[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 196 (Thursday, October 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 63507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22278]


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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.

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 January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Johnson, AD/CVD Operations, 
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-4793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Pursuant to section 805 of Title VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 
(the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008), 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 June 
24, 2020. 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 which had exports 
accounting for at least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood 
lumber by quantity, as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States (HTSUS) codes 4407.1001, 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 
4407.1905, 4407.1906, 4407.1910, during the period January 1, 2020, 
through June 30, 2020. Official U.S. import data published by the 
United States International Trade Commission's 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 July 1, 
2020, through December 31, 2020, 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-2020-0004. 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.
    All comments should be addressed to Joseph A. Laroski Jr., Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, at U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: October 2, 2020.
Joseph A. Laroski Jr.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations.
[FR Doc. 2020-22278 Filed 10-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P