Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey: Notice of Extension of Time Limits for Antidumping Duty First Administrative and New Shipper Reviews

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-475-818, A-489-805]

Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey: Notice of Extension of Time

Limits for Antidumping Duty First Administrative and New Shipper

Reviews

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 28, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Easton or John Brinkmann,

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-1777 and (202) 482-5288,

respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Postponement of Preliminary Results

A. First Administrative Reviews

On August 28, 1997, the Department initiated the first

administrative reviews of the antidumping duty orders on certain pasta

from Italy and Turkey, covering the period January 19, 1996 through

June 30, 1997 (62 FR 45621). The current deadline for the preliminary

results of these reviews is April 2, 1998. Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the

Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act

(``the Act''), requires the Department to make a preliminary

determination in an administrative review 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 practicable to complete the review

within the time period, section 751(a)(3)(A) allows the Department to

extend this time period to up to 365 days.

We determine that it is not practicable to complete this review

within the original time frame because this review involves collecting

and analyzing information from a large number of companies and

examining allegations of sales below the cost of production for all

companies. Although section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act allows for an

extension of up to 120 days, we believe at this time that only a

limited extension of the deadline is necessary to analyze the complex

legal and methodological issues and coordinate verification of the

companies participating in these reviews. Accordingly, the Department

is extending the time limit for completion of the preliminary results

of these administrative reviews by 90 days, or

[[Page 4219]]

until July 1, 1998. We plan to issue the final results of these

administrative reviews within 120 days after publication of the

preliminary results.

B. New Shipper Review

On August 15, 1997, the Department initiated a new shipper review

relating to the antidumping duty order on certain pasta from Italy,

covering the period July 1, 1996 through June 30, 1997 (62 FR 44643,

August 22, 1997). The current deadline for the preliminary results is

February 11, 1998. Section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act requires the

Department to make a preliminary determination within 180 days after

the date on which the new shipper review was initiated. However, if the

Department concludes that the case is extraordinarily complicated, it

may extend the 180-day period to 300 days.

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act, the Department has

determined that this case is extraordinarily complicated given the

complex nature of the issues similar to those in the first

administrative reviews, including an allegation of sales below the cost

of production. In order to analyze the issues specific to this case and

to benefit from the analyses of similar issues in the administrative

reviews, we are extending the deadline for issuing the preliminary

results to no later than June 11, 1998. We plan to issue the final

results within 90 days after the date the preliminary results are

issued.

These extensions are in accordance with sections 751(a)(2)(B)(iv)

and 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

Dated: January 22, 1998.

Robert S. LaRussa,

Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 98-2058 Filed 1-27-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P