[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48169-48170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19791]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-532; Investigation No. 332-536]


The Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on 
the Proposed Expansion: Part 1; The Information Technology Agreement: 
Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 2

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigations, opportunity to provide written 
submissions, and scheduling of public hearing in investigation No. 332-
536.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on July 31, 2012, from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR) under section 115 of the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3524) and section 332(g) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the U.S. International Trade 
Commission (Commission) instituted two investigations for the purpose 
of providing the requested advice and information: investigation No. 
332-532, The Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information 
on the Proposed Expansion: Part 1, and investigation No. 332-536, The 
Information Technology Agreement: Advice and Information on the 
Proposed Expansion: Part 2.

DATES: 

Investigation No. 332-532

    September 6, 2012: Deadline for filing written submissions from 
interested parties.
    October 24, 2012: Transmittal of Commission's report to USTR.

Investigation No. 332-536

    October 31, 2012: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    November 2, 2012: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    November 8, 2012: Public hearing.
    November 20, 2012: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
written submissions from interested parties.
    February 15, 2013: Transmittal of the Commission's report to 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 these investigations may be viewed on the Commission's electronic 
docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov/edis3-internal/app.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader Shannon Gaffney (202-
205-3316 or [email protected]) or Deputy Project Leaders Heidi 
Colby-Oizumi (202-205-3391 or [email protected]) or Jeanette Leary 
(202-205-2043 or [email protected]) for information specific to 
these investigations. For information on the legal aspect 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: In his letter the USTR said that a number of 
participants in the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) have 
prepared a draft list of products that could be considered for addition 
to ITA product coverage, and that a more formal negotiating process is 
expected to begin in September 2012. The USTR furnished the Commission 
with a list of the products, which can be found at http://www.usitc.gov/research_and_analysis/ongoing/documents/Request_letter_332-532.pdf or http://www.usitc.gov/research_and_analysis/ongoing/documents/Request_letter_332-536.pdf. Section 115 of the URAA 
requires the President to obtain the advice of the Commission in 
connection with any modifications in duty that are subject to the 
consultation and layover requirements of section 115.
    The USTR has asked the Commission to provide advice and information 
in two reports and the Commission has instituted two separate 
investigations for the purpose of preparing these reports.

 Investigation No. 332-532, The Information Technology Agreement: 
Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 1

    In its first report (investigation No. 332-352), the Commission 
will, as requested by the USTR and to the extent practicable, based on 
available information and information furnished by interested parties 
in response to this notice, (1) indicate both the information and 
communications technology (ICT) purposes and non-ICT purposes for which 
each product on the list is used, and (2) identify the products that 
U.S. industry and other interested parties view as import-sensitive. 
The Commission will provide this report to the USTR by October 24, 
2012.

 Investigation No. 332-536, The Information Technology Agreement: 
Advice and Information on the Proposed Expansion: Part 2

    In its second report (investigation No. 332-356), the Commission 
will, as requested by the USTR and to the extent practicable, identify 
for each of the listed products: (1) Tariffs in major markets; (2) 
major producing countries; (3) leading U.S. export markets; and (4) 
leading sources of U.S. imports. The Commission will also provide an 
overview of selected key subsectors, and to the extent practicable, 
examine benefits to the U.S. industry of ITA

[[Page 48170]]

expansion, including information on increased market access and export 
opportunities for products in these subsectors. The Commission will 
provide this report to the USTR by February 15, 2013.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with investigation 
No. 332-536 will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on 
November 8, 2012. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be 
filed with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., October 31, 2012. All 
pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed no later than 5:15 
p.m. November 2, 2012; and all post-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. November 20, 2012. All such 
briefs and statements should otherwise comply with the filing 
requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. In the event that, 
as of the close of business on October 31, 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 October 31, 2012, for information concerning whether the 
hearing will be held.
    Written Submissions: Interested parties are invited to file written 
submissions concerning both investigations. For investigation No. 332-
532, interested parties are asked to provide information on (1) the ICT 
and non-ICT purposes for which products on the attached list are used, 
and (2) indicate which products they view as import-sensitive. Written 
submissions relating to investigation No. 332-532 should be received 
not later than 5:15 p.m., September 6, 2012. Written submission 
relating to investigation No. 332-536 should be received not later than 
5:15 p.m., November 20, 2012.
    Written submissions filed in connection with the respective 
investigations should focus on providing information of the kind 
described above that is relevant to the respective investigations and 
reports. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary. 
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 and the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures 
require that interested parties file documents electronically on or 
before the filing deadline and submit eight (8) true paper copies by 
12:00 noon eastern time on the next business day. In the event that 
confidential treatment of a document is requested, interested parties 
must file, at the same time as the eight paper copies, at least four 
(4) additional true paper copies in which the confidential information 
must be deleted (see the following paragraph for further information 
regarding confidential business information). Persons with questions 
regarding electronic filing should contact the Secretary (202-205-
2000).
    Any submissions that contain confidential business information 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 it is the intent of his 
office to make the Commission's reports available to the public in 
their entirety, and asked that the Commission not include any 
confidential business information. Accordingly, any confidential 
business information received by the Commission in these investigations 
and used in preparing the respective reports will not be included in 
the reports 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.

    Issued: August 8, 2012.

    By order of the Commission.
Lisa R. Barton,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2012-19791 Filed 8-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P