[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 229 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56849-56851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25797]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. USTR-2017-0023]


Request for Comments Regarding the Administration's Action 
Following a Determination of Import Injury With Regard to Large 
Residential Washers

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments and notice of public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has 
determined that large residential washers are being imported into the 
United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause 
of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article that is 
like or directly competitive with the imported articles. The 
Commissioners who voted in the affirmative are now conducting a process 
to recommend a remedy (or safeguard measure) for the President to 
apply. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), on 
behalf of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is announcing a 
process so that, once the ITC makes its recommendation, domestic 
producers, importers, exporters, and other interested parties may 
submit their views and evidence on the appropriateness of the 
recommended safeguard measure and whether it would be in the public 
interest. USTR also invites interested parties to participate in a 
public hearing regarding this matter.

DATES: December 11, 2017 at midnight EST: Deadline for submission of 
written comments and for requests to testify at the hearing.
    December 18, 2017 at midnight EST: Deadline for submission of 
written responses to the initial round of comments.
    January 3, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. EST: The TPSC will hold a public 
hearing in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street NW., Washington DC.

ADDRESSES: USTR strongly encourages electronic submissions made through 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments in section III below. The docket 
number is Docket No. USTR-2017-0023. For alternatives to on-line 
submissions, please contact Yvonne Jamison, Trade Policy Staff 
Committee at (202) 395-3475.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor Mroczka, Office of WTO and 
Multilateral Affairs, at [email protected] or (202) 395-9450, or 
Juli Schwartz, Office of General Counsel, at 
[email protected] or (202) 395-3150.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. The ITC Investigation and Section 201

    On June 5, 2017, the ITC instituted Investigation No. TA-201-076 
under section 202 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2252), as a result of a 
petition properly filed on May 31, 2017, and amended on June 5, 2017, 
by Whirlpool Corp., a domestic producer of large residential washers. 
The ITC would determine if large residential washers were being 
imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a 
substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the 
domestic industry producing an article that is like or directly 
competitive with the imported articles. The ITC's notice of institution 
(82 FR 27075) identifies the scope of the products covered by this 
investigation.
    On October 5, 2017, after receiving submissions from interested 
parties and holding a public hearing that provided an opportunity to 
present opposing views and supporting evidence, the ITC determined that 
increased imports of residential washers into the United States are a 
substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry. You can 
find the ITC determination and additional information about the 
investigation, including the administrative record consisting of briefs 
and other submissions, in the Electronic Document Information System 
(EDIS) on the ITC Web site at www.usitc.gov.
    In light of the affirmative finding on injury, the ITC held a 
public hearing on October 19, 2017, regarding the question of remedy 
and interested parties received an opportunity to file submissions on 
this issue. On December 4, 2017, after the remedy hearing and 
consideration of the submissions, including post-hearing submissions, 
the ITC will submit a report to the President with its recommendation 
on action(s) to address the serious injury, or threat thereof, to the 
domestic industry and to facilitate the efforts of the domestic

[[Page 56850]]

industry to make a positive adjustment to import competition.

II. Proposed Measure and Opportunity to Comment

    Section 201 of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2251) authorizes the 
President, in the event of an affirmative determination by the ITC, to 
take all appropriate and feasible action within his power that he 
determines will facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a 
positive adjustment to import competition and provide greater economic 
and social benefits than costs. The statute provides for the President 
to take action within 60 days after receiving the ITC report, subject 
to any decision the President makes to request additional information 
from the ITC. In accordance with section 203(a)(1)(C) of the Trade Act 
(19 U.S.C. 2253(a)(1)(C)), the TPSC will make a recommendation to the 
President. This recommendation will take into account the ITC 
recommendation, the extent to which the domestic industry will benefit 
from adjustment assistance, the efforts of the domestic industry to 
make positive adjustments, and other relevant considerations.
    The potential action the President may take to provide a remedy in 
the form of a safeguard measure includes:
     Imposition, or increase, of a duty on the imported 
articles in question
     Use of a tariff-rate quota.
     Modification or imposition of any quantitative restriction 
on the importation of the articles into the United States.
     A proposal to negotiate and carry out an agreement with 
foreign countries to limit the exportation from foreign countries and 
importation into the United States.
     Procedures for the granting of import licenses.
     Other negotiations to identify the underlying cause of the 
increased imports to alleviate the injury or threat thereof.
     Legislative proposals that would facilitate a positive 
adjustment.
     Other action consistent with the President's authority.
     Any combination of these actions.
    USTR offers these potential remedies for further consideration by 
domestic producers, importers, exporters, and other interested parties, 
and invites views and evidence on whether a proposed remedy is 
appropriate and in the public interest. In commenting on the action to 
take, we request that you address:
    1. The appropriateness of any other proposed action and how it 
would be in the public interest;
    2. the short- and long-term effects the proposed action is likely 
to have on the domestic residential washers industry, other domestic 
industries, and downstream consumers; and
    3. the short- and long-term effects that not taking the proposed 
action is likely to have on the domestic residential washers industry, 
its workers, and on other domestic industries and communities.
    The TPSC will convene a public hearing on January 3, 2018, at 9:30 
a.m. EST in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC. Requests 
to testify are due on December 11, 2017, and must include: (1) The 
name, address, telephone number, email address, and firm or affiliation 
of the individual wishing to testify, and (2) a brief summary of the 
proposed oral presentation. Please note the following:
     Your written comments should include a summary of no more 
than two pages that identifies the key points.
     The deadline to submit a request to testify at the hearing 
is December 11, 2017 at midnight EST and it must include your written 
comments.
     The TPSC will not accept written testimony at the hearing. 
You must include any materials you intend to use during your testimony 
with the written comments you submit.
    We will provide information about the format and schedule for the 
hearing to interested parties.

III. Submission Instructions

    USTR seeks public comments with respect to the issues described in 
Section II. To be assured of consideration, you must submit written 
comments by midnight EST on December 11, 2017, and any written 
responses to those comments by midnight EST on December 18, 2017. All 
comments must be in English and must identify on the reference line of 
the first page of the submission ``Section 201: Large Residential 
Washers.''
    We strongly encourage commenters to make on-line submissions using 
the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments via 
www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2017-0023 on the home 
page and click ``search.'' The site will provide a search-results page 
listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to 
this notice and click on the link entitled ``Comment Now!'' For further 
information on using www.regulations.gov, please consult the resources 
provided on the Web site by clicking ``How to Use Regulations.gov'' on 
the bottom of the home page. We will not accept hand-delivered 
submissions.
    The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments 
by filling in a ``Type Comment'' field, or by attaching a document 
using an ``Upload File'' field. We prefer that you provide comments as 
an attached document in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) 
format. If the submission is in another file format, please indicate 
the name of the software application in the ``Type Comment'' field. 
File names should reflect the name of the person or entity submitting 
the comments. Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic 
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a 
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in 
the same file as the comment itself, rather than submitting them as 
separate files.
    For any comments submitted electronically that contain business 
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential 
version should begin with the characters ``BC''. Any page containing 
business confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS 
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page and the submission should 
clearly indicate, via brackets, highlighting, or other means, the 
specific information that is business confidential. A filer requesting 
business confidential treatment must certify that the information is 
business confidential and would not customarily be released to the 
public by the submitter.
    Filers of submissions containing business confidential information 
also must submit a public version of their comments. The file name of 
the public version should begin with the character ``P''. The ``BC'' 
and ``P'' should be followed by the name of the person or entity 
submitting the comments. Filers submitting comments containing no 
business confidential information should name their file using the name 
of the person or entity submitting the comments.
    As noted, we strongly urge submitters to file comments through 
www.regulations.gov. You must make arrangements for any alternative 
method of submission with Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475 in advance 
of transmitting a comment. You can find general information about USTR 
at www.ustr.gov.
    We will post comments in the docket for public inspection, except 
business confidential information. You can view comments on 
www.regulations.gov by

[[Page 56851]]

entering the relevant docket number in the search field on the home 
page.

Edward Gresser,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States 
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2017-25797 Filed 11-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F8-P