[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 126 (Thursday, July 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35682-35685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16825]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 731-TA-457 (Review)]


Heavy Forged Handtools From China

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of five-year reviews concerning the antidumping 
duty orders on heavy forged handtools from China.

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted 
reviews pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the antidumping 
duty orders on heavy forged handtools from China would be likely to 
lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury. Pursuant to 
section 751(c)(2) of the Act, interested parties are requested to 
respond to this notice by submitting the information specified below to 
the Commission; 1 to

[[Page 35683]]

be assured of consideration, the deadline for responses is August 20, 
1999. Comments on the adequacy of responses may be filed with the 
Commission by September 13, 1999.
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    \1\  No response to this request for information is required if 
a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number is 
not displayed; the OMB number is 3117-0016/USITC No. 99-5-018. 
Public reporting burden for the request is estimated to average 7 
hours per response. Please send comments regarding the accuracy of 
this burden estimate to the Office of Investigations, U.S. 
International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20436.

    For further information concerning the conduct of these reviews and 
rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part 
201), and part 207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part 207). Recent 
amendments to the Rules of Practice and Procedure pertinent to five-
year reviews, including the text of subpart F of part 207, are 
published at 63 F.R. 30599, June 5, 1998, and may be downloaded from 
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the Commission's World Wide Web site at http://www.usitc.gov/rules.htm.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Messer (202-205-3193) or Vera 
Libeau (202-205-3176), Office of Investigations, U.S. International 
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-
impaired persons can obtain information on this matter by contacting 
the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-1810. Persons with mobility 
impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the 
Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000. 
General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by 
accessing its internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On February 19, 1991, the Department of Commerce issued antidumping 
duty orders on imports of the following classes or kinds of heavy 
forged handtools from China: (1) Axes & adzes, (2) bars & wedges, (3) 
hammers & sledges, and (4) picks & mattocks (56 F.R. 6622). The 
Commission is conducting reviews to determine whether revocation of the 
orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of 
material injury to the domestic industry within a reasonably 
foreseeable time. It will assess the adequacy of interested party 
responses to this notice of institution to determine whether to conduct 
full reviews or expedited reviews. The Commission's determinations in 
any expedited reviews will be based on the facts available, which may 
include information provided in response to this notice.

Definitions

    The following definitions apply to these reviews:
    (1) Subject Merchandise is the class or kind of merchandise that is 
within the scope of the five-year reviews, as defined by the Department 
of Commerce.
    (2) The Subject Country in these reviews is China.
    (3) The Domestic Like Product is the domestically produced product 
or products which are like, or in the absence of like, most similar in 
characteristics and uses with, the Subject Merchandise. In its original 
determinations, the Commission found four Domestic Like Products: (1) 
Axes, adzes and hewing tools, other than machetes, with or without 
handles; (2) bar tools, track tools, and wedges; (3) hammers and 
sledges, with heads weighing 2 pounds or more, with or without handles; 
and (4) picks and mattocks, with or without handles.
    (4) The Domestic Industry is the U.S. producers as a whole of the 
Domestic Like Product, or those producers whose collective output of 
the Domestic Like Product constitutes a major proportion of the total 
domestic production of the product. In its original determinations, the 
Commission found four Domestic Industries: (1) producers of axes, adzes 
and hewing tools, other than machetes, with or without handles; (2) 
producers of bar tools, track tools, and wedges; (3) producers of 
hammers and sledges, with heads weighing 2 pounds or more, with or 
without handles; and (4) producers of picks and mattocks, with or 
without handles. The Commission excluded from the Domestic Industries 
companies that do no more than assemble imported heads with handles 
purchased from a domestic manufacturer. The Commission also excluded 
one domestic producer, Madison Mill, from the Domestic Industries under 
the related parties provision.
    (5) The Order Date is the date that the antidumping duty orders 
under review became effective. In these reviews, the Order Date is 
February 19, 1991.
    (6) An Importer is any person or firm engaged, either directly or 
through a parent company or subsidiary, in importing the Subject 
Merchandise into the United States from a foreign manufacturer or 
through its selling agent.

Participation in the Reviews and Public Service List

    Persons, including industrial users of the Subject Merchandise and, 
if the merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer 
organizations, wishing to participate in the reviews as parties must 
file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as 
provided in Sec. 201.11(b)(4) of the Commission's rules, no later than 
21 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The 
Secretary will maintain a public service list containing the names and 
addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to 
the reviews.

Limited Disclosure of Business Proprietary Information (BPI) Under 
an Administrative Protective Order (APO) and APO Service List

    Pursuant to Sec. 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary 
will make BPI submitted in these reviews available to authorized 
applicants under the APO issued in the reviews, provided that the 
application is made no later than 21 days after publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. Authorized applicants must represent 
interested parties, as defined in 19 U.S.C. 1677(9), who are parties to 
the reviews. A separate service list will be maintained by the 
Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.

Certification

    Pursuant to Sec. 207.3 of the Commission's rules, any person 
submitting information to the Commission in connection with these 
reviews must certify that the information is accurate and complete to 
the best of the submitter's knowledge. In making the certification, the 
submitter will be deemed to consent, unless otherwise specified, for 
the Commission, its employees, and contract personnel to use the 
information provided in any other reviews or investigations of the same 
or comparable products which the Commission conducts under Title VII of 
the Act, or in internal audits and investigations relating to the 
programs and operations of the Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 
3.

Written Submissions

    Pursuant to Sec. 207.61 of the Commission's rules, each interested 
party response to this notice must provide the information specified 
below. The deadline for filing such responses is August 20, 1999. 
Pursuant to Sec. 207.62(b) of the Commission's rules, eligible parties 
(as specified in Commission rule 207.62(b)(1)) may also file comments 
concerning the adequacy of responses to the notice of institution and 
whether the Commission should conduct expedited or full reviews. The 
deadline for filing such comments is

[[Page 35684]]

September 13, 1999. All written submissions must conform with the 
provisions of Sec. 201.8 and 207.3 of the Commission's rules and any 
submissions that contain BPI must also conform with the requirements of 
Secs. 201.6 and 207.7 of the Commission's rules. The Commission's rules 
do not authorize filing of submissions with the Secretary by facsimile 
or electronic means. Also, in accordance with Secs. 201.16(c) and 207.3 
of the Commission's rules, each document filed by a party to the 
reviews must be served on all other parties to the reviews (as 
identified by either the public or APO service list as appropriate), 
and a certificate of service must accompany the document (if you are 
not a party to the reviews you do not need to serve your response).

Inability To Provide Requested Information

    Pursuant to Sec. 207.61(c) of the Commission's rules, any 
interested party that cannot furnish the information requested by this 
notice in the requested form and manner shall notify the Commission at 
the earliest possible time, provide a full explanation of why it cannot 
provide the requested information, and indicate alternative forms in 
which it can provide equivalent information. If an interested party 
does not provide this notification (or the Commission finds the 
explanation provided in the notification inadequate) and fails to 
provide a complete response to this notice, the Commission may take an 
adverse inference against the party pursuant to section 776(b) of the 
Act in making its determinations in the reviews.

Information To Be Provided in Response to This Notice of 
Institution

    Please provide the requested information separately for each 
Domestic Like Product, as defined by the Commission in its original 
determinations, and for each of the products identified by Commerce as 
Subject Merchandise. As used below, the term ``firm'' includes any 
related firms.
    (1) The name and address of your firm or entity (including World 
Wide Web address if available) and name, telephone number, fax number, 
and E-mail address of the certifying official.
    (2) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S. 
producer of the Domestic Like Product to which your response pertains, 
a U.S. union or worker group, a U.S. importer of the Subject 
Merchandise, a foreign producer or exporter of the Subject Merchandise, 
a U.S. or foreign trade or business association, or another interested 
party (including an explanation). If you are a union/worker group or 
trade/business association, identify the firms in which your workers 
are employed or which are members of your association.
    (3) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is willing to 
participate in these reviews by providing information requested by the 
Commission.
    (4) A statement of the likely effects of the revocation of the 
antidumping duty orders on each Domestic Industry for which you are 
filing a response in general and/or your firm/entity specifically. In 
your response, please discuss the various factors specified in section 
752(a) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1675a(a)) including the likely volume of 
subject imports, likely price effects of subject imports, and likely 
impact of imports of Subject Merchandise on the Domestic Industry.
    (5) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of 
each Domestic Like Product for which you are filing a response. 
Identify any known related parties and the nature of the relationship 
as defined in section 771(4)(B) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1677(4)(B)).
    (6) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. importers of 
the Subject Merchandise and producers of the Subject Merchandise in the 
Subject Country that currently export or have exported Subject 
Merchandise to the United States or other countries since 1990.
    (7) If you are a U.S. producer of a Domestic Like Product, provide 
the following information separately on your firm's operations on each 
product during calendar year 1998 (report quantity data in units and 
value data in thousands of U.S. dollars, f.o.b. plant). If you are a 
union/worker group or trade/business association, provide the 
information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms in which your workers 
are employed/which are members of your association.
    (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total U.S. production of each Domestic Like Product 
accounted for by your firm's(s'') production; and
    (b) The quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of each 
Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s); and
    (c) The quantity and value of U.S. internal consumption/company 
transfers of each Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s).
    (8) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of 
U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from the Subject Country, 
provide the following information on your firm's(s'') operations on 
that product during calendar year 1998 (report quantity data in units 
and value data in thousands of U.S. dollars). If you are a trade/
business association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, 
for the firms which are members of your association.
    (a) The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including 
antidumping or countervailing duties) of U.S. imports and, if known, an 
estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise 
from the Subject Country accounted for by your firm's(s'') imports; and
    (b) The quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping 
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject 
Merchandise imported from the Subject Country; and
    (c) The quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping 
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. internal consumption/company 
transfers of Subject Merchandise imported from the Subject Country.
    (9) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business 
association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in the 
Subject Country, provide the following information on your firm's(s'') 
operations on that product during calendar year 1998 (report quantity 
data in units and value data in thousands of U.S. dollars, landed and 
duty-paid at the U.S. port but not including antidumping or 
countervailing duties). If you are a trade/business association, 
provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms which are 
members of your association.
    (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in the Subject 
Country accounted for by your firm's(s'') production; and
    (b) The quantity and value of your firm's(s'') exports to the 
United States of Subject Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise 
from the Subject Country accounted for by your firm's(s'') exports.
    (10) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand 
conditions or business cycle for each Domestic Like Product that have 
occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject 
Merchandise in the Subject Country since the Order Date, and 
significant changes, if any, that are likely to occur within a 
reasonably foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include 
technology; production methods;

[[Page 35685]]

development efforts; ability to increase production (including the 
shift of production facilities used for other products and the use, 
cost, or availability of major inputs into production); and factors 
related to the ability to shift supply among different national markets 
(including barriers to importation in foreign markets or changes in 
market demand abroad). Demand conditions to consider include end uses 
and applications; the existence and availability of substitute 
products; and the level of competition among the Domestic Like Product 
produced in the United States, Subject Merchandise produced in the 
Subject Country, and such merchandise from other countries.
    (11) (OPTIONAL) A statement of whether you agree with the above 
definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you 
disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why 
and provide alternative definitions.

    Authority: These reviews are being conducted under authority of 
title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published 
pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission's rules.

    Issued: June 25, 1999.

    By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke
Secretary.

[FR Doc. 99-16825 Filed 6-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-U