[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25288-25289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11888]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION
[C-423-809 (Belgium), C-475-823 (Italy), C-791-806 (South Africa)]


Notice of Amended Final Determinations: Stainless Steel Plate in 
Coils from Belgium and South Africa; and Notice of Countervailing Duty 
Orders: Stainless Steel Plate in Coils from Belgium, Italy and South 
Africa

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 11, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Zak Smith (Belgium), Cynthia 
Thirumalai (Italy) or Dana Mermelstein (South Africa), Office of AD/CVD 
Enforcement, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0189, (202) 482-4087 and 
(202) 482-0984, respectively.

The Applicable Statute and Regulations

    Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are 
references to the provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by 
the Uruguay Round Agreements Act effective January 1, 1995 (the Act). 
In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the 
Department's regulations are to the current regulations codified at 19 
CFR part 351 (April 1998).

Scope of Orders

    The product covered by these orders is certain stainless steel 
plate in coils. Stainless steel is an alloy steel containing, by 
weight, 1.2 percent or less of carbon and 10.5 percent or more of 
chromium, with or without other elements. The subject plate products 
are flat-rolled products, 254 mm or over in width and 4.75 mm or more 
in thickness, in coils, and annealed or otherwise heat treated and 
pickled or otherwise descaled. The subject plate may also be further 
processed (e.g., cold-rolled, polished, etc.) provided that it 
maintains the specified dimensions of plate following such processing. 
Excluded from the scope of these orders are the following: (1) Plate 
not in coils, (2) plate that is not annealed or otherwise heat treated 
and pickled or otherwise descaled, (3) sheet and strip, and (4) flat 
bars. In addition, certain cold-rolled stainless steel plate in coils 
is also excluded from the scope of these orders. The excluded cold-
rolled stainless steel plate in coils is defined as that merchandise 
which meets the physical characteristics described above that has 
undergone a cold-reduction process that reduced the thickness of the 
steel by 25 percent or more, and has been annealed and pickled after 
this cold reduction process.
    The merchandise subject to these orders is currently classifiable 
in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) at 
subheadings: 7219.11.00.30, 7219.11.00.60, 7219.12.00.05, 
7219.12.00.20, 7219.12.00.25, 7219.12.00.50, 7219.12.00.55, 
7219.12.00.65, 7219.12.00.70, 7219.12.00.80, 7219.31.00.10, 
7219.90.00.10, 7219.90.00.20, 7219.90.00.25, 7219.90.00.60, 
7219.90.00.80, 7220.11.00.00, 7220.20.10.10, 7220.20.10.15, 
7220.20.10.60, 7220.20.10.80, 7220.20.60.05, 7220.20.60.10, 
7220.20.60.15, 7220.20.60.60, 7220.20.60.80, 7220.90.00.10, 
7220.90.00.15, 7220.90.00.60, and 7220.90.00.80. Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the 
written description of the scope of the orders is dispositive.

Amended Final Determinations

Belgium

    In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, on March 31, 1999, 
the Department published its final determination in the countervailing 
duty investigation of stainless steel plate in coils from Belgium (64 
FR 15567) (Belgium Final). Subsequently, on April 5, 1999, the 
petitioners submitted ministerial-error allegations.
    The petitioners allege that the Department neglected to include all 
relevant years in its net present value calculation when calculating 
the benefit from the loan provided to Alfin, pursuant to the Industrial 
Reconversion Zone program. Furthermore, the petitioners allege that, 
when allocating the benefit from this loan, the Department did not use 
the proper discount rate. The respondent did not object to the 
petitioners' allegations. We agree with the petitioners on both counts 
and have made the necessary adjustments. On this basis, we determine 
the countervailable subsidy rate for this program to be 0.18 percent ad 
valorem.

[[Page 25289]]

South Africa

    In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, on March 31, 1999, 
the Department published its final determination in the countervailing 
duty investigation of stainless steel plate in coils from South Africa 
(64 FR 15553) (South Africa Final). Subsequently, on March 29, 1999, 
Columbus Stainless, the operating division of the Columbus Joint 
Venture (Columbus), and the petitioners alleged that the Department had 
made ministerial errors in calculating the estimated net 
countervailable subsidy rate. We disagree with Columbus that we made a 
ministerial error; Columbus' allegation constituted an argument for a 
methodological change. We agree with the petitioners that we made a 
ministerial error, and therefore we have made a correction in the 
calculations. This correction resulted in the estimated net 
countervailable subsidy rate attributable to the Section 37E program 
increasing from 3.84 percent ad valorem to 3.86 percent ad valorem. The 
ministerial-error allegations and the Department's analysis are 
detailed in an April 30, 1999, Memorandum to Bernard Carreau, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for AD/CVD Enforcement II, from David Mueller, 
Director, Office CVD/AD Enforcement VI, RE: ``Ministerial Error 
Allegations filed by Columbus Stainless and Petitioners in the Final 
Determination of the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain 
Stainless Steel Wire Rod [sic] from South Africa, a public version of 
which is on file in the Central Records Unit (Room B-099 of the Main 
Commerce Building). Thus, the total estimated net countervailable 
subsidy rate is 3.95 percent ad valorem for Columbus. This rate also 
serves as the ``all others'' rate. See South Africa Final, 64 FR at 
15566.

Countervailing Duty Orders

    In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, on March 31, 1999, 
the Department published its final determinations in the countervailing 
duty investigations of certain stainless steel plate in coils from 
Belgium (64 FR 15567), Italy (64 FR 15508) and South Africa (64 FR 
15553). On May 3, 1999, in accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, 
the International Trade Commission (ITC) notified the Department of its 
final determination, pursuant to section 705(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, 
that an industry in the United States suffered material injury as a 
result of subsidized imports of stainless steel plate in coils from 
Belgium, Italy and South Africa. In its final determination, however, 
the ITC determined that two domestic like products exist for the 
merchandise covered by the Department's investigation: i) certain cold-
rolled stainless steel plate in coils, as defined above, and ii) all 
other stainless steel plate in coils. The ITC determined pursuant to 
section 735(b)(1) that a domestic industry in the United States is not 
materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of 
imports of certain cold-rolled stainless steel plate from Belgium and 
that imports of certain cold-rolled stainless steel plate in coils from 
Italy and South Africa were ``negligible.'' Therefore, the ITC's 
affirmative determination of material injury covered all stainless 
steel plate in coils other than that specifically excluded under the 
``Scope of the Orders'' section above. Accordingly, the scope of the 
countervailing duty orders has been amended as described above to 
reflect the ITC's distinction between cold-rolled and all other 
stainless steel plate in coils.
    Therefore, countervailing duties will be assessed on all 
unliquidated entries of stainless steel plate in coils from Belgium, 
Italy and South Africa entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for 
consumption on or after September 9, 1998, the date on which the 
Department published its preliminary countervailing duty determinations 
in the Federal Register, and before January 2, 1999, the date the 
Department instructed the U.S. Customs Service to terminate the 
suspensions of liquidation in accordance with section 703(d) of the 
Act, and on all entries and withdrawals on or after the date of 
publication of these countervailing duty orders in the Federal 
Register. Section 703(d) states that the suspension of liquidation 
pursuant to a preliminary determination may not remain in effect for 
more than four months. Entries of stainless steel plate in coils made 
on or after January 2, 1999, and prior to the date of publication of 
these orders in the Federal Register are not liable for the assessment 
of countervailing duties due to the Department's termination, effective 
January 2, 1999, of the suspensions of liquidation.
    In accordance with section 706 of the Act, the Department will 
direct U.S. Customs officers to reinstitute the suspensions of 
liquidation and to assess, upon further advice by the Department 
pursuant to section 706(a)(1) of the Act, countervailing duties for 
each entry of the subject merchandise in an amount based on the net 
countervailable subsidy rate for the subject merchandise.
    On or after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, U.S. Customs officers must require, at the same time as 
importers would normally deposit estimated duties on this merchandise, 
a cash deposit equal to the countervailable subsidy rates noted below. 
The All Others rates apply to all producers and exporters of stainless 
steel plate in coils from Belgium, Italy and South Africa not 
specifically listed below. The cash deposit rates are as follows:

                            Ad Valorem Rates
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             Producer/exporter                    Net subsidy rate
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Belgium:
ALZ.......................................  2.00 percent.
All Others................................  2.00 percent.
ItalyNet
Acciai Speciali Terni.....................  15.16 percent.
All Others................................  15.16 percent.
South Africa:
Columbus Stainless (the operating division  3.95 percent.
 of the Columbus Joint Venture).
All Others................................  3.95 percent.
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    This notice constitutes the countervailing duty orders with respect 
to stainless steel plate in coils from Belgium, Italy and South Africa, 
pursuant to section 706(a) of the Act. Interested parties may contact 
the Central Records Unit, Room B-099 of the Main Commerce Building, for 
copies of an updated list of countervailing duty orders currently in 
effect.
    These countervailing duty orders and amended finals are published 
in accordance with section 706(a) and 705 of the Act and 19 CFR 351.211 
and 351.224.

    Dated: May 5, 1999.
Robert S. LaRussa
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-11888 Filed 5-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P