[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 147 (Tuesday, July 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 36876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16334]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-552-823]


Laminated Woven Sacks From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value 
Investigation

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

DATES: Applicable July 31, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Drew Jackson or Celeste Chen, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4406 or (202) 482-0890, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On March 27, 2018, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated 
a less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation of imports of laminated 
woven sacks (LWS) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam).\1\ 
Currently, the preliminary determination is due no later than August 
14, 2018.
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    \1\ See Laminated Woven Sacks From the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation, 83 FR 
14257 (April 3, 2018) (Initiation Notice).
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Postponement of Preliminary Determination

    Section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the 
Act), requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in a 
LTFV investigation within 140 days after the date on which Commerce 
initiated the investigation. However, section 733(c)(1)(A)(b)(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 July 17, 2018, the petitioners \2\ submitted a timely request 
that Commerce postpone the preliminary determination in the LTFV 
investigation.\3\ The petitioners stated that they request postponement 
``because the initial questionnaire responses submitted by the 
respondents in this investigation are substantially deficient, and it 
may not be possible for {Commerce{time}  to obtain usable corrected 
responses within the current schedule.'' \4\
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    \2\ The petitioners are the Laminated Woven Sacks Fair Trade 
Coalition and its individual members, Polytex Fibers Corporation and 
ProAmpac Holdings Inc.
    \3\ See Petitioners' Letter, ``Investigation of Laminated Woven 
Sacks From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Petitioners' Request 
For Postponement Of The Preliminary Determination,'' dated July 17, 
2018.
    \4\ Id.
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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, is postponing the deadline for the preliminary 
determination by 50 days (i.e., 190 days after the date on which this 
investigations was initiated). As a result, Commerce will issue its 
preliminary determination no later than October 3, 2018. In accordance 
with section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the 
deadline for the final determination of this investigation will 
continue to be 75 days after the date of the preliminary determination, 
unless postponed at a later date.
    This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 733(c)(2) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

    Dated: July 25, 2018.
Gary Taverman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2018-16334 Filed 7-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P