[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 54 (Thursday, March 19, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15798-15799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05767]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Temporary Change to Filing Procedures
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States International Trade Commission (Commission)
provides notice that it is temporarily waiving and amending certain of
the Commission's rules that require the filing of paper copies, CD-
ROMs, and other physical media in section 337 investigations to address
concerns about COVID-19.
DATES: Immediately and until further notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may direct telephone inquiries to
the Office of the Secretary at (202) 205-2000. You may direct email
inquiries to [email protected]. Hearing impaired persons can obtain
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal
at (202) 205-1810. You may find general information concerning the
Commission at https://www.usitc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 201.4(b) of the Commission's Rules
of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.4(b)) permits the Commission to
amend, waive, suspend, or revoke Commission rules for ``good and
sufficient reason'' if the rule is not a matter of procedure required
by law. The procedures for the filing of documents, including the
provision of paper copies, CD-ROMs, and other physical media in section
337 investigations is not a procedure required by law. Therefore, to
address concerns related to COVID-19, the Commission has determined
that there is good and sufficient reason to waive and amend certain
Commission rules that require such submissions and to require
electronic filing for all documents filed with the Commission. This
waiver and amendment is effective immediately and until further notice,
which will be provided in a subsequent Federal Register notice. Waiver
and amendment of these rules will mitigate disruption to section 337
investigations in the event that the USITC building is inaccessible.
Specifically, the Commission temporarily waives: Rule 210.4(f)(3)'s
paper copy requirements, as they pertain to documents filed under Rules
210.4(d), 210.8, 210.13, 210.14, 210.15, 210.16, 210.17, 210.18,
210.19, 210.20, 210.21, 210.23, 210.24, 210.25, 210.26, 210.33, 210.34,
210.35, 210.36, 210.38, 210.40, 210.43, 210.45, 210.46, 210.47, 210.50,
210.52, 210.53, 210.57, 210.59, 210.66, 210.70, and 210.71; and the
paper copy requirements set forth in Rules 210.4(f)(6)(ii),
210.4(f)(7)(i), and 210.8, as well as the paper filing or copy
requirements in the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures, with
which Rule 210.4(f)(i) requires compliance.
The Commission has approved the temporary amendment of Rule
210.4(f)(2), Rule 210.75, Rule 210.76, and Rule 210.79 to permit
parties to file section 337 complaints, exhibits, attachments, and
appendices electronically.
The Commission has approved the temporary amendment of Rule
210.7(b) to require that attorneys who designate themselves as lead
attorneys or representatives for service of process to provide the
Commission with their individual work email address.
The Commission has also approved the temporary amendment of Rules
210.11(a) and 210.75 to require complainants, rather than the
Commission, to serve all nonconfidential copies of the complaint and
any appendices, supplements, motions for temporary relief, exhibits,
and attachments onto each proposed respondent and appropriate embassy,
upon notice of institution of investigation, and provide proof of
service.
Pursuant to Rule 201.16(a)(1), immediately and until further
notice, the Commission will serve public documents by electronic means
by posting the documents to its Electronic Document Information System
(EDIS), located at https://edis.usitc.gov. Pursuant to Rule
201.16(a)(4), ``[electronic] service is complete upon transmission of a
notification that the document has been placed in an appropriate
repository,'' and is available for retrieved by the party being served.
Staff in the Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division, will
provide email notification to the parties of the availability of the
validated document on EDIS.
All such filings shall comply with the procedures set forth in the
Commission's EDIS website at https://edis.usitc.gov.
By order of the Commission.
[[Page 15799]]
Issued: March 16, 2020.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2020-05767 Filed 3-18-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P