[Federal Register: July 18, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 137)]
[Notices]
[Page 39445-39446]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18jy07-102]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 332-477]
Sub-Saharan Africa: Factors Affecting Trade Patterns of Selected
Industries--Second Annual Report
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Scheduling of second annual report and public hearing; industry
coverage of second report.
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SUMMARY: In a letter dated July 26, 2006, the United States Trade
Representative (USTR) requested, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), that the U.S. International Trade
Commission (Commission) prepare three annual reports relating to
factors that affect trade patterns of selected industries in sub-
Saharan African (SSA) countries. In response, the Commission instituted
investigation No. 332-477, Sub-Saharan Africa: Factors Affecting Trade
Patterns of Selected Industries, and delivered its first report on
April 3, 2007. This notice announces the scheduling of the second
report in this series, the industries to be covered, and the scheduling
of a public hearing.
DATES: October 1, 2007: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the
public hearing.
October 3, 2007: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and statements.
October 23, 2007: Public hearing.
November 2, 2007: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and
statements.
April 3, 2008: Transmittal of Commission report to USTR.
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 leader Falan Yinug (202-205-
2160 or (falan.yinug@usitc.gov) or deputy project leader James Fetzer
(202-
[[Page 39446]]
708-5403 or (james.fetzer@usitc.gov) for information specific to this
investigation (the second report). For information on the legal aspects
of this investigation, 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: As indicated above, this notice concerns the second of
three annual reports that the USTR requested the Commission to provide
concerning factors affecting trade patterns of selected industries in
SSA countries. In her July 26, 2006, letter, the USTR described the
type of information that the Commission should provide in its reports
with respect to each industry and identified the industries and
products produced to be covered in the first annual report. The USTR
indicated that she would provide additional lists of industries and
products produced for each of the second and third annual reports. She
requested that the Commission deliver its first annual report by April
3, 2007, and its second and third annual reports by April 3, 2008, and
April 3, 2009, respectively. The Commission published notice of
institution of this investigation in the Federal Register on August 29,
2006 (71 F.R. 51212), and delivered its first report to USTR on April
3, 2007.
On June 19, 2007, the Commission received a memorandum from the
Office of the United States Trade Representative listing the industries
and products to be covered in the second annual report. In its second
annual report the Commission will provide profiles of SSA industries
that produce the following products: (1) In the agriculture sector,
coffee, certain spices (including ginger), shea butter and downstream
products thereof, and tropical fruits (e.g. bananas, pineapples, and
guavas) and processed products thereof; (2) in the mining and
manufacturing sector, natural rubber and downstream products thereof,
footwear, textiles, jewelry and downstream diamond processing (e.g.,
polishing and cutting), and wood furniture; and (3) in the services
sector, aviation services and communications services.
Each industry profile will include the following information, to
the extent data are available, for the most recently available 5-year
period:
A description of the leading industries within the SSA
that export the subject products, including their position relative to
global competitors;
identification of the leading SSA exporting countries and
their key markets; and
analysis of the competitive factors, by country, that have
contributed to the shift in exports. (Such factors may include access
to inputs, labor, technology, investment, trade policies, e.g., tariffs
and trade preference programs such as AGOA, privatization, and
liberalization.)
Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this
investigation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. on October 23, 2007,
at the United States International Trade Commission Building, 500 E
Street, SW., Washington DC. Requests to appear at the public hearing
should be filed with the Secretary, no later than 5:15 p.m. October 1,
2007, in accordance with the requirements in the ``Written
Submissions'' section below. In the event that, as of the close of
business on October 1, 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 1, 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 or briefs concerning this investigation. All written
submissions, including requests to appear at the hearing, statements,
and briefs, should be addressed to the Secretary. Any pre-hearing
statements or briefs should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., October
3, 2007; and post-hearing statements and briefs and all other written
submissions should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m. November 2, 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 of the rules requires that a signed original (or
a copy designated as an original) and fourteen (14) copies of each
document be filed. In the event that confidential treatment of the
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 do not authorize filing
submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means, except
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 Office of
the Secretary at 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 in
the Office of the Secretary to the Commission for inspection by
interested parties.
In her request letter, the USTR stated that her office intends to
make the Commission's reports in this investigation available to the
public in their entirety, and asked that the Commission not include any
confidential business or national security information in its reports.
Consequently, the reports that the Commission sends to the USTR will
not contain any such information. Any confidential business information
received by the Commission in this investigation and used in preparing
its reports 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 12, 2007.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E7-13828 Filed 7-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P