[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 88 (Monday, May 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20034-20035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09631]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber 
and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment

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

[[Page 20035]]

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) seeks public comment on 
any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain 
countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the 
United States during the period July 1, 2017, through December 31, 
2017.

DATES: Comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication of 
this notice.

ADDRESSES: See the Submission of Comments section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Terpstra or Brendan Quinn, 
Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3965 or (202) 482-5848, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On June 18, 2008, section 805 of Title VIII of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008) was enacted into law. Under this 
provision, the Secretary of Commerce is mandated to submit to the 
appropriate Congressional committees a report every 180 days on any 
subsidy provided by countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood 
lumber products to the United States, including stumpage subsidies.
    Commerce submitted its last subsidy report on December 16, 2017. As 
part of its newest report, Commerce intends to include a list of 
subsidy programs identified with sufficient clarity by the public in 
response to this notice.

Request for Comments

    Given the large number of countries that export softwood lumber and 
softwood lumber products to the United States, we are soliciting public 
comment only on subsidies provided by countries the exports of which 
accounted for at least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood 
lumber by quantity, as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule code 
4407.1001 (which accounts for the vast majority of imports), during the 
period July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. Official U.S. import 
data published by the United States International Trade Commission 
Tariff and Trade DataWeb indicate that four countries (Brazil, Canada, 
Germany and Sweden) exported softwood lumber to the United States 
during that time period in amounts sufficient to account for at least 
one percent of U.S. imports of softwood lumber products. We intend to 
rely on similar previous six-month periods to identify the countries 
subject to future reports on softwood lumber subsidies. For example, we 
will rely on U.S. imports of softwood lumber and softwood lumber 
products during the period January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018, to 
select the countries subject to the next report.
    Under U.S. trade law, a subsidy exists where an authority: (i) 
Provides a financial contribution; (ii) provides any form of income or 
price support within the meaning of Article XVI of the GATT 1994; or 
(iii) makes a payment to a funding mechanism to provide a financial 
contribution to a person, or entrusts or directs a private entity to 
make a financial contribution, if providing the contribution would 
normally be vested in the government and the practice does not differ 
in substance from practices normally followed by governments, and a 
benefit is thereby conferred.\1\
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    \1\ See section 771(5)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.
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    Parties should include in their comments: (1) The country which 
provided the subsidy; (2) the name of the subsidy program; (3) a brief 
description (no more than 3-4 sentences) of the subsidy program; and 
(4) the government body or authority that provided the subsidy.

Submission of Comments

    As specified above, to be assured of consideration, comments must 
be received no later than 30 days after the publication of this notice 
in the Federal Register. All comments must be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. 
ITA-2018-0002, unless the commenter does not have access to the 
internet. The materials in the docket will not be edited to remove 
identifying or contact information, and Commerce cautions against 
including any information in an electronic submission that the 
submitter does not want publicly disclosed. Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF 
formats only.
    Commenters who do not have access to the internet may submit the 
original and one electronic copy of each set of comments by mail or 
hand delivery/courier.
    All comments should be addressed to 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, Room 18022, Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: May 1, 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. 2018-09631 Filed 5-4-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P