[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 72719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33576]
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U.S. TRADE DEFICIT REVIEW COMMISSION
Notice of Open Hearing
AGENCY: U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission.
ACTION: Notice of open public hearing.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the following hearing of the U.S.
Trade Deficit Review Commission.
Name: Murray Weidenbaum, Chairman of the U.S. Trade Deficit Review
Commission.
The Commission is mandated to report to the Congress and the
President on the causes, consequences, and solutions to the U.S. trade
deficit. The purpose of this public hearing is to take testimony on the
role played by United States participation in NAFTA and U.S.--Latin
American trade in the causes and consequences of the U.S. trade
deficit.
Background
In fulfilling its statutory mission, the Commission is holding
field hearings to collect input from industry and labor leaders,
government officials, leading researchers, other informed witnesses,
and the public.
Professor Murray Wiedenbaum of Washington University, St. Louis,
who is a former Chairman of the President's Council of Economic
Advisors, chairs the Commission. The Vice Chairman is Professor Dimitri
Papadimitriou, President of The Jerome Levy Economics Institute at Bard
College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The Dallas hearing will be
chaired by the Honorable Carla A. Hills, Commissioner.
Purpose of Hearing
In light of the ongoing massive trade and current account deficits
incurred by the United States, progress in improving U.S. exporters'
access to foreign markets is critically important. The failure of the
WTO Ministerial in Seattle to come up with a negotiating agenda for a
new round of multilateral trade negotiations highlights how the
consensus on reducing barriers to trade has fractured. Rebuilding the
consensus on trade issues in the United States is of critical
importance in addressing the large U.S. trade deficits. The work of the
Commission, by analyzing the U.S. trade deficits in a non-partisan
manner with the input of leading experts, will provide a reasoned and
informed answer on how to respond to the trade deficit and its
consequences. The findings of the Commission, while not binding, will
likely form the basis for Congressional consensus building on trade
policy as we enter the next century.
There will be two sessions, one in the morning and one in the
afternoon, for presentations by invited witnesses on their views on the
interrelationship between the trade deficit and the topics of the
hearing. There will be a question and answer period between the
Commissioners and the witnesses. Public participation is invited and
there will be an open-mike session for public comment at the conclusion
of the afternoon session. Sign-up for the open-mike session will take
place in the afternoon and will be on a first come first served basis.
Each individual or group making an oral presentation will be limited to
a total time of 3 minutes. Because of time constraints, parties with
common interests are encouraged to designate a single speaker to
represent their views.
DATE AND TIME: Friday, January 21, 2000, 8:30 am-5 pm Central Standard
Time inclusive.
ADDRESS: The hearing will be held in the 2nd Floor Auditorium of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2200 North Pearl, Dallas, TX 75201.
Public seating is limited to 75 to 100 seats and will be on a first
come first served basis. Commercial public parking lots are available
within the vicinity of the Bank.
SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: The Dallas Federal Reserve Bank is a secure
facility and everyone must abide by security procedures. Everyone
entering the facility is required to have a picture identification.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public wishing
further information concerning the hearing or who wishes to submit oral
or written comments should contact Kathy Michels, Administrative
Officer for the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission, 444 North Capitol
Street, NW, Suite 706, Washington, DC 20001; phone 202/624-1409; or via
e-mail at: kmichels@sso.org.
Providing Oral or Written comments at the Dallas Hearing
Copies of the draft meeting agenda, when available, may be obtained
from the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission by going to the
Commission's website at www.ustdrc.gov. The Commission requests that
written public statements submitted for the record be brief and concise
and limited to two pages in length. Written comments (at least 35
copies) must be received at the USTDRC Headquarters Office in
Washington, DC by January 14, 2000. Comments received too close to the
hearing date will normally be provided to the Commission Members at its
hearing. Written comments may be provided up until the time of the
hearing.
Authority: The Trade Deficit Review Commission Act, Pub. L. 105-
277, Div. A, section 127, 112 Stat. 2681-547 (1998), established the
Commission to study the nature, causes and consequences of the
United States merchandise trade and current accounts deficits and
report its findings to the President and the Congress. By statute,
the Commission must hold at least 4 regional field hearings and 1
hearing in Washington, DC. This is the fourth in a series of field
hearings to be conducted. The schedule of hearings is available at
the US Trade Deficit Review Commission website www.ustdrc.gov>.
For the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission.
Dated at Washington, DC, December 20, 1999.
Allan I. Mendelowitz,
Executive Director, U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission.
[FR Doc. 99-33576 Filed 12-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-46-P
