On November 17, 2015, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced that has instituted an investigation to assess the likely impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement that the President has announced he intends to enter into with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The investigation, Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Likely Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Specific Industry Sectors (Investigation No. TPA-105-001), was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative in a letter received on November 5, 2015. The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 requires the USITC to prepare a report that assesses the likely impact of the Agreement on the U.S. economy as a whole and on specific industry sectors and the interests of U.S. consumers. The USITC’s report, which will be public, is due to the President and the Congress no more than 105 days after the President signs the Agreement, which he can do 90 days after he notifies Congress of his intent to do so. The President notified Congress on November 5, 2015, of his intent to enter into the Agreement. The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation beginning at 9:30 a.m. on January 13, 2016. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on December 22, 2015. The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions should be submitted at the earliest practical date but no later than 5:15 p.m. on February 15, 2016. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection. See notice for addresses and other details. Further information on the scope of the investigation and the procedures for written submissions is available in the USITC’s notice of investigation, dated November 17, 2015 |