Titanium Sponge From the Russian Federation and Republic of Kazakstan: Postponement of Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Reviews

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-821-803 and A-834-803]

Titanium Sponge From the Russian Federation and Republic of

Kazakstan: Postponement of Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty

Administrative Reviews

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Extension of time limits for preliminary results of antidumping

duty administrative reviews.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is extending by 60 days the time

limit of the preliminary results of the antidumping duty administrative

review of the antidumping finding on titanium sponge from the Russian

Federation (A-821-803) and the Republic of Kazakstan (A-834-803),

covering the period

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August 1, 1996, through July 31, 1997, since it is not practicable to

complete these reviews within the time limits mandated by the Tariff

Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1675(a)(3)(A)).

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 10, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Manning or Laurel LaCivita,

Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Enforcement, Office Four,

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S.

Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-3936 and 482-4740,

respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Applicable Statute

Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are

references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective

date of the amendments made to the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Act) by the

Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated,

all citations to the Department of Commerce's regulations are to the

current regulations as codified at 19 CFR 351.

Background

On September 25, 1997 (62 FR 50292), the Department of Commerce

(the Department) initiated an administrative review of the antidumping

findings on titanium sponge from the Russian Federation and the

Republic of Kazakstan, covering the period August 1, 1996, through July

31, 1997. In our notice of initiation, we stated our intention to issue

the final results of these reviews no later than August 31, 1998. Due

to the complexity of the legal and methodological issues presented by

these reviews, the Department has determined that it is not practicable

to complete these reviews within the time limits mandated by the Tariff

Act of 1930 (the Act), as amended (19 U.S.C. 1675(a)(3)(A)).

Postponement of Preliminary and Final 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/finding for which a review is requested

and a final determination within 120 days after the date on which the

preliminary determination is published. 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 a

maximum of 365 days and 180 days, respectively.

We determine that it is not practicable to complete these reviews

within the original time frame because of the complexity of the legal

and methodological issues in these reviews.

Due to the 60 day extension, the deadline for issuing the

preliminary results of these reviews is now no later than July 3, 1998.

The deadline for issuing the final results of these reviews will be no

later than 120 days from the publication of the preliminary results.

These extensions are in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the

Act (19 U.S.C. 1675(a)(3)(A)).

Dated: February 4, 1998.

Richard Moreland,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 98-3335 Filed 2-9-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P