[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 212 (Thursday, November 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66323-66325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23856]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-593]


U.S.-Pacific Islands Trade and Investment: Impediments and 
Opportunities

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

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on September 29, 2022, of a request from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR), under section 332(g) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, the U.S. International Trade Commission 
(Commission) instituted Investigation No. 332-593, U.S.- Pacific 
Islands Trade and Investment: Impediments and Opportunities. The USTR 
requested that the Commission conduct an investigation and provide a 
report that analyzes Pacific Island trade with the United States and 
identifies impediments to and opportunities for increased trade flows 
between the United States and the Pacific Islands, and for increased 
U.S. investment in the Pacific Islands.

DATES: 
    January 31, 2023: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the 
public hearing.
    February 2, 2023: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and 
statements.
    February 7, 2023: Deadline for filing electronic copies of oral 
hearing statements.
    February 14, 2023: Public hearing.
    February 21, 2023: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and 
statements.
    April 17, 2023: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
    September 29, 2023: Transmittal of Commission report to the USTR.

ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing 
rooms, are located in the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 
500 E Street SW, Washington, DC. All written submissions should be 
addressed to the Secretary, U.S. 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: Project Leader Steven LeGrand 
([email protected] or 202-205-

[[Page 66324]]

3094) or Deputy Project Leader Robert Ireland ([email protected] 
or 202-708-4101) for information specific to this investigation. For 
information on the legal aspects of this investigation, contact Brian 
Allen ([email protected] or 202-205-3034) or William Gearhart of 
the Commission's Office of the General Counsel 
([email protected] or 202-205-3091). The media should contact 
Jennifer Andberg, 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. 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. 
General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by 
accessing its website (https://www.usitc.gov).
    Background: As requested by the USTR under section 332(g) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the Commission will include the 
following in its report:
     An overview of the Pacific Island economies, including 
major sectors in production, consumption, trade, and employment.
     A description of goods and services exports from the 
Pacific Islands during the period 2017-21, and identification of major 
factors that impact those exports to the United States.
     A description of the use of the U.S. General System of 
Preferences (GSP) program by the Pacific Island countries and 
identification of the goods from the Pacific Islands that enter the 
United States under GSP, sectors in which these programs might be 
underutilized, and factors affecting utilization of GSP.
     A description of foreign investment in the Pacific Islands 
during the period 2017-21; and identification of major factors 
affecting investment from the United States.
     Identification of major products (including goods covered 
by the GSP program) and services in the Pacific Islands with greatest 
potential for export sales to the United States, sectors with U.S. 
investment potential, and the factors that impede trade and investment 
with the United States for these products and sectors using qualitative 
analysis and, to the extent data are available, quantitative analysis.
     A description of initiatives and/or technical assistance 
that could address such trade and investment impediments, if found 
during the Commission's research.
    The 22 Pacific Island economies covered in this investigation are 
Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, 
Tuvalu, and Vanuatu (independent countries); Federated States of 
Micronesia, Palau, and Marshall Islands (Freely Associated States); 
Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa 
(U.S. territories); and Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, 
Niue, Pitcairn Islands, Tokelau, and Wallis and Futuna (non-independent 
countries and territories).
    The USTR requested that the Commission transmit its report no later 
than 12 months following receipt of this request. In its request 
letter, the USTR stated that it intends to make the Commission's report 
available to the public in its entirety and asked that the report not 
include any confidential business information or classified 
information.
    Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this 
investigation will be held in-person beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 
February 14, 2023, in the Main Hearing Room of the U.S. International 
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington DC 20436. The hearing can 
also be accessed remotely using the WebEx videoconference platform. A 
link to the hearing will be posted on the Commission's website at 
https://www.usitc.gov/calendarpad/calendar.html.
    Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed with the 
Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, January 31, 2023, in 
accordance with the requirements in the ``Written Submissions'' section 
below. Any requests to appear as a witness via videoconference must be 
included with your request to appear. Requests to appear as a witness 
via videoconference must include a statement explaining why the witness 
cannot appear in person; the Chairman, or other person designated to 
conduct the investigation, may at their discretion for good cause 
shown, grant such requests. Requests to appear as a witness via 
videoconference due to illness or a positive COVID-19 test result may 
be submitted by 3pm the business day prior to the hearing.
    All prehearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than 
5:15 p.m., Thursday, February 2, 2023. To facilitate the hearing, 
including the preparation of an accurate written transcript of the 
hearing, oral testimony to be presented at the hearing must be 
submitted to the Commission electronically no later than noon, February 
7, 2023. All post-hearing briefs and statements should be filed no 
later than 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, February 21, 2023. Post-hearing briefs 
and statements should address matters raised at the hearing. For a 
description of the different types of written briefs and statements, 
see the ``Definitions'' section below.
    In the event that, as of the close of business on January 31, 2023, 
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 should check the Commission website as 
indicated two paragraphs above 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 the 
date specified in this notice. 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), as temporarily amended by 85 FR 15798 
(March 19, 2020). Under that rule waiver, the Office of the Secretary 
will accept only electronic filings at this time. Filings must be made 
through the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS, 
https://edis.usitc.gov). No in-person paper-based filings or paper 
copies of any electronic filings will be accepted until further notice. 
Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the 
Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (202-205-1802), or 
consult the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures.
    Definitions of Types of Documents That May Be Filed; Requirements: 
In addition to requests to appear at the hearing, this notice provides 
for the possible filing of four types of documents: prehearing briefs, 
oral hearing statements, post-hearing briefs, and other written 
submissions.
    (1) Prehearing briefs refers to written materials relevant to the 
investigation and submitted in advance of the hearing, and includes 
written views on matters that are the subject of the investigation, 
supporting materials, and any other written materials that you consider 
will help the Commission in understanding your views. You should file a 
prehearing brief particularly if you plan to testify at the hearing on 
behalf of an industry group, company, or other organization, and wish 
to provide detailed views or information that will support or 
supplement your testimony.

[[Page 66325]]

    (2) Oral hearing statements (testimony) refers to the actual oral 
statement that you intend to present at the public hearing. Do not 
include any confidential business information in that statement. If you 
plan to testify, you must file a copy of your oral statement by the 
date specified in this notice. This statement will allow Commissioners 
to understand your position in advance of the hearing and will also 
assist the court reporter in preparing an accurate transcript of the 
hearing (e.g., names spelled correctly).
    (3) Post-hearing briefs refers to submissions filed after the 
hearing by persons who appeared at the hearing. Such briefs: (a) should 
be limited to matters that arose during the hearing, (b) should respond 
to any Commissioner and staff questions addressed to you at the 
hearing, (c) should clarify, amplify, or correct any statements you 
made at the hearing, and (d) may, at your option, address or rebut 
statements made by other participants in the hearing.
    (4) Other written submissions refers to any other written 
submissions that interested persons wish to make, regardless of whether 
they appeared at the hearing, and may include new information or 
updates of information previously provided.
    There is no standard format that a brief or other written 
submission must follow. However, each such document must identify on 
its cover (1) the type of document filed (i.e., prehearing brief, oral 
statement of (name), post-hearing brief, or written submission), (2) 
the name of the person or organization filing it, and (3) whether it 
contains confidential business information (CBI). If it contains CBI, 
it must comply with the marking and other requirements set out below in 
this notice relating to CBI. Submitters of written documents (other 
than oral hearing statements) are encouraged to include a short summary 
of their position or interest at the beginning of the document, and a 
table of contents when the document addresses multiple issues.
    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.
    As requested by the USTR, the Commission will not include any 
confidential business information in its report. 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 way that 
would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.
    Summaries of Written Submissions: Persons wishing to have a summary 
of their position included in the report that the Commission sends to 
the USTR should include a summary with their written submission and 
should mark the summary as having been provided for that purpose. The 
summary should be clearly marked as ``summary for inclusion in the 
report'' at the top of the page. 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 list 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: October 28, 2022.
Katherine Hiner,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2022-23856 Filed 11-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P