[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 160 (Monday, August 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 42896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17537]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-113]


Certain Collated Steel Staples 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 August 19, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Palmer or Joshua Simonidis, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-9068 or (202) 
482-0608, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On June 26, 2019, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated a 
countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of certain collated 
steel staples (collated staples) from China.\1\ Currently, the 
preliminary determination is due no later than August 30, 2019.
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    \1\ See Certain Collated Steel Staples from the People's 
Republic of China: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigation, 
84 FR 31840 (July 3, 2019).
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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 CVD 
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 \2\ 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.
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    \2\ The petitioner is Kyocera Senco Industrial Tools, Inc.
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    On August 5, 2019, the petitioner submitted a timely request that 
Commerce postpone the preliminary CVD determination.\3\ The petitioner 
stated that it requests postponement ``{d{time} ue to the number and 
nature of subsidy programs under investigation and the fact that the 
full initial questionnaire responses are not due until September 4, 
five days after the current preliminary determination deadline.'' \4\
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    \3\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitioner's Request to Postpone 
the Deadline for the Preliminary Determination,'' dated August 5, 
2019.
    \4\ Id.
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    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioner has stated the 
reasons for requesting a postponement of the preliminary determination, 
and Commerce finds no compelling reason to deny the request. Therefore, 
in accordance with section 703(c)(1)(A) of the Act, Commerce is 
postponing the deadline for the preliminary determination to no later 
than 130 days after the date on which this investigation was initiated, 
i.e., November 4, 2019.\5\
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    \5\ Postponing the preliminary determination to 130 days after 
initiation would place the deadline on Sunday, November 3, 2019. 
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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    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.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 703(c)(2) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

    Dated: August 9, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-17537 Filed 8-16-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P