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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 100465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29221]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-190, C-570-191]

Notice of Extension of the Deadline for Determining the Adequacy 
of the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions: Sol Gel Alumina-
Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains From the People's Republic of China

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

DATES: Applicable December 6, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Cloyd or Suresh Maniam, AD/CVD 
Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1246 or (202) 482-1603, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Extension of Initiation of Investigation

The Petitions

    On November 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
received antidumping and countervailing duty petitions on imports of 
sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains (ceramic abrasive grains) 
from the People's Republic of China (China), filed in proper form on 
behalf of Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc. (the petitioner), a 
domestic producer of ceramic abrasive grains.\1\
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    \1\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitions for the Imposition of 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duties,'' dated November 25, 2024 
(Petitions).
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Determination of Industry Support for the Petitions

    Sections 702(b)(1) and 732(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act), require that a petition be filed by or on behalf of 
the domestic industry. To determine that the petition has been filed by 
or on behalf of the industry, sections 702(c)(4)(A) and 732(c)(4)(A) of 
the Act require that the domestic producers or workers who support the 
petition account for: (i) at least 25 percent of the total production 
of the domestic like product; and (ii) more than 50 percent of the 
production of the domestic like product produced by that portion of the 
industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. 
Moreover, sections 702(c)(4)(D) and 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act provide 
that, if the petition does not establish support of domestic producers 
or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of the total production 
of the domestic like product, Commerce shall: (i) poll the industry or 
rely on other information in order to determine if there is support for 
the petition, as required by subparagraph (A); or (ii) if there is a 
large number of producers, determine industry support using a 
statistically valid sampling method to poll the industry.

Extension of Time

    Sections 702(c)(1)(A) and 732(c)(1)(A) of the Act provide that 
within 20 days of the filing of an antidumping or countervailing duty 
petition, Commerce will determine, inter alia, whether the petition has 
been filed by or on behalf of the U.S. industry producing the domestic 
like product. Sections 702(c)(1)(B) and 732(c)(1)(B) of the Act provide 
that the deadline for the initiation determination, in exceptional 
circumstances, may be extended by 20 days in any case in which Commerce 
must ``poll or otherwise determine support for the petition by the 
industry.'' Because the Petitions have not established that the 
domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of 
total production support the Petitions, in accordance with sections 
702(c)(4)(D) and 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act, Commerce has determined it 
would be appropriate in these cases to poll the industry and extend the 
time period for determining whether to initiate the investigations in 
order to further examine the issue of industry support.
    Commerce will need additional time to gather and analyze additional 
information regarding industry support. Therefore, it is necessary to 
extend the deadline for determining the adequacy of the Petitions for a 
period not to exceed 40 days from the filing of the Petitions. As a 
result, in accordance with sections 702(c)(1)(B) and 732(c)(1)(B) of 
the Act, Commerce's initiation determination will now be due no later 
than January 6, 2025.\2\
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    \2\ The extended deadline for Commerce's initiation 
determination falls on January 4, 2025, which is a Saturday. 
Accordingly, Commerce's initiation determination will be due no 
later than January 6, 2025, which is the next business day after 40 
days from the filing of the Petitions.
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International Trade Commission Notification

    Commerce will contact the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) 
and will make this extension notice available to the ITC.

    Dated: December 6, 2024.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.
[FR Doc. 2024-29221 Filed 12-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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