[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30879-30881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12296]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

A-570-863


Honey From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time 
Limit for Preliminary Results of Second Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review

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

ACTION: Notice of extension of time limit for preliminary results of 
antidumping duty administrative review.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) is extending the 
time limit for the preliminary results of the administrative review of 
the antidumping duty order on honey from the People's Republic of China 
(PRC) until no later than November 19, 2004. The period of review is 
December 1, 2002, through November 30, 2003.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Nunno at (202) 482-0783 or Anya 
Naschak at (202) 482-6375; Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Enforcement Group III, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Statutory Time Limits

    Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the 
Act), and section 351.213(h)(1) of the Department's regulations require 
the Department to issue the preliminary results of an administrative 
review within 245 days after the last day of the anniversary month of 
the order or suspension agreement for which the administrative review 
was requested,

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and final results of review within 120 days after the date on which the 
notice of the preliminary results was published in the Federal 
Register. However, if the Department determines that it is not 
practicable to complete the review within this time period, section 
751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and section 351.213(h)(2) of our regulations 
allow the Department to extend the 245-day period to 365 days and the 
120-day period to 180 days.

Background

    On December 10, 2001, the Department published in the Federal 
Register an antidumping duty order covering honey from the PRC. See 
Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value 
and Antidumping Duty Order; Honey from the People's Republic of China, 
66 FR 63670 (December 10, 2001). On December 2, 2003, the Department 
published a Notice of Opportunity to Request an Administrative Review 
of Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended 
Investigation, 68 FR 67401. On December 29, 2003, Anhui Honghui 
Foodstuff (Group) Co., Ltd. (Anhui Honghui); Eurasia Bee's Products 
Co., Ltd. (Eurasia); and Jiangsu Kanghong Natural Healthfoods Co., Ltd. 
(Jiangsu Kanghong) requested that the Department conduct an 
administrative review of each respective company's entries during the 
POR. On December 31, 2003, the American Honey Producers Association and 
the Sioux Honey Association (collectively, the petitioners), requested, 
in accordance with section 351.213(b) of the Department's regulations, 
an administrative review of entries of subject merchandise made during 
the POR by 20 Chinese producers/exporters, which included Anhui 
Honghui, Eurasia, and Jiangsu Kanghong, as well as the following 
companies: Anhui Native Produce Import & Export Corp. (Anhui Native); 
Cheng Du Wai Yuan Bee Products Co., Ltd. (Cheng Du); Foodworld 
International Club, Ltd. (Foodworld); Henan Native Produce and Animal 
By-Products Import & Export Company (Henan); High Hope International 
Group Jiangsu Foodstuffs Import & Export Corp. (High Hope); Inner 
Mongolia Autonomous Region Native Produce and Animal By-Products Import 
& Export Corp. (Inner Mongolia); Inner Mongolia Youth Trade Development 
Co., Ltd. (Inner Mongolia Youth); Jinan Products Industry Co., Ltd. 
(Jinan); Jinfu Trading Co., Ltd. (Jinfu); Kunshan Foreign Trade Company 
(Kunshan); Native Produce and Animal Import & Export Co. (Native 
Produce); Shanghai Eswell Enterprise Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Eswell); 
Shanghai Shinomiel International Trade Corporation (Shanghai 
Shinomiel); Shanghai Xiuwei International Trading Co., Ltd. (Shanghai 
Xiuwei); Sichuan-Dujiangyan Dubao Bee Industrial Co., Ltd. (Dubao); 
Wuhan Bee Healthy Company, Ltd. (Wuhan Bee); and Zhejiang Native 
Produce and Animal By-Products Import & Export Group Corp. (Zhejiang). 
On January 14, 2004, the petitioners filed a letter withdrawing their 
request for review of Henan, High Hope, Jinan, and Native Produce. On 
January 22, 2003, the Department initiated the review for the remaining 
16 companies. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews and Requests for Revocation in Part, 68 FR 3009 
(January 22, 2004).
    On January 29, 2004, the Department issued antidumping duty 
questionnaires to the 16 PRC producers/exporters of the subject 
merchandise covered by this administrative review.
    On February 6, 2004, we published a notice initiating new shipper 
reviews for sales made by Anhui Honghui, Eurasia, Inner Mongolia Youth, 
and Jiangsu Kanghong during the same POR as this administrative review, 
in response to timely requests for new shipper reviews of the 
antidumping duty order on honey from the PRC made by these respondents 
in accordance with section 351.214(c) of the Department's regulations. 
See Honey from the People's Republic of China: Initiation of New 
Shipper Duty Administrative Reviews, 69 FR 5835. On February 13, 2004, 
and February 18, 2004, petitioners withdrew their request for review of 
Foodworld and Anhui Native, respectively. On February 24, 2004, Cheng 
Du stated that all of its direct and indirect export sales of honey to 
the United States during the POR fall within the separate new shipper 
review covering the period December 1, 2002, through May 31, 2003. See 
Honey From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of New Shipper 
Antidumping Duty Reviews, 68 FR 47537 (August 11, 2003). Therefore, it 
requested that the Department rescind this proceeding for Cheng Du. On 
February 25, 2004, Inner Mongolia Youth stated that the only sale it 
made during the POR was currently being reviewed by the separate new 
shipper review initiated on February 6, 2004, and requested that the 
Department rescind this administrative review for Inner Mongolia Youth. 
On March 5, 2004, Anhui Honghui, Eurasia, and Jiangsu Kanghong withdrew 
their requests for the administrative review covering the POR because 
all of their entries of subject merchandise during the POR are also 
subject to the new shipper review initiated by the Department on 
February 6, 2004.
    On March 8, 2004, we received a response to Section A of our 
antidumping duty questionnaire from Shanghai Xiuwei.
    On March 10, 2004, the Department rescinded the review for 
Foodworld and Anhui Native. See Honey from the People's Republic of 
China: Notice of Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review, 69 FR 11383.
    On March 11, 2004, we received responses to Section A of our 
antidumping duty questionnaires from Jinfu, Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia, 
Shanghai Eswell, and Wuhan Bee.
    On March 12, 2004, petitioners also withdrew their request for an 
administrative review of entries made by Anhui Honghui, Cheng Du, 
Eurasia, Inner Mongolia Youth, and Jiangsu Kanghong.
    On March 15, 2004, we received a response to Section A of our 
antidumping duty questionnaire from Dubao. On March 23, 2004, we 
received responses to Sections C and D of our antidumping duty 
questionnaires from Shanghai Xiuwei. On March 24, 2004, Kunshan 
notified the Department that it made no shipments to the United States 
during the POR. On March 25, 2004, we received responses to Sections C 
and D of our antidumping duty questionnaires from Jinfu, Zhejiang, 
Inner Mongolia, Shanghai Eswell, and Wuhan Bee.
    On March 25, 2004, we invited interested parties to comment on the 
Department's surrogate country selection and/or significant production 
in the potential countries and to submit publicly available information 
to value the factors of production.
    On April 1, 2004, we received responses to Sections C and D of our 
antidumping duty questionnaires from Dubao. On April 1, 2, 6, 9, 19, 
20, May 5 and 7, 2004, the petitioners submitted deficiency comments on 
the respondents' questionnaire responses. On April 7, 2004, we received 
a response to Section E of our antidumping duty questionnaire from 
Wuhan Bee.
    On April 15, 2004, the petitioners submitted comments on the 
selection of the proper surrogate country.
    On April 16, 2004, we issued a supplemental questionnaire to Dubao. 
On April 19, 2004, we issued supplemental questionnaires to Zhejiang, 
Inner Mongolia, Shanghai Eswell, and Shanghai Xiuwei. On April 20, 
2004, we issued a supplemental questionnaire to Wuhan Bee. On April

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21, 2004, we issued a supplemental questionnaire to Jinfu.
    On April 27, 2004, the Department rescinded the review for Anhui 
Honghui, Cheng Du, Eurasia, Inner Mongolia Youth, and Jiangsu Kanghong. 
See Honey from the People's Republic of China: Notice of Partial 
Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 69 FR 22760.
    On April 30, 2004, we received a response to our supplemental 
questionnaire from Dubao.
    On May 10, 2004, the petitioners and respondents submitted comments 
on surrogate information with which to value the factors of production 
in this proceeding.
    The preliminary results are currently due no later than September 
1, 2004.

Extension of Time Limits for Preliminary Results

    Pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and section 351.213(h) 
of the Department's regulations, we determine that it is not 
practicable to complete this administrative review within the statutory 
time limit of 245 days. The Department finds that it is not practicable 
to complete the preliminary results of this administrative review 
within this time limit because we need additional time to analyze the 
questionnaire responses, issue appropriate supplemental questionnaires, 
and conduct verifications. In particular, the Department needs 
additional time to research and analyze the appropriate surrogate 
values for raw honey. Therefore, in accordance with section 
751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and section 351.213(h)(2) of the Department=s 
regulations, the Department is extending the time limit for the 
completion of these preliminary results by an additional 79 days. The 
preliminary results will now be due no later than November 19, 2004.
    The final results will, in turn, be due 120 days after the date of 
issuance of the preliminary results, unless extended.

    Dated: May 24, 2004.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Group III.
[FR Doc. 04-12296 Filed 5-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S