[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36876-36877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18112]



[[Page 36876]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-122-503]


Iron Construction Castings From Canada: 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.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: July 8, 1998.

SUMMARY: In response to the April 30, 1998 request by the Municipal 
Castings Fair Trade Council, the petitioner in this case, the 
Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a changed 
circumstances antidumping duty administrative review and issuing an 
intent to revoke in part the antidumping duty order on iron 
construction castings from Canada. The scope of the order currently 
includes valve, service, and meter boxes which are placed below ground 
to encase water, gas, or other valves, or water and gas meters, which 
are considered light castings. The petitioner has expressed no further 
interest in the relief provided by the antidumping duty order with 
respect to the importation and sale of valve, service, and meter boxes 
which are placed below ground to encase water, gas, or other valves, or 
water and gas meters, considered light castings. Accordingly, we have 
preliminarily determined to revoke the order on iron construction 
castings from Canada with respect to light castings.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary 
results.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Blaskovich or Irene Darzenta, 
AD/CVD Enforcement Group II, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482-
4697 or (202) 482-6320.

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 codified at 19 CFR Part 351 (62 FR 27296, May 19, 1997).

Background

    On March 5, 1986, the Department published the antidumping duty 
order on iron construction castings from Canada (51 FR 7600). 
Subsequently, on September 25, 1986, the Department published an 
amendment to the final determination in the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) 
investigation and to the antidumping duty order on iron construction 
castings from Canada (51 FR 34110). On April 30, 1998, the Municipal 
Castings Fair Trade Council (the petitioner), requested that the 
Department revoke, in part, the antidumping duty order with respect to 
light iron construction castings based on its lack of further interest.

Scope of the Order

    The merchandise covered by the order consists of certain iron 
construction castings from Canada, limited to manhole covers, rings, 
and frames, catch basin grates and frames, cleanout covers and frames 
used for drainage or access purposes for public utility, water and 
sanitary systems, classifiable as heavy castings under Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule (HTS) item numbers 7325.10.0010 and 7325.10.0050; and 
to valve, service, and meter boxes which are placed below ground to 
encase water, gas, or other valves, or water and gas meters, 
classifiable as light castings under HTS item numbers 8306.29.0000 and 
8310.00.0000. The HTS item numbers are provided for convenience and 
Customs purposes only. The written description remains dispositive.

Scope of the Changed Circumstances Administrative Review

    Imports covered by this changed circumstances administrative review 
are shipments of light castings from Canada, as described above.

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

    Pursuant to section 751(d)(1) 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 information concerning changed circumstances sufficient to 
warrant a review.
    Section 351.222(g) of the Department's regulations provides that 
the Department will conduct a changed circumstances review under 19 CFR 
351.216, and may revoke an order in whole or in part, if it determines 
that the producers accounting for substantially all of the production 
of the domestic like product have expressed a lack of interest in the 
order, in whole or in part. In addition, in the event that the 
Department concludes that expedited action is warranted, sections 
351.221(c)(3)(ii) and 351.222(f)(2)(iv) of the regulations permit the 
Department to combine the notices of initiation and preliminary 
results. Therefore, in accordance with sections 751(b) of the Act and 
19 CFR 351.216, 351.221, and 351.222, based on an affirmative statement 
of no interest by the petitioner in continuing the order with respect 
to light iron construction castings, as described above, we are 
initiating this changed circumstances administrative review. Based on 
the fact that no other interested parties have objected to the position 
taken by the petitioner, we have determined that expedited action is 
warranted, and we are combining these notices of initiation and 
preliminary results. We have preliminarily determined that there are 
changed circumstances sufficient to warrant partial revocation of the 
antidumping duty order on iron construction castings from Canada. 
Therefore, we are hereby notifying the public of our intent to revoke, 
in part, the antidumping duty order as it relates to imports of light 
iron construction castings.
    If final revocation in part occurs, we intend to instruct the U.S. 
Customs Service (Customs) to end the suspension of liquidation of iron 
construction castings subject to this changed circumstances review on 
the effective date of the final notice of partial revocation, and to 
refund any estimated antidumping duties collected, for all unliquidated 
entries of such merchandise made on or after March 1, 1997. We will 
also instruct Customs to pay interest on such refunds in accordance 
with section 778 of the Act. 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

    Interested parties may request a hearing and/or may submit case 
briefs and/or written comments no later than 30 days after the date of 
publication of these results. Rebuttal briefs and rebuttals to written 
comments, limited to issues raised in such briefs or comments, may be 
filed no later than 35

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days after the date of publication of these results. The Department 
will issue the final results of this changed circumstances review, 
which will include the results of its analysis of any issues 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 preliminary results.
    This notice is in accordance with section 751(b) of the Act (19 
U.S.C. 1675(b)), and 19 CFR 351.216, 351.221, and 351.222.

    Dated: June 30, 1998.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-18112 Filed 7-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P