E8-6053. Certain Pasta from Italy: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY:

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

March 25, 2008

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew McAllister or Brandon Farlander, AD/CVD Operations, Office 1, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: [phone] and [phone], respectively.

Background

On July 24, 1996, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) published a countervailing duty order on certain pasta (“pasta” or “subject merchandise”) from Italy. See Notice of Countervailing Duty Order and Amended Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination: Certain Pasta From Italy, 61 FR 38544 (July 24, 1996). On July 3, 2007, the Department published a notice of “Opportunity to Request Administrative Review” of this countervailing duty order for calendar year 2006, the period of review (“POR”). See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative Review, 72 FR 36420 (July 3, 2007). In accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(c)(1)(i), we published a notice of initiation of the review on August 24, 2007, for the 2006 POR. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 72 FR 48613 (August 24, 2007). The preliminary results for this review are currently due no later than April 1, 2008.

Extension of Time Limits for Preliminary Results

Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (“the Act”), requires the Department to issue the preliminary results of an administrative review within 245 days after the last day of the anniversary month of an order for which a review is requested and the final results of review within 120 days after the date on which the preliminary results are published. If it is not practicable to complete the review within the time period, section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act allows the Department to extend these deadlines to a maximum of 365 days and 180 days, respectively.

We are awaiting supplemental information from the respondents and the Government of Italy in this review. Because the Department will require additional time to review and analyze this supplemental information and may issue further supplemental questionnaires, it is not practicable to complete this review within the originally anticipated time limit (i.e., by April 1, 2008). Therefore, the Department is extending the time limit for completion of the preliminary results to not later than July 30, 2008, in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

We are issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

Dated: March 19, 2008.

Stephen J. Claeys,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.