80 FR 54591 - Overview of Cuban Imports of Goods and Services and Effects of U.S. Restrictions

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 175 (September 10, 2015)

Following receipt of a letter on August 19, 2015, from the Committee on Finance of the United States Senate (Committee), the Commission has expanded the scope of investigation No. 332-552, Overview of Cuban Imports of Goods and Services and Effects of U.S. Restrictions, and extended to October 23, 2015, the deadline for filing written submissions to the Commission.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 175 (Thursday, September 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54591-54592]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-22697]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 332-552]


Overview of Cuban Imports of Goods and Services and Effects of 
U.S. Restrictions

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Expansion of scope of investigation; extension of deadline for 
filing written submissions.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt of a letter on August 19, 2015, from the 
Committee on Finance of the United States Senate (Committee), the 
Commission has expanded the scope of investigation No. 332-552, 
Overview of Cuban Imports of Goods and Services and Effects of U.S. 
Restrictions, and extended to October 23, 2015, the deadline for filing 
written submissions to the Commission.

DATES:  October 23, 2015: Deadline for filing all written submissions.
    March 17, 2016: Transmittal of Commission report to the Senate 
Committee on Finance.

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 https://edis.usitc.gov/edis3-internal/app.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader Heidi Colby-Oizumi 
(202-205-3391; [email protected]) or Deputy Project Leader Alissa 
Tafti (202-205-3244; [email protected]). For information on legal 
aspects, contact William Gearhart of the Office of the General Counsel 
(202-205-3091; [email protected]). The media should contact 
Margaret O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations (202-205-1819; 
[email protected]). General information concerning the 
Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet address 
(http://www.usitc.gov).Hearing impaired individuals may obtain 
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal 
at 202-205-1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need 
special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact 
the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000.
    Background: The Commission instituted the investigation in response 
to a letter from the Committee on Finance dated December 17, 2014. In 
that letter the Committee asked that the Commission institute an 
investigation and provide a report that includes, to the extent 
possible, the following: (1) An overview of Cuba's imports of goods and 
services from 2005 to the present, including identification of major 
supplying countries, products, and market segments; (2) a description 
of how U.S. restrictions on trade, including those relating to export 
financing terms and travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens, affect Cuban 
imports of U.S. goods and services; and (3) for sectors where the 
impact is likely to be significant, a qualitative and, to the extent 
possible, quantitative estimate of U.S. exports of goods and services 
to Cuba in the event that statutory, regulatory, or other trade 
restrictions on U.S. exports of goods and services as well as travel to 
Cuba by U.S. citizens are lifted. The Committee also asked that the 
report include, to the extent possible, state-specific analysis of the 
impacts described above, and that the report be transmitted by 
September 15, 2015. In response, the Commission instituted the current 
investigation and published a notice of the investigation in the 
Federal Register on February 4, 2015 (80 FR 6137). The Commission also 
announced that it would hold a hearing in the course of the 
investigation, and the hearing was subsequently rescheduled to and held 
on June 2, 2015, with post-hearing briefs and statements due on June 9, 
2015, and all other written submissions due on June 19, 2015 (see 
Commission notice published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2015, 
80 FR 11689).
    In a letter dated and received on August 19, 2015, the Committee 
asked that the Commission expand the scope of its report to include:
    (1) A qualitative analysis of existing Cuban non-tariff measures, 
Cuban institutional and infrastructural factors, and other Cuban 
barriers that inhibit or affect the ability of U.S. and non-U.S. firms 
to conduct business in and with Cuba, with such measures, factors, and 
barriers to include, to the extent feasible, but not be limited to, the 
following topics: restrictions on trade and investment; property rights 
and ownership; customs duties and procedures; sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures; state trading; protection of intellectual 
property rights; and infrastructure as it affects telecommunications, 
port facilities, and the storage, transport, and distribution of goods;
    (2) a qualitative analysis of any effects that such measures, 
factors, and barriers would have on U.S. exports of goods and services 
to Cuba in the event of changes to statutory, regulatory, or other 
trade restrictions on U.S. exports of goods and services to Cuba; and
    (3) to the extent feasible, a quantitative analysis of the 
aggregate effects of Cuban tariff and non-tariff measures on the 
ability of U.S. and non-U.S. firms to conduct business in and with 
Cuba.
    In its letter of August 19, 2015, the Committee asked that the 
Commission transmit its completed report by March 17, 2016.
    Written Submissions: The Commission does not plan to hold a further 
public hearing in this investigation. However, interested parties are 
invited to file written submissions concerning this investigation. All 
written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, and all such 
submissions should be received no later than 5:15 p.m., October 23, 
2015. All written submissions must conform to the provisions of section 
201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 
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 p.m. 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 
(CBI) must also conform to 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 is clearly

[[Page 54592]]

identified by means of brackets. All written submissions, except for 
confidential business information, will be made available for 
inspection by interested parties.
    The Committee has asked that the Commission's report not contain 
any confidential business information. 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.
    Summaries of Written Submissions: The Commission intends to publish 
summaries of the positions of interested persons in an appendix to its 
report. Persons wishing to have a summary of their position included in 
the appendix should include a summary with their written submission. 
The summary may not exceed 500 words, should be in MSWord format or a 
format that can be easily converted to MSWord, and should not include 
any confidential business information. The summary will be published as 
provided if it meets these requirements and is germane to the subject 
matter of the investigation. In the appendix the Commission will 
identify the name of the organization furnishing the summary, and will 
include a link to the Commission's Electronic Document Information 
System (EDIS) where the full written submission can be found.

    By order of the Commission.

     Issued: September 3, 2015.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2015-22697 Filed 9-9-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P