§ 1671a. Procedures for initiating a countervailing duty investigation

(a) Initiation by administering authority

A countervailing duty investigation shall be initiated whenever the administering authority determines, from information available to it, that a formal investigation is warranted into the question of whether the elements necessary for the imposition of a duty under section 1671 (a) of this title exist.

(b) Initiation by petition

(1) Petition requirements

A countervailing duty proceeding shall be initiated whenever an interested party described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 1677 (9) of this title files a petition with the administering authority, on behalf of an industry, which alleges the elements necessary for the imposition of the duty imposed by section 1671 (a) of this title, and which is accompanied by information reasonably available to the petitioner supporting those allegations. The petition may be amended at such time, and upon such conditions, as the administering authority and the Commission may permit.

(2) Simultaneous filing with Commission

The petitioner shall file a copy of the petition with the Commission on the same day as it is filed with the administering authority.

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

If the sole basis of a petition filed under paragraph (1) is the derogation of an international undertaking on official export credits, the Administering Authority shall immediately notify the Secretary of the Treasury who shall, in consultation with the Administering Authority, within 5 days after the date on which the administering authority initiates an investigation under subsection (c) of this section, determine the existence and estimated value of the derogation, if any, and shall publish such determination in the Federal Register.

(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

The administering authority shall not accept any unsolicited oral or written communication from any person other than an interested party described in section 1677 (9)(C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of this title before the administering authority makes its decision whether to initiate an investigation, except as provided in subparagraph (A)(ii) and subsection (c)(4)(D) of this section, and except for inquiries regarding the status of the administering authority’s consideration of the petition.

The administering authority and the Commission shall not disclose information with regard to any draft petition submitted for review and comment before it is filed under paragraph (1).

(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) of this section, 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

In any case in which the administering authority is required to poll or otherwise determine support for the petition by the industry under paragraph (4)(D), the administering authority may, in exceptional circumstances, apply subparagraph (A) by substituting “a maximum of 40 days” for “20 days”.

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

If the determinations under clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) are affirmative, the administering authority shall initiate an investigation to determine whether a countervailable subsidy is being provided with respect to the subject merchandise.

(3) Negative determinations

If the determination under clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) is negative, the administering authority shall dismiss the petition, terminate the proceeding, and notify the petitioner in writing of the reasons for the determination.

(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 In determining industry support under subparagraph (A), the administering authority shall disregard the position of domestic producers who oppose the petition, if such producers are related to foreign producers, as defined in section 1677 (4)(B)(ii) of this title, unless such domestic producers demonstrate that their interests as domestic producers would be adversely affected by the imposition of a countervailing duty order.

(ii) Producers who are importers The administering authority may disregard the position of domestic producers of a domestic like product who are importers of the subject merchandise.

If the petition alleges that the industry is a regional industry, the administering authority shall determine whether the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the industry by applying subparagraph (A) on the basis of production in the region.

(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

Before the administering authority makes a determination with respect to initiating an investigation, any person who would qualify as an interested party under section 1677 (9) of this title if an investigation were initiated, may submit comments or information on the issue of industry support. After the administering authority makes a determination with respect to initiating an investigation, the determination regarding industry support shall not be reconsidered.

(5) “Domestic producers or workers” defined

For purposes of this subsection, the term “domestic producers or workers” means those interested parties who are eligible to file a petition under subsection (b)(1) of this section.

(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

If, at any time after the initiation of an investigation under this part, the administering authority finds a reasonable basis to suspect that the alleged countervailable subsidy is inconsistent with the Subsidies Agreement, the administering authority may request the Commissioner of Customs to compile information on an expedited basis regarding entries of the subject merchandise. Upon receiving such request, the Commissioner of Customs shall collect information regarding the volume and value of entries of the subject merchandise and shall transmit such information to the administering authority at such times as the administering authority shall direct (at least once every 30 days), until a final determination is made under section 1671d (a) of this title, the investigation is terminated, or the administering authority withdraws the request.

U.S. Code

§ 1671a. Procedures for initiating a countervailing duty investigation