[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 18 (Wednesday, January 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4218-4219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2058]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-475-818, A-489-805]


Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey: Notice of Extension of Time 
Limits for Antidumping Duty First Administrative and New Shipper 
Reviews

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 28, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Easton or John Brinkmann, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-1777 and (202) 482-5288, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Postponement of Preliminary Results

A. First Administrative Reviews

    On August 28, 1997, the Department initiated the first 
administrative reviews of the antidumping duty orders on certain pasta 
from Italy and Turkey, covering the period January 19, 1996 through 
June 30, 1997 (62 FR 45621). The current deadline for the preliminary 
results of these reviews is April 2, 1998. Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act 
(``the Act''), requires the Department to make a preliminary 
determination in an administrative review within 245 days after the 
last day of the anniversary month of an order for which a review is 
requested. However, if it is not practicable to complete the review 
within the time period, section 751(a)(3)(A) allows the Department to 
extend this time period to up to 365 days.
    We determine that it is not practicable to complete this review 
within the original time frame because this review involves collecting 
and analyzing information from a large number of companies and 
examining allegations of sales below the cost of production for all 
companies. Although section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act allows for an 
extension of up to 120 days, we believe at this time that only a 
limited extension of the deadline is necessary to analyze the complex 
legal and methodological issues and coordinate verification of the 
companies participating in these reviews. Accordingly, the Department 
is extending the time limit for completion of the preliminary results 
of these administrative reviews by 90 days, or

[[Page 4219]]

until July 1, 1998. We plan to issue the final results of these 
administrative reviews within 120 days after publication of the 
preliminary results.

B. New Shipper Review

    On August 15, 1997, the Department initiated a new shipper review 
relating to the antidumping duty order on certain pasta from Italy, 
covering the period July 1, 1996 through June 30, 1997 (62 FR 44643, 
August 22, 1997). The current deadline for the preliminary results is 
February 11, 1998. Section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act requires the 
Department to make a preliminary determination within 180 days after 
the date on which the new shipper review was initiated. However, if the 
Department concludes that the case is extraordinarily complicated, it 
may extend the 180-day period to 300 days.
    Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act, the Department has 
determined that this case is extraordinarily complicated given the 
complex nature of the issues similar to those in the first 
administrative reviews, including an allegation of sales below the cost 
of production. In order to analyze the issues specific to this case and 
to benefit from the analyses of similar issues in the administrative 
reviews, we are extending the deadline for issuing the preliminary 
results to no later than June 11, 1998. We plan to issue the final 
results within 90 days after the date the preliminary results are 
issued.
    These extensions are in accordance with sections 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) 
and 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

    Dated: January 22, 1998.
Robert S. LaRussa,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-2058 Filed 1-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P