2023-27478. Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2024 Annual Report

AGENCY:

United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Schedule for 2024 report and opportunity to submit information.

SUMMARY:

The Commission has prepared and published annual reports in this series since 1996 under the investigation title Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade. The 2024 report, which the Commission plans to publish in May 2024, will provide aggregate data on cross-border trade in services for the period ending in 2022, and transactions by affiliates based outside the country of their parent firm for the period ending in 2021. The 2024 report's analysis will focus on financial services (including banking services, insurance services, and securities services). The Commission is inviting interested members of the public to furnish information and views in connection with the 2024 report.

DATES:

January 29, 2024: Deadline for filing written submissions.

May 24, 2024: Anticipated date for online publication of the report.

ADDRESSES:

All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing rooms, are located in the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, U.S. 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 information system (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov/​.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Information specific to this investigation may be obtained from George Serletis, Project Leader, Office of Industry and Competitiveness Analysis, Services Division (202–205–3315; [e-mail]), Rudy Telles Jr., Project Leader, Office of Industry and Competitiveness Analysis, Services Division (202–205–3164; [e-mail]), Theron Gray, Deputy Project Leader, Office of Industry and Competitiveness Analysis, Services Division (202–205–3132; [e-mail]), or Services Division Chief Martha Lawless (202–205–3497; [e-mail]). For information on the legal aspects of this investigation, contact Brian Allen (202–205–3034; [e-mail]) or William Gearhart (202–205–3091; [e-mail]) of the Commission's Office of the General Counsel. The media should contact Jennifer Andberg, Office of External Relations (202–205–3404; [e-mail]). 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 website ( https://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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background: The 2024 annual U.S. services trade report will provide aggregate data on cross-border trade in services for 2018–2022 and affiliate transactions in services for 2017–2021, and more specific data and information on trade in financial services (including banking services, insurance services, and securities services). The Commission publishes two self-initiated annual reports: a report on trends in services trade ( Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade ),^[1] and a report on trends in merchandise trade, presented as a data compilation ( Shifts in U.S. Merchandise Trade). The Commission's 2023 Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade report is available online at https://www.usitc.gov/​publications/​industry_​econ_​analysis_​332/​2023/​recent_​trends_​us_​services_​trade_​2023_​annual_​report.

The initial notice of institution of this series of investigations was published in the Federal Register on September 8, 1993 (58 FR 47287) and provided for a report on merchandise trade. The Commission expanded the scope of the investigation to cover services trade in a separate report, which it announced in a notice published in the Federal Register on December 28, 1994 (59 FR 66974). The separate report on services trade has been published annually since 1996, except in 2005. As in past years, the 2024 report will summarize U.S. trade in services in the aggregate and provide analyses of trends and developments in selected services industries during the latest 5-year period for which data are published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Written submissions: Interested persons are invited to file written submissions and other information concerning the matters to be addressed by the Commission in its 2024 report. For the 2024 report, the Commission is particularly interested in receiving information relating to trade in financial services (including banking services, insurance services, and securities services). Submissions should be addressed to the Secretary. To be assured of consideration by the Commission, written submissions related to the Commission's report should be submitted at the earliest practical date and should be received not later than 5:15 p.m., January 29, 2024. All written submissions must conform to the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.8), as temporarily amended by 85 FR 15798 (March 19, 2020). Under that rule waiver, the Office of the Secretary will accept only electronic filings at this time. Filings must be made through the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS, https://edis.usitc.gov). No in-person paper-based filings or paper copies of any electronic filings will be accepted until further notice. Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (202–205–1802), or consult the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures.

Confidential business information: Any submissions that contain CBI must also conform with the requirements in 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 “nonconfidential” version, and that the CBI is clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions, except for CBI, will be made available for inspection by interested persons.

The Commission intends to prepare only a public report in this investigation. The report that the Commission makes available to the public will not contain CBI. However, all information, including CBI, submitted in this investigation may be disclosed to and used: (i) by the Commission, its employees and Offices, and contract personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the records of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal investigations, audits, reviews, and evaluations relating to the programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5 U.S.C. appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. Government employees and contract personnel for cybersecurity or other security purposes. The Commission will not otherwise disclose any CBI in a manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.

Summaries of written submissions: Persons wishing to have a summary of their position included in the report should include a summary with their written submission on or before January 29, 2024, and should mark the summary as having been provided for that purpose. The summary should be clearly marked as “summary for inclusion in the report” at the top of the page. The summary may not exceed 500 words and should not include any CBI. The summary will be published as provided if it meets these requirements and is germane to the subject matter of the investigation. The Commission will list the name of the organization furnishing the summary and will include a link where the written submission can be found.

By order of the Commission.

Issued: December 11, 2023.

Lisa Barton,

Secretary to the Commission.

Footnotes

1.  While previous reports in the Recent Trends series used investigation number 332–345, each report will now be issued with a separate investigation number.