[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 19, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 19CFR351.205]

[Page 203-204]
 
                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 351--ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES--Table of Contents
 
        Subpart B--Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Procedures
 
Sec.  351.205  Preliminary determination.

    (a) Introduction. A preliminary determination in an antidumping or 
countervailing duty investigation constitutes the first point at which 
the Secretary may provide a remedy if the Secretary preliminarily finds 
that dumping or countervailable subsidization has occurred. The remedy 
(sometimes referred to as ``provisional measures'') usually takes the 
form of a bonding requirement to ensure payment if antidumping or 
countervailing duties ultimately are imposed. Whether the Secretary's 
preliminary determination is affirmative or negative, the investigation 
continues. This section contains rules regarding deadlines for 
preliminary determinations, postponement of preliminary determinations, 
notices of preliminary determinations, and the effects of affirmative 
preliminary determinations.
    (b) Deadline for preliminary determination. The deadline for a 
preliminary determination under section 703(b) or section 733(b) of the 
Act will be:
    (1) Normally not later than 140 days in an antidumping investigation 
(65 days in a countervailing duty investigation) after the date on which 
the Secretary initiated the investigation (see section 703(b)(1) or 
section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Act);
    (2) Not later than 190 days in an antidumping investigation (130 
days in a countervailing duty investigation) after the date on which the 
Secretary initiated the investigation if the Secretary postpones the 
preliminary determination at petitioner's request or because the 
Secretary determines that the investigation is extraordinarily 
complicated (see section 703(c)(1) or section 733(c)(1) of the Act);
    (3) In a countervailing duty investigation, not later than 250 days 
after the date on which the proceeding began if the Secretary postpones 
the preliminary determination due to an upstream subsidy allegation (up 
to 310 days if the Secretary also postponed the preliminary 
determination at the request of the petitioner or because the Secretary 
determined that the investigation is extraordinarily complicated) (see 
section 703(c)(1) and section 703(g)(1) of the Act);
    (4) Within 90 days after initiation in an antidumping investigation, 
and on an expedited basis in a countervailing duty investigation, where 
verification has been waived (see section 703(b)(3) or section 733(b)(2) 
of the Act);
    (5) In a countervailing duty investigation, on an expedited basis 
and within 65 days after the date on which the Secretary initiated the 
investigation if the sole subsidy alleged in the petition was the 
derogation of an international undertaking on official export credits 
(see section 702(b)(3) and section 703(b)(2) of the Act);
    (6) In a countervailing duty investigation, not later than 60 days 
after the date on which the Secretary initiated the investigation if the 
only subsidy under investigation is a subsidy with respect to which the 
Secretary received notice from the United States Trade Representative of 
a violation of Article 8 of the Subsidies Agreement (see section 
703(b)(5) of the Act); and
    (7) In an antidumping investigation, within the deadlines set forth 
in section 733(b)(1)(B) of the Act if the investigation involves short 
life cycle merchandise (see section 733(b)(1)(B) and section 739 of the 
Act).
    (c) Contents of preliminary determination and publication of notice. 
A preliminary determination will include a preliminary finding on 
critical circumstances, if appropriate, under section 703(e)(1) or 
section 733(e)(1) of the Act (whichever is applicable). The Secretary 
will publish in the Federal

[[Page 204]]

Register notice of ``Affirmative (Negative) Preliminary Antidumping 
(Countervailing Duty) Determination,'' including the rates, if any, and 
an invitation for argument consistent with Sec.  351.309.
    (d) Effect of affirmative preliminary determination. If the 
preliminary determination is affirmative, the Secretary will take the 
actions described in section 703(d) or section 733(d) of the Act 
(whichever is applicable). In making information available to the 
Commission under section 703(d)(3) or section 733(d)(3) of the Act, the 
Secretary will make available to the Commission and to employees of the 
Commission directly involved in the proceeding the information upon 
which the Secretary based the preliminary determination and which the 
Commission may consider relevant to its injury determination.
    (e) Postponement at the request of the petitioner. A petitioner must 
submit a request for postponement of the preliminary determination (see 
section 703(c)(1)(A) or section 733(c)(1)(A) of the Act) 25 days or more 
before the scheduled date of the preliminary determination, and must 
state the reasons for the request. The Secretary will grant the request, 
unless the Secretary finds compelling reasons to deny the request.
    (f) Notice of postponement. (1) If the Secretary decides to postpone 
the preliminary determination at the request of the petitioner or 
because the investigation is extraordinarily complicated, the Secretary 
will notify all parties to the proceeding not later than 20 days before 
the scheduled date of the preliminary determination, and will publish in 
the Federal Register notice of ``Postponement of Preliminary Antidumping 
(Countervailing Duty) Determination,'' stating the reasons for the 
postponement (see section 703(c)(2) or section 733(c)(2) of the Act).
    (2) If the Secretary decides to postpone the preliminary 
determination due to an allegation of upstream subsidies, the Secretary 
will notify all parties to the proceeding not later than the scheduled 
date of the preliminary determination and will publish in the Federal 
Register notice of ``Postponement of Preliminary Countervailing Duty 
Determination,'' stating the reasons for the postponement.