[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 2768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00922]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-074]


Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet From the People's Republic of China: 
Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the Countervailing Duty 
Investigation

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

DATES: Applicable January 19, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yasmin Bordas at (202) 482-3813, Lana 
Nigro at (202) 482-1779, and John Anwesen at (202) 482-0131, 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 November 28, 2017, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) self-
initiated a countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of common alloy 
aluminum sheet (common alloy sheet) from the People's Republic of 
China.\1\ Currently, the preliminary determination is due no later than 
February 1, 2018.
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    \1\ See Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic 
of China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value and Countervailing Duty 
Investigations, 82 FR 57214 (December 4, 2017) (Initiation Notice).
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Postponement of Preliminary Determination

    Section 703(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), 
requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in a 
countervailing duty investigation within 65 days after the date on 
which Commerce initiated the investigation. However, section 703(c)(1) 
of the Act permits Commerce to postpone the preliminary determination 
until no later than 130 days after the date on which Commerce initiated 
the investigation if: (A) The petitioner makes a timely request for a 
postponement; or (B) Commerce concludes that the parties concerned are 
cooperating, and determines that the investigation is extraordinarily 
complicated, and that additional time is necessary to make a 
preliminary determination.
    As described in the Initiation Notice, Commerce self-initiated this 
investigation under section 702(a) of the Act on the basis of 
information available to it pertaining to 26 subsidy programs.\2\ On 
December 20, 2017, Commerce selected mandatory respondents to this CVD 
investigation and issued countervailing duty questionnaires.\3\ On 
January 8, 2018, we received responses to the affiliation section of 
the CVD questionnaire from mandatory respondents Henan Mingtai Aluminum 
Industrial Co. Ltd. (Henan Mingtai); Yong Jie New Material Co. Ltd. 
(Yong Jie New Material); and Zhengzhou Mingtai Industry Co Ltd. 
(Zhengzhou Mingtai).\4\ In their responses, Henan Mingtai, Yong Jie New 
Material, and Zhengzhou Mingtai stated that they intend to provide 
complete questionnaire responses on behalf of themselves and multiple 
cross-owned entities.\5\ Given the large number of subsidy programs 
that Commerce is investigating in this proceeding, many of which 
involve complex methodological issues, and the large number of 
mandatory respondents and their cross-owned entities that are 
participating in this investigation, Commerce determines that this 
investigation is extraordinarily complicated and additional time is 
necessary to issue a preliminary determination.
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    \2\ See Initiation Notice, and accompanying Supporting 
Memorandum for the Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigation 
of Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic of China 
(CVD Initiation Memo), dated November 28, 2017.
    \3\ See Memorandum, re: Countervailing Duty Investigation of 
Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic of China: 
Respondent Selection, dated December 20, 2017. See also Commerce 
Letter, ``Countervailing Duty Investigation of Common Alloy Aluminum 
Sheet from the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty 
Questionnaire,'' dated December 20, 2017.
    \4\ See Letter from Henan Mingtai and Zhengzhou Mingtai, 
``Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic of China: 
Mingtai CVD Section III Affiliation Response,'' dated January 8, 
2018; Letter from Yong Jie New Material, ``Common Alloy Aluminum 
Sheet from the People's Republic of China: Yong Jie New Material CVD 
Section III Affiliation Response,'' dated January 8, 2018.
    \5\ Id.
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    Therefore, in accordance with section 703(c)(1)(B) of the Act, 
Commerce is postponing the deadline for the preliminary determination 
to no later than 130 days after the date on which the investigation was 
initiated, i.e., April 9, 2018.\6\ Pursuant to section 705(a)(1) of the 
Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the deadline for the final determination 
of this investigation will continue to be 75 days after the date of the 
preliminary determination.
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    \6\ Postponing the preliminary determination to 130 days after 
initiation would place the deadline on Saturday, April 7, 2018. 
Commerce's practice dictates that where a deadline falls on a 
weekend or federal holiday, the appropriate deadline is the next 
business day. See Notice of Clarification: Application of ``Next 
Business Day'' Rule for Administrative Determination Deadlines 
Pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930, As Amended, 70 FR 24533 (May 10, 
2005).
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    This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 703(c)(2) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

    Dated: January 12, 2018.
Gary Taverman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2018-00922 Filed 1-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P