[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10032-10033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05146]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-095]


Aluminum Wire Cable From China: Postponement of Preliminary 
Determination of Antidumping Duty Investigation

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

DATES: Applicable March 19, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Rothman, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office VII, Enforcement and

[[Page 10033]]

Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-3851.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 11, 2018, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
initiated a less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation of aluminum wire 
cable (AWC) from China.\1\ Commerce exercised its discretion to toll 
all deadlines affected by the partial federal government closure from 
December 22, 2018, through the resumption of operations on January 28, 
2019.\2\ The revised deadline for the preliminary determination is now 
April 9, 2019.
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    \1\ See Aluminum Wire and Cable From the People's Republic of 
China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation, 83 FR 52811 
(October 18, 2018).
    \2\ See memorandum to the Record from 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, ``Deadlines 
Affected by the Partial Shutdown of the Federal Government,'' dated 
January 28, 2019. All deadlines in this segment of the proceeding 
have been extended by 40 days.
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Postponement of Preliminary Determination

    Section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the 
Act), and 19 CFR 351.205(b)(1) require Commerce to issue the 
preliminary determination in an AD investigation no later than 140 days 
after the date on which Commerce initiated the investigation. However, 
section 733(c)(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 petitioner 
\3\ makes 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 petitioner 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.\4\
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    \3\ The petitioners are Encore Wire Corporation and Southwire 
Company, LLC.
    \4\ See 19 CFR 351.205(e).
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    The petitioners submitted a timely request on February 15, 2019, 
that we postpone the preliminary determination in this LTFV 
investigation.\5\ The petitioners stated that a postponement is 
warranted to provide Commerce and all parties sufficient time to 
develop the record in this investigation, and the current April 9, 2019 
deadline does not provide adequate time for Commerce to review 
questionnaires, receive responses, and follow up with supplemental 
questionnaires.
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    \5\ See Letter from the petitioners, ``Aluminum Wire and Cable 
from China: Petitioner's Request for Postponement of the Preliminary 
Determination,'' dated February 15, 2019.
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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 due date for the preliminary 
AD determination to no later than 190 days after the day on which the 
investigation was initiated. As a result of this postponement, the 
deadline for completion of the preliminary determination is now May 29, 
2019. In accordance with section 735(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, 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: March 14, 2019.
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. 2019-05146 Filed 3-18-19; 8:45 am]
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