[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 155 (Monday, August 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 39801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17098]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-580-903, A-201-852, A-523-813]


Notice of Extension of the Deadline for Determining the Adequacy 
of the Antidumping Duty Petitions: Polyethylene Terephthalate Sheet 
From the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and the Sultanate of Oman

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

DATES: Applicable July 29, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Pulongbarit at (202) 482-4031 
(Mexico and the Sultanate of Oman (Oman)); Charles Doss at (202) 482-
4474 (the Republic of Korea (Korea)); AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement 
and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Extension of Initiation of Investigations

The Petitions

    On July 9, 2019, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) received 
antidumping duty petitions filed by Advanced Extrusion Inc.; Ex-Tech 
Plastics, Inc.; and Multi-Plastics Extrusions, Inc. (collectively, the 
petitioners) on behalf of the domestic industry producing polyethylene 
terephthalate sheet.\1\
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    \1\ See Petitioners' Letter, ``Polyethylene Terephthalate Sheet 
from the Republic of Korea, Mexico, and the Sultanate of Oman--
Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping Duties,'' dated July 9, 
2019 (the Petitions).
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Determination of Industry Support for the Petitions

    Section 732(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), 
requires that a petition be filed by or on behalf of the domestic 
industry. To determine that the petition has been filed by or on behalf 
of the industry, section 732(c)(4)(A) of the Act requires that the 
domestic producers or workers who support the petition account for: (i) 
At least 25 percent of the total production of the domestic like 
product; and (ii) more than 50 percent of the production of the 
domestic like product produced by that portion of the industry 
expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. Moreover, 
section 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act provides that, if the petition does not 
establish support of domestic producers or workers accounting for more 
than 50 percent of the total production of the domestic like product, 
Commerce shall: (i) Poll the industry or rely on other information in 
order to determine if there is support for the petition, as required by 
subparagraph (A); or (ii) if there is a large number of producers, 
determine industry support using a statistically valid sampling method 
to poll the industry.

Extension of Time

    Section 732(c)(1)(A) of the Act provides that within 20 days of the 
filing of an antidumping duty petition, Commerce will determine, inter 
alia, whether the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the U.S. 
industry producing the domestic like product. Section 732(c)(1)(B) of 
the Act provides that the deadline for the initiation determination, in 
exceptional circumstances, may be extended by 20 days in any case in 
which Commerce must ``poll or otherwise determine support for the 
petition by the industry.'' Because it is not clear from the Petitions 
whether the industry support criteria have been met, Commerce has 
determined it should extend the time for initiating investigations in 
order to further examine the issue of industry support.
    Commerce will need additional time to gather and analyze additional 
information regarding industry support. Therefore, it is necessary to 
extend the deadline for determining the adequacy of the Petitions for a 
period not to exceed 40 days from the filing of the Petitions. Because 
the extended initiation determination deadline of August 18, 2019, 
falls on a Sunday, a non-business day, Commerce's initiation 
determination will now be due no later than August 19, 2019, the next 
business day.\2\
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    \2\ 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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International Trade Commission Notification

    Commerce will contact the International Trade Commission (ITC) and 
will make this extension notice available to the ITC.

    Dated: July 29, 2019.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2019-17098 Filed 8-9-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P