[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 142 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39891-39892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19870]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. 701-TA-373 & 731-TA-769-775 (Final)


Stainless Steel Wire Rod From Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, 
Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan; Notice of Commission Determination to 
Conduct a Portion of the Hearing in Camera

AGENCY: U.S. International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Closure of a portion of a Commission hearing to the public.

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SUMMARY: Upon request of certain respondents in the above-captioned 
final investigations, the Commission has unanimously determined to 
conduct a portion of its hearing scheduled for July 22, 1998 in camera. 
See Commission rules 207.24(d), 201.13(m) and 201.35(b)(3) (19 CFR 
207.24(d), 201.13(m) and 201.35(b)(3)). The remainder of the hearing 
will be open to the public. The Commission unanimously has determined 
that the seven-day advance notice of the change to a meeting was not 
possible. See Commission rule 201.35(a), (c)(1) (19 CFR 201.35(a), 
(c)(1)).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Sultan, Esq., Office of the 
General Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20436, telephone 202-205-3152. Hearing-impaired 
individuals are advised that information on this matter may be obtained 
by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-1810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission believes that respondents 
have justified the need for a closed session. A full discussion 
regarding the proprietary financial and trade data of all parties in 
these investigations can only occur if a portion of the hearing is held 
in camera. Because much of this information is not publicly available, 
any discussion of issues relating to this information will necessitate 
disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI). Thus, such 
discussions can only occur if a portion of the hearing is held in 
camera. The Commission has determined to deny, however, petitioners' 
request to allow representatives of the petitioning firms who are not 
on the administrative protective order to attend the closed session. 
The Commission believes that petitioners have not justified their 
request. In making this decision, the Commission nevertheless reaffirms 
its belief that whenever possible its business should be conducted in 
public.
    The hearing will include the usual public presentations by 
petitioners and by respondents, with questions from the Commission. In 
addition, the hearing will include an in camera session for a 
presentation by respondents that discusses the business proprietary 
information submitted in this proceeding, and for questions from the 
Commission relating to the BPI, followed by an in camera presentation 
by petitioners. For the in camera session the room will be cleared of 
all persons except those who have been granted access to BPI under a 
Commission administrative protective order (APO) and are included on 
the Commission's APO service list in this investigation. See 19 CFR 
201.35(b)(1), (2). The Commission is allotting twenty minutes for each 
in camera session. The time for the parties' presentations and 
rebuttals in the in camera session will be taken from their respective 
overall allotments for the hearing. All persons planning to attend the 
in camera portions of the hearing should be prepared to present proper 
identification.


[[Page 39892]]


    Authority: The General Counsel has certified, pursuant to 
Commission Rule 201.39 (19 CFR 201.39) that, in her opinion, a portion 
of the Commission's hearing in Stainless Steel Wire Rod from Germany, 
Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan, Inv. Nos. 701-TA-373 & 
731-TA-767-775 (Final) may be closed to the public to prevent the 
disclosure of BPI.

    Issued: July 20, 1998.

    By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-19870 Filed 7-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P