Amended Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from the People's Republic of China

Federal Register: December 30, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 249)

Notices

Page 69065-69067

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

DOCID:fr30de09-27

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

A-570-943

Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the People's Republic of

China: Notice of Amended Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less

Than Fair Value

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

DATES: Effective Date: December 30, 2009.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (``Department'') has determined that it made certain significant ministerial errors in the preliminary determination of sales at less than fair value in the antidumping duty investigation of oil country tubular goods (``OCTG'') from the People's

Republic of China (``PRC'') \1\ as described below in the

``Supplementary Information'' section of this notice. The Department has corrected those errors and has re-calculated the antidumping duty margins for a mandatory respondent and for exporters eligible for a separate rate as shown below in the ``Amended Preliminary

Determination'' section of this notice. As a result of a document conversion error, the version of this notice released to interested parties on December 4, 2009, omitted the name of an exporter/producer combination that is eligible for a separate rate \2\ and inadvertently misidentified the name of a non-selected respondent, Qiqihaer Haoying

Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special Steel Group

(``Qiqihaer''), a separate-rate applicant. This amended notice corrects this error. Because these errors were discovered prior to publication in the Federal Register, this amended preliminary determination is being published in place of the original version released on December 4, 2009.

\1\ See Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the People's

Republic of China: Notice of Preliminary Determination of Sales at

Less Than Fair Value, Affirmative Preliminary Determination of

Critical Circumstances and Postponement of Final Determination, 74

FR 59117 (November 17, 2009) (``Preliminary Determination'').

\2\ The amended Preliminary Determination released to parties on

December 4, 2009, inadvertently omitted the following exporter and producer combination: Exporter, Pangang Group Chengdu Iron & Steel;

Producer, Pangang Group Chengdu Iron & Steel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Stolz or Eugene Degnan, Import

Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of

Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4474, or 482-0414, respectively.

Scope of Investigation

The merchandise covered by the investigation consists of certain oil country tubular goods (``OCTG''), which are hollow steel products of circular cross-section, including oil well casing and tubing, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether seamless or welded, regardless of end finish (e.g., whether or not plain end, threaded, or threaded and coupled) whether or not conforming to American Petroleum Institute (``API'') or non-API specifications, whether finished (including limited service OCTG products) or unfinished (including green tubes and limited service OCTG products), whether or not thread protectors are attached. The scope of the investigation also covers OCTG coupling stock. Excluded from the scope of the investigation are casing or tubing containing 10.5 percent or more by weight of chromium; drill pipe; unattached couplings; and unattached thread protectors.

The merchandise covered by the investigation is 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, 7304.29.31.10, 7304.29.31.20, 7304.29.31.30, 7304.29.31.40, 7304.29.31.50, 7304.29.31.60, 7304.29.31.80, 7304.29.41.10, 7304.29.41.20, 7304.29.41.30, 7304.29.41.40, 7304.29.41.50, 7304.29.41.60, 7304.29.41.80, 7304.29.50.15, 7304.29.50.30, 7304.29.50.45, 7304.29.50.60, 7304.29.50.75, 7304.29.61.15, 7304.29.61.30, 7304.29.61.45, 7304.29.61.60, 7304.29.61.75, 7305.20.20.00, 7305.20.40.00, 7305.20.60.00, 7305.20.80.00, 7306.29.10.30, 7306.29.10.90, 7306.29.20.00, 7306.29.31.00, 7306.29.41.00, 7306.29.60.10, 7306.29.60.50, 7306.29.81.10, and 7306.29.81.50.

The OCTG coupling stock covered by the investigation may also enter under the following HTSUS item numbers: 7304.39.00.24, 7304.39.00.28, 7304.39.00.32, 7304.39.00.36, 7304.39.00.40, 7304.39.00.44, 7304.39.00.48, 7304.39.00.52, 7304.39.00.56, 7304.39.00.62, 7304.39.00.68, 7304.39.00.72, 7304.39.00.76, 7304.39.00.80, 7304.59.60.00, 7304.59.80.15, 7304.59.80.20, 7304.59.80.25, 7304.59.80.30, 7304.59.80.35, 7304.59.80.40, 7304.59.80.45, 7304.59.80.50, 7304.59.80.55, 7304.59.80.60, 7304.59.80.65, 7304.59.80.70, and 7304.59.80.80.

The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes only, the written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Significant Ministerial Error

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e) and (g)(1), the Department is amending the preliminary determination of sales at less than fair value in the antidumping duty investigation of OCTG from the PRC to reflect the correction of significant ministerial errors it made in the margin calculations regarding

Page 69066

Tianjin Pipe (Group) Corporation (``TPCO''), a mandatory respondent, and in the name of a non-selected respondent, Qiqihaer Haoying Iron and

Steel Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special Steel Group (``Qiqihaer''), a separate rate applicant. A ministerial error is defined as an error in addition, subtraction, or other arithmetic function, clerical error resulting from inaccurate copying, duplication, or the like, and any other similar type of unintentional error which the Secretary considers ministerial. See 19 CFR 351.224(f). A significant ministerial error is defined as a ministerial error, the correction of which, singly or in combination with other errors, would result in (1) a change of at least five absolute percentage points in, but not less than 25 percent of, the weighted-average dumping margin calculated in the original

(erroneous) preliminary determination or (2) a difference between a weighted-average dumping margin of zero or de minimis and a weighted- average dumping margin of greater than de minimis or vice versa. See 19

CFR 351.224(g).

Ministerial-Error Allegation

On November 17, 2009, the Department published its affirmative preliminary determination in this proceeding. See Preliminary

Determination. On November 13, 2009, Qiqihaer, a separate rate applicant, submitted a ministerial error allegation claiming that the

Department did not name it in the Preliminary Determination as one of the exporters receiving a separate rate. On November 16, 2009, Maverick

Tube Corporation and United States Steel Corporation (``Petitioners'')

\3\ submitted ministerial error allegations with respect to the margin calculations for TPCO in the Preliminary Determination, relating to certain conversion errors and surrogate value calculations. No other interested party submitted ministerial error allegations. The

Department has reviewed its preliminary calculations and agrees that the errors which the parties alleged are significant ministerial errors within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.224(g). See the ``Ministerial Error

Memorandum, Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from the People's

Republic of China, Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair

Value,'' dated December 4, 2009, for a discussion of the ministerial error allegations. See Appendix I for a list of the ministerial error allegations.

\3\ TMK IPSCO, V&M Star L.P., V&M Tubular Corporation of

America, Wheatland Tube Corp., Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel, and

United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy,

Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO-

CLC, also Petitioners, did not submit ministerial error allegations.

We are publishing this amendment to the preliminary determination pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e). As a result of this amended preliminary determination, we have revised the antidumping rate for TPCO and corrected Qiqihaer's name in the list of exporters that received a separate rate.\4\ In addition, we have revised the separate rate based on TPCO's revised dumping margin.

\4\ In the Preliminary Determination, we inadvertently referred to Qiqihaer as ``Qiqihaer Bonded Logistics Park Products

International Trading Co., Ltd.'' as both the exporter and producer; there was no separate rate applicant named Qiqihaer Bonded Logistics

Park Products International Trading Co., Ltd.

The collection of bonds or cash deposits and suspension of liquidation will be revised accordingly and parties will be notified of this determination, in accordance with section 733(d) and (f) of the

Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (``the Act'').

Effective Date

The effective date of the corrected name for Qiqihaer will be

November 17, 2009, the date of publication of the Preliminary

Determination. The effective date of the amended preliminary determination rate for TPCO and the separate rate recipients will the date of publication of this amended preliminary determination in the

Federal Register.

Amended Preliminary Determination

As a result of our correction of significant ministerial errors in the Preliminary Determination, we have determined that the following weighted-average dumping margins apply:

Weighted-

Exporter

Producer

average margin

Tianjin Pipe International

Tianjin Pipe (Group)

96.51

Economic and Trading

Corporation.

Corporation.

Angang Group Hong Kong Co., Ltd Angang Steel Co. Ltd...

96.51

Angang Steel Co., Ltd., and

Angang Steel Co. Ltd...

96.51

Angang Group International

Trade Corporation.

Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe Co., Ltd. Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe

96.51

Co., Ltd.

Anshan Zhongyou Tipo Pipe &

Anshan Zhongyou Tipo

96.51

Tubing Co., Ltd.

Pipe & Tubing Co., Ltd.

Baotou Steel International

Baotou Steel

96.51

Economic and Trading Co., Ltd. International Economic and Trading Co., Ltd.

Benxi Northern Steel Pipes Co., Benxi Northern Steel

96.51

Ltd.

Pipes Co., Ltd.

Chengdu Wanghui Petroleum Pipe Chengdu Wanghui

96.51

Co. Ltd.

Petroleum Pipe Co. Ltd.

Dalipal Pipe Company........... Dalipal Pipe Company...

96.51

Faray Petroleum Steel Pipe Co. Faray Petroleum Steel

96.51

Ltd.

Pipe Co. Ltd.

Freet Petroleum Equipment Co., Freet Petroleum

96.51

Ltd. of Shengli Oil Field, The Equipment Co., Ltd. of

Thermal Recovery Equipment,

Shengli Oil Field, The

Zibo Branch.

Thermal Recovery

Equipment, Zibo Branch.

Hengyang Steel Tube Group

Hengyang Valin MPM Tube

96.51

International Trading, Inc.

Co., Ltd.; Hengyang

Valin Steel Tube Co.,

Ltd.

Huludao Steel Pipe Industrial

Huludao Steel Pipe

96.51

Co., Ltd./Huludao City Steel

Industrial Co., Ltd./

Pipe Industrial Co., Ltd.

Huludao City Steel

Pipe Industrial Co.,

Ltd.

Jiangsu Chengde Steel Tube

Jiangsu Chengde Steel

96.51

Share Co., Ltd.

Tube Share Co., Ltd.

Jiangyin City Changjiang Steel Jiangyin City

96.51

Pipe Co., Ltd.

Changjiang Steel Pipe

Co., Ltd.

Pangang Group Beihai Steel Pipe Pangang Group Beihai

96.51

Corporation.

Steel Pipe Corporation.

Pangang Group Chengdu Iron &

Pangang Group Chengdu

96.51

Steel.

Iron & Steel.

Qingdao Bonded Logistics Park

Shengli Oilfield

96.51

Products International Trading Highland Petroleum

Co., Ltd.

Equipment Co., Ltd.;

Shandong Continental

Petroleum Equipment

Co., Ltd.; Aofei Tele

Dongying Import &

Export Co., Ltd.;

Highgrade Tubular

Manufacturing

(Tianjin) Co., Ltd.;

Cangzhou City Baohai

Petroleum Material

Co., Ltd.

Qiqihaer Haoying Iron and Steel Qiqihaer Haoying Iron

96.51

Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special and Steel Co., Ltd. of

Steel Group.

Northeast Special

Steel Group.

Shandong Dongbao Steel Pipe

Shandong Dongbao Steel

96.51

Co., Ltd.

Pipe Co., Ltd.

Page 69067

ShanDong HuaBao Steel Pipe Co., ShanDong HuaBao Steel

96.51

Ltd.

Pipe Co., Ltd.

Shandong Molong Petroleum

Shandong Molong

96.51

Machinery Co., Ltd.

Petroleum Machinery

Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Metals & Minerals

Jiangsu Changbao Steel

96.51

Import & Export Corp./Shanghai Pipe Co., Ltd.;

Minmetals Materials & Products Huludao Steel Pipe

Corp.

Industrial Co., Ltd.;

Northeast Special

Steel Group Qiqihaer

Haoying Steel and Iron

Co., Ltd.; Beijing

Youlu Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Zhongyou Tipo Steel

Shanghai Zhongyou Tipo

96.51

Pipe Co., Ltd.

Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.

Shengli Oil Field Freet

Freet Petroleum

96.51

Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd.

Equipment Co., Ltd. of

Shengli Oil Field, The

Thermal Recovery

Equipment, Zibo

Branch; Faray

Petroleum Steel Pipe

Co., Ltd.; Shengli Oil

Field Freet Petroleum

Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.

Shengli Oil Field Freet

Freet Petroleum

96.51

Petroleum Steel Pipe Co., Ltd. Equipment Co., Ltd. of

Shengli Oil Field, The

Thermal Recovery

Equipment, Zibo

Branch; Tianda Oil

Pipe Co., Ltd; Wuxi

Fastube Dingyuan

Precision Steel Pipe

Co., Ltd.

Shengli Oilfield Highland

Tianjin Pipe Group

96.51

Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd.

Corp.; Goods &

Materials Supply Dept. of Shengli Oilfield

SinoPEC;.

Dagang Oilfield Group

New Century Machinery

Co. Ltd.; Tianjin

Seamless Steel Pipe

Plant; Baoshan Iron &

Steel Co. Ltd.

Shengli Oilfield Shengji

Shengli Oilfield

96.51

Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd.

Shengji Petroleum

Equipment Co., Ltd.

Tianjin Xingyuda Import and

Tianjin Lifengyuanda

96.51

Export Co., Ltd. & Hong Kong

Steel Group Co., Ltd.

Gallant Group Limited.

Tianjin Seamless Steel Pipe

Tianjin Seamless Steel

96.51

Plant.

Pipe Plant.

Tianjin Tiangang Special

Tianjin Tiangang

96.51

Petroleum Pipe Manufacturer

Special Petroleum Pipe

Co., Ltd.

Manufacturer Co., Ltd.

Wuxi Baoda Petroleum Special

Wuxi Baoda Petroleum

96.51

Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Special Pipe

Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Wuxi Seamless Oil Pipe Co., Ltd Wuxi Seamless Oil Pipe

96.51

Co., Ltd.

Wuxi Sp. Steel Tube

Wuxi Precese Special

96.51

Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Steel Co., Ltd.

Wuxi Zhenda Special Steel Tube Huai'an Zhenda Steel

96.51

Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Tube Manufacturing

Co., Ltd.

Xigang Seamless Steel Tube Co., Xigang Seamless Steel

96.51

Ltd.

Tube Co., Ltd.; Wuxi

Seamless Special Pipe

Co., Ltd.

Yangzhou Lontrin Steel Tube

Yangzhou Lontrin Steel

96.51

Co., Ltd.

Tube Co., Ltd.

Zhejiang Jianli Co., Ltd. &

Zhejiang Jianli Co.,

96.51

Zhejiang Jianli Steel Tube

Ltd.; Zhejiang Jianli

Co., Ltd.

Steel Tube Co., Ltd.

PRC-wide Entity*............... .......................

99.14

*Shengli Oil Field Freet Import & Export Trade Co., Ltd. is part of the PRC-wide entity.

The PRC-wide rate has not been amended. Further, we will not instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to suspend liquidation or require a cash deposit or the posting of a bond for imports of OCTG from the PRC exported and produced by Changbao, because we have calculated a margin of zero percent for Changbao. In addition, consistent with the Preliminary Determination, we will adjust, as appropriate, the remaining exporter's cash deposit rates for export subsidies determined in Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the

People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty

Determination, Preliminary Negative Critical Circumstances

Determination, 74 FR 47210 (September 15, 2009).

International Trade Commission Notification

In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, we have notified the

International Trade Commission (``ITC'') of our amended preliminary determination. If our final determination is affirmative, the ITC will determine before the later of 120 days after the date of the preliminary determination or 45 days after our final determination whether the domestic industry in the United States is materially injured, or threatened with material injury, by reason of imports, or sales (or likelihood of sales) for importation, of the subject merchandise.

This determination is issued and published in accordance with sections 733(f) and 777(I)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.224(e).

Dated: December 18, 2009.

Ronald K. Lorentzen,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Appendix I

Issue 1: Whether the Department incorrectly applied a currency conversion rate to the surrogate value for oxygen.

Issue 2: Whether the Department used the correct value for steel scrap.

Issue 3: Whether the Department used the correct surrogate value for marine insurance.

Issue 4: Whether the Department made an error converting brokerage and handling to a metric ton (``MT'') basis.

Issue 5: Whether the Department erroneously applied a weight conversion to certain export price (``EP'') sales.

Issue 6: Whether the Department applied converted MT values in certain U.S. price adjustments.

Issue 7: Whether the Department failed to list the name of a company granted a separate rate in the preliminary determination in the Federal Register notice.

FR Doc. E9-31025 Filed 12-29-09; 8:45 am

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P