83 FR 16900 - U.S.-Korea FTA: Advice on Modifications to Duty Rates for Certain Motor Vehicles

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 74 (April 17, 2018)

Following receipt on April 6, 2018, of a request from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted investigation No. U.S.-Korea FTA-103-031, U.S.-Korea FTA: Advice on Modifications to Duty Rates for Certain Motor Vehicles, for the purpose of providing advice on the probable economic effect of modifications to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement regarding the staging of duty treatment for certain motor vehicles.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16900-16901]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08015]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. U.S.-Korea FTA-103-031]


U.S.-Korea FTA: Advice on Modifications to Duty Rates for Certain 
Motor Vehicles

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation and notice of opportunity to 
provide written comments.

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SUMMARY: Following receipt on April 6, 2018, of a request from the U.S. 
Trade Representative (USTR), the Commission instituted investigation 
No. U.S.-Korea FTA-103-031, U.S.-Korea FTA: Advice on Modifications to 
Duty Rates for Certain Motor Vehicles, for the purpose of providing 
advice on the probable economic effect of modifications to the United 
States-Korea Free Trade Agreement regarding the staging of duty 
treatment for certain motor vehicles.

DATES: May 1, 2018: Deadline for filing written submissions.
    June 1, 2018: Transmittal of Commission report to USTR.

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: Project Leader Jeff Horowitz (202-205-
2750 or [email protected]) or Deputy Project Leader Mitch 
Semanik (202-205-2034 or [email protected]) for information 
specific to this investigation. 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 [email protected]). 
The media should contact Margaret O'Laughlin, Office of External 
Relations (202-205-1819 or [email protected]). Hearing-
impaired individuals may obtain information on this matter by 
contacting the Commission's TDD terminal at 202-205-1810. General 
information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing 
its internet server (http://www.usitc.gov). 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: In his request letter (received April 6, 2018), the 
USTR stated that U.S. negotiators have recently reached an agreement in 
principle with representatives of the government of Korea on 
modifications to the FTA regarding the staging of duty treatment for 
certain motor vehicles. The USTR noted that section 201(b)(2) of the 
United States--Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the Act) 
authorizes the President, subject to the consultation and layover 
requirements of section 104 of the Act, to proclaim such tariff 
modifications as the President determines to be necessary or 
appropriate to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually 
advantageous concessions with respect to Korea provided for by the FTA. 
He noted that one of the requirements set out in section 104 of the Act 
is that the President obtain advice regarding the proposed action from 
the U.S. International Trade Commission.
    In the request letter, the USTR asked that the Commission provide 
advice on the probable economic effect of the modifications on U.S. 
trade under the FTA and on domestic producers of the affected articles. 
He asked that the Commission provide its advice at the earliest 
possible date but no later than eight weeks from receipt of the 
request. He also asked that the Commission issue, as soon as possible 
thereafter, a public version of its report with any confidential 
business information deleted.
    The products identified in the proposal are motor vehicles for the 
transport of goods provided for in subheadings 8704.21.00, 8704.22.50, 
8704.23.00, 8704.31.00, 8704.32.00, and 8704.90.00 of the U.S. 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The request letter and the proposed 
modification are available on the Commission's website at http://www.usitc.gov/research_and_analysis/what_we_are_working_on.htm. As 
requested, the Commission will provide its advice to USTR by June 1, 
2018.
    Written Submissions: No public hearing is planned. However, 
interested parties are invited to file written submissions. All written 
submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be 
received no later than

[[Page 16901]]

5:15 p.m., May 1, 2018. All written submissions must conform with 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 
Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (202-205-1802).
    Confidential Business Information: 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 is clearly identified by 
means of brackets. All written submissions, except for those containing 
CBI, will be made available for inspection by interested parties.
    The Commission may include some or all of the confidential business 
information submitted in the course of this investigation in the report 
it sends to the USTR. Additionally, all information, including CBI, 
submitted in this investigation may be disclosed to and used: (i) By 
the Commission, its employees and Offices, and contract personnel (a) 
for developing or maintaining the records of this or a related 
proceeding, or (b) in internal investigations, audits, reviews, and 
evaluations relating to the programs, personnel, and operations of the 
Commission including under 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. 
government employees and contract personnel for cybersecurity purposes. 
The Commission will not otherwise disclose any confidential business 
information 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 CBI. The summary will be included in the report 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: April 12, 2018.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2018-08015 Filed 4-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P