68 FR 23 pgs. 5651-5652 - Commercial Availability of Apparel Inputs (2003): Effect of Providing Preferential Treatment to Apparel From Sub-Saharan African, Caribbean Basin, and Andean Countries
Type: NOTICEVolume: 68Number: 23Pages: 5651 - 5652
Docket number: [Investigation No. 332-450]
FR document: [FR Doc. 03-2513 Filed 2-3-03; 8:45 am]
Agency: International Trade Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 332-450]
Commercial Availability of Apparel Inputs (2003): Effect of Providing Preferential Treatment to Apparel From Sub-Saharan African, Caribbean Basin, and Andean Countries
AGENCY:
United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION:
Institution of investigation.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 28, 2003.
SUMMARY:
Following receipt of a request from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on December 30, 2002, the Commission instituted investigation No. 332-450, Commercial Availability of Apparel Inputs (2003): Effect of Providing Preferential Treatment to Apparel from Sub-Saharan African, Caribbean Basin, and Andean Countries. The Commission instituted the investigation under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)) to provide advice regarding the probable economic effect of granting preferential treatment for apparel made from fabrics or yarns that are the subject of petitions filed in 2003 with the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) under the "commercial availability" (previously informally known as "short supply") provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA), and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA, Division D of the Trade Act of 2002). The Commission conducted similar investigations in 2001 and 2002 to provide advice with respect to requests filed those years under the AGOA and the CBTPA. The recently enacted ATPDEA contains a similar commercial availability mechanism.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For general information, contact Jackie W. Jones (202-205-3466, jones@usitc.gov of the Office of Industries; for information on legal aspects, contact William Gearhart (202-205-3091, wgearhart@usitc.gov) of the Office of the General Counsel. The media should contact Margaret O'Laughlin, Public Affairs Officer (202-205-1819). Hearing impaired individuals may obtain information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-1810. 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. General information about the Commission may be obtained by accessing its Internet server ( http://www.usitc.gov ). The public record for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) http://edis.usitc.gov.
The Commission will follow procedures similar to those in the "short supply" reviews in 2001 and 2002 under investigation Nos. 332-428 and 332-436, respectively. Thus, during 2003, the Commission will provide advice for each commercial availability review under one investigation number. However, the Commission will be adjusting its procedure for notifying interested parties and the public on the initiation of commercial availability reviews. The Commission will not publish notices of the initiation of the reviews in the Federal Register and will no longer issue news releases as it has in the past. Instead, the Commission will post a notification letter announcing the initiation of each review on its Internet site ( http://www.usitc.gov ). The Commission also has developed a group list of facsimile addresses of interested parties or individuals who wish to be automatically notified via facsimile about any requests for which the Commission initiated analysis. Interested parties may be added to this list by notifying Jackie W. Jones (202-205-3466, jones@usitc.gov ). The notification letter will specify the article(s) under consideration, the deadline for submission of public comments on the proposed preferential treatment, and the name, telephone number, and Internet e-mail address of a staff contact for additional information. CITA publishes a summary of each request from interested parties in the Federal Register and posts them on its Internet site (U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/fr.htm ). The Commission has developed a special area on its Internet site ( http://www.usitc.gov/332s/shortsup/shortsupintro.htm ) to provide the public with information on the status of each request for which the Commission initiated analysis.
The Commission will submit its reports to the USTR not later than the 42nd day after receiving a request for advice. The Commission will issue a public version of each report as soon thereafter as possible, with any confidential business information deleted.
Written Submissions
Because of time constraints, the Commission will not hold public hearings in connection with the advice provided under this investigation number. However, interested parties will be invited to submit written statements (original and 3 copies) concerning the matters to be addressed by the Commission in this investigation. The Commission is particularly interested in receiving input from the private sector on the likely effect of any proposed preferential treatment on affected segments of the U.S. textile and apparel industries, their workers, and consumers. Commercial or financial information that a person desires the Commission to treat as confidential must be submitted in accordance with section 201.6 of the Commission's rules of practice and procedure (19 CFR 201.6). The Commission's Rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means, except to the extent permitted by section 201.8 of the Commission's rules, as amended, 67 FR 68036 (Nov. 8, 2002). 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. The Commission may include confidential business information submitted in the course of this investigation in the reports to the USTR. In the public version of these reports, however, the Commission will not publish confidential business information in a manner that could reveal the individual operations of the firms supplying the information. All submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436.
List of Subjects: Caribbean, African, Andean, tariffs, imports, yarn, fabric, and apparel.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: January 29, 2003.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-2513 Filed 2-3-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P