[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66811-66812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21193]


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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 January 1, 2023, through June 
30, 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 June 20, 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) codes 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 4407.1300, 
4407.1400, and 4407.1900, during the period January 1, 2023, through 
June 30, 2023. Official U.S. import data, published by the United 
States 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 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 July 1, 2023, through December 31, 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

[[Page 66812]]

eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. ITA-2023-
0009. 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 Abdelali Elouaradia, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, at U.S. Department 
of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

    Dated: September 22, 2023.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2023-21193 Filed 9-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P