Honey From Argentina: Notice of Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 46418 [E9-21579]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• International Trade Administration

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 46418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21579]



[[Page 46418]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-357-812]


Honey From Argentina: Notice of Extension of Time Limit for 
Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Drury, Dena Crossland or Angelica 
Mendoza, AD/CVD Operations, Office 7, Import Administration, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-0195, (202) 482-3362 or (202) 482-3019, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 1, 2008, the Department of Commerce (``the 
Department'') published a notice of opportunity to request an 
administrative review of the antidumping duty order on honey from 
Argentina for the period of review (``POR'') of December 1, 2007, 
through November 30, 2008. See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty 
Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request 
Administrative Review, 73 FR 72764 (December 1, 2008).
    In response, on December 30, 2008, the Asociacion de Cooperativas 
Argentinas (``ACA'') requested an administrative review of the 
antidumping duty order on honey from Argentina for the period December 
1, 2007, through November 30, 2008. On December 31, 2008, the American 
Honey Producers Association and Sioux Honey Association (collectively, 
``petitioners'') requested an administrative review of the antidumping 
duty order on honey from Argentina for the period December 1, 2007, 
through November 30, 2008. Specifically, petitioners requested that the 
Department conduct an administrative review of entries of subject 
merchandise made by 17 Argentine producers/exporters.\1\ Also on 
December 31, 2008, Nexco S.A. (``Nexco'') requested an administrative 
review of the antidumping duty order on honey from Argentina for the 
period December 1, 2007, through November 30, 2008. ACA and Nexco were 
included in the petitioners' request for review.
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    \1\ Petitioners requested Compania Apicola Argentina S.A. and 
Mielar S.A.as separate entities. However, in a previous segment of 
this proceeding, the Department treated these two companies as a 
single entity.
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    On February 2, 2009, the Department published the notice initiating 
this administrative review for the 17 companies for which an 
administrative review was requested. See Initiation of Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, Request for Revocation In 
Part, 74 FR 5821 (February 2, 2009) (``Initiation Notice'').
    The Department received a request for administrative review from 
Patagonik S.A. (``Patagonik'') in response to the December 1, 2008, 
opportunity to request an administrative review. However, its request 
was dated January 2, 2009, after the December 31, 2008, deadline. On 
January 23, 2009, the Department returned the letter requesting an 
administrative review to Patagonik, stating that the request was 
untimely and that the Department would not initiate a review based on 
this request. See Letter from the Department of Commerce to Patagonik 
S.A., dated January 23, 2009. On February 23, 2009, Patagonik submitted 
a letter requesting that the Department reconsider its decision not to 
initiate a review based on Patagonik's request. Patagonik provided 
information to the Department indicating the reasons for the untimely 
filing of the request. After examining the information, the Department 
again declined to initiate an administrative review based on 
Patagonik's request. See Letter from the Department of Commerce to 
Patagonik S.A., dated March 17, 2009.
    On March 6, 2009, petitioners timely withdrew their requests for 
review of the following companies: AGLH S.A., Algodonera Avellaneda 
S.A., Alimentos Naturales-Natural Foods, Alma Pura, Bomare S.A. 
(Bodegas Miguel Armengol), Compania Apicola Argentina S.A. and Mielar 
S.A., Compania Inversora Platense S.A., EL Mana S.A., HoneyMax S.A., 
Interrupcion S.A., Miel Ceta SRL, Patagonik S.A., Productos Afer S.A., 
Seabird Argentina S.A., and Seylinco S.A. On April 17, 2009, the 
Department published a partial rescission of this administrative review 
with respect to these companies. See Honey from Argentina: Notice of 
Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 74 FR 
17815 (April 17, 2009).
    On June 10, 2009, both petitioners and Nexco withdrew their 
requests for administrative review with respect to Nexco. The 
Department published a partial rescission of this administrative review 
with respect to Nexco on July 16, 2009. See Honey from Argentina: 
Notice of Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 
74 FR 34550 (July 16, 2009).
    Currently, the preliminary results of this administrative review 
covering ACA are due on September 2, 2009.

Extension of Time Limits for Preliminary Results of Review

    Pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (``the Act''), and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2), the Department may 
extend the deadline for completion of the preliminary results of a 
review by 120 days if it determines that it is not practicable to 
complete the preliminary results within 245 days after the last day of 
the anniversary month of the date of publication of the order for which 
the administrative review was requested. Due to the complexity of the 
issues involved, including the need to solicit more information from 
ACA, including its date of sale methodology and sales to third country 
markets, and to conduct verification of ACA's response in accordance 
with 19 CFR 351.222(f)(2)(ii), the Department has determined that it is 
not practicable to complete this review within the original time 
period. Accordingly, the Department is extending the time limit for the 
preliminary results by 107 days to not later than December 18, 2009, in 
accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.
    The deadline for the final results of this review will continue to 
be 120 days after publication of the preliminary results.
    This notice is published in accordance with sections 751(a)(3)(A) 
and 777(i) of the Act.

    Dated: August 26, 2009.
John M. Andersen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.
[FR Doc. E9-21579 Filed 9-8-09; 8:45 am]
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