Tapered Roller Bearings and Parts Thereof, Finished or Unfinished, from the People's Republic of China: Extension of Time Limit for the Preliminary Results of the 2007-2008 Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order

AGENCY:

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

February 19, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Frances Veith or Brendan Quinn, AD/CVD Operations, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone: (202) 482-4295 or (202) 482-5848, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 30, 2008, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) initiated the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings and parts thereof, finished or unfinished, from the People's Republic of China (“PRC”) for the period June 1, 2007 through May 31, 2008. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, Request for Revocation in Part, and Deferral of Administrative Review, 73 FR 44220 (July 30, 2008). The preliminary results are currently due no later than March 2, 2009.

Statutory Time Limits

Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (“the Act”), requires the Department to make a preliminary determination in an administrative review within 245 days after the last day of the anniversary month of an order for which a review is requested and a final determination within 120 days after the date on which the preliminary results are 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 time limit for the preliminary determination to a maximum of 365 days after the last day of the anniversary month.

Extension of Time Limit of Preliminary Results

We determine that it is not practicable to complete the preliminary results of this review within the original time limit because the Department requires additional time to analyze the supplemental questionnaire responses, issue additional supplemental questionnaires if necessary, and evaluate the most appropriate surrogate values on the administrative record to use in this segment of the proceeding. Therefore, the Department is extending the time limit for completion of the preliminary results by 90 days. An extension of 90 days from the current deadline of March 2, 2009, would result in a new deadline of May 31, 2009. However, since May 31, 2009, falls on a Sunday, a non-business day, the preliminary results will now be due no later than June 1, 2009, the next business day. The final results continue to be due 120 days after the publication of the preliminary results.

We are issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(3)(A) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.