The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched a general factfinding investigation to monitor and assess U.S. trade with sub-Saharan Africa.

The investigation, U.S. Trade and Investment with Sub-Saharan Africa (Inv. No. 332-415), was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in a letter received April 12, 2000.

The investigation will yield five annual reports, the first of which will be completed by December 10, 2000. In her request letter, the USTR noted the usefulness of five annual reports prepared by the ITC from 1995 through 1999 concerning trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa and the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreements on U.S. trade and development policy. She further noted that as USTR and other U.S. government agencies continue efforts to stregthen economic, political, and commercial ties with the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and with possible new reporting requirements stemming from legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress, certain information from the earlier reports will continue to be useful and relevant to USTR's work and that of other agencies.

As requested, the ITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will include the following in its reports:

• for the last five years, data for U.S. merchandise trade and U.S. services trade with sub-Saharan Africa, including statistics by country, by major sectors, and by the top 25 commodities, and including statistical information on imports from sub-Saharan Africa under the Generalized System of Preferences program by country and by major product categories/commodities;

• country-by-country profiles of the economies of each sub-Saharan African country, including information on major trading partners, by country;

• a summary of the trade, services, and investment climates in each of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including a description of the basic tariff structure (e.g., the average tariff rate and the average agricultural tariff rate), and including information on significant impediments to trade, including any import bans;

• updates on regional integration in sub-Saharan Africa and statistics on U.S. trade with major regional groupings (Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), Tripartite Commission for East African Co-operation (EAC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Souther African Development Community (SADC), and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)), and information on the regional group's tariff structure where applicable;

• a description of the U.S. tariff structure for imports from Africa;

• a summary of U.S. and total foreign direct investment and portfolio investment in sub-Saharan Africa;

• information on sub-Saharan Africa privatization efforts based on publicly available information; and

• a summary of multilateral and U.S. bilateral assistance to the countries of sub- Saharan Africa.

The ITC welcomes written submissions for the record in this investigation. Written statements (one original and 14 copies) for the first report should be submitted at the earliest practical date but no later than August 31, 2000 (information regarding submissions for subsequent reports in this investigation will be announced each year when schedules for those reports are established). All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection. Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20436.

Further information on the scope of this investigation and appropriate submissions is available in the ITC's notice of investigation, dated May 16, 2000, which may be obtained from the ITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or by contacting the Office of the Secretary at the above address or at 202-205-1806.

ITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Senate Committee on Finance, or the House Committee on Ways and Means. The resulting reports convey the Commission's objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the ITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public, unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.