[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23954-23955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09487]



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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. TA-131-037 and TA-2104-029]


 U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership 
Agreement: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-
Free Treatment for Imports

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigations and scheduling of hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on March 26, 2013, of a request from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted 
investigation Nos. TA-131-037 and TA-2104-029, U.S.-EU Transatlantic 
Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement: Advice on the Probable 
Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports.

DATES: May 16, 2013: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    May 17, 2013: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    June 5, 2013: Public hearing.
    June 11, 2013: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    June 18, 2013: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
    September 26, 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://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vincent Honnold, Project Leader (202-
205-3314 or [email protected]), or Jeffrey Clark, Deputy 
Project Leader (202-205-3318 or [email protected]), for 
information specific to these investigations. For information on the 
legal aspects 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 of March 25, 2013, the USTR requested 
that the Commission provide certain advice under section 131 of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2151) and an assessment under section 
2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804(b)(2)) with respect 
to the effects of providing duty-free treatment for imports of products 
from all of the European Union (EU) member states.
    More specifically, the USTR, under authority delegated by the 
President and pursuant to section 131 of the Trade Act of 1974, 
requested that the Commission provide a report containing its advice as 
to the probable economic effect of providing duty-free treatment for 
imports of products from all of the EU member states on (i) industries 
in the United States producing like or directly competitive products, 
and (ii) consumers. The USTR asked that the Commission's analysis 
consider each article in chapters 1 through 97 of the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States (HTS) for which tariffs will remain, 
taking into account implementation of U.S. commitments in the World 
Trade Organization. The USTR asked that the advice be based on the HTS 
in effect during 2013 and trade data for 2012. The USTR also requested 
that the Commission, in preparing its advice, assume that any known 
U.S. nontariff barrier will not be applicable to such imports, and that 
the Commission note in its report any instance in which the continued 
application of a U.S. nontariff barrier would result in different 
advice with respect to the effect of the removal of the tariff.
    In addition, the USTR requested that the Commission prepare an 
assessment, pursuant to section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002, of 
the probable economic effects of eliminating tariffs on imports from 
all of the EU member states of those agricultural products on the list 
attached to his letter on (i) industries in the United States producing 
the product concerned, and (ii) the U.S. economy as a whole. The USTR's 
request and list of agricultural products are posted on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.usitc.gov.
    As requested, the Commission will provide its report to the USTR by 
September 26, 2013. The USTR indicated that those sections of the 
Commission's report that relate to the advice and assessment of 
probable economic effects will be classified. The USTR also indicated 
that he considers the Commission's report to be an inter-agency 
memorandum that will contain pre-decisional advice and be subject to 
the deliberative process privilege.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with these 
investigations will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m., 
June 5, 2013. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed 
with the Secretary not later than 5:15 p.m., May 16, 2013. All pre-
hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., 
May 17, 2013; and all post-hearing briefs and statements should be 
filed not later than 5:15 p.m., June 11, 2013. All briefs should be 
filed in accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' 
section below.
    Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to participating in 
the hearing and filing briefs and statements relating to the hearing, 
interested parties are invited to file written submissions concerning 
these investigations. All written submissions should be addressed to 
the Secretary, and should be received not later than 5:15 p.m., June 
18, 2013. 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

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``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.
    The Commission may include some or all of the confidential business 
information submitted in the course of the investigations in the report 
it sends to the USTR. The Commission will not otherwise publish any 
confidential business information in a manner that would reveal the 
operations of the firm supplying the information.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: April 18, 2013.
Lisa R. Barton,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2013-09487 Filed 4-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P