[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-27545]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: November 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[A-570-828]

 

Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: 
Silicomanganese From the People's Republic of China

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: November 7, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Kullman or Michelle Frederick, 
Office of Antidumping Investigations, Import Administration, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-1279 or (202) 482-0186, respectively.

FINAL DETERMINATION: We determine that imports of silicomanganese from 
the People's Republic of China (PRC) are being, or are likely to be, 
sold in the United States at less than fair value, as provided in 
section 735 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). The 
estimated margin is shown in the ``Continuation of Suspension of 
Liquidation'' section of this notice.

Case History

    Since the preliminary determination (59 FR 31199, June 17, 1994) 
the following events have occurred: On June 28, 1994, counsel withdrew 
its representation for the two responding firms in this investigation; 
and on July 28, 1994, at the request of two non-responding firms with 
significant silicomanganese exports, the final determination was 
postponed (59 FR 40008, August 5, 1994). No further comments were 
submitted.

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is silicomanganese. 
Silicomanganese, which is sometimes called ferrosilicon manganese, is a 
ferroalloy composed principally of manganese, silicon, and iron, and 
normally containing much smaller proportions of minor elements, such as 
carbon, phosphorous and sulfur. Silicomanganese generally contains by 
weight not less than four percent iron, more than 30 percent manganese, 
more than eight percent silicon and not more than three percent 
phosphorous. All compositions, forms and sizes of silicomanganese are 
included within the scope of this investigation, including 
silicomanganese slag, fines and briquettes. Silicomanganese is used 
primarily in steel production as a source of both silicon and 
manganese. This investigation covers all silicomanganese, regardless of 
its tariff classification. Most silicomanganese is currently 
classifiable under subheading 7202.30.0000 of the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Some silicomanganese may also 
currently be classifiable under HTSUS subheading 7202.99.5040. Although 
the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs 
purposes, our written description of the scope of this investigation is 
dispositive.

Period of Investigation

    The period of investigation (POI) is June 1 through November 30, 
1993.

Best Information Available

    As detailed in our preliminary determination, the Department sent 
antidumping questionnaires to 18 producers and exporters that may have 
sold silicomanganese to the United States during the POI. Further, we 
sent an antidumping questionnaire to the PRC Ministry of Foreign 
Economic Trade and Cooperation (MOFTEC) and requested that MOFTEC: (1) 
Furnish the questionnaire to any silicomanganese producers and 
exporters with U.S. sales during the POI that were not on our list of 
18 companies, and (2) provide a comprehensive list of those additional 
companies that received the questionnaire from MOFTEC. Two companies, a 
PRC producer of silicomanganese and a Hong Kong export company that 
purchased silicomanganese from that company and sold it to the United 
States, were found by the Department not to have had any sales during 
the POI. Further, we did not receive responses from MOFTEC and the 
remaining potential respondents. Accordingly, given that no information 
was submitted by potential respondents with respect to sales during the 
POI, we have based our final determination on best information 
available (BIA), in accordance with section 776(c) of the Act.
    The BIA methodology is described in the notice of preliminary 
determination. In this case, BIA is the information contained in the 
petition, as amended on November 24, 1993 (See Initiation of 
Antidumping Duty Investigations: Silicomanganese from Brazil, the 
People's Republic of China, Ukraine and Venezuela, 58 FR 64553, 
December 8, 1993). The amended petition provides only one margin, 
listed below, for all PRC producers and exporters of silicomanganese.

Critical Circumstances

    Petitioner alleged that critical circumstances exist with respect 
to imports of silicomanganese from the PRC. In our preliminary 
determination, pursuant to section 733(e)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 
353.16, we analyzed the allegations using the Department's standard 
methodology. Because no additional information was submitted since the 
preliminary determination, the Department is using the same analysis as 
explained in its preliminary finding and determines that critical 
circumstances exist for imports of silicomanganese from the PRC.

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

    Pursuant to section 735(c)(4) of the Act, we are directing the 
Customs Service to continue to suspend liquidation of all entries of 
silicomanganese from the PRC that are entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after March 18, 1994 (i.e., 90 days 
prior to the date of publication of our preliminary determination in 
the Federal Register). The Customs Service shall require a cash deposit 
or posting of a bond equal to 150.00 percent ad valorem on all entries 
of silicomanganese from the PRC. This suspension of liquidation will 
remain in effect until further notice.

International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

    In accordance with section 735(d) of the Act, we have notified the 
ITC of our determination. The ITC will now determine, within 45 days, 
whether these imports are materially injuring, or threatening material 
injury to the U.S. industry. If the ITC determines that material 
injury, or threat of material injury, does not exist, the proceeding 
will be terminated and all securities posted will be refunded or 
canceled. If the ITC determines that such injury does exist, the 
Department will issue an antidumping order directing Customs officials 
to assess antidumping duties on all imports of the subject merchandise 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the 
effective date of the suspension of liquidation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice also serves as the only reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information 
disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 353.34(d). Failure to 
comply is a violation of the APO. This determination is published 
pursuant to section 735(d) of the Act and 19 CFR 353.20(a)(4).

    Dated: October 31, 1994.
Susan G. Esserman,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 94-27545 Filed 11-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-M