[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 71 (Thursday, April 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 25563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07686]


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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, 2023, through December 
31, 2023.

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 the 
Congress on December 28, 2023.

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) subheadings 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 4407.1300, 
4407.1400, and 4407.1900, during the period July 1, 2023, through 
December 31, 2023. Official U.S. import data, published by the United 
States International Trade Commission's DataWeb, indicate that five 
countries (Austria, 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 six-month 
periods to identify the countries subject to future reports on softwood 
lumber subsidies. For example, we intend to rely on U.S. imports of 
softwood lumber and softwood lumber products during the period January 
1, 2024, through June 30, 2024, 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 General 
Agreements on Tariffs and Trade 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-2024-0003. 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 the U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: April 5, 2024.
Ryan Majerus,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the 
non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-07686 Filed 4-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P