Antidumping: Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from The People's Republic of China

Federal Register: June 26, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 122)

Notices

Page 30525-30527

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

DOCID:fr26jn09-37

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

A-570-865

Rescission and Preliminary Rescission of Antidumping Duty

Administrative Review: Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from The People's Republic of China

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 26, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toni Dach or Paul Walker, AD/CVD

Operations, Office 9, Import Administration, International Trade

Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482- 1655 and (202) 482-0413, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On November 3, 2008, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') published a notice of opportunity to request an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') for the period of review (``POR'') November 1, 2007, through October 31, 2008. See

Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended

Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative Review, 73 FR 65288 (November 3, 2008). On December 1, 2008, Nucor Corporation

(``Nucor''), domestic producers of certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products, requested that the Department conduct an administrative review of Baosteel Group Corporation, Shanghai Baosteel International

Economic & Trading Co., Ltd., and Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd.

(collectively ``Baosteel''). On December 1, 2008, ArcelorMittal USA,

Inc. (``ArcelorMittal''), a domestic producer of certain hot-rolled steel flat

Page 30526

products, requested that the Department conduct an administrative review of Angang Steel Company, Ltd., Angang Group International Trade

Corporation, New Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Angang Group Hong Kong Co.,

Ltd., Anshan Iron & Steel Group, and all affiliated entities

(collectively ``Angang''); and Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation,

Baosteel Group International Trade Corp., and Baoshan Iron and Steel

Co., Ltd. (also collectively ``Baosteel''). On December 24, 2008, the

Department published a notice of initiation of an antidumping duty administrative review on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from the PRC. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty

Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 73 FR 79055

(December 24, 2008) (``Notice of Initiation'').

On February 2, 2009, Angang submitted a letter stating that it had no sales of subject merchandise to the United States during the POR. On

March 18, 2009, ArcelorMittal withdrew its request for review of

Baosteel and Angang.

On January 12, 2009, Baosteel submitted a letter stating that it had no sales of subject merchandise to the United States during the

POR. On March 25, 2009, the Department requested additional information from Baosteel. On April 1, 2009, Baosteel submitted its response to the

Department's inquiry. See ``Preliminary Rescission of Review'' section, below.

Scope of the Review

For purposes of this review, the products covered are certain hot- rolled carbon steel flat products of a rectangular shape, of a width of 0.5 inch or greater, neither clad, plated, nor coated with metal and whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances, in coils (whether or not in successively superimposed layers), regardless of thickness, and in straight lengths of a thickness of less than 4.75 mm and of a width measuring at least 10 times the thickness. Universal mill plate (i.e., flat-rolled products rolled on four faces or in a closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 mm, but not exceeding 1250 mm, and of a thickness of not less than 4.0 mm, not in coils and without patterns in relief) of a thickness not less than 4.0 mm is not included within the scope of this review.

Specifically included within the scope of this review are vacuum degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free

(``IF'')) steels, high strength low alloy (``HSLA'') steels, and the substrate for motor lamination steels. IF steels are recognized as low carbon steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium or niobium (also commonly referred to as columbium), or both, added to stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized as steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, copper, niobium, vanadium, and molybdenum. The substrate for motor lamination steels contains micro-alloying levels of elements such as silicon and aluminum.

Steel products to be included in the scope of this review, regardless of definitions in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the

United States (``HTSUS''), are products in which: i) iron predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; ii) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and, iii) none of the elements listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively indicated: 1.80 percent of manganese, or 2.25 percent of silicon, or 1.00 percent of copper, or0.50 percent of aluminum, or 1.25 percent of chromium, or 0.30 percent of cobalt, or 0.40 percent of lead, or 1.25 percent of nickel, or 0.30 percent of tungsten, or 0.10 percent of molybdenum, or 0.10 percent of niobium, or 0.15 percent of vanadium, or 0.15 percent of zirconium.

All products that meet the physical and chemical description provided above are within the scope of this review unless otherwise excluded. The following products, by way of example, are outside or specifically excluded from the scope of this review:

Alloy hot-rolled steel products in which at least one of the chemical elements exceeds those listed above (including, e.g., American

Society for Testing and Materials (``ASTM'') specifications A543, A387,

A514, A517, A506).

Society of Automotive Engineers (``SAE'')/American Iron &

Steel Institute (``AISI'') grades of series 2300 and higher.

Ball bearing steels, as defined in the HTSUS.

Tool steels, as defined in the HTSUS.

Silico-manganese (as defined in the HTSUS) or silicon electrical steel with a silicon level exceeding 2.25 percent.

ASTM specifications A710 and A736.

USS abrasion-resistant steels (USS AR 400, USS AR 500).

All products (proprietary or otherwise) based on an alloy ASTM specification (sample specifications: ASTM A506, A507).

Non-rectangular shapes, not in coils, which are the result of having been processed by cutting or stamping and which have assumed the character of articles or products classified outside chapter 72 of the

HTSUS.

The merchandise subject to this review is classified in the HTSUS at subheadings: 7208.10.15.00, 7208.10.30.00, 7208.10.60.00, 7208.25.30.00, 7208.25.60.00, 7208.26.00.30, 7208.26.00.60, 7208.27.00.30, 7208.27.00.60, 7208.36.00.30, 7208.36.00.60, 7208.37.00.30, 7208.37.00.60, 7208.38.00.15, 7208.38.00.30, 7208.38.00.90, 7208.39.00.15, 7208.39.00.30, 7208.39.00.90, 7208.40.60.30, 7208.40.60.60, 7208.53.00.00, 7208.54.00.00, 7208.90.00.00, 7211.14.00.90, 7211.19.15.00, 7211.19.20.00, 7211.19.30.00, 7211.19.45.00, 7211.19.60.00, 7211.19.75.30, 7211.19.75.60, and 7211.19.75.90. Certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products covered by this review, including: vacuum degassed fully stabilized; high strength low alloy; and the substrate for motor lamination steel may also enter under the following tariff numbers: 7225.11.00.00, 7225.19.00.00, 7225.30.30.50, 7225.30.70.00, 7225.40.70.00, 7225.99.00.90, 7226.11.10.00, 7226.11.90.30, 7226.11.90.60, 7226.19.10.00, 7226.19.90.00, 7226.91.50.00, 7226.91.70.00, 7226.91.80.00, and 7226.99.00.00. Subject merchandise may also enter under 7210.70.30.00, 7210.90.90.00, 7211.14.00.30, 7212.40.10.00, 7212.40.50.00, and 7212.50.00.00. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise under review is dispositive.

Period of Review

The POR is November 1, 2007, through October 31, 2008.

Rescission of Review

On March 18, 2009, ArcelorMittal submitted a timely withdrawal of its request for review of Baosteel and Angang. As ArcelorMittal was the sole party requesting review of Angang, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), we are rescinding this review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from the PRC for the period of November 1, 2007, to October 31, 2008, with respect to

Angang. The cash deposit rate for Angang will continue to be the rate established in the most recently completed segment of this proceeding.

The Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection

(``CBP'')

Page 30527

to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries. For Angang, antidumping duties shall be assessed at rates equal to the cash deposit of estimated antidumping duties required at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(c)(2). The Department will issue appropriate assessment instructions directly to CBP 15 days after publication of this notice.

Preliminary Rescission of Review

On January 23, February 6, and March 6, 2009, the Department placed

CBP data and entry documentation on the record of the instant review, which indicated that Baosteel may have entered subject merchandise during the POR. On March 25, 2009, the Department requested additional information from Baosteel regarding the classification of the shipments. On April 1, 2009, Baosteel provided information demonstrating that the entries in question had been misclassified, and were actually shipments of merchandise outside the scope of this antidumping duty order. Upon review of Baosteel's response, the

Department finds that there is no record evidence that indicates

Baosteel made entries of subject merchandise during the POR.

Therefore, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3) and consistent with our practice, we are preliminarily rescinding this review of the antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from the PRC for the period of November 1, 2007, to October 31, 2008.

If the rescission is confirmed in our final results, the cash deposit rate for Baosteel will continue to be the rate established in the most recently completed segment of this proceeding.

Interested parties may submit comments for consideration in the

Department's final results not later than 30 days after publication of this notice. See 19 CFR 351.309(c). Responses to those comments may be submitted not later than five days following submission of the comments. See 19 CFR 351.309(d). All written comments must be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303, and must be served on interested parties on the Department's service list in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303(f)(3). The Department will issue the final results of this administrative review, which will include the results of its analysis of issues raised in any such comments, within 120 days of publication of the preliminary results, and will publish these results in the

Federal Register.

Notification to Importers

This notice serves as a final reminder to importers for whom this review is being rescinded, as of the publication date of this notice, of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that reimbursement of the antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

Notification Regarding APOs

This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to administrative protective orders (``APO'') of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305, which continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written notification of the return/destruction of

APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a violation which is subject to sanction.

This notice is in accordance with sections 751 and 777(i)(1) of the

Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and 19 CFR 351.213(d)(4).

Dated: June June 19, 2009.

John M. Andersen,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing

Duties Operations.

FR Doc. E9-15176 Filed 6-25-09; 8:45 am

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S

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