[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30195-30196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12672]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-524]


Brazil: Competitive Factors in Brazil Affecting U.S. and 
Brazilian Agricultural Sales in Selected Third Country Markets; 
Institution of Investigation and Scheduling of Hearing

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on April 26, 2011, of a request from the 
United States Senate Committee on Finance (Committee) 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. 332-524, Brazil: Competitive Factors in Brazil Affecting U.S. and 
Brazilian Agricultural Sales in Selected Third Country Markets.

DATES: 
June 24, 2011: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public 
hearing.
July 5, 2011: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and statements.
July 20, 2011: Public hearing.
July 27, 2011: Deadline for filing posthearing briefs and statements.
October 6, 2011: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
March 26, 2012: Transmittal of Commission report to the Committee.

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 leader John Fry (202-708-4157 
or [email protected]) or deputy project leader Brendan Lynch (202-205-
3313 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: As requested by the Committee, the Commission will 
conduct an investigation and prepare a report on the competitive 
factors in Brazil affecting U.S. and Brazilian agricultural sales in 
third country markets. As requested, to the extent possible, the report 
will include--
    1. An overview of agricultural markets in Brazil, including recent 
trends in production, consumption, and trade;
    2. An overview of U.S. and Brazilian participation in global export 
markets for meat, grain, and oilseed products, particularly in the 
European Union, Russia, China, Japan, and markets with which Brazil has 
negotiated trade agreements;
    3. A description of the competitive factors affecting the 
agricultural sector in Brazil, in such areas as costs of production, 
transportation and marketing infrastructure, technology, exchange 
rates, domestic support, and government programs related to 
agricultural markets;
    4. A description of the growth of Brazilian multinational 
agribusiness firms and their effect on global food supply chains;
    5. A description of the principal trade measures affecting U.S. and 
Brazilian exports of meat, grain, and oilseed products in major third 
country export markets, including sanitary and phytosanitary measures 
and technical barriers to trade; and
    6. A quantitative analysis of the economic effects of preferential 
tariffs negotiated under Brazil's free trade agreements on U.S. and 
Brazilian exports of meat, grain, and oilseed products, as well as the 
economic effects of selected non-tariff measures on U.S. and Brazilian 
exports of meat, grain, and oilseed products in major third country 
export markets.
    The Committee asked that the Commission's report cover the period 
2006-2010, and focus on the global meat, grains, and oilseeds markets. 
The Committee requested that the Commission deliver its report by March 
26, 2012.
    Public Hearing: The Commission will hold a public hearing in 
connection with this investigation at the U.S.

[[Page 30196]]

International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, 
DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Requests to 
appear at the public hearing should be filed with the Secretary no 
later than 5:15 p.m., June 24, 2011, in accordance with the 
requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. All prehearing 
briefs and statements should be filed with the Secretary not later than 
5:15 p.m., July 5, 2011; and all posthearing briefs and statements 
responding to matters raised at the hearing should be filed with the 
Secretary not later than 5:15 p.m., July 27, 2011. All hearing-related 
briefs and statements should be filed in accordance with the 
requirements for filing written submissions set out below. In the event 
that, as of the close of business on June 24, 2011, 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 24, 2011, 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 all such submissions (other than pre- 
and post-hearing briefs and statements) should be received not later 
than 5:15 p.m., October 6, 2011. 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 
``nonconfidential'' 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 its request letter, the Committee stated that it intends to make 
the Commission's report available to the public in its entirety, and 
asked that the Commission not include any confidential business 
information in the report it sends to the Committee. 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: May 18, 2011.
James R. Holbein,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2011-12672 Filed 5-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P