Preliminary Results of Full Sunset Review: Countervailing Duty Order on Honey from Argentina, 8970 [E7-3437]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• International Trade Administration

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 8970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3437]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

C-357-813


Preliminary Results of Full Sunset Review: Countervailing Duty 
Order on Honey from Argentina

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On November 1, 2006, the Department of Commerce (the 
Department) initiated a sunset review of the countervailing duty (CVD) 
order on honey from Argentina, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff 
Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). On the basis of a notice of intent 
to participate and an adequate substantive response filed on behalf of 
the domestic interested parties and adequate substantive responses from 
respondent interested parties, the Department determined to conduct a 
full sunset review of this CVD order pursuant to section 751(c) of the 
Act and 19 CFR 351.218(e)(2). As a result of our analysis, the 
Department preliminarily finds that revocation of the countervailing 
duty order would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of a 
countervailable subsidy at the level indicated in the ``Preliminary 
Results of Review'' section of this notice.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 28, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elfi Blum or Dana Mermelstein, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office 6, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
0197 or (202) 482-1391, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 1, 2006, the Department initiated the first sunset 
review of the CVD order on honey from Argentina, pursuant to section 
751(c) of the Act. See Initiation of Five-year (``Sunset'') Reviews, 71 
FR 64242 (November 1, 2006). The Department received notices of intent 
to participate from the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) and 
the Sioux Honey Association (SHA), the petitioners in the original 
investigation (collectively, ``domestic interested parties''), within 
the deadline specified in 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(i). AHPA and SHA claimed 
interested party status as trade or business associations a majority of 
whose members manufacture, produce or wholesale a domestic like product 
for the United States under section 771(9)(E) of the Act; SHA also 
claimed interested party status under section 771(9)(C) of the Act, as 
domestic producers of processed and raw honey in the United States 
engaged in the manufacture, production, or wholesale of honey in the 
United States. The Department received substantive responses from the 
domestic interested parties and the following respondent interested 
parties: the Government of Argentina (GOA), Nexco, S.A (Nexco), 
HoneyMax, S.A (HoneyMax), and the Asociaci[oacute]n de Cooperativas 
Argentinas (ACA).
    On December 20, 2006, the Department determined that the 
participation of the respondent interested parties was adequate, and 
that it was appropriate to conduct a full sunset review. See Memorandum 
to Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Import 
Administration, Re: Adequacy Determination: Sunset Review of the 
Countervailing Duty Order on Honey from Argentina dated December 20, 
2006, and on file in the Central Records Unit (CRU), Room B-099 of the 
main Commerce Building.

Scope Of The Order

    The merchandise covered by this order is artificial honey 
containing more than 50 percent natural honeys by weight, preparations 
of natural honey containing more than 50 percent natural honeys by 
weight, and flavored honey. The subject merchandise includes all grades 
and colors of honey whether in liquid, creamed, combs, cut comb, or 
chunk form, and whether packaged for retail or in bulk form. The 
merchandise subject to this order is currently classifiable under 
subheadings 0409.00.00, 1702.90, and 2106.90.99 of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) purposes, the Department's written description of the 
merchandise covered by this order is dispositive.

Analysis Of Comments Received

    All issues raised in this review are addressed in the Preliminary 
Issues and Decision Memorandum from Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Import Administration, to David M. Spooner, Assistant 
Secretary for Import Administration (Preliminary Decision Memorandum), 
dated concurrently with this notice and which is hereby adopted by this 
notice. Parties can find a complete discussion of all issues raised in 
this review and the corresponding recommendation in this public 
memorandum which is on file in the CRU. In addition, a complete version 
of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly on the 
Web at https://ia.ita.doc.gov/frn. The paper copy and electronic version 
of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Preliminary Results Of Review

    The Department preliminarily determines that revocation of the CVD 
order would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of a 
countervailable subsidy. The net countervailable subsidy likely to 
prevail if the order were revoked is 5.85 percent.
    Interested parties may submit case briefs and hearing requests no 
later than 50 days after the date of publication of these preliminary 
results, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(i) and 19 CFR 
351.310(c). Rebuttal briefs, which must be limited to issues raised in 
the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days from the filing 
of the case briefs, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.309(d). If a hearing 
is requested, parties will be notified of the date, time and location. 
The Department will issue a notice of final results of this sunset 
review, which will include the results of its analysis of issues raised 
in any such briefs, no later than June 29, 2007.
    We are issuing and publishing these preliminary results and notice 
in accordance with sections 751(c), 752, and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: February 20, 2007.
David M. Spooner,
Assistant Secretaryfor Import Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-3437 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S