[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 62 (Thursday, March 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 18767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06828]



[[Page 18767]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-851-805, A-821-835]


Emulsion Styrene-Butadiene Rubber From the Czech Republic and the 
Russian Federation: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the 
Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations

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


DATES: Applicable March 31, 2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leo Ayala (the Czech Republic); or 
Caitlin Monks and Zachary Le Vene (the Russian Federation (Russia)), 
AD/CVD Operations, Office VII, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
3945, (202) 482-2670, and (202) 482-0056, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On December 6, 2021, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
initiated less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations of imports of 
emulsion styrene-buradiene rubber (ESBR) from the Czech Republic and 
Russia.\1\ Currently, the preliminary determinations are due no later 
than April 25, 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Emulsion Styrene-Butadiene Rubber from the Czech 
Republic, Italy, and the Russian Federation: Initiation of Less-
than-Fair-Value Investigations, 86 FR 70447 (December 10, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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)(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 March 17, 2022, the petitioner \2\ submitted a timely request 
that Commerce postpone the preliminary determinations in these LTFV 
investigations.\3\ The petitioner stated that it requests postponement 
because ``{Commerce{time}  has not yet received full and completed 
responses to the questionnaire it issued to respondents,'' and the 
``{p{time} etitioner has identified deficiencies in the responses 
provided that must be remedied prior to {Commerce's{time}  issuance of 
its preliminary determination.'' \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The petitioner is Lion Elastomers LLC.
    \3\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Emulsion Styrene-Butadiene Rubber 
from the Czech Republic and Russia: Petitioner's Request for 
Postponement of Preliminary Determination,'' dated March 17, 2022.
    \4\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 
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 June 14, 2022. In accordance 
with section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the 
deadline for the final determinations of 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: March 25, 2022.
Lisa W. Wang,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2022-06828 Filed 3-30-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P