[Federal Register: March 9, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 46)]
[Notices]
[Page 11042-11043]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09mr04-117]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Inv. Nos. TA-131-29 and TA-2104-12]
U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement: Advice Concerning the
Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports
AGENCY: International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution of investigations and scheduling of hearing.
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EFFECTIVE DATE: March 3, 2004.
SUMMARY: Following receipt on February 19, 2004, of a request from the
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted
investigation Nos. TA-131-29 and TA-2104-12, U.S.-Thailand Free Trade
Agreement: Advice Concerning the Probable Economic Effect of Providing
Duty-Free Treatment for Imports, under section 131 of the Trade Act of
1974 and section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act of 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information specific to these
investigations may be obtained from Tracy Quilter (202-205-3437;
tracy.quilter@usitc.gov) or Falan Yinug (202-205-2160;
falan.yinug@usitc.gov), Office of Industries, United States
International Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20436. For information
on the legal aspects of these investigations, contact William Gearhart
of the Office of the General Counsel (202-205-3091;
william.gearhart@usitc.gov). General information concerning the
Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server
(http://www.usitc.gov).
Background
On February 12, 2004, the USTR notified the Congress of the
President's intent to initiate free trade agreement negotiations with
Thailand. Accordingly, the USTR, pursuant to section 131 of the Trade
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2151), requested the Commission to provide a
report including advice as to the probable economic effect of providing
duty-free treatment for imports of products of Thailand (i) on
industries in the United States producing like or directly competitive
products, and (ii) on consumers. In preparing the advice, the
Commission's analysis will consider each article in chapters 1 through
97 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States for which
U.S. tariffs will remain after the United States fully implements its
Uruguay Round tariff commitments. The import advice will be based on
the 2004 Harmonized Tariff System nomenclature and 2003 trade data. The
advice with respect to the removal of U.S. duties on imports from
Thailand will assume that any known U.S. nontariff barrier will not be
applicable to such imports. The Commission will note in its report any
instance in which the continued application of a U.S. nontariff barrier
to such imports would result in different advice with respect to the
effect of the removal of the duty.
Also as requested, pursuant to section 2104(b)(2) of the Trade Act
of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804(b)(2)), the Commission will provide advice as
to the probable economic effect of eliminating tariffs on imports of
certain agricultural products of Thailand on (i) industries in the
United States producing the product concerned, and (ii) the U.S.
economy as a whole.
The Commission expects to provide its report to the USTR by August
19, 2004. The USTR indicated that the Commission's report will be
classified and that USTR considered it to be an interagency memorandum
containing pre-decisional advice and subject to the deliberative
process privilege.
Public Hearing
A public hearing in connection with these investigations is
scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on April 20, 2004, at the U.S.
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., April 2, 2004, in accordance with
the requirements in the ``Submissions'' section below. In the event
that, as of the close of business on April 2, 2004, no witnesses are
scheduled to appear, the hearing will be canceled. Any person
interested in attending the hearing as an observer or non-participant
may call the Secretary (202-205-2000) after April 2, 2004, to determine
whether the hearing will be held.
Statements and Briefs
In lieu of or in addition to participating in the hearing,
interested parties are invited to submit written statements or briefs
concerning these investigations in accordance with the requirements in
the ``Submissions'' section below. Any prehearing briefs or statements
should be filed not later than 5:15 p.m., April 6, 2004; the deadline
for filing post-hearing briefs or statements is 5:15 p.m., April 27,
2004.
Submissions
All written submissions including requests to appear at the
hearing, statements, and briefs should be addressed to the Secretary,
United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20436. 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); 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 201.8 of the rules require 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. 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
``nonconfidential'' version, and that the
[[Page 11043]]
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 may include confidential business information
submitted in the course of these investigations in the report it sends
to the USTR. However, should the Commission publish a public version of
this report, such confidential business information will not be
published in a manner that would reveal the operations of the firm
supplying the 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 Commission's rules of practice and
procedure (19 CFR 201.8) (see Handbook for Electronic Filing
Procedures, ftp://ftp.usitc.gov/pub/reports/electronic_filing_handbook.pdf
). Persons with questions regarding electronic filing
should contact the Secretary (202-205-2000 or edis@usitc.gov).
The public record for these investigations may be viewed on the
Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.
Hearing-impaired individuals are advised that information on this
matter can be obtained by contacting our TDD terminal on (202) 205-
1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special
assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the
Secretary at 202-205-2000.
List of Subjects
Thailand, tariffs, and imports.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: March 4, 2004.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 04-5296 Filed 3-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P