[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68097-68098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21824]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-555-002, A-570-152, A-301-805, A-533-917, A-557-825, A-471-808, A-
583-872, A-489-849, A-552-836]


Certain Paper Shopping Bags From Cambodia, the People's Republic 
of China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, the Republic of 
Turkey, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Postponement of 
Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations

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

DATES: Applicable October 3, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Doss (Cambodia) at (202) 482-
4474; Yang Jin Chun (the People's Republic of China (China)) at (202) 
482-5760; Laurel LaCivita (Colombia) at (202) 482-4243; David Crespo 
(India) at (202) 482-3693; Dan Alexander (Malaysia) at (202) 482-4313; 
Colin Thrasher (Portugal) at (202) 482-3004; Brittany Bauer (Taiwan) at 
(202) 482-3860; Howard Smith (the Republic of Turkey (Turkey)) at (202) 
482-5193; and Myrna Lobo (the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam)) 
at (202) 482-2371, 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 June 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
initiated the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations of imports of 
certain paper shopping bags (paper bags) from Cambodia, China, 
Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam.\1\ 
Currently, the preliminary determinations are due no later than 
November 7, 2023.
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    \1\ See Certain Paper Shopping Bags from Cambodia, the People's 
Republic of China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, the 
Republic of Turkey, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 88 FR 41589 (June 
27, 2023).
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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.
    On September 19, 2023, the Coalition For Fair Trade in Shopping 
Bags (the petitioner) submitted a timely request that Commerce postpone 
the

[[Page 68098]]

preliminary determinations in the LTFV investigations for Cambodia, 
China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey, and 
Vietnam.\2\ The petitioner stated that it requests postponement due to 
concerns that Commerce will need more time to issue supplemental 
questionnaires to address deficiencies in the respondents' initial 
questionnaire responses.\3\
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    \2\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitioner's Request for 
Postponement of the Preliminary Determinations,'' dated September 
19, 2023.
    \3\ Id. at 1.
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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 and 19 CFR 351.205(e), 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 December 27, 2023. In accordance with section 735(a)(1) of the Act 
and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the deadline for the final determinations in 
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: September 27, 2023.
Lisa W. Wang,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2023-21824 Filed 10-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P