Certain Fresh Cut Flowers from Colombia: Extension of Time Limit of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-301-602]

Certain Fresh Cut Flowers from Colombia: Extension of Time Limit

of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) is extending the

time limit for the preliminary results in the administrative review of

the antidumping duty order on certain fresh cut flowers (flowers) from

Colombia, covering the period March 1, 1995, through February 29, 1996,

since it is not practicable to complete the review within the time

limits mandated by the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Act), as amended, 19

U.S.C. 1675(a)(3)(A).

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 21, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Graham or Carole Showers,

Import Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 3099, 14th

Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone

(202) 482-4105 or 482-3217, respectively.

Applicable Statute and Regulations

Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Tariff Act of

1930, as amended (the Act), are references to the provisions effective

January 1, 1995, the effective date of the amendments made to the Act

by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise

indicated, all citations to the Department's regulations are to the

current regulations, as amended by the interim regulations published in

the Federal Register on May 11, 1995 (60 FR 25130).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 22, 1996, the Department initiated an administrative

review of the antidumping duty order on flowers from Colombia, covering

the period March 1, 1995, through February 29, 1996 (61 FR 17685). In

our notice of initiation, we stated that we intended to issue the final

results of this review no later than March 31, 1997.

Postponement of Preliminary Results of Review

Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act requires the Department to make a

preliminary determination within 245 days after the last day of the

anniversary month of an order for which a review is requested. However,

if it is not

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practicable to issue the preliminary results in 245 days, section

751(a)(3)(A) allows the Department to extend this time period to 365

days.

We determine that it is not practicable to issue the preliminary

results within 245 days because the review involves collecting and

analyzing information from a large number of companies. Further, there

are new legal issues to address because this is the first review of

this antidumping duty order under the new law.

Accordingly, the deadline for issuing the preliminary results of

this review is now no later than March 31, 1997. The deadline for

issuing the final results of this review will be 120 days from the

publication of the preliminary results.

This extension is in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the

Act.

Dated: August 15, 1996.

Susan H. Kuhbach,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 96-21337 Filed 8-20-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P