Jan 19 -- USITC Study of Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy on U.S. Workers -- Notice of scheduling of roundtables, a symposium, and a hearing in connection with the investigation.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/19/2022-00912/distributional-effects-of-trade-and-trade-policy-on-us-workers
The Commission has established a schedule and procedure [set forth in FR notice] for conducting roundtables, an academic symposium, and a hearing in connection with this investigation. The Commission will hold seven roundtable discussions between March 1 and April 1, 2022, an academic symposium on April 5-6, 2022, and a hearing on April 19, 2022. The roundtables, academic symposium, and hearing will focus on the potential distributional effects of goods and services trade and trade policy on U.S. workers by skill, wage and salary level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, and income level, especially as they affect underrepresented and underserved communities. The roundtables and hearing will afford an opportunity for interested persons to present information and views relating to the investigation, and the academic symposium will afford an opportunity for researchers and data experts to present work relevant to the investigation. The Commission instituted the investigation under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 following receipt, on October 14, 2021, of a request from the U.S. Trade Representative.
As requested by the USTR, the Commission will, in its report, catalogue information on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on workers in underrepresented and underserved communities. The Commission will gather information through multiple means, including:
(1) Roundtable discussions among representatives of underrepresented and underserved communities that have been identified in the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (E.O. 13985, January 20, 2021), as well as think tanks, academics and researchers, unions, State and local governments, non-Federal governmental entities, civil society experts, community-based stakeholders, such as minority-owned businesses, business incubators, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), other minority serving institutions (MSIs), and local and national civil rights organizations; underrepresented and underserved communities as listed in the Executive Order include Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons in specific age, skill, or income groups; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality;
(2) an academic symposium focused on academic or similar research on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on underrepresented and underserved communities, including results of existing analysis, evaluation of methodologies, the use of public and restricted data in current analysis, identifying gaps in data and/or in the economic literature, and proposed analysis that could be done with restricted data; and
(3) a hearing open to any individual wishing to present views in accordance with the investigation.
Symposium: The Commission will hold the public academic symposium via an online videoconferencing platform, beginning at 9:00 a.m. EST on April 5-6, 2022. Persons interested either in presenting work (published or ongoing) or serving on a panel discussion at the symposium should submit an abstract and curriculum vitae (CV) by emailing DE@usitc.gov. The abstract should be a document of approximately one page in length that includes the presenter's name, affiliation, email contact information, and job title. The abstract should also provide a summary of the presenter's original academic work(s) related to distributional effects, as described in the Background section.
Requests to present work or serve on a panel at the academic symposium should be emailed or submitted by 5:15 p.m. on February 11, 2022. Following the February 11th submission of abstracts and CVs, potential participants should submit papers and presentations by 5:15 on March 1 by emailing DE@usitc.gov.
The public record for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at
https://edis.usitc.gov.
Nov 29 -- Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy on U.S. Workers:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/30/2021-26060/distributional-effects-of-trade-and-trade-policy-on-us-workers
USITC TO CATALOG EXISTING INFORMATION, DEVELOP NEW CAPABILITIES TO BETTER IDENTIFY AND QUANTIFY POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS OF TRADE AND TRADE POLICY ON U.S. WORKERS
News Release 21-135
https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2021/er1129ll1853.htm
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is undertaking a two-part investigation that will catalog existing information and develop new research and analysis capabilities to better identify and measure the potential distributional effects of U.S. trade and trade policy on U.S. workers, including by skill, wage and salary level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, and income level, especially as they affect under-represented and under-served communities.
The investigation, Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy on U.S. Workers, was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in a letter received on October 14, 2021.
https://usitc.gov/sites/default/files/research_and_analysis/754217-1712107_official_request_letter_101421.pdf
As requested, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will provide a two-part response to the USTR.
Part 1: Public Report
The USITC will prepare a public report that catalogs information on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on under-represented and under-served communities. The report will:
include information gathered through roundtable discussions among representatives of under-represented and under-served communities that have been identified in the Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, as well as think tanks; academics and researchers; unions; state and local governments; non-federal governmental entities; civil society experts; community-based stakeholders, such as minority-owned businesses; business incubators; Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs); Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs); Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); other minority-serving institutions (MSIs); and local and national civil rights organizations;
include information gathered through a symposium focused on academic or similar research on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on under-represented and under-served communities, including results of existing analysis, evaluation of methodologies, the use of public and restricted data in current analysis, identifying gaps in data and/or in the economic literature, and proposed analysis that could be done with restricted data;
include information gathered through a critical review of the economic literature on the distributional effects of trade and trade policy on under-represented and under-served communities, including among other things, the data limitations raised in these analyses; and
identify information on effects on U.S. workers by the groups specified, identifying their specific U.S. region, and make recommendations on future research.
The Commission expects to submit its report to the USTR by October 14, 2022.
Part 2: Expansion of USITC research and analysis capabilities
The USITC will expand its research and analysis capabilities so that future probable economic advice includes estimates of the potential distributional effects of trade and trade policy, including goods and services imports, on U.S. workers. This capacity building will include the further development of models capable of analyzing:
the potential distributional effects of trade and trade policy, including with respect to goods and services imports, on U.S. workers;
the effect of expanded market access for U.S. goods and services products abroad on affected U.S. exporting industries; and
to the extent practicable, the “indirect” effect on U.S. exports of intermediate inputs when final goods receive preferential access to the U.S. market.
Through this capacity building, the USITC will also identify any data limitations that, if removed, could substantially speed the time to complete the analysis or allow for improved analysis.
The USITC will provide a briefing to USTR on the results of its capacity building on these issues during the course of its work.
Public participation
The USITC expects to hold a public hearing, a series of public roundtables, and a public symposium in connection with the investigation. Information concerning these events will be announced as details are finalized. Interested individuals are encouraged to monitor the investigation-specific web page being maintained for the investigation for up-to-date information.
The USITC will also accept written submissions for the record. Information concerning written submissions will be announced when details are finalized. Interested individuals are encouraged to monitor the investigation-specific web page being maintained for the investigation for up-to-date information.
https://www.usitc.gov/research_and_analysis/ongoing/distributional_effects_332
Further information on the scope of the investigation is available in the USITC’s notice of investigation, dated November 24, 2021 (
https://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/332/332_587_notice_11242021sgl.pdf), which can be downloaded from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or may be obtained by contacting the Office of the Secretary at commissionhearings@usitc.gov, or by writing to the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.
USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission's objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.
