[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7857-7859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01401]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-560]


Generalized System of Preferences: Possible Modifications, 2016 
Review

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of institution of investigation and scheduling of public 
hearing.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on January 5, 2017, from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. International Trade 
Commission (Commission) instituted investigation No. 332-560, 
Generalized System of Preferences: Possible Modifications, 2016 Review, 
for the purpose of providing advice and information relating to the 
possible designation of additional articles, removal of articles, and 
waiver of competitive need limitations.

DATES: 
    February 3, 2017: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    February 8, 2017: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    February 21, 2017: Public hearing.
    February 27, 2017: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    March 3, 2017: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
    May 5, 2017: 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information specific to this 
investigation may be obtained from Renee Berry, Project Leader, Office 
of Industries (202-205-3498 or [email protected]) or Sabina 
Neumann, Deputy Project Leader, Office of Industries (202-205-3000 or 
[email protected]), or Marin Weaver, Technical Advisor, Office 
of Industries (202-205-3461 or [email protected]). 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 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: In his letter, the USTR requested the advice and 
information described below.
    (1) Advice concerning the probable economic effect of elimination 
of U.S. import duties on certain articles from all beneficiary 
developing countries under the GSP program. In accordance with sections 
503(a)(1)(A), 503(e), and 131(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended 
(``the 1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2463(a)(1)(A), 2463(e), and 2151(a)), and 
pursuant to the authority of the President delegated to the USTR by 
sections 4(c) and 8(c) and (d) of Executive Order 11846 of March 31, 
1975, as amended, and pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the USTR notified the Commission that the 
articles identified in Table A of the Annex to the USTR request letter 
are being considered for designation as eligible articles for purposes 
of the GSP program. The USTR requested that the Commission provide its 
advice as to the probable economic effect on total U.S. imports, U.S. 
industries producing like or directly competitive articles, and on U.S. 
consumers of the elimination of U.S. import duties on the articles 
identified in Table A of the Annex to the USTR request letter for all 
beneficiary developing countries under the GSP program (see Table A 
below).

Table A--Possible Additions to the List of Products Eligible for the GSP
                            Eligible Products
------------------------------------------------------------------------
       HTS subheading             Brief description         Countries
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1104.19.90.................  Rolled or flaked grains of  Beneficiary
                              cereals, other than of      Developing
                              barley or oats.             Countries.
2008.20.00.................  Pineapples, otherwise       Beneficiary
                              prepared or preserved,      Developing
                              nesoi.                      Countries.
2915.90.18.................  Saturated acyclic           Beneficiary
                              monocarboxylic acids,       Developing
                              nesoi.                      Countries.
3809.93.50.................  Finishing agents, dye       Beneficiary
                              carriers and other          Developing
                              preparations used in        Countries.
                              leather and like
                              industries, <5% by weight
                              aromatic (mod.)
                              substance(s).
3912.20.00.................  Cellulose nitrates          Beneficiary
                              (including collodions),     Developing
                              in primary forms.           Countries.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) Advice concerning the probable economic effect of removal of 
certain articles from specified countries from eligibility for duty-
free treatment. The USTR notified the Commission that one article is 
being considered for removal from eligibility for duty free treatment 
under the GSP program from all countries. Under authority delegated by 
the President, pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, 
with respect to the article listed in Table B of the Annex to the USTR 
request letter, the USTR requested that the Commission provide its 
advice as to the probable economic effect of the removal from 
eligibility for duty-free treatment under the GSP program for this 
article from all countries on total U.S. imports, U.S. industries 
producing like or directly

[[Page 7858]]

competitive articles, and on U.S. consumers (see Table B below).

Table B--Possible Removal From Duty-Free Status From All Countries for a
          Product on the List of Eligible Articles for the GSP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
       HTS subheading             Brief description          Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2922.49.40.20..............  Glycine--part of            All.
                              2922.49.40, ``Amino
                              acids``.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (3) Advice concerning waiver of certain competitive need 
limitations. Under authority delegated by the President, pursuant to 
section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, and in accordance with 
section 503(d)(1)(A) of the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that the 
Commission provide advice on whether any industry in the United States 
is likely to be adversely affected by a waiver of the competitive need 
limitations specified in section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act for the 
countries and articles specified in Table C of the attached Annex to 
the request letter (see Table C below). Further, in accordance with 
section 503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that the 
Commission provide its advice with respect to whether like or directly 
competitive products were being produced in the United States on 
January 1, 1995. The USTR also requested that the Commission provide 
its advice as to the probable economic effect on total U.S. imports, as 
well as on consumers, of the requested waivers. With respect to the 
competitive need limit in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the 1974 Act, 
the USTR requested that the Commission use the dollar value limit of 
$175,000,000.

      Table C--Possible Waivers of the CNL From a Specific Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
       HTS subheading             Brief description          Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
0410.00.00.................  Edible products of animal   Indonesia.
                              origin, nesoi.
0714.90.10.................  Fresh or chilled dasheens,  Ecuador.
                              whether or not sliced or
                              in the form of pellets.
4011.20.10.................  New pneumatic radial        Indonesia.
                              tires, of rubber, of a
                              kind used on buses or
                              trucks.
4409.10.05.................  Coniferous wood             Brazil.
                              continuously shaped along
                              any of its ends, whether
                              or not also continuously
                              shaped along any
                              {of{time}  its edges or
                              faces.
6802.99.00.................  Monumental or building      Brazil.
                              stone & arts. thereof,
                              nesoi, further worked
                              than simply cut/sawn,
                              nesoi.
8525.80.30.................  Television cameras, nesoi.  Thailand.
9001.50.00.................  Spectacle lenses of         Thailand.
                              materials other than
                              glass, unmounted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Time for reporting, HTS detail, portions of report to be 
classified. As requested by the USTR, the Commission will provide the 
requested advice and information by May 5, 2017. The USTR asked that 
the Commission issue, as soon as possible thereafter, a public version 
of the report containing only the unclassified information, with any 
confidential business information deleted. As requested, the Commission 
will provide its economic effect advice and statistics (profile of the 
U.S. industry and market and U.S. import and export data) and any other 
relevant information or advice separately and individually for each 
U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading for all products subject to 
the request. The USTR indicated that those sections of the Commission's 
report and working papers that contain the Commission's advice and 
assessment will be classified as ``confidential.'' The USTR also stated 
that his office 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 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 
February 21, 2017. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be 
filed with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., February 3, 2017. All 
pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed no later than 5:15 
p.m., February 8, 2017; and all post-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m., February 27, 2017. All 
requests to appear, and pre- and post-hearing briefs and statements 
should be filed in accordance with the requirements of the ``written 
submissions'' section below.
    Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to appearing at 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 3, 2017. 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 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 
Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (202-205-1802).
    Confidential Business Information: 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 ``non-confidential'' version, 
and that the confidential business information is clearly identified by 
means of brackets. All

[[Page 7859]]

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 this investigation in the report 
it sends to the USTR. Additionally, all information, including 
confidential business information, submitted in this investigation may 
be disclosed to and used: (i) By the Commission, its employees and 
Offices, and contract personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the 
records of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal 
investigations, audits, reviews, and evaluations relating to the 
programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5 
U.S.C. Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government employees and contract 
personnel (a) for cybersecurity purposes or (b) in monitoring user 
activity on U.S. government classified networks. The Commission will 
not otherwise disclose any confidential business information in a 
manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the 
information.
    Summaries of Written Submissions: The Commission intends to publish 
summaries of the positions of interested persons. Persons wishing to 
have a summary of their position included in the report should include 
a summary with their written submission. The summary may not exceed 500 
words, should be in MSWord format or a format that can be easily 
converted to MSWord, and should not include any confidential business 
information. The summary will be published as provided if it meets 
these requirements and is germane to the subject matter of the 
investigation. The Commission will identify the name of the 
organization furnishing the summary and will include a link to the 
Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS) where the 
full written submission can be found.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: January 17, 2017.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2017-01401 Filed 1-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P