[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 70941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-27694]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

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


Polyethylene Terephthalate Sheet From the Republic of Korea and 
the Sultanate of Oman: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in 
the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations

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

DATES: Applicable December 26, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurel LaCivita at (202) 482-4243 or 
Katherine Sliney at (202) 482-2437 (Republic of Korea (Korea)); Matthew 
Renkey at (202) 482-2312 or Javier Barrientos at (202) 482-2243 
(Sultanate of Oman (Oman)), 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 August 19, 2019, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated 
less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations of imports of polyethylene 
terephthalate sheet from Korea and Oman.\1\ Currently, the preliminary 
determinations are due no later than January 6, 2020.
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    \1\ See Polyethylene Terephthalate Sheet from the Republic of 
Korea, Mexico, and the Sultanate of Oman: Initiation of Less-Than-
Fair-Value Investigations, 84 FR 44854 (August 27, 2019).
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Postponement of Preliminary Determinations

    Section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the 
Act), requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in an 
LTFV investigation within 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 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.\2\
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    \2\ See 19 CFR 351.205(e).
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    On December 3, 2019, the petitioners \3\ submitted a timely request 
that Commerce postpone the preliminary determinations in these LTFV 
investigations.\4\ The petitioners stated that a postponement is 
necessary to provide Commerce with adequate time to solicit additional 
information from the respondents, to review supplemental questionnaire 
responses, and to consider petitioners' particular market situation 
allegation.\5\
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    \3\ The petitioners are Advanced Extrusion Inc., Ex-Tech 
Plastics, Inc., and Multi-Plastics Extrusions, Inc. (collectively, 
the petitioners).
    \4\ See Petitioners' Letter, ``Polyethylene Terephthalate Sheet 
from Oman and Korea--Petitioners' Request to Postpone Preliminary 
Determinations,'' dated December 3, 2019.
    \5\ Id.
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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 deadline for the preliminary 
determinations by 50 days (i.e., 190 days after the date on which these 
investigations were initiated). As a result, Commerce will issue its 
preliminary determinations no later than February 25, 2020. In 
accordance with section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), 
the deadline for the final determinations of these investigations will 
continue to be 75 days after the date of the preliminary 
determinations, unless postponed at a later date.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 733(c)(2) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

    Dated: December 17, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-27694 Filed 12-23-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P