[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 194 (Friday, October 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61026-61027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24529]



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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-537]


Olive Oil: Conditions of Competition Between U.S. and Major 
Foreign Supplier Industries

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on September 12, 2012, of a request from the 
Committee on Ways and Means (Committee) of the House of Representatives 
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. 332-537, Olive Oil: Conditions of Competition between 
U.S. and Major Foreign Supplier Industries.

DATES: 
    November 14, 2012: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    November 21, 2012: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and 
statements.
    December 5, 2012: Public hearing.
    December 12, 2012: Deadline for filing posthearing briefs and 
statements.
    February 12, 2013: Deadline for filing all other written 
submissions.
    August 12, 2013: 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 Brendan Lynch (202-205-
3313 or [email protected]) or deputy project leader Alison Rozema 
(202-205-3458 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 conditions of 
competition between U.S. and major foreign supplier industries. As 
requested and to the extent that information is publicly available, the 
report will include the following--
    1. An overview of the commercial olive oil industry in the United 
States and major supplier countries, including production of olives for 
olive oil processing, planted acreage and new plantings, processing 
volumes, processing capacity, carry-over inventory, and consumption;
    2. Information on the international market for olive oil, including 
U.S. and foreign supplier imports and exports of olive oil in its 
various forms, olive oil trade between the European Union and North 
African countries, and a history of the tariff treatment and 
classification of olive oil in the United States and major supplier 
countries;
    3. A qualitative and, to the extent possible, quantitative 
assessment of the role of imports, standards and grading, prices, and 
other factors on olive oil consumption in the U.S. market; and
    4. A comparison of the competitive strengths and weaknesses of the 
commercial olive production and olive oil processing industries in the 
major producing countries and the United States, including factors such 
as industry structure, input production costs and availability, 
processing technology, product innovation, government support and other 
government intervention, exchange rates, and pricing and marketing 
regimes, plus the steps each respective industry is taking to increase 
its competitiveness.
    The Committee asked that the report focus primarily on the period 
2008-2012 and that the Commission deliver its report by August 12, 
2013. The Committee also stated that it intends to make the 
Commission's report public.
    Public Hearing: The Commission will hold a public hearing in 
connection with this investigation at the U.S. International Trade 
Commission Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 
10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. Requests to appear at the 
public hearing should be filed with the Secretary not later than 5:15 
p.m., November 14, 2012, 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., November 
21, 2012; 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., December 12, 2012. 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 November 14, 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 
may call the Office of the Secretary (202-205-2000) after November 14, 
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 all such submissions (other than 
prehearing and posthearing briefs and statements) should be received 
not later than 5:15 p.m., February 12, 2013. 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 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 p.m. 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 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''

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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 the 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: October 1, 2012.
William R. Bishop,
Hearings and Meetings Coordinator.
[FR Doc. 2012-24529 Filed 10-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P