(a) Investigative authority. In order to expedite the performance of its functions, the Commission may engage in investigative activities preliminary to and in aid of any authorized investigation, consolidate proceedings before it, and determine the scope and manner of its proceedings;

(b) Initiation of investigations. Investigations may be initiated by the Commission on the Commission's own motion, upon request of the President or the United States Trade Representative, upon resolution of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives or the Committee of Finance of the Senate, upon resolution of either branch of Congress, or upon application, petition, complaint, or request of private parties, as required or provided for in the pertinent statute, Presidential proclamation, Executive Order, or in this chapter.

(a) Applicability; where to file; date of filing. This section applies to all Commission proceedings except, notwithstanding any other section of this chapter, those conducted under 19 U.S.C. 1337,which. Documents shall be filed at the office of the Secretary of the Commission in Washington, DC. Such documents, if properly filed within the hours of operation specified in § 201.3(c), will be deemed to be filed on the date on which they are actually received in the Commission.

(b) Conformity with rules. Each document filed with the Commission for the purpose of initiating any investigation shall be considered properly filed if it conforms with the pertinent rules prescribed in this chapter. Substantial compliance with the pertinent rules may be accepted by the Commission provided good and sufficient reason is stated in the document for inability to comply fully with the pertinent rules.

(c) Specifications for documents. Each document filed under this chapter shall be signed, double-spaced, clear and legible, except that a document of two pages or less in length need not be double-spaced. All submissions shall be in letter-sized format (8.5 × 11 inches), except copies of documents prepared for another agency or a court (e.g. pleadings papers), and single sided. The name of the person signing the original shall be typewritten or otherwise reproduced on each copy.

(d) Filing. (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (d)(2) through (6) and (f) of this section, all documents filed with the Commission shall be filed electronically. Completion of filing requires the submission of paper copies by 12 noon, Eastern time, on the next business day. A paper copy provided for in this section must be a true copy of the electronic version of the document, i.e., a copy that is identical in all possible respects. All paper copies of electronic submissions exceeding fifty (50) pages in length must have a divider page and an identifying tab preceding each exhibit and/or attachment. The divider page and/or tab must be labeled with a letter or number that corresponds to a more fully descriptive index. All filings shall comply with the procedures set forth in the Commission's Electronic Document Information System Web site at https://edis.usitc.gov. Failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter and the Handbook on Filing Procedures that apply to the filing of a document may result in the rejection of the document as improperly filed.

(2) Briefs, statements, responses, comments, and requests filed pursuant to § 201.12, § 201.14, § 206.8, § 207.15, § 207.23, § 207.25, § 207.28, § 207.30, § 207.61, § 207.62, § 207.65, § 207.67, or § 207.68 of this chapter shall be filed electronically and the requisite number of true paper copies of these documents shall be submitted to the Commission in accordance with the provisions of the applicable section.

(3) Petitions and requests filed under § 206.2 or § 207.10 of this chapter shall be filed in paper form and exhibits, appendices, and attachments to the documents shall be filed in electronic form on CD-ROM, DVD or other portable electronic media approved by the Secretary in accordance with the provisions of the applicable section. Submitted media will be retained by the Commission, except that media may be returned to the submitter if a document is not accepted for filing.

(4) Supplementary material and witness testimony provided for under § 201.13, § 207.15, or § 207.24 of this chapter shall be filed in paper form in accordance with the provisions of the applicable section.

(5) Certain documents filed under § 201.4 of this chapter and applications for administrative protective orders filed under §§ 206.17 and 207.7 of this chapter shall only be filed electronically; no paper copies will be required.

(6) The Secretary may provide for exceptions and modifications to the filing requirements set out in this chapter. A person seeking an exception should consult the Handbook on Filing Procedures.

(7) During any period in which the Commission is closed, deadlines for filing documents electronically and by other means are extended so that documents are due on the first business day after the end of the closure.

(e) Identification of party filing document. Each document filed with the Commission for the purpose of initiating any investigation shall show on the first page thereof the name, address, and telephone number of the party or parties by whom or on whose behalf the document is filed and shall be signed by the party filing the document or by a duly authorized officer, attorney, or agent of such party. (Also, any attorney or agent filing the document shall give his address and telephone number.) The signature of the person signing such a document constitutes a certification that he had read the document, that to the best of his knowledge and belief the statements contained therein are true, and that the person signing the document was duly authorized to sign it.

(f) Nonconfidential copies. In the event that confidential treatment of a document is requested under § 201.6(b), a nonconfidential version of the document shall be filed, in which the confidential business information shall have been deleted and which shall have been conspicuously marked “nonconfidential” or “public inspection.'” The nonconfidential version shall be filed electronically, and two (2) true paper copies shall be submitted on the same business day as this electronic filing, except as provided in § 206.8 or § 207.3 of this chapter. In the event that confidential treatment is not requested for a document under § 201.6(b), the document shall be conspicuously marked “No confidential version filed,” and the document shall be filed in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section. The name of the person signing the original shall be typewritten or otherwise reproduced on each copy.

(g) Cover sheet. When making a paper filing, parties must complete the cover sheet on-line at http://edis.usitc.gov and print out the cover sheet for submission to the Office of the Secretary with the paper filing. For documents that are filed electronically, parties must complete the cover sheet for such filing on-line at http://edis.usitc.gov at the time of the electronic filing. The party submitting the cover sheet is responsible for the accuracy of all information contained in the cover sheet, including, but not limited to, the security status and the investigation number, and must comply with applicable limitations on disclosure of business proprietary information or confidential information under § 201.6 and §§ 206.8, 206.17, 207.3, and 207.7 of this chapter.

In obtaining information necessary to carry out its functions and duties, the Commission may employ any means authorized by law. In general, the Commission obtains pertinent information from its own files, from other agencies of the Government, through questionnaires and correspondence, through field work by members of the Commission's staff, and from testimony and other information presented at the hearings.

As appropriate, notice of the receipt of documents properly filed, of the institution of investigations, of public hearings, and of other formal actions of the Commission will be given by publication in the Federal Register. In addition to such publication, a copy of each notice will be posted at the Office of the Secretary to the Commission in Washington, DC, and, as appropriate, copies will be sent to press associations, trade and similar organizations of producers and importers, and others known to have an interest in the subject matter.

(a) Who may appear as a party. Any person may apply to appear in an investigation as a party, either in person or by representative, by filing an entry of appearance with the Secretary. Each entry of appearance shall state briefly the nature of the person's reason for participating in the investigation and state the person's intent to file briefs with the Commission regarding the subject matter of the investigation. The Secretary shall promptly determine whether the person submitting the entry of appearance has a proper reason for participating in the investigation. In any investigation conducted under part 207 of this chapter, industrial users, and if the merchandise under investigation is sold at the retail level, representative consumer organizations, will be deemed to have a proper reason for participating in the investigation. If it is found that a person does not have a proper reason for participating in the investigation, that person shall be so notified by the Secretary and shall not be entitled to appear in the investigation as a party. A person found to have a proper reason for participating in the investigation shall be permitted to appear in the investigation as a party, and acceptance of such person's entry of appearance shall be signified by the Secretary's inclusion of such person on the service list established pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) Time for filing. (1) Except in the case of investigations conducted under part 207 of this chapter, each entry of appearance shall be filed with the Secretary not later than twenty-one (21) days after publication of the Commission's notice of investigation in the Federal Register.

(2) In the case of investigations conducted under subpart B of part 207 of this chapter, each entry of appearance shall be filed with the Secretary not later than seven (7) days after publication of the Commission's notice of investigation in the Federal Register. A party that files a notice of appearance during such time need not file an additional notice of appearance during the portion of the investigation conducted under subpart C of part 207 of this chapter.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a party may file an entry of appearance during the final phase of an investigation conducted under part 207 of this chapter no later than twenty-one (21) days prior to the hearing date listed in the Federal Register notice published pursuant to § 207.24(b) of this chapter.

(4) In the case of reviews conducted under subpart F of part 207 of this chapter, each entry of appearance shall be filed with the Secretary not later than twenty-one (21) days after publication in the Federal Register of the notice of institution described in § 207.60(d) of this chapter.

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(4) of this section, a party may file an entry of appearance in a review conducted under subpart F of part 207 of this chapter within the period specified in the notice issued under § 207.62(c) of this chapter. This period shall be at least 45 days.

(c) Late filing. Any entry of appearance filed with the Secretary after the filing date established in paragraph (b) of this section shall be referred to the Chairman, or other person designated to conduct the investigation, who shall promptly determine whether to accept such entry for good cause shown by the person desiring to file the notice. The Secretary shall promptly notify the submitter of a decision to deny the entry, or if the entry is accepted, include such person on the service list established pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.

(d) Service list. Upon the expiration of the time for filing notices of appearance established in paragraph (b) of this section, the Secretary shall prepare a service list. The service list shall contain the names and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to the investigation pursuant to § 201.2(h) and paragraph (a) of this section. Upon the acceptance of a late entry of appearance pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, the Secretary shall amend the service list to include the name and address of the person whose notice has been accepted and shall promptly forward such notice to all parties to the investigation.

Any party to a nonadjudicative investigation may request the Commission to take particular action with respect to that investigation. Such requests shall be made by letter addressed to the Secretary, shall be placed by him in the record, and shall be served on all other parties. Such request shall be filed electronically and two (2) true paper copies shall be submitted on the same business day. The Commission shall take such action or make such response as it deems appropriate.

(a) In general. Public hearings are held by the Commission when required by law or, if not required by law, when in the judgment of the Commission there is good and sufficient reason therefor. Public hearings will be held at the time and place specified in notices issued under § 201.10. Public hearings are ordinarily held in the Hearing Room of the International Trade Commission Building, in Washington, DC, but may be held elsewhere at the Commission's discretion.

(b) Presiding officials—(1) Who presides. Public hearings or conferences in nonadjudicative investigations will be conducted by the Commission or by one or more Commissioners. When the Commission deems it necessary, such hearings will be conducted by one or more designated employees. In all cases the transcript of the testimony at a hearing will be presented for the consideration of the Commission.

(2) Powers and duties. The Commission, one or more of the Commissioners, or one or more designated employees shall have all the powers to conduct fair and impartial hearings, to take necessary action to avoid delay in the disposition of proceedings, including the prescription of time allocated to testimony, argument, and questioning, to regulate the course of hearings and the conduct of the parties and their counsel therein, and to maintain order.

(c) Participation in a hearing—(1) Who may participate. A party may participate in the hearing, either in person or by representative. A nonparty who has testimony or arguments that may aid the Commission's deliberations may also participate, under such conditions as may be established by the presiding officials at the hearing.

(2) Notices of participation. Notices of participation in a hearing shall be filed with the Secretary at least three (3) days in advance of the date set for the hearing or two (2) days in advance of the date set in the notice of investigation for a prehearing conference, whichever shall first occur, except that the presiding officials may waive this requirement for good cause. Witnesses on behalf of persons filing notices of participation need not file separate notices.

(d) Witness list. Each person who files a notice of participation pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section shall simultaneously file with the Secretary a list of the witnesses he intends to call at the hearing.

(e) Order of the testimony. Unless otherwise ordered by the presiding officials, witnesses will give testimony in the order designated by the Secretary to the Commission. Each witness, after being duly sworn, will be permitted to proceed with his or her testimony without interruption except by presiding officials.

(f) Supplementary material. A party to the investigation may file with the Secretary supplementary material, other than remarks read into the record, for acceptance into the record. The party shall file any such material with the Secretary at the hearing. Supplementary materials must be marked with the name of the organization submitting it. As used herein, the term supplementary material refers to (1) additional graphic material such as charts and diagrams used to illuminate an argument or clarify a position and (2) information not available to a party at the time its prehearing brief was filed.

(g) Questioning of witnesses. After completing testimony, a witness may be questioned by any member of the Commission or by its staff. Any participant may, with the permission of the presiding officials, direct questions to the witness, but only for the purpose of assisting the Commission in obtaining relevant and material facts with respect to the subject matter of the investigation.

(h) Oral argument. When, in the opinion of the presiding officials, time permits and the nature of the proceedings and the complexity or importance of the questions of fact or law involved warrant, the presiding officials may allow oral argument after conclusion of the testimony in a hearing. The presiding officials will determine in each instance the time to be allowed for argument and the allocation thereof.

(i) Briefs—(1) Parties. Briefs of the information produced at the hearing and arguments thereon may be presented to the Commission by parties to the investigation. Time to be allowed for submission of briefs will be set after conclusion of testimony and oral argument, if any.

(2) Nonparties. Any person who is not a party to an investigation may submit a short statement for the record regarding the subject matter of an investigation.

(j) Verification of testimony. Oral or written information submitted at hearings will, upon order of the Commission, be subject to verification from books, papers, and records of the persons submitting the information and from any other available sources.

(k) Hearing transcripts. A verbatim transcript of all hearings will be taken. The Commission does not distribute transcripts of the records of such hearings. Any person may inspect the transcript of a hearing at the Commission's office in Washington, DC, or purchase it from the official reporter.

(l) To facilitate the conduct of hearings, parties intending to use easels, audio visual, and similar equipment in the course of hearing presentations should advise the Secretary of their intent to use such equipment at least three (3) working days before the hearing.

(m) Closed sessions. (1) Upon a request filed by a party to the investigation no later than seven (7) days prior to the date of the hearing (or three (3) days prior to the date of a conference conducted under § 207.15 of this chapter) that

(i) Identifies the subjects to be discussed;

(ii) Specifies the amount of time requested; and

(iii) Justifies the need for a closed session with respect to each subject to be discussed, the Commission (or the Director, as defined in § 207.2(c) of this chapter, for a conference under § 207.15 of this chapter) may close a portion of a hearing (or conference under § 207.15 of this chapter) held in any investigation in order to allow such party to address confidential business information, as defined in § 201.6, during the course of its presentation.

(2) In addition, during each hearing held in an investigation conducted under section 202 of the Trade Act, as amended, or in an investigation under title VII of the Tariff Act as provided in § 207.24 of this chapter, following the public presentation of the petitioner(s) and that of each panel of respondents, the Commission will, if it deems it appropriate, close the hearing in order to allow Commissioners to question parties and/or their representatives concerning matters involving confidential business information.

(a) Computation of time. Computation of any period of time prescribed or allowed by the rules in this chapter, by order of the Commission, or by order of the presiding officer under part 210 of this chapter shall begin with the first business day following the day on which the act or event initiating such period of time shall have occurred. The last day of the period so computed is to be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal legal holiday, in which event the period runs until the end of the next business day. When the period of time prescribed or allowed is less than 7 days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal legal holidays shall be excluded from the computation. As used in this rule, a Federal legal holiday refers to any full calendar day designated as a legal holiday by the President or the Congress of the United States. In the event of an early or all-day closing of the Commission on a business day, the Secretary is authorized to accept on the next full business day filings due the day of the early or all-day closing, without requiring the granting of an extension of time by the Chairman of the Commission, or such other person designated to conduct the investigation.

(b) Additional hearings, postponements, continuances, and extensions of time. (1) Prior to its final determination in any investigation, the Commission may in its discretion for good cause shown grant additional hearings, postponements, or continuances of hearings.

(2) The Chairman of the Commission or such other person as is designated to conduct the investigation shall determine whether to grant for good cause shown extensions of time for performing any act required by or pursuant to the rules contained in this chapter.

(3) A request that the Commission take any of the actions described in this section shall be filed with the Secretary and served on all parties to the investigation. Such request shall be filed electronically and two (2) true paper copies shall be submitted on the same business day.

(a) In general. No register of attorneys or agents who may practice before the Commission is maintained. No application for admission to practice is required. Any person desiring to appear as attorney or agent before the Commission may be required to show to the satisfaction of the Commission his acceptability in that capacity. Any attorney or agent practicing before the Commission, or desiring so to practice, may for good cause shown be suspended or barred from practicing before the Commission, or have imposed on him such lesser sanctions as the Commission deems appropriate, but only after he has been accorded an opportunity to present his views in the matter.

(b) Former officers or employees. No former officer or employee of the Commission who personally and substantially participated in a matter which was pending in any manner or form in the Commission during his employment shall be eligible to appear before the Commission as attorney or agent in connection with such matter. No former officer or employee of the Commission shall be eligible to appear as attorney or agent before the Commission in connection with any matter which was pending in any manner or form in the Commission during his employment, unless he first obtains written consent from the Commission.

(a) By the Commission. Except when service by another method shall be specifically ordered by the Commission, the service of a process or other document of the Commission shall be served by anyone duly authorized by the Commission and be effected—

(1) By mailing, delivering, or serving by electronic means a copy of the document to the person to be served, to a member of the partnership to be served, to the president, secretary, other executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the corporation, association, or other organization to be served, or, if an attorney represents any of the above before the Commission, by mailing, delivering, or serving by electronic means a copy to such attorney; or

(2) By leaving a copy thereof at the principal office of such person, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization, or, if an attorney represents any of the above before the Commission, by leaving a copy at the office of such attorney.

(3) By using an express delivery service to send a copy of the document to the principal office of such person, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization, or, if an attorney represents any of the above before the Commission, by serving the attorney by express delivery.

(4) When service is by mail, it is complete upon mailing of the document. When service is by an express service, service is complete upon submitting the document to the express delivery service or depositing it in the appropriate container for pick-up by the express delivery service. When service is by electronic means, service is complete upon transmission of a notification that the document has been placed in an appropriate repository for retrieval by the person, organization, representative, or attorney being served, unless the Commission is notified that the notification was not received by the party served.

(b) By a party other than the Commission. Except when service by another method shall be specifically ordered by the Commission, the service of a document of a party shall be effected:

(1) By mailing or delivering a copy of a nonconfidential version of the document to each party, or, if the party is represented by an attorney before the Commission, by mailing or delivering a nonconfidential version thereof to such attorney; or

(2) By leaving a copy thereof at the principal office of each other party, or, if a party is represented by an attorney before the Commission, by leaving a copy at the office of such attorney.

(3) When service is by mail, it is complete upon mailing of the document.

(4) When service is by mail, it shall be by first class mail, postage prepaid. In the event the addressee is outside the United States, service shall be by first class airmail, postage prepaid.

(c) Proof of service; certificate. (1) Each document filed with the Secretary to the Commission by a party in the course of an investigation (as provided in § 201.8 of this part) shall be served on each other party to the investigation (as provided in § 210.4(i) of this chapter for investigations under 19 U.S.C. 1337).

(2) Each document served by a party shall include a certificate of service, setting forth the manner and date of such service. The certificate of service shall be deemed proof of service of the document. In the event a document is not accompanied by a certificate of service, the Secretary shall not accept such document for filing and shall promptly notify the submitter.

(d) Additional time after service by mail. Whenever a party or Federal agency or department has the right or is required to perform some act or take some action within a prescribed period after the service of a document upon it and the document is served upon it by mail, three (3) calendar days shall be added to the prescribed period, except that when mailing is to a person located in a foreign country, ten (10) calendar days shall be added to the prescribed period.

(e) Additional time after service by express delivery. Whenever a party or Federal agency or department has the right or is required to perform some act or take some action within a prescribed period after the service of a document upon it and the document is served by express delivery, one (1) day shall be added to the prescribed period if the service is to a destination in the United States, and five (5) days shall be added to the prescribed period if the service is to a destination outside the United States. “Service by express delivery” refers to a method that would provide delivery by the next business day within the United States and refers to the equivalent express delivery service when the delivery is to a foreign location.

(f) Electronic service by parties. Parties may serve documents by electronic means in all matters before the Commission. Parties may effect such service on any party, unless that party has, upon notice to the Secretary and to all parties, stated that it does not consent to electronic service. If electronic service is used, no additional time is added to the prescribed period. However, any dispute that arises among parties regarding electronic service must be resolved by the parties themselves, without the Commission's involvement. When a document served by electronic means contains confidential business information or business proprietary information subject to an administrative protective order, the document must be securely stored and transmitted by the serving party in a manner, including by means ordered by the presiding administrative law judge, that prevents unauthorized access and/or receipt by individuals or organizations not authorized to view the specified confidential business information.