[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40879-40880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20516]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-821-802]


Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium 
From the Russian Federation

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is hereby notifying interested 
parties of a change to the administration of matched sales. Effective 
immediately, the Department will use a calendar year quota accounting 
rather than the previously used delivery year quota accounting.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 31, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Doyle, Karla Whalen or Letitia 
Kress, AD/CVD Enforcement Group III, Office VII, Import Administration, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230, telephone: 
(202) 482-0159, (202) 482-1386 or (202) 482-6412, respectively.

Background

    Under the Amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping 
Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation (57 FR

[[Page 40880]]

15373, April 1, 1994) (the ``Matched Sales'' Amendment), the Department 
has been administering the matched uranium sales quota on a quota year 
basis, April 1 through March 31, as listed in the ``Matched Sales'' 
Amendment. On March 6, 1998, the Department received a request from the 
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on behalf of certain of its members 
requesting that the Department revise its practice and administer the 
matched sales quota on a calendar year basis, January 1 through 
December 31. (See letter from NEI to the Department on March 6, 1998, 
on public record at the Department of Commerce in room B-099). In this 
letter, NEI suggests that a calendar year quota system would make 
tracking operational or contractual flexibilities for both buyers and 
sellers of uranium more consistent with their other internal tracking 
systems (i.e., budgeting, requests for quotes, deliveries). NEI states 
that administration on a calendar year basis would make the matched 
sales quota system more consistent with industry contracting practices, 
thereby eliminating a potential barrier to participation in the matched 
sales program. Further, NEI notes that reconciliation of historical 
transactions which specified deliveries in 1996 and 1997 does not 
affect the commercial balance among competing suppliers as marketing 
opportunities have long passed.
    On May 5, 1998, the Department requested comments from interested 
parties (63 FR 24772). The Department received ten sets of comments 
from affected companies and reviewed each set of comments. As all 
comments received were supportive of the change, and as the 
reallocation would not cause any quota limitations to be exceeded, the 
Department has determined that it is reasonable to change the 
administration of the matched sales quota from a quota year basis 
(i.e., April 1-March 31) to a calendar year basis (i.e., January 1-
December 31).
    The Department examined two ensuing issues: (1) The effect the 
change will have on the existing approved contracts and allocations of 
quota; and (2) the necessity to arrive at a proper accounting for the 
periods April 1, 1996 through December 31, 1996 and January 1, 2004 
through March 31, 2004.
    Concerning the first issue, the Department has determined that 
contracts already approved by the Department in quota years 1996-1997 
(4/1/96-3/31/97; 4/1/97-3/31/98) will not be affected by the change to 
a calendar year basis other than on the Department's accounting system. 
Thus, these contracts stand as approved and deliveries may continue as 
scheduled. Further, although the amount of used quota allocated to 
these two periods will change under the new system, the overall totals 
do not (See 63 FR 24772, May 5, 1997).
    Concerning the second issue, the ``Matched Sales'' Amendment 
details that delivery quotas began on April 1, 1996, and would expire 
on March 31, 2004. By switching to a calendar year basis, neither the 
period April 1, 1996, through December 31, 1996 nor the period January 
1, 2004 through March 31, 2004, which were covered under the 
Department's previous quota year methodology, can fall under a calendar 
year methodology absent modification. To resolve this issue, NEI 
proposed designating calendar year 1996 as a ``short'' quota year, 
starting April 1, 1996 and ending December 31, 1996. As these contracts 
have already been approved and as the Department has determined the 
appropriate reconciliation in accounting, (See 63 FR 24772, May 5, 
1997), the Department agrees that the designation of a ``short year'' a 
suitable resolution. In addition, NEI proposed that calendar year 2003 
be designated as a ``long'' quota year, beginning January 1, 2003 and 
ending March 31, 2004. The Department agrees that it is reasonable to 
designate calendar year 2003 as a ``long year'' without disruption to 
the administration of matched sales.
    Thus, effective immediately, the Department will use a calendar 
year quota system in administering matched sales. The following chart 
details the current effective time periods and applicable matched sales 
quotas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Available 
                                                              quota \1\ 
                       Calendar year                           (in lbs. 
                                                                U308)   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998.......................................................    3,600,000
1999.......................................................    4,040,000
2000.......................................................    4,230,000
2001.......................................................    4,040,000
2002.......................................................    4,890,000
2003 \2\...................................................   4,300,000 
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\1\ Please note that some quota has already been allocated to previously
  approved contracts. Please contact the listed Departmental personnel  
  for the exact available quota in each calendar year.                  
\2\ ``Long year'' dates (1/1/03-3/31/04)                                

    Dated: July 27, 1998
Joseph A. Spetrini.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping Countervailing Duty--Group 
III.
[FR Doc. 98-20516 Filed 7-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P