77778 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2004 / Notices 

of U.S. Patent No. 5,713,292 (the ‘292 

patent); and claims 16, 19, 35 and 38 of 

U.S. Patent No. 6,0079,343 (the ‘343 

patent). The complaint names as 

respondents Esquel Apparel, Inc. and 

Esquel Enterprises Limited (collectively 

‘‘Esquel’’). On October 4, 2004, the 

Commission issued a notice of 

determination not to review an ID 

(Order No. 4) granting TAL’s motion to 

amend the complaint and notice of 

institution to amend the complaint to 

add an additional related patent, U.S. 

Patent No. 5,775,394 (the ‘394 patent) to 

the investigation. 69 FR 60422 (Oct. 8, 

2004). 

On October 4, 2004 TAL moved to 

withdraw the allegations of 

infringement with respect to the ‘292, 

‘343, and ‘394 patents. Neither Esquel 

nor the Commission investigative 

attorney opposed the motion. On 

November 29, 2004, the presiding 

administrative law judge issued an ID 

(Order No. 5) granting TAL’s motion to 

partially terminate the investigation on 

the basis of withdrawal of all allegations 

of infringement relating to the claims of 

the ‘292 patent, the ‘343 patent, and the 

‘394 patent. No petitions for review of 

the ID were filed. 

This action is taken under the 

authority of section 337 of the Tariff Act 

of 1930, 19 U.S.C. 1337, and sections 

210.21(a)(1) and 210.42(h) of the 

Commission Rules of Practice and 

Procedure, 19 CFR 210.21(a)(1) and 

210.42(h).

By order of the Commission.

Issued: December 21, 2004. 

Marilyn R. Abbott, 

Secretary to the Commission.

[FR Doc. 04–28338 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 

COMMISSION 

[Investigation No. TA–2104–18] 

U.S.-Central America Free Trade 

Agreement: Potential Economywide 

and Selected Sectoral Effects

AGENCY: International Trade 

Commission.

ACTION: Institution of investigation.

SUMMARY: Following receipt on 

November 17, 2004, of a request from 

the United States Trade Representative 

(USTR), the Commission instituted 

investigation No. TA–2104–18, U.S.-

Central America Free Trade Agreement: 

Potential Economywide and Selected 

Sectoral Effects, under section 2104(f) of 

the Trade Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 

3804(f)). 

Background 

As requested by the USTR, the 

Commission will prepare a report as 

specified in section 2104(f)(2)–(3) of the 

Trade Act of 2002 (the Trade Act) 

assessing the likely impact of the U.S. 

free trade agreement (FTA) with Costa 

Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 

and Nicaragua (Central America) on the 

United States economy as a whole and 

on specific industry sectors and the 

interests of U.S. consumers. 

Section 2104(f)(2) requires that the 

Commission submit its report to the 

President and the Congress not later 

than 90 days after the President enters 

into the agreement, which he can do 90 

days after he notifies the Congress of his 

intent to do so. The President notified 

Congress of his intent to enter into an 

FTA with Central America on February 

20, 2004. At that time, the President also 

stated that negotiations were under way 

to integrate the Dominican Republic 

into the FTA with Central America. 

That FTA was signed on August 5, 2004, 

and the Commission provided its report 

(U.S.-Central America-Dominican 

Republic Free Trade Agreement: 

Potential Economywide and Selected 

Sectoral Effects, Inv. No. TA-2104–13, 

publication 3717) on August 27, 2004. A 

public hearing for that investigation was 

held on April 27, 2004. 

In his letter the USTR stated that the 

Dominican Republic subsequently (on 

October 1, 2004) enacted a tax on 

beverages sweetened with high fructose 

corn syrup that the United States 

regards as incompatible with the 

Dominican Republic’s obligations under 

the signed FTA. He said that as a result 

of that action he informed Congress on 

October 1, 2004, that he would not 

recommend including the Dominican 

Republic in the legislation to implement 

the FTA signed on August 5, 2004 if the 

Dominican tax remained in place, and 

that the Administration would take 

steps to move forward with an FTA with 

the Central American countries. He said 

that the FTA with the Central American 

countries ‘‘otherwise is the same as the 

one that the Commission has already 

assessed’’ that included the Dominican 

Republic. In his letter requesting a new 

Commission report, the USTR asked the 

Commission to supplement its August 

27 report by assessing the likely impact 

of a free trade agreement with Central 

America on the United States economy 

as a whole and on specific industry 

sectors and the interests of U.S. 

consumers. 

As specified in section 2104(f)(2)–(3) 

of the Trade Act, the Commission’s 

report will assess the likely impact of 

the FTA on the United States economy 

as a whole and on specific industry 

sectors, including the impact the 

agreement will have on the gross 

domestic product, exports and imports, 

aggregate employment and employment 

opportunities, the production, 

employment, and competitive position 

of industries likely to be significantly 

affected by the FTA, and the interests of 

U.S. consumers. In preparing its 

assessment, the Commission will review 

available economic assessments 

regarding the FTA, including literature 

regarding any substantially equivalent 

proposed agreement, and provide in its 

assessment a description of the analyses 

used and conclusions drawn in such 

literature, and a discussion of areas of 

consensus and divergence between the 

various analyses and conclusions, 

including those of the Commission 

regarding the agreement. Section 

2104(f)(2) requires that the Commission 

submit its report to the President and 

Congress not later than 90 days after the 

President enters into an agreement with 

the five Central American countries.

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 28, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James Stamps, Project Leader, Office of 

Economics (202–205–3227 or 

james.stamps@usitc.gov). For 

information on the legal aspects of this 

investigation, contact William Gearhart 

of the Office of the General Counsel 

(202–205–3091 or 

william.gearhart@usitc.gov). For media 

information, contact Peg O’Laughlin 

(202–205–1819). Hearing impaired 

individuals are advised that information 

on this matter can be obtained by 

contacting the TDD terminal on (202–

205–1810). 

Public Hearing: A public hearing in 

connection with this investigation is 

scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on 

January 18, 2005, at the U.S. 

International Trade Commission 

Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, 

DC. All persons have the right to appear 

by counsel or in person, to present 

information, and to be heard. Persons 

wishing to appear at the public hearing 

should file a letter with the Secretary, 

United States International Trade 

Commission, 500 E Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20436, no later than the 

close of business (5:15 p.m.) on January 

4, 2005. In addition, persons appearing 

should file prehearing briefs (original 

and 14 copies) with the Secretary by the 

close of business on January 4, 2005. 

Posthearing briefs should be filed with 

the Secretary by the close of business on 

January 26, 2005. In the event that no 

requests to appear at the hearing are 

received by the close of business on 

January 4, 2005, the hearing will be 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2004 / Notices 77779

1The record is defined in sec. 207.2(f) of the 

Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 

CFR 207.2(f)).

canceled. Moreover, in the event that 

there is no hearing, the Commission 

shall reference in this report relevant 

testimony from the April 27, 2004 

hearing. Any person interested in 

attending the hearing as an observer or 

nonparticipant may call the Secretary to 

the Commission (202–205–1816) after 

January 10, 2005 to determine whether 

the hearing will be held. 

Written Submissions: In lieu of or in 

addition to appearing at the public 

hearing, interested persons are invited 

to submit written statements concerning 

the investigation. Submissions should 

be addressed to the Secretary, United 

States International Trade Commission, 

500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 

20436. To be assured of consideration 

by the Commission, written statements 

related to the Commission’s report 

should be submitted to the Commission 

at the earliest practical date, and should 

be received by the close of business on 

January 26, 2005. All written 

submissions, including briefs, 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 of the rules require that a 

signed original (or copy designated as 

an original) and fourteen (14) copies of 

each document be filed. In the event 

that confidential treatment of the 

document is requested, at least four (4) 

additional copies must be filed, in 

which the confidential business 

information (CBI) must be deleted (see 

the following paragraph for further 

information regarding CBI). The 

Commission’s rules do not authorize 

filing submissions with the Secretary by 

facsimile or electronic means, except to 

the extent permitted by section 201.8 of 

the rules (see Handbook for Electronic 

Filing Procedures, ftp://ftp.usitc.gov/

pub/reports/

electronic_filing_handbook.pdf). 

Persons with questions regarding 

electronic filing should contact the 

Secretary (202–205–2000 or 

edis@usitc.gov). 

Any submissions, including briefs, 

that contain CBI also must conform with 

the requirements of section 201.6 of the 

Commission’s rules (19 CFR 201.6). 

Section 201.6 of the rules requires that 

the cover of the document and the 

individual pages clearly be marked as to 

whether they are the ‘‘confidential’’ or 

‘‘non-confidential’’ version, and that the 

CBI be clearly identified by means of 

brackets. All written submissions, 

except CBI, will be made available for 

inspection by interested parties. 

The report that the Commission sends 

to the President and the Congress will 

not contain CBI. Although the 

Commission may aggregate or otherwise 

use CBI it receives in the course of this 

investigation in preparing its report, the 

Commission will not publish CBI in the 

report in a manner that would reveal the 

operations of the firm supplying the 

information. The report will be made 

available to the public on the 

Commission’s Web site. 

The public record for this report may 

ve viewed on the Commission’s 

electronic docket (EDIS) at http://

edis.uistc.gov. Hearing impaired 

individuals are advised that information 

on this matter can be obtained by 

contacting our TDD terminal on 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.

By order of the Commission.

Issued: December 21, 2004. 

Marilyn R. Abbott, 

Secretary to the Commission.

[FR Doc. 04–28327 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 

COMMISSION 

[Investigation No. 731–TA–1058 (Final)] 

Wooden Bedroom Furniture From 

China 

Determination 

On the basis of the record 1 developed 

in the subject investigation, the United 

States International Trade Commission 

(Commission) determines, pursuant to 

section 735(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 

(19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) (the Act), that an 

industry in the United States is 

materially injured by reason of imports 

from China of wooden bedroom 

furniture, provided for in subheadings 

9403.50.90 and 7009.92.50 of the 

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 

United States, that have been found by 

the Department of Commerce 

(Commerce) to be sold in the United 

States at less than fair value (LTFV).

Background 

The Commission instituted this 

investigation effective October 31, 2003, 

following receipt of a petition filed with 

the Commission and Commerce by the 

American Furniture Manufacturers 

Committee for Legal Trade and its 

individual members; the Cabinet 

Makers, Millmen, and Industrial 

Carpenters, Local 721; the UBC 

Southern Council of Industrial Workers, 

Local 2305; the United Steelworkers of 

America, Local 193U; the Carpenters 

Industrial Union, Local 2093; the 

Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen 

and Helpers, Local 991; and the IUE, 

Industrial Division of the CWA, Local 

82472. 

The final phase of the investigation 

was scheduled by the Commission 

following notification of a preliminary 

determination by Commerce that 

imports of wooden bedroom furniture 

from China were being sold at LTFV 

within the meaning of section 733(b) of 

the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673b(b)). Notice of 

the scheduling of the final phase of the 

Commission’s investigation and of a 

public hearing to be held in connection 

therewith was given by posting copies 

of the notice in the Office of the 

Secretary, U.S. International Trade 

Commission, Washington, DC, and by 

publishing the notice in the Federal 

Register of July 15, 2004 (69 FR 42452). 

The hearing was held in Washington, 

DC, on November 9, 2004, and all 

persons who requested the opportunity 

were permitted to appear in person or 

by counsel. 

The Commission transmitted its 

determination in this investigation to 

the Secretary of Commerce on December 

22, 2004. The views of the Commission 

are contained in USITC Publication 

3743 (December 2004), entitled Wooden 

Bedroom Furniture from China: 

Investigation No. 731–TA–1058 (Final).

By order of the Commission.

Issued: December 22, 2004. 

Marilyn R. Abbott, 

Secretary to the Commission.

[FR Doc. 04–28341 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket No. 30–36574] 

Notice of Consideration of Amendment 

Request for Decommissioning for U.S. 

Army Research Development and 

Engineering Command, Aberdeen 

Proving Ground, MD, and Opportunity 

To Request a Hearing

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of license amendment, 

opportunity to request a hearing, and 

solicitation of public comments. 

DATES: A request for a hearing must be 

filed by February 28, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom 

McLaughlin, Project Manager, 

Decommissioning Directorate, Division