[Federal Register: December 30, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 250)]
[Notices]               
[Page 71951]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30de98-90]

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-288]

 
Ethyl Alcohol for Fuel Use: Determination of the Base Quantity of 
Imports

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Determination.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 21, 1998.

SUMMARY: Section 7 of the Steel Trade Liberalization Program 
Implementation Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2703 note), which concerns 
local feedstock requirements for fuel ethyl alcohol imported by the 
United States from CBI-beneficiary countries, requires the Commission 
to determine annually the U.S. domestic market for fuel ethyl alcohol 
during the 12-month period ending on the preceding September 30. The 
domestic market determination made by the Commission is to be used to 
establish the ``base quantity'' of imports that can be imported with a 
zero percent local feedstock requirement. The base quantity to be used 
by the U.S. Customs Service in the administration of the law is the 
greater of 60 million gallons or 7 percent of U.S. consumption as 
determined by the Commission. Beyond the base quantity of imports, 
progressively higher local feedstock requirements are placed on imports 
of fuel ethyl alcohol and mixtures from the CBI-beneficiary countries.
    For the 12-month period ending September 30, 1998, the Commission 
has determined the level of U.S. consumption of fuel ethyl alcohol to 
be 1.3 billion gallons. Seven percent of this amount is 94.1 million 
gallons (these figures have been rounded). Therefore, the base quantity 
for 1999 should be 94.1 million gallons.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Lowell Grant (202) 205-3312 in the 
Commission's Office of Industries. For information on legal aspects of 
the investigation contact Mr. William Gearhart of the Commission's 
Office of the General Counsel at (202) 205-3091. Hearing-impaired 
individuals are advised that information on this matter can be obtained 
by contacting our TDD terminal on (202) 205-1810.

BACKGROUND: For purposes of making determinations of the U.S. market 
for fuel ethyl alcohol as required by section 7 of the Act, the 
Commission instituted Investigation No. 332-288, Ethyl Alcohol for Fuel 
Use: Determination of the Base Quantity of Imports, in March 1990. The 
Commission uses official statistics of the U.S. Department of Energy to 
make these determinations as well as the PIERS database of the Journal 
of Commerce, which is based on U.S. export declarations.
    Section 225 of the Customs and Trade Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-
382, August 20, 1990) amended the original language set forth in the 
Steel Trade Liberalization Program Implementation Act of 1989. The 
amendment requires the Commission to make a determination of the U.S. 
domestic market for fuel ethyl alcohol for each year after 1989.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: December 22, 1998.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-34481 Filed 12-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P