19 USC 1671 - Procedures for initiating a countervailing duty investigation

View all text of Part I [§ 1671 - § 1671h]

§ 1671a. Procedures for initiating a countervailing duty investigation

(a) Initiation by administering authority

(b) Initiation by petition

(1) Petition requirements

(2) Simultaneous filing with Commission

(3) Petition based upon a derogation of an international undertaking on official export credits

(4) Action with respect to petitions

(A) Notification of governments

Upon receipt of a petition filed under paragraph (1), the administering authority shall—

(i) notify the government of any exporting country named in the petition by delivering a public version of the petition to an appropriate representative of such country; and

(ii) provide the government of any exporting country named in the petition that is a Subsidies Agreement country an opportunity for consultations with respect to the petition.

(B) Acceptance of communications

(1) In general

(A) Time for initial determination

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), within 20 days after the date on which a petition is filed under subsection (b), the administering authority shall—

(i) after examining, on the basis of sources readily available to the administering authority, the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided in the petition, determine whether the petition alleges the elements necessary for the imposition of a duty under section 1671(a) of this title and contains information reasonably available to the petitioner supporting the allegations, and

(ii) determine if the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the industry.

(B) Extension of time

If a petition is filed under this section with respect to merchandise that was the subject merchandise of—

(i) a countervailing duty order that was revoked under section 1675(d) of this title in the 24 months preceding the date the petition is filed, or

(ii) a suspended investigation that was terminated under section 1675(d) of this title in the 24 months preceding the date the petition is filed,

the administering authority and the Commission shall, to the maximum extent practicable, expedite any investigation initiated under this section with respect to the petition.

(2) Affirmative determinations

(3) Negative determinations

(4) Determination of industry support

(A) General rule

For purposes of this subsection, the administering authority shall determine that the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the industry, if—

(i) the domestic producers or workers who support the petition account for at least 25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product, and

(ii) the domestic producers or workers who support the petition account for more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for or opposition to the petition.

(B) Certain positions disregarded

(i) Producers related to foreign producers

(ii) Producers who are importers

(D) Polling the industry

If the petition does not establish support of domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of the total production of the domestic like product, the administering authority shall—

(i) poll the industry or rely on other information in order to determine if there is support for the petition as required by subparagraph (A), or

(ii) if there is a large number of producers in the industry, the administering authority may determine industry support for the petition by using any statistically valid sampling method to poll the industry.

(E) Comments by interested parties

(5) “Domestic producers or workers” defined

(d) Notification to Commission of determination

The administering authority shall—

(1) notify the Commission immediately of any determination it makes under subsection (a) or (c) of this section, and

(2) if the determination is affirmative, make available to the Commission such information as it may have relating to the matter under investigation, under such procedures as the administering authority and the Commission may establish to prevent disclosure, other than with the consent of the party providing it or under protective order, of any information to which confidential treatment has been given by the administering authority.

(e) Information regarding critical circumstances

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title VII, § 702, as added Pub. L. 96–39, title I, § 101, July 26, 1979, 93 Stat. 151; amended Pub. L. 98–181, title I [title VI, § 650(a)], Nov. 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 1266; Pub. L. 99–514, title XVIII, § 1886(a)(2), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2921; Pub. L. 100–418, title I, §§ 1324(a)(1), 1326(d)(1), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1199, 1204; Pub. L. 103–465, title II, §§ 211(a), 212(a)(1), (b)(1)(E), 233(a)(5)(B), (6)(A)(i), (ii), 270(a)(1)(A), (d), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4842, 4843, 4848, 4899, 4901, 4917, 4918; Pub. L. 104–295, § 20(b)(3), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3527; Pub. L. 114–125, title VIII, § 802(d)(2), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 210.)