[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 18885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10037]



[[Page 18885]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-821-803 and A-834-803]


Titanium Sponge From the Russian Federation and Republic of 
Kazakstan: Postponement of Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Reviews

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of time limits for preliminary results of antidumping 
duty administrative reviews.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is extending by 60 days the time 
limit of the preliminary results of the antidumping duty administrative 
review of the antidumping finding on titanium sponge from the Russian 
Federation (A-821-803) and the Republic of Kazakstan (A-834-803), 
covering the period August 1, 1996, through July 31, 1997, since it is 
not practicable to complete these reviews within the time limits 
mandated by the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1675 
(a)(3)(A)).

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 16, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Manning or Wendy Frankel, 
Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Enforcement, Office Four, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-3936 and 482-5849, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Applicable Statute

    Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are 
references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective 
date of the amendments made to the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Act) by the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, 
all citations to the Department of Commerce's regulations are to the 
current regulations as codified at 19 CFR 351 (1998).

Background

    On September 25, 1997 (62 FR 50292), the Department of Commerce 
(the Department) initiated administrative reviews of the antidumping 
findings on titanium sponge from the Russian Federation and the 
Republic of Kazakstan, covering the period August 1, 1996, through July 
31, 1997. In our notice of initiation, we stated our intention to issue 
the final results of these reviews no later than August 31, 1998. On 
February 10, 1998, the Department determined that due to the complexity 
of the legal and methodological issues presented by these reviews, it 
was not practicable to complete these reviews within the time limits 
mandated by the Act. See Memorandum to Richard Moreland Concerning the 
Extension of Case Deadlines, dated February 5, 1998. Accordingly, the 
Department postponed the preliminary determinations by 60 days.

Postponement of Preliminary and Final Results of Review

    Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act requires the Department to make a 
preliminary determination within 245 days after the last day of the 
anniversary month of an order/finding for which a review is requested 
and a final determination within 120 days after the date on which the 
preliminary determination is published. However, if it is not 
practicable to complete the review within the time period, section 
751(a)(3)(A) allows the Department to extend this time period to a 
maximum of 365 days and 180 days, respectively.
    On February 10, 1998, when the Department first postponed the 
preliminary determinations of these cases, we evaluated the complexity 
of the legal and methodological issues presented by these reviews and 
conservatively estimated that a 60 day postponement would be sufficient 
to allow for a complete analysis prior to issuing the preliminary 
determinations. However, after further development of the issues 
presented in these reviews, we now realize that our initial estimate of 
the time needed to complete the preliminary analysis in each case was 
insufficient. Therefore, we determine that it is not practicable to 
complete these reviews within the current time frame because of the 
complexity of the legal and methodological issues in these reviews and 
are postponing the preliminary determinations of these cases by an 
additional 60 days. See Memorandum to Maria Harris Tildon Concerning 
the Extension of Case Deadlines dated April 6, 1998.
    Due to the 60 day extension, the deadline for issuing the 
preliminary results of these reviews is now no later than September 1, 
1998. The deadline for issuing the final results of these reviews will 
be no later than 120 days from the publication of the preliminary 
results.
    These extensions are in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the 
Act (19 U.S.C. 1675 (a)(3)(A)).

    Dated: April 7, 1998.
Maria Harris Tildon,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-10037 Filed 4-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P