The U.S. Department of Commerce has published two notices requesting comments on proposals to amend its rules in antidumping proceedings with regard to whether to grant separate rates to exporters in proceedings involving non-market economy countries, such as China, and how to “sample” respondents in proceedings involving large numbers of producers and exporters.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) published for public comment on December 16, 2010, two proposed rules concerning its practice in antidumping proceedings with regard to whether to grant separate rates to exporters in proceedings involving non-market economy (NME) countries, such as China, and how to “sample” respondents in proceedings involving large numbers of producers and exporters. The proposals are part of DOC’s Trade Law Enforcement Initiative pursuant to which DOC is studying possible administrative and regulatory changes to antidumping and countervailing duty procedures to strengthen the administration of the nation’s trade remedy laws in support of President Obama’s National Export Initiative’s goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years.