[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55632-55633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25237]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-564]


U.S. Trade and Investment With Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent 
Developments

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 October 23, 2017 from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR) under the section 332(g) of 
the Tariff Act of 1930, the U.S. International Trade Commission 
(Commission) has instituted investigation No. 332-564, U.S. Trade and 
Investment with Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Developments, for the 
purpose of preparing the report requested by the USTR. The Commission 
has scheduled a public hearing in connection with this investigation 
for January 23, 2018.

DATES: 
January 9, 2018: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public 
hearing.
January 11, 2018: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and 
statements.
January 23, 2018: Public hearing.
January 30, 2018: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
February 6, 2018: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
April 30, 2018: Transmittal of Commission 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 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 Leaders Joann Peterson 
([email protected] or 202-205-3032) or Wen Jin (Jean) Yuan 
([email protected] or 202-205-2383) 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 ([email protected] or 202-205-3091). The 
media should contact Margaret O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations 
([email protected] or 202-205-1819). 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 (https://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: The Commission instituted this investigation following 
receipt of a request from the USTR dated October 23, 2017. The request 
asked the Commission to provide a report on U.S. trade and investment 
with sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It asked that the Commission's report 
focus primarily on the years 2010-2016, to the extent information is 
available, but examine longer-term trends since 2000 where appropriate. 
The request also asked that, to the extent practical, the report 
provide the most recent 2017 data on U.S. trade flows of goods with SSA 
and include the following:
    1. An overview of the U.S. exports of goods and services to SSA, 
which should, to the extent information is available:
    a. Identify the sectors in which U.S. exports of goods and services 
to SSA have increased the most, in both value and percentage terms, and 
indicate the key factors behind this growth.
    b. Identify the countries to which U.S. exports of goods and 
services to SSA have increased the most, in both value and percentage 
terms, and indicate the key factors behind this growth.
    c. Based on a review of available quantitative and qualitative 
information, identify non-crude petroleum sectors and SSA markets that 
present the greatest potential for U.S. exports of goods and services 
and for U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI). Also, identify 
significant factors impacting U.S. exports and FDI in these sectors, as 
well as principal third-country suppliers and investors in these 
sectors and SSA markets.
    d. Provide a brief description of the exports of goods and services 
from U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to SSA and describe 
the challenges that U.S. SMEs face when exporting to SSA.
    2. An overview of U.S. imports of goods and services from SSA, 
which should, to the extent information is available:
    a. Identify sectors in which SSA exports of goods and services to 
the United States have increased the most, in both value and percentage 
terms, and indicate the key factors behind this growth. Data on goods 
should include both AGOA and non-AGOA imports.
    b. Identify the SSA countries from which imports of goods and 
services to the United States have increased the most, in both value 
and percentage terms, and indicate the key factors behind this growth. 
Data on goods should include both AGOA and non-AGOA imports.
    c. Based on a review of available quantitative and qualitative 
information, identify non-crude petroleum sectors and SSA markets that 
present the greatest potential to increase exports of goods under AGOA 
to the United States. Identify sectors and SSA markets that present the 
greatest potential to increase services exports and FDI, and indicate 
significant factors impacting SSA companies achieving such exports and 
FDI.
    3. Provide profiles of the markets in Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, 
Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, and South Africa that include 
information on macroeconomic indicators, goods and services trade, and 
FDI flows in those countries.
    4. Provide a summary of recent developments of regional integration 
efforts in SSA, including progress on the negotiation of Continental 
Free Trade Agreement.
    5. Briefly summarize the AGOA strategies that have been developed 
by SSA countries.
    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 
January 23, 2018. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed 
with the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., January 9, 2018, in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``written submissions'' section 
below. All pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later 
than 5:15 p.m., January 11, 2018; and all post-hearing briefs and 
statements addressing matters raised at the hearing should be filed not 
later than 5:15 p.m., January 30, 2018. In the event that, as of the 
close of business on January 9, 2018, 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

[[Page 55633]]

Secretary to the Commission (202-205-2000) after January 9, 2018, 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., February 6, 2018. 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 https://www.usitc.gov/secretary/documents/handbook_on_filing_procedures.pdf 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 business information must be deleted (see the 
following paragraphs 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 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 is 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 stated that his office intends to 
make the Commission's report available to the public and asked that the 
Commission not include any confidential business information or 
national security information in the report. The Commission will not 
include any confidential business information in the report that it 
sends to the USTR or makes available to the public. However, 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 for cybersecurity purposes. 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 MS Word format or a format that can be easily 
converted to MS Word, 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: November 16, 2017.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2017-25237 Filed 11-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P