[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 27, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4734-4736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1718]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-475-819]


Certain Pasta From Italy: Notice of Partial Rescission of Twelfth 
(2007) Countervailing Duty Administrative Review

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

DATES: Effective Date: January 27, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew McAllister or Brandon 
Farlander, AD/CVD Operations, Office 1, Import Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-1174 and (202) 482-0182, 
respectively.

[[Page 4735]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 24, 1996, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') 
published a countervailing duty order on certain pasta from Italy. See 
Notice of Countervailing Duty Order and Amended Final Affirmative 
Countervailing Duty Determination: Certain Pasta (``Pasta'') From 
Italy, 61 FR 38543 (July 24, 1996). On July 28, 2008, we received a 
request for review from F.lli De Cecco di Filippo Fara San Martino 
S.p.A. (``De Cecco'') of the countervailing duty order on certain pasta 
from Italy covering the period January 1, 2007, through December 31, 
2007. On July 31, 2008, we received a request for review from De 
Matteis Agroalimentare S.p.A. (``De Matteis''). On July 31, 2008, we 
received a request for review from New World Pasta Company, American 
Italian Pasta Company, and Dakota Growers Pasta Company 
(``petitioners'') for De Matteis.
    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(c)(1)(i), we published a notice 
of initiation of the review on August 26, 2008. See Initiation of 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 73 FR 50308 
(August 26, 2008). On December 22, 2008, De Cecco withdrew its request 
for review. No other party requested a review for De Cecco.

Scope of the Order

    Imports covered by the order are shipments of certain non-egg dry 
pasta in packages of five pounds four ounces or less, whether or not 
enriched or fortified or containing milk or other optional ingredients 
such as chopped vegetables, vegetable purees, milk, gluten, diastasis, 
vitamins, coloring and flavorings, and up to two percent egg white. The 
pasta covered by this scope is typically sold in the retail market, in 
fiberboard or cardboard cartons, or polyethylene or polypropylene bags 
of varying dimensions.
    Excluded from the scope of the order are refrigerated, frozen, or 
canned pastas, as well as all forms of egg pasta, with the exception of 
non-egg dry pasta containing up to two percent egg white. Also excluded 
are imports of organic pasta from Italy that are accompanied by the 
appropriate certificate issued by the Instituto Mediterraneo Di 
Certificazione, Bioagricoop S.r.l., QC&I International Services, 
Ecocert Italia, Consorzio per il Controllo dei Prodotti Biologici, 
Associazione Italiana per l'Agricoltura Biologica, or Codex S.r.l. In 
addition, based on publicly available information, the Department has 
determined that, as of August 4, 2004, imports of organic pasta from 
Italy that are accompanied by the appropriate certificate issued by 
Bioagricert S.r.l. are also excluded from this order. See Memorandum 
from Eric B. Greynolds to Melissa G. Skinner, dated August 4, 2004, 
which is on file in the Department's Central Records Unit (``CRU'') in 
Room 1117 of the main Department building. In addition, based on 
publicly available information, the Department has determined that, as 
of March 13, 2003, imports of organic pasta from Italy that are 
accompanied by the appropriate certificate issued by Instituto per la 
Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA) are also excluded from this 
order. See Memorandum from Audrey Twyman to Susan Kuhbach, dated 
February 28, 2006, entitled ``Recognition of Instituto per la 
Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (ICEA) as a Public Authority for 
Certifying Organic Pasta from Italy'' which is on file in the 
Department's CRU. The merchandise subject to review is currently 
classifiable under items 1901.90.90.95 and 1902.19.20 of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (``HTSUS''). Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the 
written description of the merchandise subject to the order is 
dispositive.

Scope Rulings

    The Department has issued the following scope rulings to date:
    (1) On August 25, 1997, the Department issued a scope ruling that 
multicolored pasta, imported in kitchen display bottles of decorative 
glass that are sealed with cork or paraffin and bound with raffia, is 
excluded from the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty 
orders. See Memorandum from Edward Easton to Richard Moreland, dated 
August 25, 1997, which is on file in the CRU.
    (2) On July 30, 1998, the Department issued a scope ruling finding 
that multipacks consisting of six one-pound packages of pasta that are 
shrink-wrapped into a single package are within the scope of the 
antidumping and countervailing duty orders. See Letter from Susan H. 
Kuhbach to Barbara P. Sidari, dated July 30, 1998, which is on file in 
the CRU.
    (3) On October 26, 1998, the Department self-initiated a scope 
inquiry to determine whether a package weighing over five pounds as a 
result of allowable industry tolerances is within the scope of the 
antidumping and countervailing duty orders. On May 24, 1999, we issued 
a final scope ruling finding that, effective October 26, 1998, pasta in 
packages weighing or labeled up to (and including) five pounds four 
ounces is within the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty 
orders. See Memorandum from John Brinkmann to Richard Moreland, dated 
May 24, 1999, which is on file in the CRU.
    (4) On April 27, 2000, the Department self-initiated an anti-
circumvention inquiry to determine whether Pastificio Fratelli Pagani 
S.p.A.'s importation of pasta in bulk and subsequent repackaging in the 
United States into packages of five pounds or less constitutes 
circumvention with respect to the antidumping and countervailing duty 
orders on pasta from Italy pursuant to section 781(a) of the Tariff Act 
of 1930, as amended (``the Act''), and 19 CFR 351.225(b). See Certain 
Pasta from Italy: Notice of Initiation of Anti-Circumvention Inquiry of 
the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 65 FR 26179 (May 5, 
2000). On September 19, 2003, we published an affirmative finding of 
the anti-circumvention inquiry. See Anti-Circumvention Inquiry of the 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders on Certain Pasta from Italy: 
Affirmative Final Determinations of Circumvention of Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Orders, 68 FR 54888 (September 19, 2003).

Rescission of Review

    Section 351.213(d)(1) of the Department's regulations provides that 
the Department will rescind an administrative review, in part, if the 
party that requested the review withdraws its request for review within 
90 days of the date of publication of the notice of initiation of the 
requested review, or withdraws its request at a later date if the 
Department determines that it is reasonable to extend the time limit 
for withdrawing the request. De Cecco withdrew its request for review 
on December 22, 2008, which is after the 90-day deadline. Nonetheless, 
the Department accepts the withdrawal request because it has not yet 
expended significant resources on the review of De Cecco. Therefore, 
the Department is rescinding this administrative review with respect to 
De Cecco. We are continuing to conduct an administrative review with 
respect to De Matteis.
    The Department intends to issue assessment instructions to U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') 15 days after publication of 
this rescission notice. The Department will instruct CBP to assess 
countervailing duties on all entries from De Cecco between January 1, 
2007, and December 31, 2007, at the rates in effect at the time of 
entry.
    This notice serves as a reminder to parties subject to an 
administrative

[[Page 4736]]

protective order (``APO'') of their responsibility concerning the 
disposition of proprietary information disclosed under APO in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. Timely notification of return/
destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order 
is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and the 
terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.
    This notice is issued and published in accordance with section 
777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(d)(4).

    Dated: January 21, 2009.
John M. Andersen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.
 [FR Doc. E9-1718 Filed 1-26-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P