[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5024-5025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2456]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-588-824]


Certain Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From 
Japan: Notice of Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review of the 
Antidumping Duty Order, Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances 
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 review, and intent to revoke order in 
part.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(b), Uchiyama America, Inc 
(``Uchiyama''), an interested party in this proceeding, requested a 
changed circumstances review. In response to Uchiyama's request, the 
Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a changed 
circumstances review and issuing a notice of intent to revoke in part 
the antidumping duty order on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel 
flat products from Japan. Interested parties are invited to comment on 
these preliminary results.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 2, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doreen Chen or Rick Johnson, Import 
Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-0408, (202) 482-3818, respectively.

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 (the Act) by the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, 
all citations to the Department's regulations are to the regulations as 
codified at 19 CFR part 351, 62 FR 27295 (May 19, 1997)).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 11, 1998, Uchiyama requested that the Department revoke 
in part the antidumping duty order on certain corrosion-resistant 
carbon steel flat products from Japan. Specifically, Uchiyama requested 
that the Department revoke the order with respect to imports of the 
following subject merchandise: (1) widths ranging from 10 millimeters 
(0.394 inches) through 100 millimeters (3.94 inches); (2) thicknesses, 
including coatings, ranging from 0.11 millimeters (0.004 inches) 
through 0.60 millimeters (0.024 inches); and (3) a coating that is from 
0.003 millimeters (0.00012 inches) through 0.005 millimeters (0.000196 
inches) in thickness and that is comprised of either two evenly applied 
layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt, and 0.5% 
molybdenum, followed by a layer consisting of chromate, or three evenly 
applied layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt, 
and 0.5% molybdenum followed by a layer consisting of chromate, and 
finally a layer consisting of silicate. Uchiyama, a domestic 
manufacturer of rubber seals and metal inserts for ball bearings, is an 
importer of the products in question. On

[[Page 5025]]

January 19, 1999, Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Bethlehem), Inland Steel 
Industries, Inc. (Inland), LTV Steel Company (LTV), National Steel 
Corporation (National), and U.S. Steel Group, A Unit of USX Corporation 
(U.S. Steel), domestic interested parties in this case, submitted a 
letter indicating that they have no objection to the initiation of this 
changed circumstances review and no interest in maintaining the 
antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat 
products from Japan with respect to products having the dimensions 
indicated above. Based on the fact that this portion of this order is 
no longer of interest to domestic parties, we intend to partially 
revoke this order.

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

    Pursuant to sections 751(d)(1) and 782(h)(2) of the Act, the 
Department may partially revoke an antidumping or countervailing 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 review to be conducted upon receipt of a request 
which shows 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 administrative review 
under 19 CFR 351.216, and may revoke an order (in whole or in part), if 
it determines that producers accounting for substantially all of the 
production of the domestic like product to which the order (or the part 
of the order to be revoked) pertains have expressed a lack of interest 
in the relief provided by the order, in whole or in part. In addition, 
in the event that the Department concludes that expedited action is 
warranted, 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii) permits the Department to combine 
the notices of initiation and preliminary results.
    Therefore, in accordance with sections 751(d)(1) and 782(h)(2) of 
the Act, and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.222(g), based on affirmative 
statements of no interest by Bethlehem, Inland, LTV, National, and U.S. 
Steel in continuing the order with respect to corrosion-resistant 
carbon steel flat products with (1) widths ranging from 10 millimeters 
(0.394 inches) through 100 millimeters (3.94 inches); (2) thicknesses, 
including coatings, ranging from 0.11 millimeters (0.004 inches) 
through 0.60 millimeters (0.024 inches); and (3) a coating that is from 
0.003 millimeters (0.00012 inches) through 0.005 millimeters (0.000196 
inches) in thickness and that is comprised of either two evenly applied 
layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt, and 0.5% 
molybdenum, followed by a layer consisting of chromate, or three evenly 
applied layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt, 
and 0.5% molybdenum followed by a layer consisting of chromate, and 
finally a layer consisting of silicate, we are initiating this changed 
circumstances review. Furthermore, we determine that expedited action 
is warranted, and we preliminarily determine that the continued relief 
provided by the order with respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel 
flat products within the width and thickness range mentioned above is 
no longer 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 with respect to imports of corrosion-resistant carbon steel 
flat products of the above-mentioned width, thickness, coating range, 
and coating composition from Japan.
    If final revocation in part occurs, we intend to instruct the U.S. 
Customs Service (Customs) to liquidate without regard to antidumping 
duties, and to refund any estimated antidumping duties collected for 
all entries of corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products, with the 
dimensions indicated above, made on or after the date of publication in 
the Federal Register of the final results of this review in accordance 
with 19 CFR 351.222. 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 on 
corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products, with the dimensions 
indicated above, will continue unless and until we publish a final 
determination to revoke in part.

Public Comment

    Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary 
results. Parties who submit argument in this proceeding are requested 
to submit with the argument (1) a statement of the issue, and (2) a 
brief summary of the argument. Parties to the proceedings 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 workday 
thereafter. Case briefs may be submitted by interested parties not 
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 comments, may be filed not later than 21 days 
after the date of publication of this notice. All written comments 
shall be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303 and shall be 
served on all interested parties on the Department's service list in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.303. 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) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.222.

    Dated: January 25. 1999.
Richard W. Moreland,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-2456 Filed 2-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P