Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment, 55561-55562 [2019-22692]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2019 / Notices the most recently completed segment of this proceeding in which they were reviewed; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or in the investigation but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding for the producer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will continue to be the all-others rate of 22.00 percent, the rate established in the investigation of this proceeding.19 These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice. Notification to Importers This notice also serves as a reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in Commerce’s presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties. Notification to Interested Parties We are issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act. Dated: October 9, 2019. Jeffrey I. Kessler, Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Appendix List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum I. Summary II. Background III. Deadline for Submission of Updated Sales and Cost Information IV. Scope of the Order V. Discussion of the Methodology VI. Affiliation VII. Application of Facts Available and Use of Adverse Inference VIII. Rate for Non-Selected Companies IX. Recommendation [FR Doc. 2019–22669 Filed 10–16–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 19 See Large Power Transformers from the Republic of Korea: Antidumping Duty Order, 77 FR 53177 (August 31, 2012). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 250001 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 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, 2019, through June 30, 2019. DATES: Comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication of this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Johnson, AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW. Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–4793. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AGENCY: Background Pursuant to section 805 of Title VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008), 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 July 1, 2019. 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 which had exports accounting for at least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood lumber by quantity, as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) codes 4407.1001, 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 4407.1905, 4407.1906, 4407.1910, during the period January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019. Official U.S. import data published by the United States International Trade Commission’s DataWeb indicate that four countries (Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Sweden) PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 55561 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, 2019, through December 31, 2019, 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– 2019–0007, 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 James Maeder, Deputy Assistant 1 See section 771(5)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. E:\FR\FM\17OCN1.SGM 17OCN1 55562 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 201 / Thursday, October 17, 2019 / Notices Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duties, at U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 18022, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230. Dated: October 9, 2019. James Maeder, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations. [FR Doc. 2019–22692 Filed 10–16–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Sheleen Dumas, Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Agency: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Title: Baldrige Performance Excellent Program (BPEP) Team Leader Consensus and Team Leader Site Visit Information Collections. OMB Control Number: 0693–0079. Form Number(s): None. Type of Request: Extension and revision of a current information collection. Number of Respondents: Examiner Performance Assessment—40 per year; Team Leader Performance Assessment— 300 per year. Average Hours per Response: Examiner Performance Assessment—20 minutes; Team Leader Performance Assessment—5 minutes. Burden Hours: Examiner Performance Assessment—13.5 hours; Team Leader Performance Assessment—25 hours. Needs and Uses: The purpose of the information is to help staff collect data on the skills of the examiners, including alumni examiners, in order to best manage training and selection. Because the examiner selection is so competitive, examiners need to demonstrate competencies such as understanding the Baldrige Criteria, team skills, and writing skills. The program also needs to collect peer-based information to understand an examiner’s skill level in order to make decisions on whether the examiner should be elevated to ‘‘senior examiner’’ and therefore team leader. The blinded data will be shared with the team leader for improvement purposes, and for future assignments. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Oct 16, 2019 Jkt 250001 Affected Public: Individual or Households. Frequency: Annually. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@ omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395–5806. [FR Doc. 2019–22620 Filed 10–16–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–13–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Deprecation of the United States (U.S.) Survey Foot The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC). ACTION: Notice; request for comment. AGENCY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are taking collaborative action to provide national uniformity in the measurement of length. This notice announces a decision to deprecate the use of the ‘‘U.S. survey foot’’ on December 31, 2022. After that date, the ‘‘U.S. survey foot’’ will be superseded by the ‘‘foot’’ (formerly known as the ‘‘international foot’’), which is already in use throughout the U.S. This notice describes the plan, resources, training, and other activities of NIST and NOAA that will assist those affected by this transition, and invites comments and other information from land surveyors, engineers, Federal, State and local government officials, businesses, and any other member of the public engaged in or affected by surveying and mapping operations. DATES: Comments and other information must be received by December 2, 2019. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 NIST and NOAA are using the https://www.regulations.gov system for the submission and posting of public comments in this proceeding. All comments in response to this notice are therefore to be submitted electronically through https://www.regulations.gov, via the web form accessed by following the ‘‘Submit a Formal Comment’’ link near the top right of the Federal Register web page for this notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. survey foot deprecation resources: https://www.nist.gov/pml/ussurveyfoot. Information on standards development and maintenance: Elizabeth Gentry, 301–975–3690, Elizabeth.Gentry@nist.gov. Technical and historical information on usage of the foot: Michael Dennis, 240–533–9611, Michael.Dennis@ noaa.gov. ADDRESSES: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background This action is designed to establish national uniformity in length measurements based on the foot. For more than sixty years, two nearly identical definitions of the foot have been in use in the U.S. for geodetic and land surveys. A Federal Register notice published on July 1, 1959 (24 FR 5348) by the National Bureau of Standards (renamed the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1988) and the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (reorganized as the National Geodetic Survey under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1970) refined the definition of the yard in terms of the International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system. The 1959 notice was issued after an international agreement among six nations resolved a longstanding difference in the relationship of the U.S. yard to the British yard. The notice reported that there was a slight difference (2 parts per million) between the 1959 definition (i.e., one yard = 0.914 4 meter, exactly) and an 1893 definition (i.e., 1 yard = 3600/3937 meter, or approximately 0.914 401 83 meter). The 1959 Federal Register notice then adopted a revised value for the foot for use throughout the U.S., and identified it as the ‘‘international foot’’ to show that it corresponded with the foot in use by the United Kingdom and other countries. The notice defined this international foot as 0.304 8 meter (e.g., equal to 0.999 999 8 of the value for the foot officially adopted in 1893). Additionally, to avoid disrupting the surveying practices at the time, the E:\FR\FM\17OCN1.SGM 17OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55561-55562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22692]


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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, 2019, through June 30, 2019.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Johnson, AD/CVD Operations, 
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW. Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-4793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Pursuant to section 805 of Title VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 
(the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008), 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 July 
1, 2019. 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 which had exports 
accounting for at least one percent of total U.S. imports of softwood 
lumber by quantity, as classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States (HTSUS) codes 4407.1001, 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 
4407.1905, 4407.1906, 4407.1910, during the period January 1, 2019, 
through June 30, 2019. Official U.S. import data published by the 
United States International Trade Commission's 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, 
2019, through December 31, 2019, 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-2019-0007, 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 James Maeder, Deputy Assistant

[[Page 55562]]

Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duties, at U.S. Department 
of Commerce, Room 18022, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 
20230.

    Dated: October 9, 2019.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2019-22692 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

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