[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25449-25450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12203]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-201-817]


Oil Country Tubular Goods From Mexico; Initiation of Changed 
Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

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

ACTION: Notice of initiation of changed circumstances antidumping duty 
administrative review.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a 
changed circumstances antidumping duty administrative review of the 
antidumping duty order on oil country tubular goods (``OCTG'') from 
Mexico. See Notice of Final Determination; Oil Country Tubular Goods 
from Mexico, 60 FR 33567 (June 28, 1995).
    Within the past year, the Department has received two requests to 
revoke the antidumping duty (AD) order covering OCTG from Mexico as it 
pertains to drill pipe with tool joints attached (commonly referred to 
as finished drill pipe). One was a request by the International 
Association of Drilling

[[Page 25450]]

Contractors that the Department self-initiate a changed circumstances 
review. The other request came from the leading producer of finished 
drill pipe in the United States, Grant Prideco. The latter request was 
withdrawn.
    We are initiating an antidumping duty changed circumstances 
administrative review to determine the extent of domestic industry 
support for continuing the antidumping duty order on OCTG from Mexico 
with regard to finished drill pipe.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 8, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John K. Drury or Richard Weible, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482-3208 or (202) 482-1103, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 8, 1997, the International Association of Drilling 
Contractors (IADC) requested that the Department self-initiate a 
changed circumstances review with respect to finished drill pipe. On 
March 13, 1998, the Department responded to the IADCO request. On 
January 28, 1998, Grant Prideco, Inc. requested revocation of the AD 
order on Mexican OCTG with respect to finished drill pipe. The 
Department received letters in opposition to this second request from 
OMSCO Industries and Drill Pipe Industries, Inc. on February 12, 1998, 
and February 13, 1998, respectively. On March 16, 1998, Grant Prideco 
withdrew its request for a changed circumstances review.
    Since the Department's response to IADC on March 13, 1998, parties 
have raised questions regarding whether substantially all of the 
domestic industry supports continuation of the AD order on OCTG from 
Mexico with respect to finished drill pipe. Therefore, in light of the 
request originally filed by Grant Prideco and the information available 
to the Department, the Department believes a changed circumstances 
review is warranted. The Department intends to examine thoroughly the 
domestic producers of the like product to determine which companies are 
no longer interested in the portion of the order with respect to 
finished drill pipe. The Department will conduct this review as 
expeditiously as possible, allowing opportunity for all parties to 
comment. The Department will not revoke the order, in part, unless 
domestic producers accounting for substantially all of the like product 
have expressed lack of interest in maintaining the order with respect 
to drill pipe. The Department interprets ``substantially all'' to mean 
at least 85 percent of domestic production of the like product. This 
review is to determine the level of support of domestic producers of 
the like product for maintaining this order with respect to finished 
drill pipe.

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 by the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all citations 
to the Department's regulations are to the current regulations.

Scope of the Review

    The merchandise subject to this changed circumstances review, is 
finished oil well drill pipe with tool joints attached. This 
merchandise is currently classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States (HTSUS) under item number 8431.43.8010 as ``Parts 
suitable for use solely or principally with the machinery of headings 
8425 to 8430, [o]f machinery of heading 8426, 8429 or 8430: [p]arts for 
boring or sinking machinery of subheading 8430.41 or 8430.49: [o]ther: 
[o]f oil and gas field machinery.'' Although the HTSUS subheadings are 
provided for convenience and customs purposes, our written description 
of the scope of this review is dispositive.

Initiation of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty Order 
Administrative Review

    Pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act, the Department 
will conduct a changed circumstances administrative review upon receipt 
of information concerning, or a request from an interested party for a 
review of, an antidumping duty order which shows changed circumstances 
sufficient to warrant a review of the order. In accordance with section 
751(b) and 19 CFR 351.216(b)(4) and 19 CFR 351.216(d), we are 
initiating a changed circumstances administrative review. We invite all 
parties to provide comments on whether domestic producers of the like 
product no longer have an interest in maintaining the order with 
respect to finished drill pipe from Mexico within seven days of 
publication of this notice of initiation.
    The Department will publish in the Federal Register a notice of 
preliminary results of changed circumstances antidumping duty 
administrative review, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(b)(4) and 19 
CFR 351.221(c)(3). The Department will issue its final results of 
review in accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(e). All written comments must 
be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303 and must be served on 
all interested parties on the Department's service list in accordance 
with the same provision.
    This notice is in accordance with section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff 
Act and section 351.221(b)(1) of the Department's regulations.

    Dated: May 1, 1998.
Robert S. LaRussa,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-12203 Filed 5-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P