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News Release 15-080
Inv. No(s). TA-131-040
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has launched an investigation to provide advice to the president on the probable economic effect of removing duties on environmental goods under the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) now being negotiated.
The investigation, WTO Environmental Goods Negotiations: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment, Second List of Articles, was requested by the USTR in a letter received on August 21, 2015. The letter included a list of products to be covered by the report.
The EGA negotiations were launched by the United States and 13 other World Trade Organization (WTO) members on July 8, 2014. In preparation for the negotiations, the USITC completed two previous confidential reports in 2014 that provided advice and information on U.S. environmental goods trade.
In the letter, the USTR noted that a range of additional environmental goods have been identified during the negotiations and preparatory consultations for the EGA and requested a report that addresses the additional goods.
As requested, the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will provide advice on the probable economic effect of providing duty-free treatment for imports of the environmental goods and related products on U.S. industries and consumers. The USITC expects to submit its report, which will be confidential, to the USTR by December 4, 2015.
The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation on October 14, 2015. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436, no later than 5:15 p.m. on October 5, 2015. For further information, call 202-205-2000.
The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record for the investigation. Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary of the USITC at the above address. They should be submitted at the earliest practical date, but no later than 5:15 p.m. on October 19, 2015. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection.
Further information on the scope of this investigation and appropriate submissions appears in the USITC's notice of investigation, dated August 28, 2015. The notice can be obtained from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or by contacting the Office of the Secretary at the above address or at 202-205-2000.
USITC general factfinding investigations 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 USITC’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subject investigated. The USITC makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in these 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, like this one, they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.