04-2526. Stainless Steel Wire Rod from the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY:

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

February 5, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karine Gziryan or Crystal Scherr Crittenden, AD/CVD Enforcement, Office 4, Group II, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone [phone] or [phone], respectively.

TIME LIMITS:

Statutory Time Limits

Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), requires the Department of Commerce (the Department) to make a preliminary determination within 245 days after the last day of the anniversary month of an order or 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 these time periods, section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act allows the Department to extend the 245-day time limit for the preliminary determination to a maximum of 365 days and the time limit for the final determination to 180 days (or 300 days if the Department does not extend the time limit for the preliminary determination) from the date of publication of the preliminary determination.

Background

On October 24, 2002, the Department published a notice of initiation of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel wire rod from South Korea, covering the period September 1, 2001, through August 31, 2002. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 67 FR 65336 (October 24, 2002). The preliminary results were published on October 7, 2003. See Stainless Steel Wire Rod from the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 68 FR 57879 (October 7, 2003). The final results are currently due no later than February 4, 2004.

Extension of Time Limit for Final Results of Review

We determine that it is not practicable to complete the final results of this review within the original time limit. Therefore, the Department is extending the time limit for completion of the final results by 60 days until no later than April 5, 2004. See Decision Memorandum from Thomas F. Futtner to Holly A. Kuga, dated concurrently with this notice, which is on file in the Central Records Unit, Room B-099 of the Department's main building.

This extension is in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

Dated: January 30, 2004.

Holly A. Kuga,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Group II.