The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance requested that the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) conduct a 20-month fact-finding investigation on "Industrial Biotechnology: Development and Adoption by the U.S. Chemical and Biofuel Industries." This study will address the competitive conditions affecting the adoption and development of industrial biotechnology by the U.S. biofuels and chemicals industries. The Commission's Federal Register notice specifies which issues will be addressed.

The USITC will be using a variety of methods to collecting domestic and international data and information. These methods include literature reviews, fieldwork, and a questionnaire. The questionnaire data will be aggregated so as to provide only non-confidential information in the report.

As noted in the Federal Register notice, the USITC will be holding a public hearing to gather more industry information. The notice provides all necessary information about the hearing.

USITC is especially interested in learning about:

• Pharmaceuticals - those and their intermediates produced using industrial biotechnology processes (e.g., using enzymes or other micro-organisms as bio-catalysts in the process);
• Biopolymers;
• Flavors and fragrances;
• Food additives;
• Commodity and fine chemicals (e.g., acrylamide, 1,3-propanediol, and chiral intermediates).
• Biofuels sector: bioethanol, biobutanol, and biodiesel.