ITC TO INVESTIGATE COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS FACING U.S. CHEMICAL AND BIOFUEL INDUSTRIES THAT DEVELOP AND ADOPT NEW BIOTECHNOLOGY PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC or Commission) has launched an investigation into the competitive conditions affecting U.S. chemical and biofuels industries that are developing and adopting new biotechnology processes and products.

The investigation, Industrial Biotechnology: Development and Adoption by the U.S. Chemical and Biofuel Industries, was requested by the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, in a letter received on November 2, 2006.

In its request letter, the Committee noted that while numerous entities in the United States consider the application of industrial biotechnology key to improving process efficiency and developing new products, the current impact of industrial biotechnology on the U.S. economy is not well understood.

As requested, the ITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will focus, to the extent practicable, on firms in the U.S. chemical industry that are developing bio-based products (such as fibers and plastics) and renewable chemical platforms, as well as U.S. producers of liquid biofuels.

The Commission will explore government policies related to product development in these industries for the United States and key competitor countries; analyze the business activities in these industries; examine factors affecting the development of bio-based products by the U.S. chemical industry; determine how the adoption of industrial biotechnology processing and products impacts the productivity and competitiveness of firms in these industries; and assess how existing U.S. government programs may affect the production and utilization of agricultural feedstocks for liquid biofuels as well as bio-based products and renewable chemical platforms being developed by the U.S. chemical industry.

The ITC will submit its report to the Committee by July 2, 2008.

The ITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation at 9:30 a.m. on April 24, 2007. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed with the Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436, and must be received no later than 5:15 p.m. on April 3, 2007.

The ITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions (one original and 14 copies) should be addressed to the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, at the above address and should be filed at the earliest practical date, but no later than 5:15 p.m. on May 2, 2007. 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 28, 2006, 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.