Nov 3 -- Following receipt on September 29, 2022, of a request from the United States Trade Representative (USTR), under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) instituted Investigation No. 332-593, U.S.- Pacific Islands Trade and Investment: Impediments and Opportunities. The USTR requested that the Commission conduct an investigation and provide a report that analyzes Pacific Island trade with the United States and identifies impediments to and opportunities for increased trade flows between the United States and the Pacific Islands, and for increased U.S. investment in the Pacific Islands.
January 31, 2023: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public hearing.
February 2, 2023: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and statements.
February 7, 2023: Deadline for filing electronic copies of oral hearing statements.
February 14, 2023: Public hearing.
February 21, 2023: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements.
April 17, 2023: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
September 29, 2023: Transmittal of Commission report to the USTR.
As requested by the USTR under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), the Commission will include the following in its report:
-- An overview of the Pacific Island economies, including major sectors in production, consumption, trade, and employment.
-- A description of goods and services exports from the Pacific Islands during the period 2017-21, and identification of major factors that impact those exports to the United States.
-- A description of the use of the U.S. General System of Preferences (GSP) program by the Pacific Island countries and identification of the goods from the Pacific Islands that enter the United States under GSP, sectors in which these programs might be underutilized, and factors affecting utilization of GSP.
-- A description of foreign investment in the Pacific Islands during the period 2017-21; and identification of major factors affecting investment from the United States.
-- Identification of major products (including goods covered by the GSP program) and services in the Pacific Islands with greatest potential for export sales to the United States, sectors with U.S. investment potential, and the factors that impede trade and investment with the United States for these products and sectors using qualitative analysis and, to the extent data are available, quantitative analysis.
-- A description of initiatives and/or technical assistance that could address such trade and investment impediments, if found during the Commission's research.
The 22 Pacific Island economies covered in this investigation are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu (independent countries); Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and Marshall Islands (Freely Associated States); Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa (U.S. territories); and Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, Tokelau, and Wallis and Futuna (non-independent countries and territories).
A public hearing in connection with this investigation will be held in-person beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, in the Main Hearing Room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington DC 20436. The hearing can also be accessed remotely using the WebEx videoconference platform.
In lieu of or in addition to participating in the hearing, interested parties are invited to file written submissions concerning this investigation. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary and should be received not later than the date specified in this notice.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-23856