[Federal Register: August 31, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 169)]
[Notice]
[Page 50396-50397]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31au07-133]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation Nos. 332-350 and 332-351]
Monitoring of U.S. Imports of Tomatoes; Monitoring of U.S.
Imports of Peppers
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity to submit information for 2007 monitoring
reports.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to statute (see below), the Commission monitors U.S.
imports of fresh or chilled tomatoes and fresh or chilled peppers,
other than chili peppers, for the purpose of expediting an
investigation under certain U.S. safeguard laws, should an appropriate
petition be filed. As part of that monitoring, the Commission has
instituted investigations under section 332 of the Tariff Act of 1930
(19 U.S.C. 1332) for the purpose of compiling data on trade and the
domestic industry. The Commission is in the process of preparing its
data series for the period ending June 30, 2007, and is seeking input
from interested members of the public. The Commission expects to make
its data series available to the public in electronic form on the
Commission's Web site in November 2007.
DATES: September 20, 2007: Deadline for filing written submissions and
other information.
[[Page 50397]]
November 21, 2007: Anticipated posting of Commission report.
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: Timothy McCarty (202-205-3324,
timothy.mccarty@usitc.gov) or Jonathan Coleman (202-205-3465,
jonathan.coleman@usitc.gov), Agriculture and Fisheries Division, Office
of Industries, for general information, or William Gearhart (202-205-
3091, william.gearhart@usitc.gov), Office of the General Counsel, for
information on legal aspects. 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: Section 316 of the North American Free Trade Agreement
Implementation Act (NAFTA Implementation Act) (19 U.S.C. 3381) requires
that the Commission monitor U.S. imports of fresh or chilled tomatoes
(HTS heading 0702.00) and fresh or chilled peppers, other than chili
peppers (HTS subheading 0709.60.00), until January 1, 2009, for
purposes of expediting an investigation concerning provisional relief
under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 or section 302 of the NAFTA
Implementation Act. Section 316 does not require that the Commission
publish reports on this monitoring activity or otherwise make the
information available to the public. However, the Commission maintains
current data files on tomatoes and peppers in order to conduct an
expedited investigation should a request be received. Following
enactment of section 316, the Commission instituted investigation No.
332-350, Monitoring of U.S. Imports of Tomatoes (59 FR 1763), and
investigation No. 332-351, Monitoring of U.S. Imports of Peppers (59 FR
1762).
The Commission will continue to make its reports available to the
public in electronic form (with the exception of any confidential
business information (CBI)), and will maintain electronic copies of its
reports on its Web site until one year after the monitoring requirement
expires on January 1, 2009. The most recent Commission monitoring
reports in this series were published in November 2006 and are
available on the Commission's Web site.
Written Submissions: The Commission does not plan to hold a public
hearing in connection with preparation of these reports. However,
interested persons are invited to submit written statements containing
data and other information concerning the matters to be addressed. All
submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be
received no later than the close of business on September 4, 2007. 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 the filing of submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or
electronic means only to the extent permitted by section 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.
The Commission will not publish such confidential business
information in the monitoring reports it posts on its Web site in a
manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the
information. However, the Commission may include such information in
any report it sends to the President under section 202 of the Trade Act
of 1974 or section 302 of the NAFTA Implementation Act, if it is
required to conduct an investigation involving these products under
either of these statutory authorities.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: August 27, 2007.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E7-17230 Filed 8-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P