At the request of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the International Trade Commission (ITC) has instituted an investigation (No. 332-525) titled: Remanufactured Goods: An Overview of the U.S. and Global Industries, Markets, and Trade.
In a June 28 letter to ITC, USTR defined remanufacturing as “an industrial process that restores end-of-life goods to original working condition and occurs across a range of sectors, such as heavy machinery, automotive parts, medical equipment, office equipment, information and communications technology equipment and precision instruments.” USTR also noted, “Remanufacturers include original equipment manufacturers, independent companies and small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs).”
It was also noted by USTR that there has not been any significant collection of data in the industry and it is hoped that the report will help remanufacturers, and SMEs in particular, in growing their companies and accessing foreign markets. The report will cover the period 2009-11 and, among many other factors, will look at:
U.S. exports of remanufactured goods, including by primary export sector and leading export destinations. The report will also compare U.S. exports of remanufactured goods to free trade agreement (FTA) partners with exports to non-FTA partners. To the extent possible, the report will also include information on the level of U.S. imports of remanufactured goods, as well as the level of imports of “cores” (used goods acting as the primary component input(s)) and the principal sources for these products.
An assessment of foreign direct investment (FDI) in U.S. remanufacturing, including associated employment and the extent to which foreign firms have invested in U.S. enterprises producing remanufactured goods.
ITC will hold a public hearing on Feb. 28, 2012 and the report is scheduled to be delivered to USTR on Oct. 28, 2012.
More information:
To view the ITC Federal Register notice, click here.