SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On October 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of aluminum extrusions from China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Turkey.^[1] Currently, the preliminary determinations are due no later than December 28, 2023.

Postponement of Preliminary Determinations

Section 703(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in a CVD investigation within 65 days after the date on which Commerce initiated the investigation. However, section 703(c)(1) of the Act permits Commerce to postpone the preliminary determination until no later than 130 days after the date on which Commerce initiated the investigation if: (A) the petitioner makes a timely request for a postponement; or (B) Commerce concludes that the parties concerned are cooperating, that the investigation is extraordinarily complicated, and that additional time is necessary to make a preliminary determination. Under 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioner must submit a request for postponement 25 days or more before the scheduled date of the preliminary determination and must state the reasons for the request. Commerce will grant the request unless it finds compelling reasons to deny the request.

On November 29, 2023, the petitioners ^[2] submitted a timely request that Commerce postpone the preliminary determinations in these investigations.^[3] The petitioners state that it is necessary to extend the deadline for the preliminary determinations to collect the necessary information for determining the most accurate possible CVD subsidy rates, because the full questionnaire responses are not due until a few days before and after the current preliminary determinations deadline, which gives Commerce little or no time to review responses from respondents, issue supplemental questionnaires, or consider deficiency comments before reaching a preliminary determination.^[4]

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioners have stated the reasons for requesting a postponement of the preliminary determinations, and Commerce finds no compelling reason to deny the request. Therefore, in accordance with section 703(c)(1)(A) of the Act, Commerce is postponing the deadline for the preliminary determinations to no later than 130 days after the date on which these investigations were initiated, i.e., March 4, 2024.^[5] Pursuant to section 705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the deadline for the final determinations of these investigations will continue to be 75 days after the date of the preliminary determinations.

This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 703(c)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

88 FR 84788