(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 are covered by requirements set out in part 210 of this chapter. 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.

[41 FR 17710, Apr. 27, 1976, as amended at 49 FR 32571, Aug. 15, 1984; 56 FR 11922, Mar. 21, 1991; 67 FR 68037, Nov. 8, 2002; 68 FR 32974, June 3, 2003; 76 FR 61941, Oct. 6, 2011; 79 FR 35924, June 25, 2014]