Notice of Postponement of Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determination: Certain Laminated Hardwood Flooring From Canada

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[C-122-825]

Notice of Postponement of Preliminary Countervailing Duty

Determination: Certain Laminated Hardwood Flooring From Canada

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 7, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Boyland or Daniel Lessard,

Office of Countervailing Duty Investigations, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Room 3099, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482- 4198, or (202) 482-1778,

respectively.

Applicable Statute

Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are

references to the provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by

the Uruguay Round Agreements Act effective January 1, 1995 (the Act).

Postponement

On March 27, 1996, the Department of Commerce (the Department)

initiated a countervailing duty investigation of certain laminated

hardwood flooring (LHF) from Canada (see Notice of Initiation of

Countervailing Duty Investigation: Certain Laminated

[[Page 29078]]

Hardwood Flooring from Canada 61 FR 30280 (April 4, 1996)). On May 20,

1996, the Ad Hoc Committee on Laminated Hardwood Trailer Flooring

Imports (the petitioners) alleged that Nilus Leclerc Inc. (Leclerc),

the Quebec producer of LHF in this investigation, is receiving upstream

subsidies, as described under section 771A of the Act.

The May 15, 1996 upstream subsidy allegation submitted by

petitioners, as supplemented by additional information, provides

reasonable grounds for the Department to believe or suspect that

stumpage subsidies provided by the Government of Quebec are being

passed through to Leclerc pursuant to the purchase of hardwood lumber

from suppliers. Accordingly, the Department is extending the deadline

for its preliminary determination in this countervailing duty

investigation in order to investigate the alleged upstream subsidies

provided to Leclerc.

Under Section 703(g), the preliminary determination may be extended

up to 250 days after the March 7, 1996 filing of the petition.

Dated: May 31, 1996

Barbara R. Stafford,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 96-14312 Filed 6-6-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P