Antidumping: Korea,

[Federal Register: May 21, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 98)]

[Notices]

[Page 27938-27939]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr21my01-37]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-580-825]

Oil Country Tubular Goods From the Republic of Korea; Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of preliminary results of changed circumstances antidumping duty administrative review.

SUMMARY: On March 1, 2001, the Department of Commerce published a notice of initiation in the above-named case. As a result of this review, the Department of Commerce preliminarily finds for the purposes of this proceeding that Hyundai Steel Company (``Hyundai Hysco'') is the successor-in-interest to Hyundai Pipe Company, Ltd. (``HDP'').

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 21, 2001.

[[Page 27939]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Strollo or Scott Lindsay, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-5255 and (202) 482-3782, respectively.

Applicable Statute

Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the ``Act''), are references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective date of the amendments made to the Act by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Department of Commerce's (``Department'') regulations are to 19 CFR part 351 (2000).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 1, 2001, the Department published a notice of initiation in this changed circumstances review (see Notice of Initiation of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 66 FR 12925). On March 20, 2001, the Department conducted a verification of Hyundai Hysco at its headquarters in Seoul. See Memorandum to the File: Verification of Hyundai Hysco in the Changed Circumstance Review of Oil Country Tubular Goods and Circular Welded Non-Alloy Steel Pipe from South Korea, dated April 13, 2001. Verification results are outlined in the public version of the verification report on file in Room B-099 of the main Commerce building.

Scope of the Review

The products covered by this order are oil country tubular goods (``OCTG''), hollow steel products of circular cross-section, including only oil well casing and tubing, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether seamless or welded, whether or not conforming to American Petroleum Institute (``API'') or non-API specifications, whether finished or unfinished (including green tubes and limited service OCTG products). This scope does not cover casing or tubing pipe containing 10.5 percent or more of chromium, or drill pipe. The products subject to this order are currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (``HTSUS'') under item numbers: 7304.29.10.10, 7304.29.10.20, 7304.29.10.30, 7304.29.10.40, 7304.29.10.50, 7304.29.10.60, 7304.29.10.80, 7304.29.20.10, 7304.29.20.20, 7304.29.20.30, 7304.29.20.40, 7304.29.20.50, 7304.29.20.60, 7304.29.20.80, 7304.29.30.10, 7304.29.30.20, 7304.29.30.30, 7304.29.30.40, 7304.29.30.50, 7304.29.30.60, 7304.29.30.80, 7304.29.40.10, 7304.29.40.20, 7304.29.40.30, 7304.29.40.40, 7304.29.40.50, 7304.29.40.60, 7304.29.40.80, 7304.29.50.15, 7304.29.50.30, 7304.29.50.45, 7304.29.50.60, 7304.29.50.75, 7304.29.60.15, 7304.29.60.30, 7304.29.60.45, 7304.29.60.60, 7304.29.60.75, 7305.20.20.00, 7305.20.40.00, 7305.20.60.00, 7305.20.80.00, 7306.20.10.30, 7306.20.10.90, 7306.20.20.00, 7306.20.30.00, 7306.20.40.00, 7306.20.60.10, 7306.20.60.50, 7306.20.80.10, and 7306.20.80.50. Although the HTSUS item numbers are provided for convenience and Customs purposes, the written description remains dispositive of the scope of this review.

Preliminary Results

In making successor-in-interest determinations, the Department examines several factors including, but not limited to, changes in: (1) Management; (2) production facilities; (3) supplier relationships; and (4) customer base. See e.g., Brass Sheet and Strip from Canada; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 57 FR 20460, 20461 (May 13, 1992). While no single factor, or combination of factors, will necessarily prove dispositive, the Department will generally consider the new company to be the successor to its predecessor company if the resulting operations are essentially the same as the predecessor company. See e.g., Id. and Industrial Phosphoric Acid from Israel; Final Results of Changed Circumstances Review, 59 FR 6944, 6945 (February 14, 1994). Thus, if the evidence demonstrates that, with respect to the production and sale of the subject merchandise, the new company operates as the same business entity as its predecessor, the Department will assign the new company the cash-deposit rate of its predecessor.

Based on the information submitted by Hyundai Hysco during the initiation stages of this changed circumstances review and the information examined during verification, we preliminarily determine that Hyundai Hysco is the successor-in-interest to HDP. We find the company's organizational structure, senior management, production facilities, supplier relationships, and customers have remained essentially unchanged. Furthermore, Hyundai Hysco has provided sufficient internal and public documentation of the name change. Based on all the evidence reviewed, we find that Hyundai Hysco operates as the same business entity as HDP. Thus, we preliminarily determine that Hyundai Hysco should be excluded from the antidumping duty order as was it's predecessor company, HDP.

Public Comment

Any interested party may request a hearing within 10 days of publication of this notice. Any hearing, if requested, will be held no later than 28 days after the date of publication of this notice, or the first workday thereafter. Case briefs and/or written comments from interested parties may be submitted not later than 14 days after the date of publication of this notice. Rebuttal briefs and rebuttals to written comments, limited to the issues raised in those comments, may be filednot later than 21 days after the date of publication of this notice. All written comments shall be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303. Persons interested in attending the hearing, if one is requested, should contact the Department for the date and time of the hearing. The Department will publish the final results of this changed- circumstances review, including the results of its analysis of issues raised in any written comments.

We are issuing and publishing this determination and notice in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and Secs. 351.216 and 351.222 of the Department's regulations.

Faryar Shirzad, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 01-12749Filed5-18-01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P