03-2196. Honey From the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of New Shipper Antidumping Duty Review

AGENCY:

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of extension of time limit for preliminary results of new shipper antidumping duty review.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 30, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angelica Mendoza or Donna Kinsella at [phone] or [phone], respectively; Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Enforcement Group III, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The 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, as amended (the Act). In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Department's regulations are references to the provisions codified at 19 CFR part 351 (2002).

Background

The Department received a timely request from Wuhan Bee Healthy Co., Ltd. (Wuhan), in accordance with 19 CFR 351.214(c), for a new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on honey from the People's Republic of China (PRC), which has a December annual anniversary month and a June semiannual anniversary month. On July 31, 2002, the Department found that the request for review met all the regulatory requirements set forth in section 351.214(b) of the Department's regulations and initiated this new shipper antidumping review covering the period December 1, 2001, through May 31, 2002. See Honey from the People's Republic of China: Initiation of New Shipper Antidumping Reviews, 67 FR 50862 (August 6, 2002).^[1] The preliminary results are currently due no later than January 27, 2003.

Extension of Time Limits for Preliminary Results

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the Department may extend the deadline for completion of the preliminary results of a new shipper review if it determines that the case is extraordinarily complicated. The Department has determined that this case is extraordinarily complicated, and the preliminary results of this new shipper review cannot be completed within the statutory time limit of 180 days. Specifically, a number of complex affiliation issues have been raised. The Department has issued supplemental questionnaires to collect additional information about these issues. In addition, we need more time to obtain additional information on sales and factors of production. Given the issues in this case, the Department finds that this case is extraordinarily complicated, and cannot be completed within the statutory time limit.

Accordingly, the Department is fully extending the time limit for the completion of the preliminary results by 300 days, to May 27, 2003, in accordance with section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act and 351.214(i)(2) of the Department's regulations. The final results will in turn be due 90 days after the date of issuance of the preliminary results, unless extended.

Dated: January 23, 2003.

Joseph A. Spetrini,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Group III.

Footnotes

1.  On January 23, 2003, the Department rescinded Chengdu-Dujiangyan Dubao Bee Industrial Co., Ltd.'s request (initiated on July 31, 2002) for a new shipper review.