Notice of Postponement of Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determination: Fresh Tomatoes From Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[A-201-820]

Notice of Postponement of Preliminary Antidumping Duty

Determination: Fresh Tomatoes From Mexico

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 15, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith Rudman or Jennifer Katt, Office

of AD/CVD Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and

Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-

0192 or (202) 482-0498, respectively.

POSTPONEMENT OF PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION: On April 18, 1996, the

Department of Commerce (the Department) initiated an antidumping duty

investigation of fresh tomatoes from Mexico (61 FR 18377, April 25,

1996).

In accordance with section 733(c)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930

(the Act), on July 26, 1996, the petitioners \1\ made a timely request

for an extension of the period within which the preliminary

determination must be made. In accordance with section 733(c)(1)(A) of

the Act and section 353.15(c) of the Department's regulations, on

August 5, 1996, we published the Notice of Postponement of Preliminary

Antidumping Duty Determination: Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico (61 FR

40607), postponing our preliminary determination in this investigation

until no later than October 7, 1996.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ The petitioners in this investigation are: The Florida

Tomato Growers Exchange; the Florida Tomato Exchange; the Tomato

Committee of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association; the South

Carolina Tomato Association; the Gadsden County Tomato Growers

Association; and an Ad Hoc Group of Florida, California, Georgia,

Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia Tomato Growers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Department is further postponing the preliminary determination

in this investigation until no later than October 28, 1996. This

further postponement is necessary to provide additional time for the

Department to consider certain novel issues which have been raised by

the parties. The respondent parties have been cooperating in this

investigation and thus, further postponement is appropriate.

This notice is published pursuant to section 733(c)(2) of the Act,

and 19 CFR 353.15(d).

Dated: October 7, 1996.

Barbara R. Stafford,

Deputy Assistant Secretary Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 96-26357 Filed 10-11-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P