The US International Trade Commission (ITC) will conduct a review to identify yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs that can be produced competitively in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries through new or increased investment or other measures.

The ITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will deliver its report, Sub-Saharan African Textile and Apparel Inputs: Potential for Competitive Production, to the House of Representatives' Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the Comptroller General by May 15, 2009.

The review is required by the Andean Trade Preference Act Extension that the President signed into law on October 16, 2008. [download this document from AGOA.info's archives by following this link.

The ITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation at 9:30 a.m. on January 29, 2009. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on January 15, 2009, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.

The ITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions (original and 14 copies) should be addressed to the Secretary to the Commission at the above address and should be submitted at the earliest practical date but no later than 5:15 p.m. on February 24, 2009. 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 is available in the ITC's notice of investigation, dated November 19, 2008, which may be obtained from the ITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or by contacting the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000.

ITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Senate Committee on Finance, or the House Committee on Ways and Means. The resulting reports convey the Commission's objective findings and independent analyses on the subject investigated.

The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the ITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigations reports are subsequently released to the public, unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.