RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/N/6/USA/2
26March 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1092)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 12.1(A) OFTHE
AGREEMENT ONSAFEGUARDS ONINITIATION OF
ANINVESTIGATION AND THE REASONS FOR IT
UNITED STATES
Thefollowing communication, dated 22March 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission oftheUnited States.
_______________
Pursuant toArticle 12.1(a) oftheWTO Agreement onSafeguards, andinlightoftheformat
fornotificationsundertheAgreementonSafeguardsadoptedbytheCommitteeonSafeguards(G/SG/N/6,
7February 1995), theUnited States notifies thatitscompetent authorities haveinitiated asafeguards
proceeding, asfollows:
1. Dateinvestigation wasinitiated: 4March 1996.
2. Product subject toinvestigation: Broom cornbrooms provided forinsubheadings 9603.10.05,
9603.10.15, 9603.10.35, 9603.10.40, 9603.10.50, and9603.10.60 oftheHarmonized Tariff Schedule
oftheUnited States (HTS).
3. Reasons fortheinitiation: Theinvestigation wasinitiated onthebasis ofapetition filedon
behalf ofthedomestic industry, andontheinformation andevidence contained therein. Acopy of
thepetition, which contains noconfidential information, issubmitted totheCommittee aspartofthe
notification. Acopyofthenotice ofinstitution andscheduling ofaninvestigation isalsosubmitted
aspartofthenotification. These documents areavailable intheWTO Secretariat forinspection by
government representatives.1
1Interested delegations arerequested tocontact Miss S.Aspinall, Office 1028, Tel: 7395109.G/SG/N/6/USA/2
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UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Investigations Nos. TA-201-65 andNAFTA-302-1
BROOM CORN BROOMS
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution andscheduling ofaninvestigation under section 202oftheTrade Actof1974
(19U.S.C. Section 2252)(the Trade Act)andaninvestigation under section 302oftheNorth American
FreeTrade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation Act(19U.S.C. Section 3352).
SUMMARY: Following receipt ofpetitions filedon4March 1996, onbehalf oftheUSCornbroom
TaskForce anditsindividual members, Washington, DC,(petitioner) theUnited States International
Trade Commission instituted investigation No.TA-201-65 under section 202(b) oftheTrade Act,to
determine whether anarticle2isbeing imported intotheUnited States insuchincreased quantities as
tobeasubstantial cause ofserious injury, orthethreat thereof, tothedomestic industry producing
anarticle likeordirectly competitive withtheimported article; andinvestigation No.NAFTA-302-1
under section 302(b) oftheNAFTA Implementation Act,todetermine whether, asaresult ofthe
reduction orelimination ofadutyprovided forunder theNAFTA, aMexican article3isbeing imported
intotheUnited States insuchincreased quantities (inabsolute terms) andunder suchconditions so
thatimports ofthearticle, alone, constitute asubstantial cause ofserious injury, orathreat ofserious
injury, tothedomestic industry producing anarticle likeordirectly competitive withtheimported
article.
Further, thepetitioner, initspetition filedunder section 302oftheNAFTA Implementation
Actalleged thatcritical circumstances existandrequested, pursuant tosection 302(a)(2) ofthatAct
(19U.S.C. Section 3352(a)(2)), thatprovisional relief beprovided pending completion ofthefull
investigation andconsideration bythePresident. Accordingly, iftheCommission makes anaffirmative
injury determination under section 302(b) ofthatAct,itwillalsodetermine whether delay intaking
action would cause damage totheindustry thatwould bedifficult torepair. Ifthesecond Commission
determination isalsointheaffirmative, theCommission willfindtheamount orextent ofprovisional
relief thatisnecessary toprevent orremedy theserious injury andforward itsrecommendation tothe
President.
Forfurther information concerning theconduct ofthese investigations, hearing procedures,
andrulesofgeneral application, consult theCommission 'sRules ofPractice andProcedure, part201,
subparts Athrough E(19CFR part201), andpart206,subparts A,B,andD(19CFR part206).
EFFECTIVE DATE: 4March 1996.
FORFURTHERINFORMATIONCONTACT:JimMcClure(202-205-3191),OfficeofInvestigations,
USInternational Trade Commission, 500EStreet SW,Washington, DC20436. Hearing-impaired
persons canobtain information onthismatter bycontacting theCommission 'sTDD terminal on
202-205-1810. Persons withmobility impairments whowillneedspecial assistance ingaining access
totheCommission should contact theOffice oftheSecretary at202-205-2000. General information
2Broomcornbroomsprovidedforinsubheadings9603.10.05,9603.10.15,9603.10.35,9603.10.40,9603.10.50,
and9603.10.60 oftheHarmonized Tariff Schedule oftheUnited States (HTS).
3Id.G/SG/N/6/USA/2
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concerning theCommission mayalsobeobtained byaccessing itsInternet server (http://www.usitc.gov
orftp://usitc.gov ).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Participation intheinvestigations andservice list. Persons wishing toparticipate inthe
investigations asparties must fileanentry ofappearance withtheSecretary totheCommission, as
provided insection 201.11 oftheCommission 'srules, notlaterthanseven (7)daysafterpublication
ofthisnotice intheFederal Register .TheSecretary willprepare aservice listcontaining thenames
andaddresses ofallpersons, ortheirrepresentatives, whoareparties tothese investigations upon the
expiration oftheperiod forfiling entries ofappearance.
Limited disclosure ofconfidential business information (CBI) under anadministrative protective
order (APO) andCBIservice list.TheCommission intends toconduct these investigations jointly
andmaintain oneinformation docket intheseinvestigations. Except asprovided below, theSecretary,
pursuanttosection206.17(a)oftheCommission'srules,willmakeCBIavailabletoauthorizedapplicants
under theAPO issued intheinvestigations, provided thattheapplication ismade notlaterthanseven
(7)daysafterthepublication ofthisnotice intheFederal Register .Authorized applicants mayhave
access tosuchinformation notwithstanding anyprioraction taken inconnection withthephase ofthese
investigations regarding provisional relief. Aseparate service listwillbemaintained bytheSecretary
forthose parties authorized toreceive CBIunder theAPO.
Hearings oninjury andremedy. TheCommission hasscheduled separate hearings inconnection
withtheinjury andremedy phases oftheseinvestigations. Thehearing oninjury willbeheldbeginning
at9.30a.m.on30May1996, attheUSInternational Trade Commission Building. Intheevent that
theCommission makes anaffirmative injury determination orisequally divided onthequestion of
injury inthese investigations, ahearing onthequestion ofremedy willbeheldbeginning at9.30a.m.
on11July1996. Requests toappear atthehearings oninjury andremedy should befiledinwriting
withtheSecretary totheCommission onorbefore 16May1996, and3July1996, respectively.
Withregard tothehearings oninjury andremedy, allpersons desiring toappear atthehearings
andmake oralpresentations should attend prehearing conferences tobeheldat9.30 a.m. on
21May1996, and8July1996, respectively, attheUSInternational Trade Commission Building.
Oraltestimony andwritten materials tobesubmitted atthehearing aregoverned bysections 201.6(b)(2)
and201.13(f) oftheCommission 'srules.
Writtensubmissions.Inasmuchasthepetitionerhasallegedtheexistenceofcriticalcircumstances
andhasrequested provisional relief, theCommission will,on8April 1996, release statistical data
ithascollected tothatpoint intheinvestigations toenable parties toprepare briefs withrespect to
thatissue. Thedeadline forbriefs onprovisional relief is12April 1996. Thedeadline forfiling
prehearing briefs oninjury is23May1996, andthatforfiling prehearing briefs onremedy, including
anycommitments pursuant to19U.S.C. Section 2252(a)(6)(B), is8July1996. Thedeadline forfiling
posthearing briefs oninjury is6June 1996, andthatforfiling posthearing briefs onremedy is
16July1996.
Inaddition, anyperson whohasnotentered anappearance asaparty totheinvestigations may
submit awritten statement ofinformation pertinent totheconsideration ofprovisional relief onorbefore
12April 1996, pertinent totheconsideration ofinjury onorbefore 6June1996, andpertinent tothe
consideration ofremedy onorbefore 16July1996. Allwritten submissions mustconform withthe
provisions ofsection 201.8 oftheCommission 'srules; anysubmissions thatcontain CBImustalso
conform withtherequirements ofsection 201.6 oftherules.G/SG/N/6/USA/2
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Inaccordance withsection 201.16(c) oftherules, eachdocument filedbyaparty tothe
investigations mustbeserved onallother parties totheinvestigations (asidentified bytheservice list),
andacertificate ofservice mustbetimely filed. TheSecretary willnotaccept adocument forfiling
without acertificate ofservice.
AUTHORITY: These investigations arebeing conducted under theauthority ofsection 202ofthe
Trade Actof1974andsection 302oftheNorth American FreeTrade Implementation Act.Thisnotice
ispublished pursuant tosection 206.3 oftheCommission 'srules.
Byorder oftheCommission.
[Signed]
Donna R.Kochnke
Secretary
Issued: 12March 1996