If you are a manufacturer who would like to see the U.S. lift its trade restrictions with Cuba, then several upcoming dates may be of interest to you.
They are tied to an investigation launched by the U.S. International Trade Commission to examine recent trends in Cuban imports of goods and services, including from the U.S., and analyze how U.S. restrictions impact such purchases.
Public input is welcome. Indeed, a public hearing is slated for March 24, 2015.
The investigation—"Overview of Cuban Imports of Goods and Services and Effects of U.S. Restrictions"--was launched at the request of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. The ITC is slated to provide a report to the committee by Sept. 15, 2015.
The Senate committee has requested the report include a description of how U.S. restrictions of trade, including restrictions on export financing terms and travel to Cuba, affect Cuban imports of U.S. goods and services.
Additionally, in sectors where the impact could be significant, committee members want qualitative and quantitative estimates of U.S. exports to Cuba if trade restrictions were lifted, including state-specific analysis.
Here are important dates for anyone interested in providing public input:
March 10, 2015: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public hearing
March 12: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and statements
March 24: Public hearing
March 31: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements
April 15: Deadline for filing other written submissions.
The International Trade Commission's notice of investigation provides additional details.
