2014-11581. Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication

AGENCY:

United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Notice of opportunity to submit comments in connection with the 16th report on the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA).

SUMMARY:

Section 206 of the ATPA (19 U.S.C. 3204) requires the Commission to report biennially to the Congress by September 30 of each reporting year on the economic impact of the Act on U.S. industries and U.S. consumers, as well as on the effectiveness of the Act in promoting drug related crop eradication and crop substitution efforts by beneficiary countries. The Commission prepares these reports under investigation No. 332-352, Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication.

DATES:

June 24, 2014: Deadline for filing written submissions.

September 30, 2014: Transmittal of Commission report to Congress.

ADDRESSES:

All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, United States 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 (EDIS) at http://www.usitc.gov/​secretary/​edis.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Justino De La Cruz (202-205-3252, or [e-mail]), Country and Regional Analysis Division, Office of Economics, U.S. International Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20436. For information on the legal aspects of this investigation, contact William Gearhart of the Commission's Office of the General Counsel (202-205-3091 or [e-mail]). The media should contact Peg O'Laughlin, Public Affairs Officer (202-205-1819 or [e-mail]). General information concerning the Commission may be obtained by accessing its internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).

Background: Section 206 of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) (19 U.S.C. 3204) requires that the Commission submit biennial reports to the Congress regarding the economic impact of the Act on U.S. industries and consumers and, in conjunction with other agencies, the effectiveness of the Act in promoting drug-related crop eradication and crop substitution efforts of the beneficiary countries. Section 206(b) of the Act requires that each report include:

(1) The actual effect of ATPA on the U.S. economy generally as well as on specific domestic industries which produce articles that are like, or directly competitive with, articles being imported under the Act from beneficiary countries;

(2) the probable future effect that ATPA will have on the U.S. economy generally and on such domestic industries; and

(3) the estimated effect that ATPA has had on drug-related crop eradication and crop substitution efforts of beneficiary countries.

Notice of institution of this investigation for preparing these reports was published in the Federal Register of March 10, 1994 (59 FR 11308). This 16th report, covering 2012-2013, the period since the previous report, is to be submitted by September 30, 2014. During the period covered by this 16th report, only Colombia and Ecuador were beneficiary countries eligible for preferential treatment, and only for part of the period covered by the report. Colombia's designation as a beneficiary country was terminated on May 15, 2012, when the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force; imports from Ecuador ceased to be eligible for preferential treatment after July 31, 2013, when the authority for such treatment expired.

Written Submissions: Interested parties are invited to file written submissions containing information and views relating to the subject matter of the investigation. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be received not later than 5:15 p.m., June 24, 2014. All written submissions must conform to the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 C.P.R. 201.8). Section 201.8 and the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures require that interested parties file documents electronically on or before the filing deadline and submit eight (8) true paper copies by 12:00 noon eastern time on the next business day. In the event that confidential treatment of a document is requested, interested parties must file, at the same time as the eight paper copies, at least four (4) additional true paper copies in which the confidential information must be deleted (see the following paragraph for further information regarding confidential business information). Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Secretary (202-205-2000).

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 201.6 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 “non-confidential” version, and that the 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.

Congressional committee staff has indicated that the receiving committees intend to make the Commission's report available to the public in its entirety, and has asked that the Commission not include any confidential business information or national security classified information in the report that the Commission sends to the Congress. Any confidential business information received by the Commission in this investigation and used in preparing this report will not be published in a manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.

By order of the Commission.

Issued: May 14, 2014.

Lisa R. Barton,

Secretary of the Commission.