03-9683. Certain Steel Wire Rod:1

AGENCY:

United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Institution of an investigation and scheduling of a hearing under section 204(d) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2254(d)) (the Act).

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to section 204(d) of the Act, the Commission has instituted investigation No. TA-204-11, Certain Steel Wire Rod: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Import Relief, for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of the relief action imposed by the President on imports of certain steel wire rod under section 203 of the Act, which terminated on March 1, 2003.

Background

The President imposed the relief action on March 1, 2000, in the form of a tariff-rate quota following receipt of an affirmative injury determination and relief recommendation from the Commission on July 12, 1999. The relief was imposed for a period of 3 years and 1 day. See Proclamation 7273 of February 16, 2000 (65 FR 8621), as modified by Proclamation 7205 of November 21, 2001 (66 FR 59353). Section 204(d) of the Act requires the Commission, following termination of a relief action, to evaluate the effectiveness of the action in facilitating positive adjustment by the domestic industry to import competition, consistent with the reasons set out by the President in the report submitted to the Congress under section 203(b) of the Act. The Commission is required to submit a report on the evaluation to the President and the Congress no later than 180 days after the day on which the relief action terminated 203(b) of the Act.

For further information concerning the conduct of this investigation, hearing procedures, and rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part 201, subparts A through and E), and part 206, subparts A and F (19 CFR part 206, subparts A and F).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

April 11, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Taylor [phone]) or Jim McClure ([phone]), Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-impaired persons can obtain information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on [phone]. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at [phone]. General information concerning the Commission may also 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-ON-LINE) at http://dockets.usitc.gov/​eol/​public.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 

Participation in the investigation and service list.—Persons wishing to participate in the investigation as parties must file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as provided in section 201.11 of the Commission's rules, not later than 14 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The Secretary will prepare a service list containing the names and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to this investigation upon the expiration of the period for filing entries of appearance.

Public hearing.—As required by statute, the Commission has scheduled a hearing in connection with this investigation. The hearing will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. on June 26, 2003, at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed in writing with the Secretary to the Commission on or before June 19, 2003. All persons desiring to appear at the hearing and make oral presentations should attend a prehearing conference to be held at 9:30 a.m. on June 23, 2003, at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building. Oral testimony and written materials to be submitted at the hearing are governed by sections 201.6(b)(2) and 201.13(f) of the Commission's rules. Parties must submit any request to present a portion of their hearing testimony in camera no later than 7 days prior to the date of the hearing.

Written submissions.—Each party is encouraged to submit a prehearing brief to the Commission. The deadline for filing prehearing briefs is June 19, 2003. Parties may also file posthearing briefs. The deadline for filing posthearing briefs is July 3, 2003. In addition, any person who has not entered an appearance as a party to the investigation may submit a written statement concerning the matters to be addressed in the report on or before July 3, 2003. All written submissions must conform with the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's rules; any submissions that contain confidential business information must also conform with the requirements of section 201.6 of the Commission's rules. The report that the Commission sends to the President may include confidential business information. 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 (November 8, 2002).

In accordance with section 201.16(c) of the Commission's rules, each document filed by a party to the investigation must be served on all other parties to the investigation (as identified by the service list), and a certificate of service must be timely filed. The Secretary will not accept a document for filing without a certificate of service.

Authority: This investigation is being conducted under the authority of section 204(d) of the Trade Act of 1974; this notice is published pursuant to section 206.3 of the Commission's rules.

By order of the Commission.

Issued: April 15, 2003.

Marilyn R. Abbott,

Secretary to the Commission.

Footnotes

1.  Certain steel wire rod is provided for in subheadings 7213.91, 7213.99, 7227.20, and 7227.90.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).