[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 1025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00189]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-533-877, A-570-064]


Stainless Steel Flanges From India and the People's Republic of 
China: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-
Fair-Value Investigations

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

DATE: Applicable January 9, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Courtney Canales at (202) 482-4997 
(India) and Ian Hamilton at (202) 482-4798 (the People's Republic of 
China (China)), AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On September 5, 2017, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
initiated less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations of imports of 
stainless steel flanges from India and China.\1\ Currently, the 
preliminary determinations are due no later than January 23, 2018.
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    \1\ See Stainless Steel Flanges from India and the People's 
Republic of China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value 
Investigations, 82 FR 42649 (September 11, 2017).
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Postponement of Preliminary Determinations

    Section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the 
Act), requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in a 
LTFV investigation within 140 days after the date on which Commerce 
initiated the investigation. However, section 733(c)(1)(A)(b)(1) of the 
Act permits Commerce to postpone the preliminary determination until no 
later than 190 days after the date on which Commerce initiated the 
investigation if: (A) The petitioners \2\ submit a timely request for a 
postponement; or (B) Commerce concludes that the parties concerned are 
cooperating, that the investigation is extraordinarily complicated, and 
that additional time is necessary to make a preliminary determination. 
Under 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioners must submit a request for 
postponement 25 days or more before the scheduled date of the 
preliminary determination and must state the reasons for the request. 
Commerce will grant the request unless it finds compelling reasons to 
deny the request.
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    \2\ The petitioners are the Coalition of American Flange 
Producers and its individual members, Core Pipe Products, Inc. and 
Maass Flange Corporation.
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    On December 18, 2017, the petitioners submitted a timely request 
that Commerce postpone the preliminary determinations in these LTFV 
investigations.\3\ The petitioners stated that they request 
postponement ``in order to ensure that {Commerce{time}  has sufficient 
time to review all questionnaire responses and request clarification 
and/or additional information as necessary, so that the preliminary 
determinations will reflect the most accurate results possible.'' \4\
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    \3\ See the Petitioners' Letter, ``Stainless Steel Flanges from 
India: the Petitioners' Request to Extend the Preliminary 
Determination,'' dated December 18, 2017; Petitioners' Letter, 
``Stainless Steel Flanges from the People's Republic of China: the 
Petitioners' Request to Extend the Preliminary Determination,'' 
dated December 18, 2017.
    \4\ Id.
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    For the reasons stated above and because there are no compelling 
reasons to deny the request, Commerce, in accordance with section 
733(c)(1)(A) of the Act, is postponing the deadline for the preliminary 
determinations by 50 days (i.e., 190 days after the date on which these 
investigations were initiated). As a result, Commerce will issue its 
preliminary determinations no later than March 14, 2018. In accordance 
with section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the 
deadline for the final determinations of these investigations will 
continue to be 75 days after the date of publication of the preliminary 
determinations, unless postponed at a later date.
    This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 733(c)(2) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

     Dated: January 3, 2018.
Christian Marsh,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2018-00189 Filed 1-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P