80 FR 63957 - Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 204 (October 22, 2015)

Page Range		63957-63957
FR Document		2015-26964

The Department of Commerce (Department) 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, 2015 through June 30, 2015.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 204 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 204 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 63957]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26964]


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                                                Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 204 / Thursday, October 22, 2015 / 
Notices

[[Page 63957]]



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 (Department) 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, 2015 through June 30, 2015.

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: James Terpstra, Office III, 
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3965.

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.
    The Department submitted its last subsidy report on June 16, 2015. 
As part of its newest report, the Department 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, 2015 through June 30, 2015. Official U.S. import data 
published by the United States International Trade Commission Tariff 
and Trade DataWeb indicate that only two countries, Canada and Chile, 
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, 2015 through December 31, 2015, 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 (at least 3-4 sentences) of the subsidy program; and (4) 
the government body or authority that provided the subsidy.

Submission of Comments

    Persons wishing to comment should file comments by the date 
specified above. Comments should only include publicly available 
information. The Department will not accept comments accompanied by a 
request that a part or all of the material be treated confidentially 
due to business proprietary concerns or for any other reason. The 
Department will return such comments or materials to the persons 
submitting the comments and will not include them in its report on 
softwood lumber subsidies. The Department requests submission of 
comments filed in electronic Portable Document Format (PDF) submitted 
on CD-ROM or by email to the email address of the EC Webmaster, below.
    The comments received will be made available to the public in PDF 
on the Enforcement and Compliance Web site at the following address: 
http://enforcement.trade.gov/sla2008/sla-index.html. Any questions 
concerning file formatting, access on the Internet, or other electronic 
filing issues should be addressed to Laura Merchant, Enforcement and 
Compliance Webmaster, at (202) 482-0367, email address: 
[email protected].
    All comments and submissions in response to this Request for 
Comment should be received by the Department no later than 5 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time on the above-referenced deadline date.

    Dated: October 16, 2015.
Christian Marsh,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2015-26964 Filed 10-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

63957

Notices Federal Register
Vol. 80, No. 204

Thursday, October 22, 2015

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER clarity by the public in response to this Submission of Comments
contains documents other than rules or notice.
proposed rules that are applicable to the Persons wishing to comment should
public. Notices of hearings and investigations, Request for Comments file comments by the date specified
committee meetings, agency decisions and above. Comments should only include
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of Given the large number of countries publicly available information. The
petitions and applications and agency that export softwood lumber and Department will not accept comments
statements of organization and functions are softwood lumber products to the United accompanied by a request that a part or
examples of documents appearing in this States, we are soliciting public comment
section. all of the material be treated
only on subsidies provided by countries confidentially due to business
whose exports accounted for at least one proprietary concerns or for any other
percent of total U.S. imports of softwood reason. The Department will return such
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE lumber by quantity, as classified under comments or materials to the persons
International Trade Administration Harmonized Tariff Schedule code submitting the comments and will not
4407.1001 (which accounts for the vast include them in its report on softwood
Subsidy Programs Provided by majority of imports), during the period lumber subsidies. The Department
Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015. requests submission of comments filed
and Softwood Lumber Products to the Official U.S. import data published by in electronic Portable Document Format
United States; Request for Comment the United States International Trade (PDF) submitted on CD–ROM or by
Commission Tariff and Trade DataWeb email to the email address of the EC
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, indicate that only two countries, Canada
International Trade Administration, Webmaster, below.
and Chile, exported softwood lumber to
Department of Commerce. the United States during that time The comments received will be made
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce period in amounts sufficient to account available to the public in PDF on the
(Department) seeks public comment on for at least one percent of U.S. imports Enforcement and Compliance Web site
any subsidies, including stumpage of softwood lumber products. We intend at the following address: http://
subsidies, provided by certain countries to rely on similar previous six-month enforcement.trade.gov/sla2008/sla-
exporting softwood lumber or softwood periods to identify the countries subject index.html. Any questions concerning
lumber products to the United States to future reports on softwood lumber file formatting, access on the Internet, or
during the period January 1, 2015 subsidies. For example, we will rely on other electronic filing issues should be
through June 30, 2015. U.S. imports of softwood lumber and addressed to Laura Merchant,
DATES: Comments must be submitted softwood lumber products during the Enforcement and Compliance
within 30 days after publication of this period July 1, 2015 through December Webmaster, at (202) 482–0367, email
notice. 31, 2015, to select the countries subject address: webmaster_support@trade.gov.
ADDRESSES: See the Submission of to the next report. All comments and submissions in
Comments section below. Under U.S. trade law, a subsidy exists response to this Request for Comment
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: where an authority: (i) Provides a should be received by the Department
James Terpstra, Office III, Enforcement financial contribution; (ii) provides any no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Standard
and Compliance, International Trade form of income or price support within Time on the above-referenced deadline
Administration, U.S. Department of the meaning of Article XVI of the GATT date.
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution 1994; or (iii) makes a payment to a Dated: October 16, 2015.
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; funding mechanism to provide a Christian Marsh,
telephone: (202) 482–3965. financial contribution to a person, or
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: entrusts or directs a private entity to and Countervailing Duty Operations.
make a financial contribution, if
[FR Doc. 2015–26964 Filed 10–21–15; 8:45 am]
Background providing the contribution would
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
On June 18, 2008, section 805 of Title normally be vested in the government
VIII of the Tariff Act of 1930 (the and the practice does not differ in
Softwood Lumber Act of 2008) was substance from practices normally
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
enacted into law. Under this provision, followed by governments, and a benefit
the Secretary of Commerce is mandated is thereby conferred.1 National Oceanic and Atmospheric
to submit to the appropriate Parties should include in their Administration
Congressional committees a report every comments: (1) The country which
180 days on any subsidy provided by provided the subsidy; (2) the name of Proposed Amendment to the Puerto
countries exporting softwood lumber or the subsidy program; (3) a brief Rico Coastal Zone Management
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

softwood lumber products to the United description (at least 3–4 sentences) of Program
States, including stumpage subsidies. the subsidy program; and (4) the
The Department submitted its last government body or authority that AGENCY: National Oceanic and
subsidy report on June 16, 2015. As part provided the subsidy. Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
of its newest report, the Department Office for Coastal Management, National
intends to include a list of subsidy 1 See section 771(5)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, Ocean Service, Department of
programs identified with sufficient as amended. Commerce.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:05 Oct 21, 2015 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\22OCN1.SGM 22OCN1

Document Created: 2015-12-14 15:33:45
Document Modified: 2015-12-14 15:33:45

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Dates		Comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication of this notice.
Contact		James Terpstra, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3965.
FR Citation		80 FR 63957

80 FR 63957 - Subsidy Programs Provided by Countries Exporting Softwood Lumber and Softwood Lumber Products to the United States; Request for Comment

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCEInternational Trade Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 204 (October 22, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration