Honey From Argentina: Notice of Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY:

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of partial rescission of antidumping duty administrative review.

SUMMARY:

On January 22, 2003, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published in the Federal Register (68 FR 3009) a notice announcing the initiation of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on honey from Argentina. The period of review (POR) is May 11, 2001, to November 30, 2002. This review has now been partially rescinded for certain companies because the requesting party withdrew its request.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

March 21, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Phyllis Hall or Donna Kinsella, Enforcement Group III, Office 8, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 7866, Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-1398 or (202) 482-0194, respectively.

Scope of the Review

The merchandise under review is honey from Argentina. For purposes of this review, the products covered are natural honey, artificial honey containing more than 50 percent natural honey by weight, preparations of natural honey containing more than 50 percent natural honey by weight, and flavored honey. The subject merchandise includes all grades and colors of honey whether in liquid, creamed, comb, cut comb, or chunk form, and whether packaged for retail or in bulk form. The merchandise under review is currently classifiable under subheadings 0409.00.00, 1702.90.90, and 2106.90.99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs Service (Customs) purposes, the Department's written description of the merchandise under this order is dispositive.

Background

On December 31, 2002, the American Honey Producers Association and the Sioux Honey Association ( collectively “petitioners”) requested an administrative review of the antidumping duty order (See Notice of Antidumping Duty Order: Honey from Argentina, 66 FR 63672 (December 10, 2001)) on honey from Argentina in response to the Department's notice of opportunity to request a review published in the Federal Register. The petitioners requested the Department conduct an administrative review of entries of subject merchandise made by 21 Argentine producers/exporters. The Department initiated the review for all companies. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Requests for Revocation in Part, 68 FR 3009 (January 22, 2003).

On January 17, 2003, petitioners submitted a withdrawal of request for review of the following 14 companies: Centauro S.A., Comexter Robinson S.A., Compa Inversora Platense S.A., ConAgra Argentina S.A., Coope-Riel Ltda., Cooperativa DeAgua Potable y Otros, Establecimiento Don Angel S.r.L., Food Way S.A., Francisco Facundo Rodriguez, Jay Bees, Jose Luis Garcia, Navicon S.A., Parodi Agropecuaria S.A., and Times S.A. The applicable regulation, 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), states that if a party that requested an administrative review withdraws the request within 90 days of the publication of the notice of initiation of the requested review, the Secretary will rescind the review. The petitioners made a request for withdrawal within the 90-day deadline, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1). Since the petitioner was the only party to request the administrative review of the above listed companies, we have accepted the withdrawal request. Therefore, for all the above listed companies we are rescinding this review of the antidumping duty order on honey from Argentina covering the period May 11, 2001, through November 30, 2002.

This notice is issued and published in accordance with sections 751 and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(d)(4) of the Department's regulations.