[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28357-28359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13801]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-351-826]


Small Diameter Circular Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Standard, 
Line and Pressure Pipe From Brazil; Notice of 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 made on April 27, 1998, by the Gulf 
States Tube Division of Vision Metals (``Gulf

[[Page 28358]]

States'') 1, a petitioner in this case, the Department of 
Commerce (the Department) is initiating a changed circumstances 
antidumping duty administrative review and issuing a preliminary intent 
to revoke in part the antidumping duty order on small diameter circular 
seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line and pressure pipe from 
Brazil, the scope of which currently includes certain glass-lined 
seamless pressure pipe. Gulf States and Koppel Steel Corporation, the 
petitioners in this case, have expressed no further interest in the 
relief provided by the antidumping duty order with respect to certain 
glass-lined seamless pressure pipe imported from Brazil. Accordingly, 
we intend to revoke this order in part.
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    \1\ Gulf States was previously a division of Quanex Corporation.
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    Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary 
results.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 22, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen M. Kramer or Linda Ludwig, AD/
CVD Enforcement Group III, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482-
0405 or (202) 482-3833, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 (the Act) by the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). In addition, unless otherwise 
indicated, all citations to the Department's regulations are to the 
regulations at 19 CFR Part 351 (62 FR 27296, May 19, 1997).

Background

    On August 3, 1995, the Department published the amended final 
determination and antidumping duty order in the less-than-fair-value 
(LTFV) investigation of small diameter circular seamless carbon and 
alloy steel standard, line and pressure pipe from Brazil (60 FR 39707). 
On April 27, 1998, Gulf States, a petitioner, requested partial 
revocation of the antidumping duty order due to changed circumstances, 
pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1675(b)(1) and 19 CFR 351.222(g), 62 FR 27,296 at 
27,400-01 (May 19, 1997), with respect to imports from Brazil of 
certain glass-lined seamless pressure pipe. On May 1, 1998, the second 
petitioner, Koppel Steel Corporation, informed the Department by 
telephone that it has no interest in continuing the application of the 
order to glass-lined seamless pressure pipe. See Memorandum for the 
File from Helen M. Kramer, Case Analyst, to Linda Ludwig, Program 
Manager (May 1, 1998).

Scope of the Review

    Imports covered by this review and partial revocation are shipments 
of seamless carbon and alloy (other than stainless) steel pipes, of 
circular cross-section, not more than 114.3 mm (4.5 inches) in outside 
diameter, regardless of wall thickness or manufacturing process (hot-
finished or cold-drawn) that (1) has been cut into lengths of six to 
120 inches, (2) has had the inside bore ground to a smooth surface, (3) 
has had multiple layers of specially formulated corrosion resistant 
glass permanently baked on at temperatures of 1,440 to 1,700 degrees 
Fahrenheit in thicknesses from 0.032 to 0.085 inch (40 to 80 mils), and 
(4) has flanges or other forged stub ends welded on both ends of the 
pipe. The special corrosion resistant glass referred to in this 
definition may be glass containing by weight (1) 70 to 80 percent of an 
oxide of silicone, zirconium, titanium or cerium (Oxide Group 
RO2), (2) 10 to 15 percent of an oxide of sodium, potassium, 
or lithium (Oxide Group RO), (3) from a trace amount to 5 percent of an 
oxide of either aluminum, cobalt, iron, vanadium, or boron (Oxide Group 
R2O3, or (4) from a trace amount to 5 percent of 
a fluorine compound in which fluorine replaces the oxygen in any one of 
the previously listed oxide groups. These glass-lined pressure pipes 
are commonly manufactured for use in glass-lined equipment systems for 
processing corrosive or reactive chemicals, including acrylates, 
alkanolamines, herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and solvents.
    The glass-lined pressure pipes subject to this review are currently 
classifiable under subheadings 7304.39.0020, 7304.39.0024 and 
7304.39.0028 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS). The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. 
Customs' purposes only. The written description of the scope of this 
review remains dispositive.

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

    At the request of the petitioner, Gulf States, in accordance with 
section 751(b) of the Act and section 351.216 of the Department's 
regulations, the Department is initiating a changed circumstances 
review of small diameter circular seamless carbon and alloy steel 
standard, line and pressure pipe from Brazil to determine whether 
partial revocation of the antidumping duty order is warranted with 
respect to glass-lined seamless pressure pipe. Section 782(h)(2) of the 
Act and section 351.222(g)(1)(i) of the Department's regulations 
provide that the Department may revoke an order if it determines that 
producers accounting for substantially all of the production of the 
domestic like product have no further interest in the order. In 
addition, in the event the Department determines that expedited action 
is warranted, section 351.221(c)(3)(ii) of the regulations permits the 
Department to combine the notices of initiation and preliminary 
results.
    In accordance with section 751(b) of the Act and sections 
351.222(g)(1)(i) and 351.221(c)(3), we are initiating this changed 
circumstances administrative review and have determined that expedited 
action is warranted. Our decision to expedite this review stems from 
the domestic industry's lack of interest in applying the antidumping 
duty order to glass-lined seamless pressure pipe.
    Based on the expression of no interest by Gulf States and Koppel 
Steel and absent any objection by any other domestic interested 
parties, we have preliminarily determined that substantially all of the 
domestic producers of the like product have no interest in continued 
application of the antidumping duty order to glass-lined seamless 
pressure pipe from Brazil.
    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 it relates to imports of certain 
glass-lined seamless pressure pipe from Brazil.
    Interested parties may submit case briefs and/or written comments 
no later than 30 days after the date of publication of these 
preliminary results. Rebuttal briefs and rebuttals to written comments, 
limited to issues raised in such briefs or comments, may be filed no 
later than 37 days after the date of publication. The Department will 
issue the final results of this changed circumstances review, which 
will include the results of its analysis raised in any such written 
comments, no later than 270 days after the date on which this review 
was initiated, or within 45 days if all parties agree to our

[[Page 28359]]

preliminary determination. See section 351.216(e) of the Department's 
regulations.
    If final revocation 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 glass-lined seamless pressure pipe from Brazil. 
The current requirement for a cash deposit of estimated antidumping 
duties on all subject merchandise will continue unless and until it is 
modified pursuant to the final results of this changed circumstances 
review.
    This initiation of review and notice are in accordance with 
sections 751(b) of the Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1675(b)), and 19 CFR 
351.216, 351.221, and 351.222 (62 FR 27396, 27398-9, May 19, 1997).

    Dated: May 18, 1998.
Robert S. LaRussa,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-13801 Filed 5-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P