Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 88 Part 2.djvu/696

 2012

Investigation.

Economic factors.

"Substantial

PUBLIC LAW 93-618-jAN. 3, 1975

[88

STAT.

of resources to alternative uses and other means of adjustment to new conditions of competition. (2) Whenever a petition is filed under this subsection, the Commission shall transmit a copy thereof to the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations and the agencies directly concerned. (b)(1) Upon the request of the President or the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations, upon resolution of either the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Finance of the Senate, upon its own motion, or upon the filing of a petition under subsection (a)(1), the Commission shall promptly make an investigation to determine whether an article is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof, to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. (2) I n making its determinations under paragraph (1), the Commission shall take into account all economic factors which it considers relevant, including (but not limited to)— (A) with respect to serious injury, the significant idling of productive facilities in the industry, the inability of a significant number of firms to operate at a reasonable level of profit, and significant unemployment or underemployment within the industry; (B) with respect to threat of serious injury, a decline in sales, a higher and growing inventory, and a downward trend in production, profits, wages, or employment (or increasing underemployment) in the domestic industry concerned; and (C) with respect to substantial cause, an increase in imports (either actual or relative to domestic production) and a decline in the proportion of the domestic market supplied by domestic producers. (3) For purposes of paragraph (1), in determining the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with an imported article, the Commission— (A) may, in the case of a domestic producer which also imports, treat as part of such domestic industry only its domestic production, (B) may, in the case of a domestic producer which produces more than one article, treat as part of such domestic industry only that portion or subdivision of the producer which produces the like or directly competitive article, and (C) may, in the case of one or more domestic producers, who produce a like or directly competitive article in a major geographic area of the United States and whose production facilities in such area for such article constitute a substantial portion of the domestic industry in the United States and primarily serve the market in such area, and where the imports are concentrated in such area, treat as such domestic industry only that segment of the production located in such area. (4) For purposes of this section, the term "substantial cause" means a cause which is important and not less than any other cause. (5) I n the course of any proceeding under this subsection, the Commission shall, for the purpose of assisting the President in making his determinations under sections 202 and 203, investigate and report on efforts made by firms and workers in the industry to compete more effectively with imports.

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