[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1434-1435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-631]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[A-583-508]


Porcelain-on-Steel Cooking Ware From Taiwan: Initiation and 
Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part

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

ACTION: Notice of initiation and preliminary results of changed 
circumstances antidumping duty administrative review, and intent to 
revoke order in part.

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SUMMARY: In response to a request from General Housewares Corporation 
(GHC), the Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a 
changed circumstances antidumping duty administrative review and 
issuing a notice of preliminary intent to revoke in part the 
antidumping duty order on porcelain-on-steel cooking ware from Taiwan. 
GHC requested that the Department revoke the order in part with regard 
to teakettles. Based on the fact that GHC, who filed the original 
petition in this case, has expressed no interest in the importation or 
sale of teakettles, we intend to partially revoke this order.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 10, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy S. Wei or Zev Primor, Office of 
Antidumping/Countervailing Duty Enforcement, Import Administration, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone 
(202) 482-4737.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Applicable Statute and Regulations

    Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are 
references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective 
date of the amendments made to the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the 
Act), by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). In addition, unless 
otherwise indicated, all citations to the Department's regulations are 
to the current regulations, as amended by the interim regulations 
published in the Federal Register on May 11, 1995 (60 FR 25130).

Background

    On September 12, 1996, GHC requested that the Department conduct a 
changed circumstances administrative review to determine whether to 
partially revoke the order on porcelain-on-steel cooking ware from 
Taiwan with regard to teakettles. GHC stated that it is the only U.S. 
producer of porcelain-on-steel cooking ware and that, in the original 
petition, it requested that the scope of the order include teakettles. 
GHC also stated that it no longer manufactures porcelain-on-steel 
teakettles and has no further interest in the antidumping duty order 
with respect to teakettles.

Scope of Review

    The products covered by this antidumping order are porcelain-on-
steel cooking ware, including teakettles, which do not have self-
contained electric heating elements. All of the foregoing are 
constructed of steel and are enameled or glazed with vitreous glasses. 
Kitchenware is not subject to this order. See Antidumping Duty Order; 
Porcelain-on-Steel Cooking Ware from Taiwan, 51 FR 43416 (December 2, 
1986).
    The merchandise covered by this changed circumstances review are 
teakettles from Taiwan. Imports of teakettles are currently 
classifiable under the harmonized tariff schedule (HTS) subheading 
7323.94.00.10. The HTS subheading is provided for convenience and U.S. 
Customs purposes. Our written description of the scope of this 
proceeding is dispositive. The order with regard to imports of other 
porcelain-on-steel cooking ware is not affected by this request.

Initiation and Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Antidumping 
Duty Administrative Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part

    Pursuant to section 751(d) of the Act, the Department may partially 
revoke an antidumping duty order based on a review under section 751(b) 
of the Act (i.e., a changed circumstances review). Section 751(b)(1) of 
the Act requires a changed circumstances administrative review to be 
conducted upon receipt of a request containing sufficient information 
concerning changed circumstances.
    The Department's regulations at 19 CFR 353.25(d)(2) permit the 
Department to conduct a changed circumstances administrative review 
under section 353.22(f) based upon an affirmative statement of no 
interest from the petitioner in the proceeding. Section 782(h) of the 
Act and 19 CFR 353.25(d)(1)(i) further provide that the Department may 
revoke an order or revoke an order in part if it determines that the 
order, or part of the order, under review is no longer of interest to 
interested parties. In addition, in the event that the Department 
concludes that expedited action is warranted, section 353.22(f)(4) of 
the regulations permits the Department to combine the notices of 
initiation and preliminary results.
    Therefore, in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 751(d) of the 
Act, 19 CFR 353.25(d), and 353.22(f), we are initiating this changed 
circumstances administrative review and have determined that expedited 
action is warranted. Based on an affirmative statement of no interest 
by petitioner with respect to teakettles, we have preliminarily 
determined that the portion of the order on porcelain-on-steel cooking 
ware from Taiwan concerning teakettles no longer is of interest to 
domestic interested parties. Because we have concluded that expedited 
action is warranted, we are combining these notices of initiation and 
preliminary results. Therefore, we are hereby notifying the public of 
our intent to revoke in part the antidumping duty order as to imports 
of teakettles from Taiwan.
    If final revocation in part occurs, we will instruct the U.S. 
Customs Service to end the suspension of liquidation and to refund, 
with interest, any estimated antidumping duties collected for all 
unliquidated entries of teakettles that are not subject to a final 
results of administrative review. The current requirement for a cash 
deposit of estimated antidumping duties will continue until publication 
of the final results of this changed circumstances review.

Public Comment

    Parties to the proceeding may request disclosure within 5 days of 
the date of publication of this notice and any interested party may 
request a hearing within 10 days of publication. Any hearing, if 
requested, will be held no later than 28 days after the date of 
publication of this notice, or the first working day thereafter. Case 
briefs and/or written comments from interested parties may be submitted 
no 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 case briefs or comments, may be filed no later 
than 21 days after the date of publication of this notice. All written 
comments shall be

[[Page 1435]]

submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 353.31(e) and shall be served on 
all interested parties on the Department's service list in accordance 
with 19 CFR 353.31(g). Persons interested in attending the hearing 
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.
    This notice is in accordance with sections 751 (b)(1) and (d) of 
the Act and sections 353.22(f) and 353.25(d) of the Department's 
regulations.

    Dated: December 31, 1996.
Robert S. LaRussa,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-631 Filed 1-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P