The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today released the executive summary of its general factfinding investigation Assessment of the Economic Effects on the United States of China's Accession to the WTO.

The ITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, recently completed the report for the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). As requested by the USTR, the report was submitted as a confidential report; however, on September 1, 1999, the USTR advised the ITC that it had declassified the executive summary of the report and requested that the ITC issue that portion of the report to the public.

The executive summary is the only portion of the report that is available to the public at this time. The USTR indicated that it is reviewing the body of the ITC report and "intend[s] to complete this review expeditiously and will provide further guidance to the Commission on those portions of the report which are to be declassified."

The executive summary of the ITC report Assessment of the Economic Effects on the United States of China's Accession to the WTO (Inv. No. 332-403, USITC Publication 3228, September 1999) is available on the ITC's Internet server at www.usitc.gov. A printed copy may be requested by calling 202-205-1809 or by writing to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104.