Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment, 53032-53033 [2018-22841]

Download as PDF 53032 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 203 / Friday, October 19, 2018 / Notices to submit with each argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of authorities. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 21 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party’s name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce intends to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, at a time and date to be determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date. Notification to Interested Parties This determination is issued and published in accordance with sections 781(c) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.225(f). Dated: October 15, 2018. Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Appendix List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum I. Summary II. Background III. Scope of the Order IV. Statutory and Regulatory Framework V. Prior Anti-Circumvention Determination VI. Parameters of the Anti-Circumvention Inquiry VII. Arguments from Interested Parties VIII. Analysis IX. Recommendation [FR Doc. 2018–22843 Filed 10–18–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) seeks public comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries AGENCY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:25 Oct 18, 2018 Jkt 247001 exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States during the period January 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018. DATES: Comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication of this notice. ADDRESSES: See the Submission of Comments section below. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Johnson or Eric B. Greynolds, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–4793 or (202) 482–6071, respectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On June 18, 2008, section 805 of Title VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008) was enacted into law. Under this provision, the Secretary of Commerce is mandated to submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report every 180 days on any subsidy provided by countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States, including stumpage subsidies. Commerce submitted its last subsidy report on June 20, 2018. As part of its newest report, Commerce intends to include a list of subsidy programs identified with sufficient clarity by the public in response to this notice. Request for Comments Given the large number of countries that export softwood lumber and softwood lumber products to the United States, we are soliciting public comment only on subsidies provided by countries whose exports accounted for at least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood lumber by quantity, as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule code 4407.1001 (which accounts for the vast majority of imports), during the period January 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018. Official U.S. import data published by the United States International Trade Commission’s Tariff and Trade DataWeb indicate that four countries (Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Sweden) exported softwood lumber to the United States during that time period in amounts sufficient to account for at least one percent of U.S. imports of softwood lumber products. We intend to rely on similar previous six-month periods to identify the countries subject to future reports on softwood lumber subsidies. For example, we will rely on U.S. imports of softwood lumber and softwood lumber products during the period July 1, 2018, through December PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 31, 2018, to select the countries subject to the next report. Under U.S. trade law, a subsidy exists where an authority: (i) Provides a financial contribution; (ii) provides any form of income or price support within the meaning of Article XVI of the GATT 1994; or (iii) makes a payment to a funding mechanism to provide a financial contribution to a person, or entrusts or directs a private entity to make a financial contribution, if providing the contribution would normally be vested in the government and the practice does not differ in substance from practices normally followed by governments, and a benefit is thereby conferred.1 Parties should include in their comments: (1) The country which provided the subsidy; (2) the name of the subsidy program; (3) a brief description (no more than 3–4 sentences) of the subsidy program; and (4) the government body or authority that provided the subsidy. Submission of Comments As specified above, to be assured of consideration, comments must be received no later than 30 days after the publication of this notice in the Federal Register. All comments must be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov, Docket No. ITA– 2018–0002, unless the commenter does not have access to the internet. The materials in the docket will not be edited to remove identifying or contact information, and Commerce cautions against including any information in an electronic submission that the submitter does not want publicly disclosed. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF formats only. Commenters who do not have access to the internet may submit the original and one electronic copy of each set of comments by mail or hand delivery/ courier. All comments should be addressed to Gary Taverman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, at U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 18022, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230. 1 See section 771(5)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 203 / Friday, October 19, 2018 / Notices Dated: October 15, 2018. James Maeder, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, performing the duties of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations. [FR Doc. 2018–22841 Filed 10–18–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P state lead agency for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), previously released a joint final environmental impact review/ environmental impact statement (EIR/ EIS) that analyzes the potential effects on the physical and human environment of the proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project. II. Errata Document DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project; Notice of Availability of Errata Document for the Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of Errata for the final environmental impact report/environmental impact statement. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published an errata document for the Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR/ EIS) for a permit application to NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) submitted by California American Water Company (CalAm) to construct and operate Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project, a reverse osmosis (RO) desalination facility project (Project) in Monterey County, California. A notice of availability (NOA) of the final EIR/ EIS was published in the Federal Register on March 30, 2018 (83 FR 13737). DATES: This notice is applicable October 19, 2018. ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIR/EIS and the Errata document can be downloaded or viewed on the internet at https:// montereybay.noaa.gov/resourcepro/ resmanissues/desal-projects.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Grimmer at 99 Pacific Ave., Bldg. 455a, Monterey, CA 93940, or call 831– 647–4253, or email: montereybay@ noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: I. Background NOAA, as the Federal lead agency for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:25 Oct 18, 2018 Jkt 247001 The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the errata document for the Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR/ EIS) for the project is available for public inspection. It is available electronically on the website listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. It is also available by email by writing to the addresses identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. Dated: September 13, 2018. John Armor, Director for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. [FR Doc. 2018–22863 Filed 10–18–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XG454 Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to US 101/ Chehalis River Bridge-Scour Repair in Washington State National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments on proposed authorization and possible renewal. AGENCY: NMFS has received a request from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the US 101/Chehalis River Bridge-Scour Repair Project in Washington State. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 53033 one-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision. DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than November 19, 2018. ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. Physical comments should be sent to 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and electronic comments should be sent to ITP.pauline@noaa.gov. Instructions: NMFS is not responsible for comments sent by any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period. Comments received electronically, including all attachments, must not exceed a 25megabyte file size. Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word or Excel or Adobe PDF file formats only. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ national/marine-mammal-protection/ incidental-take-authorizationsconstruction-activities without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Pauline, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. Electronic copies of the application and supporting documents may be obtained online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ national/marine-mammal-protection/ incidental-take-authorizationsconstruction-activities. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the contact listed above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of marine mammals, with certain exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce (as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 203 (Friday, October 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53032-53033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22841]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber 
and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) seeks public comment on 
any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain 
countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the 
United States during the period January 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018.

DATES: Comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication of 
this notice.

ADDRESSES: See the Submission of Comments section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Johnson or Eric B. Greynolds, 
Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4793 or (202) 482-6071, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On June 18, 2008, section 805 of Title VIII of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008) was enacted into law. Under this 
provision, the Secretary of Commerce is mandated to submit to the 
appropriate Congressional committees a report every 180 days on any 
subsidy provided by countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood 
lumber products to the United States, including stumpage subsidies.
    Commerce submitted its last subsidy report on June 20, 2018. As 
part of its newest report, Commerce intends to include a list of 
subsidy programs identified with sufficient clarity by the public in 
response to this notice.

Request for Comments

    Given the large number of countries that export softwood lumber and 
softwood lumber products to the United States, we are soliciting public 
comment only on subsidies provided by countries whose exports accounted 
for at least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood lumber by 
quantity, as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule code 4407.1001 
(which accounts for the vast majority of imports), during the period 
January 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018. Official U.S. import data 
published by the United States International Trade Commission's Tariff 
and Trade DataWeb indicate that four countries (Brazil, Canada, 
Germany, and Sweden) exported softwood lumber to the United States 
during that time period in amounts sufficient to account for at least 
one percent of U.S. imports of softwood lumber products. We intend to 
rely on similar previous six-month periods to identify the countries 
subject to future reports on softwood lumber subsidies. For example, we 
will rely on U.S. imports of softwood lumber and softwood lumber 
products during the period July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018, to 
select the countries subject to the next report.
    Under U.S. trade law, a subsidy exists where an authority: (i) 
Provides a financial contribution; (ii) provides any form of income or 
price support within the meaning of Article XVI of the GATT 1994; or 
(iii) makes a payment to a funding mechanism to provide a financial 
contribution to a person, or entrusts or directs a private entity to 
make a financial contribution, if providing the contribution would 
normally be vested in the government and the practice does not differ 
in substance from practices normally followed by governments, and a 
benefit is thereby conferred.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See section 771(5)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Parties should include in their comments: (1) The country which 
provided the subsidy; (2) the name of the subsidy program; (3) a brief 
description (no more than 3-4 sentences) of the subsidy program; and 
(4) the government body or authority that provided the subsidy.

Submission of Comments

    As specified above, to be assured of consideration, comments must 
be received no later than 30 days after the publication of this notice 
in the Federal Register. All comments must be submitted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. 
ITA-2018-0002, unless the commenter does not have access to the 
internet. The materials in the docket will not be edited to remove 
identifying or contact information, and Commerce cautions against 
including any information in an electronic submission that the 
submitter does not want publicly disclosed. Attachments to electronic 
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF 
formats only.
    Commenters who do not have access to the internet may submit the 
original and one electronic copy of each set of comments by mail or 
hand delivery/courier.
    All comments should be addressed to Gary Taverman, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations performing 
the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance, at U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 18022, 
1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.


[[Page 53033]]


    Dated: October 15, 2018.
James Maeder,
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations, performing the duties of Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations.
[FR Doc. 2018-22841 Filed 10-18-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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