[Federal Register: July 31, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 146)]
[Notices]
[Page 41773-41774]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31jy07-114]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 332-491]
China: Government Policies Affecting U.S. Trade in Selected
Sectors
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution of Investigation and Scheduling of Hearing.
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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request dated May 23, 2007 (received
May 29, 2007) from the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of
Representatives (Committee) for a series of three reports under section
332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. (332(g)) on U.S.-China
trade, the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) instituted
investigation No. 332-491, China: Government Policies Affecting U.S.
Trade in Selected Sectors, for the purpose of preparing the second
report.
DATES:
October 16, 2007: Deadline for Filing Request to Appear at the
Public Hearing.
October 16, 2007: Deadline for Filing Pre-Hearing Briefs and
Statements.
October 30, 2007: Public Hearing.
November 13, 2007: Deadline for Filing Post-Hearing Briefs and
Submissions.
February 1, 2008: Deadline for Filing all Other Written Statements.
July 29, 2008: Transmittal of Commission Report to the Committee on
Ways and Means.
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: http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project leaders Deborah McNay (202-
205-3425 or
deborah.mcnay@usitc.gov) or Joanne Guth (202-205-3264 or joanne.guth@usitc.gov) for information specific to this investigation
(the second report). For information on the legal aspects of these
investigations, contact William Gearhart of the Commission's Office of
the General Counsel (202-205-3091 or william.gearhart@usitc.gov). The
media should contact Margaret O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations
(202-205-1819 or margaret.olaughlin@usitc.gov). 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 (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: This notice announces institution of an investigation
relating to preparation of the second in a series of three reports, as
further described below. In its letter of May 23, 2007, the Committee
noted that it had earlier, in a letter dated September 21, 2006,
requested that the Commission prepare three reports relating to U.S.-
China trade. In its May 23, 2007 letter, the Committee requested that
the Commission augment the earlier request by adding two more
components to its investigation to provide an in-depth assessment of
the causes of the U.S.-China trade imbalance and whether and to what
extent China uses various forms of government intervention to promote
investment, employment, and exports. The Committee allotted additional
time to complete these requests, with the first report to be delivered
7 months after receipt of the May 23, 2007 letter, and the second and
third reports to be delivered 14 and 24 months, respectively, after
receipt of the letter. To prepare the first report, the Commission
instituted investigation No. 332-492, China: Description of Selected
Government Practices and Policies Affecting Decision-Making in the
Economy, on June 21, 2007; the Commission expects to submit its report
to the Committee in that investigation by December 29, 2007. In its
letter the Committee also requested that the Commission expand the
scope of its ongoing investigation No. 332-478, U.S.-China Trade:
Implications of U.S.-Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends. The
report in that investigation will be the third in the series of three
reports, and the Committee has extended the transmittal date to May 29,
2009. The Commission will issue a notice amending the scope and
announcing the schedule for that investigation at a later date.
As requested by the Committee in its letter of May 23, 2007, the
Commission in its second report will build on the report in its first
China investigation under the revised schedule (Investigation No. 332-
492) by comprehensively cataloguing and where possible, quantifying the
government policies and interventions described in the first report in
specific sectors. The Commission will include case studies on sectors
where leading U.S. exports have not penetrated the Chinese market, and
on sectors which are the primary drivers of the U.S.-China trade
deficit. The report will also include case studies on sectors where
government policies and interventions are prevalent, including the
semiconductor, telecommunications, banking, textiles and apparel,
steel, automotive parts, and aircraft sectors. Where applicable, the
case studies will describe how Chinese policies and actions are
exacerbating existing global overcapacity in specific
[[Page 41774]]
sectors. In addition, consistent with the focus described above, this
second report will include the information requested by the Committee
for the second report outlined in its letter of September 21, 2006,
with respect to the macro-economic and other driving factors behind the
rapid growth in U.S.-China trade. The Commission will provide this
consolidated second report to the Committee by July 29, 2008.
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
October 30, 2007. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be
filed with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m., October 16, 2007, in
accordance with the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below.
All pre-hearing briefs and statements should be filed not later than
5:15 p.m., October 16, 2007; and all post-hearing briefs and statements
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., November 13, 2007. In the
event that, as of the close of business on October 16, 2007, 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 Secretary to the Commission (202-205-
2000) after October 16, 2007, 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 submit written
statements concerning this investigation. All written submissions
should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be received not later
than 5:15 p.m., February 1, 2008. All written submissions must conform
with the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 201.8 requires that a
signed original (or a copy so designated) and fourteen (14) copies of
each document be filed. In the event that confidential treatment of a
document is requested, at least four (4) additional copies must be
filed, in which the confidential information must be deleted (see the
following paragraph for further information regarding confidential
business information). The Commission's rules authorize filing
submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means only to
the extent permitted by Sec. 201.8 of the rules (see Handbook for
Electronic Filing Procedures, http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/rules/documents/handbook_on_electronic_filing.pdf
). Persons
with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Secretary
(202-205-2000).
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
be clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions,
except for confidential business information, will be made available
for inspection by interested parties.
In its request letter, the Committee stated that it intends to make
the Commission's reports available to the public in their entirety, and
asked that the Commission not include any confidential business
information or national security classified information in the reports
that the Commission sends to the Committee. Any confidential business
information received by the Commission in this investigation and used
in preparing this report will not be published in a manner that would
reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: July 25, 2007.
William R. Bishop,
Acting Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E7-14687 Filed 7-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P