§ 1671c. Termination or suspension of investigation

(a) Termination of investigation upon withdrawal of petition

(1) In general

(A) Withdrawal of petition

Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), an investigation under this part may be terminated by either the administering authority or the Commission, after notice to all parties to the investigation, upon withdrawal of the petition by the petitioner or by the administering authority if the investigation was initiated under section 1671a (a) of this title.

(B) Refiling of petition

If, within 3 months after the withdrawal of a petition under subparagraph (A), a new petition is filed seeking the imposition of duties on both the subject merchandise of the withdrawn petition and the subject merchandise from another country, the administering authority and the Commission may use in the investigation initiated pursuant to the new petition any records compiled in an investigation conducted pursuant to the withdrawn petition. This subparagraph applies only with respect to the first withdrawal of a petition.

(2) Special rules for quantitative restriction agreements

(A) In general

Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), the administering authority may not terminate an investigation under paragraph (1) by accepting, with the government of the country in which the countervailable subsidy practice is alleged to occur, an understanding or other kind of agreement to limit the volume of imports into the United States of the subject merchandise unless the administering authority is satisfied that termination on the basis of that agreement is in the public interest.

(B) Public interest factors

In making a decision under subparagraph (A) regarding the public interest, the administering authority shall take into account—

(i) whether, based upon the relative impact on consumer prices and the availability of supplies of the merchandise, the agreement would have a greater adverse impact on United States consumers than the imposition of countervailing duties;

(ii) the relative impact on the international economic interests of the United States; and

(iii) the relative impact on the competitiveness of the domestic industry producing the like merchandise, including any such impact on employment and investment in that industry.

Before making a decision under subparagraph (A) regarding the public interest, the administering authority shall, to the extent practicable, consult with—

(i) potentially affected consuming industries; and

(ii) potentially affected producers and workers in the domestic industry producing the like merchandise, including producers and workers not party to the investigation.

(3) Limitation on termination by Commission

The Commission may not terminate an investigation under paragraph (1) before a preliminary determination is made by the administering authority under section 1671b (b) of this title.

(b) Agreements to eliminate or offset completely a countervailable subsidy or to cease exports of subject merchandise

The administering authority may suspend an investigation if the government of the country in which the countervailable subsidy practice is alleged to occur agrees, or exporters who account for substantially all of the imports of the subject merchandise agree—

(1) to eliminate the countervailable subsidy completely or to offset completely the amount of the net countervailable subsidy, with respect to that merchandise exported directly or indirectly to the United States, within 6 months after the date on which the investigation is suspended, or

(2) to cease exports of that merchandise to the United States within 6 months after the date on which the investigation is suspended.

(1) General rule

If the administering authority determines that extraordinary circumstances are present in a case, it may suspend an investigation upon the acceptance of an agreement from a government described in subsection (b) of this section, or from exporters described in subsection (b) of this section, if the agreement will eliminate completely the injurious effect of exports to the United States of the subject merchandise.

(2) Certain additional requirements

Except in the case of an agreement by a foreign government to restrict the volume of imports of the subject merchandise into the United States, the administering authority may not accept an agreement under this subsection unless—

(A) the suppression or undercutting of price levels of domestic products by imports of that merchandise will be prevented, and

(B) at least 85 percent of the net countervailable subsidy will be offset.

(3) Quantitative restrictions agreements

The administering authority may accept an agreement with a foreign government under this subsection to restrict the volume of imports of subject merchandise into the United States, but it may not accept such an agreement with exporters.

(4) Definition of extraordinary circumstances

(A) Extraordinary circumstances

For purposes of this subsection, the term “extraordinary circumstances” means circumstances in which—

(i) suspension of an investigation will be more beneficial to the domestic industry than continuation of the investigation, and

(ii) the investigation is complex.

(B) Complex

For purposes of this paragraph, the term “complex” means—

(i) there are a large number of alleged countervailable subsidy practices and the practices are complicated,

(ii) the issues raised are novel, or

(iii) the number of exporters involved is large.

(d) Additional rules and conditions

(1) Public interest; monitoring

The administering authority shall not accept an agreement under subsection (b) or (c) of this section unless—

(A) it is satisfied that suspension of the investigation is in the public interest, and

(B) effective monitoring of the agreement by the United States is practicable.

Where practicable, the administering authority shall provide to the exporters who would have been subject to the agreement the reasons for not accepting the agreement and, to the extent possible, an opportunity to submit comments thereon. In applying subparagraph (A) with respect to any quantitative restriction agreement under subsection (c) of this section, the administering authority shall take into account, in addition to such other factors as are considered necessary or appropriate, the factors set forth in subsection (a)(2)(B)(i), (ii), and (iii) of this section as they apply to the proposed suspension and agreement, after consulting with the appropriate consuming industries, producers, and workers referred to in subsection (a)(2)(C)(i) and (ii) of this section.

(2) Exports of merchandise to United States not to increase during interim period

The administering authority may not accept any agreement under subsection (b) of this section unless that agreement provides a means of ensuring that the quantity of the merchandise covered by that agreement exported to the United States during the period provided for elimination or offset of the countervailable subsidy or cessation of exports does not exceed the quantity of such merchandise exported to the United States during the most recent representative period determined by the administering authority.

(3) Regulations governing entry or withdrawals

In order to carry out an agreement concluded under subsection (b) or (c) of this section, the administering authority is authorized to prescribe regulations governing the entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption of subject merchandise.

(e) Suspension of investigation procedure

Before an investigation may be suspended under subsection (b) or (c) of this section the administering authority shall—

(1) notify the petitioner of, and consult with the petitioner concerning, its intention to suspend the investigation, and notify other parties to the investigation and the Commission not less than 30 days before the date on which it suspends the investigation,

(2) provide a copy of the proposed agreement to the petitioner at the time of the notification, together with an explanation of how the agreement will be carried out and enforced (including any action required of foreign governments), and of how the agreement will meet the requirements of subsections (b) and (d) or (c) and (d) of this section, and

(3) permit all interested parties described in section 1677 (9) of this title to submit comments and information for the record before the date on which notice of suspension of the investigation is published under subsection (f)(1)(A) of this section.

(f) Effects of suspension of investigation

(1) In general

If the administering authority determines to suspend an investigation upon acceptance of an agreement described in subsection (b) or (c) of this section, then—

(A) it shall suspend the investigation, publish notice of suspension of the investigation, and issue an affirmative preliminary determination under section 1671b (b) of this title with respect to the subject merchandise, unless it has previously issued such a determination in the same investigation,

(B) the Commission shall suspend any investigation it is conducting with respect to that merchandise, and

(2) Liquidation of entries

(A) Cessation of exports; complete elimination of net countervailable subsidy

If the agreement accepted by the administering authority is an agreement described in subsection (b) of this section, then—

(i) notwithstanding the affirmative preliminary determination required under paragraph (1)(A), the liquidation of entries of subject merchandise shall not be suspended under section 1671b (d)(2) of this title,

(ii) if the liquidation of entries of such merchandise was suspended pursuant to a previous affirmative preliminary determination in the same case with respect to such merchandise, that suspension of liquidation shall terminate, and

(iii) the administering authority shall refund any cash deposit and release any bond or other security deposited under section 1671b (d)(1)(B) of this title.

(B) Other agreements

If the agreement accepted by the administering authority is an agreement described in subsection (c) of this section, then the liquidation of entries of the subject merchandise shall be suspended under section 1671b (d)(2) of this title, or, if the liquidation of entries of such merchandise was suspended pursuant to a previous affirmative preliminary determination in the same case, that suspension of liquidation shall continue in effect, subject to subsection (h)(3) of this section, but the security required under section 1671b (d)(1)(B) of this title may be adjusted to reflect the effect of the agreement.

(3) Where investigation is continued

If, pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, the administering authority and the Commission continue an investigation in which an agreement has been accepted under subsection (b) or (c) of this section, then—

(A) if the final determination by the administering authority or the Commission under section 1671d of this title is negative, the agreement shall have no force or effect and the investigation shall be terminated, or

(B) if the final determinations by the administering authority and the Commission under such section are affirmative, the agreement shall remain in force, but the administering authority shall not issue a countervailing duty order in the case so long as—

(i) the agreement remains in force,

(ii) the agreement continues to meet the requirements of subsections (b) and (d) or (c) and (d) of this section, and

(iii) the parties to the agreement carry out their obligations under the agreement in accordance with its terms.

(g) Investigation to be continued upon request

If the administering authority, within 20 days after the date of publication of the notice of suspension of an investigation, receives a request for the continuation of the investigation from—

(1) the government of the country in which the countervailable subsidy practice is alleged to occur, or

(2) an interested party described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 1677 (9) of this title which is a party to the investigation,

then the administering authority and the Commission shall continue the investigation.

(h) Review of suspension

(1) In general

Within 20 days after the suspension of an investigation under subsection (c) of this section, an interested party which is a party to the investigation and which is described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 1677 (9) of this title may, by petition filed with the Commission and with notice to the administering authority, ask for a review of the suspension.

(2) Commission investigation

Upon receipt of a review petition under paragraph (1), the Commission shall, within 75 days after the date on which the petition is filed with it, determine whether the injurious effect of imports of the subject merchandise is eliminated completely by the agreement. If the Commission’s determination under this subsection is negative, the investigation shall be resumed on the date of publication of notice of such determination as if the affirmative preliminary determination under section 1671b (b) of this title had been made on that date.

(3) Suspension of liquidation to continue during review period

The suspension of liquidation of entries of the subject merchandise shall terminate at the close of the 20-day period beginning on the day after the date on which notice of suspension of the investigation is published in the Federal Register, or, if a review petition is filed under paragraph (1) with respect to the suspension of the investigation, in the case of an affirmative determination by the Commission under paragraph (2), the date on which notice of the affirmative determination by the Commission is published. If the determination of the Commission under paragraph (2) is affirmative, then the administering authority shall—

(A) terminate the suspension of liquidation under section 1671b (d)(2) of this title, and

(B) release any bond or other security, and refund any cash deposit, required under section 1671b (d)(1)(B) of this title.

(i) Violation of agreement

(1) In general

If the administering authority determines that an agreement accepted under subsection (b) or (c) of this section is being, or has been, violated, or no longer meets the requirements of such subsection (other than the requirement, under subsection (c)(1) of this section, of elimination of injury) and subsection (d) of this section, then, on the date of publication of its determination, it shall—

(A) suspend liquidation under section 1671b (d)(2) of this title of unliquidated entries of the merchandise made on or after the later of—

(i) the date which is 90 days before the date of publication of the notice of suspension of liquidation, or

(ii) the date on which the merchandise, the sale or export to the United States of which was in violation of the agreement, or under an agreement which no longer meets the requirements of subsections (b) and (d) or (c) and (d) of this section, was first entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption,

(B) if the investigation was not completed, resume the investigation as if its affirmative preliminary determination under section 1671b (b) of this title were made on the date of its determination under this paragraph,

(C) if the investigation was completed under subsection (g) of this section, issue a countervailing duty order under section 1671e (a) of this title effective with respect to entries of merchandise the liquidation of which was suspended,

(D) if it considers the violation to be intentional, notify the Commissioner of Customs who shall take appropriate action under paragraph (2), and

(E) notify the petitioner, interested parties who are or were parties to the investigation, and the Commission of its action under this paragraph.

(2) Intentional violation to be punished by civil penalty

Any person who intentionally violates an agreement accepted by the administering authority under subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty assessed in the same amount, in the same manner, and under the same procedure, as the penalty imposed for a fraudulent violation of section 1592 (a) of this title.

(j) Determination not to take agreement into account

In making a final determination under section 1671d of this title, or in conducting a review under section 1675 of this title, in a case in which the administering authority has terminated a suspension of investigation under subsection (i)(1) of this section, or continued an investigation under subsection (g) of this section, the Commission and the administering authority shall consider all of the subject merchandise, without regard to the effect of any agreement under subsection (b) or (c) of this section.

(k) Termination of investigations initiated by administering authority

The administering authority may terminate any investigation initiated by the administering authority under section 1671a (a) of this title after providing notice of such termination to all parties to the investigation.

(l) Special rule for regional industry investigations

(1) Suspension agreements

If the Commission makes a regional industry determination under section 1677 (4)(C) of this title, the administering authority shall offer exporters of the subject merchandise who account for substantially all exports of that merchandise for sale in the region concerned the opportunity to enter into an agreement described in subsection (b) or (c) of this section.

(2) Requirements for suspension agreements

Any agreement described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to all the requirements imposed under this section for other agreements under subsection (b) or (c) of this section, except that if the Commission makes a regional industry determination described in paragraph (1) in the final affirmative determination under section 1671d (b) of this title but not in the preliminary affirmative determination under section 1671b (a) of this title, any agreement described in paragraph (1) may be accepted within 60 days after the countervailing duty order is published under section 1671e of this title.

(3) Effect of suspension agreement on countervailing duty order

If an agreement described in paragraph (1) is accepted after the countervailing duty order is published, the administering authority shall rescind the order, refund any cash deposit and release any bond or other security deposited under section 1671b (d)(1)(B) of this title, and instruct the Customs Service that entries of the subject merchandise that were made during the period that the order was in effect shall be liquidated without regard to countervailing duties.

U.S. Code

§ 1671c. Termination or suspension of investigation