[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9938-9939]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03169]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-539]


U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Effects on U.S. Small and 
Medium-Sized Enterprises; 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 dated January 29, 2013 
(received on January 30, 2013) from the U.S. 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. 332-539, U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: 
Effects on U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

DATES: 
February 27, 2013: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public 
hearing.
March 1, 2013: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and statements.
March 14, 2013: Public hearing.
March 20, 2013: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements.
March 25, 2013: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
May 1, 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 https://edis.usitc.gov/edis3-internal/app.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader Brian Allen (202-205-
3034 or [email protected]) or Deputy Project Leader Kyle Johnson 
(202-205-3229 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]).

[[Page 9939]]

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 Web site (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, the Commission will conduct an 
investigation and prepare a report containing information on the impact 
of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement on U.S. small and medium-sized 
enterprises (SMEs) since entry into force of the agreement on March 15, 
2012. The Commission, to the extent practicable, will provide a report 
discussing the effects of the agreement on the production, 
distribution, and export strategy of U.S. SMEs, as identified by those 
SMEs, and describing how U.S. SMEs have benefited from specific 
provisions of the agreement, as well as challenges that U.S. SMEs may 
have faced in exporting to Korea. Such provisions may include but are 
not limited to those related to trade in goods and services or to 
intellectual property. The report will be based on available 
information, including information furnished by SMEs and interested 
parties. The U.S. SME sectors examined may include some or all of the 
business sectors listed in the three prior Commission reports on SMEs 
released in 2010, or other appropriate business sectors as information 
is available.
    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 a.m. on 
March 14, 2013. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be 
filed with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., February 27, 2013, 
in accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section 
below. All pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later 
than 5:15 p.m., March 1, 2013; and all post-hearing briefs and 
statements should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., March 20, 2013. In 
the event that, as of the close of business on February 27, 2013, 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 February 27, 2013, 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 not later than 5:15 
p.m., March 25, 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 
(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. In its request letter, the USTR 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 or national security classified information in the report 
that the Commission sends to the USTR. 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: February 7, 2013.
Lisa R. Barton,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013-03169 Filed 2-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P