[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 54 (Thursday, March 19, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15798-15799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05767]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION


Temporary Change to Filing Procedures

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States International Trade Commission (Commission) 
provides notice that it is temporarily waiving and amending certain of 
the Commission's rules that require the filing of paper copies, CD-
ROMs, and other physical media in section 337 investigations to address 
concerns about COVID-19.

DATES: Immediately and until further notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may direct telephone inquiries to 
the Office of the Secretary at (202) 205-2000. You may direct email 
inquiries to [email protected]. Hearing impaired persons can obtain 
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal 
at (202) 205-1810. You may find general information concerning the 
Commission at https://www.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 201.4(b) of the Commission's Rules 
of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.4(b)) permits the Commission to 
amend, waive, suspend, or revoke Commission rules for ``good and 
sufficient reason'' if the rule is not a matter of procedure required 
by law. The procedures for the filing of documents, including the 
provision of paper copies, CD-ROMs, and other physical media in section 
337 investigations is not a procedure required by law. Therefore, to 
address concerns related to COVID-19, the Commission has determined 
that there is good and sufficient reason to waive and amend certain 
Commission rules that require such submissions and to require 
electronic filing for all documents filed with the Commission. This 
waiver and amendment is effective immediately and until further notice, 
which will be provided in a subsequent Federal Register notice. Waiver 
and amendment of these rules will mitigate disruption to section 337 
investigations in the event that the USITC building is inaccessible.
    Specifically, the Commission temporarily waives: Rule 210.4(f)(3)'s 
paper copy requirements, as they pertain to documents filed under Rules 
210.4(d), 210.8, 210.13, 210.14, 210.15, 210.16, 210.17, 210.18, 
210.19, 210.20, 210.21, 210.23, 210.24, 210.25, 210.26, 210.33, 210.34, 
210.35, 210.36, 210.38, 210.40, 210.43, 210.45, 210.46, 210.47, 210.50, 
210.52, 210.53, 210.57, 210.59, 210.66, 210.70, and 210.71; and the 
paper copy requirements set forth in Rules 210.4(f)(6)(ii), 
210.4(f)(7)(i), and 210.8, as well as the paper filing or copy 
requirements in the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures, with 
which Rule 210.4(f)(i) requires compliance.
    The Commission has approved the temporary amendment of Rule 
210.4(f)(2), Rule 210.75, Rule 210.76, and Rule 210.79 to permit 
parties to file section 337 complaints, exhibits, attachments, and 
appendices electronically.
    The Commission has approved the temporary amendment of Rule 
210.7(b) to require that attorneys who designate themselves as lead 
attorneys or representatives for service of process to provide the 
Commission with their individual work email address.
    The Commission has also approved the temporary amendment of Rules 
210.11(a) and 210.75 to require complainants, rather than the 
Commission, to serve all nonconfidential copies of the complaint and 
any appendices, supplements, motions for temporary relief, exhibits, 
and attachments onto each proposed respondent and appropriate embassy, 
upon notice of institution of investigation, and provide proof of 
service.
    Pursuant to Rule 201.16(a)(1), immediately and until further 
notice, the Commission will serve public documents by electronic means 
by posting the documents to its Electronic Document Information System 
(EDIS), located at https://edis.usitc.gov. Pursuant to Rule 
201.16(a)(4), ``[electronic] service is complete upon transmission of a 
notification that the document has been placed in an appropriate 
repository,'' and is available for retrieved by the party being served. 
Staff in the Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division, will 
provide email notification to the parties of the availability of the 
validated document on EDIS.
    All such filings shall comply with the procedures set forth in the 
Commission's EDIS website at https://edis.usitc.gov.

    By order of the Commission.


[[Page 15799]]


    Issued: March 16, 2020.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2020-05767 Filed 3-18-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P