[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19069-19070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06610]


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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 U.S. 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 July 1, 2022, through December 
31, 2022.

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 to 
Congress on December 30, 2022.

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 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 4407.1300, 
4407.1400, and 4407.1900, during the period July 1, 2022, through 
December 31, 2022. Official U.S. import data, published by the U.S. 
International Trade Commission's DataWeb, indicate that six countries 
(Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Romania, 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

[[Page 19070]]

of softwood lumber products. We intend to rely on similar 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 January 1, 2023, 
through June 30, 2023, to select the countries subject for 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 https://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. 
ITA-2023-002. 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 Ryan Majerus, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, at U.S. Department of Commerce, 
1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: March 27, 2023.
Ryan Majerus,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations.
[FR Doc. 2023-06610 Filed 3-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P