[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 22 (Thursday, February 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5275-5277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2349]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-528]


Used Electronic Products: An Examination of U.S. Exports; 
Institution of Investigation and Scheduling of Hearing

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on January 9, 2012, 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. 332-528, Used 
Electronic Products: An Examination of U.S. Exports.

DATES: April 16, 2012: Deadline for filing request to appear at the 
public hearing.
    April 30, 2012: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    May 15, 2012: Public hearing.

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    May 22, 2012: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    September 14, 2012: Deadline for filing all other written 
submissions.
    February 8, 2013: 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://edis.usitc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader Laura Bloodgood (202) 
708-4726 or [email protected] or Deputy 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    As requested by USTR, the Commission will conduct an investigation 
and prepare a report that describes U.S. exports of used electronic 
products, such as audio and visual equipment, computers and peripheral 
equipment, digital imaging devices, telecommunication equipment, and 
component parts of these products, and such additional electronic 
products as the Commission deems relevant. As requested, the report 
will be based on a review of available data and other information, 
including primary data collected through a survey of enterprises 
engaged in exporting used electronic products from the United States. 
The report will cover 2011, or the latest year for which data are 
available, and, to the extent practicable, include the following:
     The type, volume, and value of, and foreign markets of 
significance for, exports of used electronic products from the United 
States;
     The forms and activities, with respect to used electronic 
products, of enterprises receiving U.S. exporters' shipments, most 
common end uses of exports in the foreign market (i.e., further 
processing, final disposal, etc.), and the extent of cross-border, 
intra-firm shipments by U.S. exporters;
     The characteristics of used electronic products exported 
from the United States, including product condition (e.g., working, 
non-working, remanufacturable, refurbishable, repairable), composition 
of shipments (single product type, multiple product types), and the 
extent to which exports are processed (broken down or stripped), or 
remain intact prior to exportation;
     The forms, activities and characteristics of domestic 
exporting enterprises (e.g., original equipment manufacturers, 
remanufacturers, refurbishers, brokers, recyclers, non-profits, etc.) 
including the extent to which the exporter is foreign-invested;
     The relative share of sales by U.S. companies of used 
electronic products that are (1) exported, (2) sold to firms in the 
United States, (3) processed by the exporter itself, and (4) disposed 
of by the exporter itself; and
     The factors affecting trade in used electronic products.
    The USTR asked that the Commission provide its report no later than 
13 months from the date of receipt of the letter.

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 am on May 15, 2012. Requests to 
appear at the public hearing should be filed with the Secretary no 
later than 5:15 p.m., April 16, 2012, in accordance with the 
requirements in the ``written submissions'' section below. All pre-
hearing briefs and statements should be filed with the Secretary no 
later than 5:15 p.m. on April 30, 2012; and all post-hearing briefs and 
statements should be filed with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., 
May 22, 2012. In the event that, as of the close of business on April 
16, 2012, 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 should contact the Office of 
the Secretary at (202) 205-2000 after April 16, 2012, 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 should be received no later than 5:15 p.m., September 
14, 2012. All written submissions must conform to 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 to 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 said that he anticipates that the 
Commission's report will be made available to the public in its 
entirety, and asked that the Commission not include any confidential 
business or national security information in the report it sends him. 
Accordingly, any confidential business information received by the 
Commission in this investigation and used in preparing this report will 
not be included in the report

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that the Commission sends to the USTR and will not be published in a 
manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the 
information.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: January 30, 2012.
James R. Holbein,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2012-2349 Filed 2-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P