factors identified above;
    (3) Consider the existence of other apparently anomalous levels of 
U.S. exports to the other FTA party, e.g., where the immediate 
elimination of tariffs and significant market access barriers to trade 
in a particular product resulted in little or no increase in U.S. 
exports, or where U.S. exports increased significantly in tariff lines 
where little or no reduction in tariffs occurred as the result of the 
FTA; the Commission will identify such apparently anomalous situations 
and indicate the possible causes, to the extent possible, and if 
possible, will identify and examine unexpected results in the 
performance of U.S. services exports.
    The USTR asked that the Commission deliver its report within eight 
months of receipt of the request (by December 13, 2010). The USTR 
indicated that the portions of the Commission's report and working 
papers that relate to the identification and possible causes of the 
apparent anomalies and anomalous situations will be classified as 
``confidential.'' The USTR also stated 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.
    Written Submissions: In lieu of a hearing, interested parties are 
invited to submit written statements concerning this investigation. All 
written

[[Page 28060]]

submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be 
received not later than 5:15 p.m., July 15, 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 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 
(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.
    Some or all of the CBI that the Commission receives in this 
investigation may be included in the report that the Commission sends 
to the USTR. However, 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: May 13, 2010.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010-11971 Filed 5-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P