[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55221-55222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23540]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A 588 845]


Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils From Japan: Notice of 
Initiation and Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstance Antidumping 
Duty 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 
circumstance antidumping duty review, and intent to revoke order in 
part.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: September 13, 2000.

SUMMARY: On August 1, 2000, the Department of Commerce (``Department'') 
received a request on behalf of General Chemical Corporation, and its 
subsidiary, Printing Developments, Inc., (``PDI'') for a changed 
circumstance antidumping duty (``AD'') review and an intent to revoke 
in part the AD order with respect to specific stainless steel and strip 
from Japan. The Department received a letter on August 16, 2000, from 
Allegheny Ludlum, AK Steel (formerly Armco, Inc.), Washington Steel 
Division of Bethlehem Steel Corporation (formerly Lukens, Inc.), the 
United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO/CLC, the Butler Armco 
Independent Union and the Zanesville Armco Independent Organization, 
Inc. (``petitioners'') indicting that they do not oppose PDI's request 
for revocation in part of the order pursuant to a changed circumstance 
review with respect to the subject merchandise defined in the Scope of 
the Review section below. Based on this expression of no interest we 
are initiating a changed circumstance review and preliminary determine 
that the AD order should be revoked in part with respect to that 
product.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary 
results.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Villanueva or James C. Doyle, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-6412 and (202) 482-0159, 
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 (April 1999).

Background

    On July 27, 1999, the Department published the Notice of Amended 
Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping 
Duty Order on stainless steel sheet and strip from Japan (64 FR 40565).
    On August 1, 2000, PDI requested revocation in part of the 
antidumping order pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Act and 
Sec. 351.216(b) of the Department's regulations with respect to 
specific stainless steel sheet and strip in coils from Japan, as 
described below. PDI further requested that revocation be effective for 
all unliquidated entries on or after the date of publication of the 
Department's January 4, 1999 preliminary less than fair value

[[Page 55222]]

(``LTFV'') determination (64 FR 108). On August 29, 2000, petitioners 
indicated that they do not oppose this request for revocation in part, 
as noted above.

Scope of the Review

    The product covered by this exclusion request is certain stainless 
steel lithographic sheet. This sheet is made of 304-grade stainless 
steel and must satisfy each of the following specifications. The sheet 
must: (1) Have an ultimate tensile strength of minimum 75 KSI; (2) a 
yield strength of minimum 30 KSI; (3) a minimum elongation of 40 
percent; (4) a coil weight of 4,000-6,000 lbs.; (5) a width tolerance 
of -0/+0.0625 inch and (6) a gauge tolerance of +/-0.001 inch. With 
regard to flatness; (7) the wave height and wave length dimensions must 
correspond to both edge wave and center buckle conditions; (8) the 
maximum wave height shall not exceed 0.75 percent of the wave length or 
3 mm (0.118 inch), whichever is less, and (9) the wave length shall not 
be less than 100 mm (3.937 inch). With regard to the surface, (10) the 
surface roughness must be RMS (RA) 4-8; (11) the surface must be 
degreased and no oil will be applied during the slitting operation; 
(12) the surface finish shall be free from all visual cosmetic surface 
variations or stains in spot or streak form that affect the performance 
of the material; (13) no annealing border is acceptable; (14) the 
surface finish shall be free from all defects in raised or depression 
nature (e.g. scratches, gouges, pimples, dimples, etc.) exceeding 15 
microns in size and with regard to dimensions; (15) the thickness will 
be .0145+/-.001 and the widths will be either 38", 38.25", or 43.5" and 
the thickness for 39" material will be 0118 +/-.001 inches.

Initiation and Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstance AD 
Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part

    At the request of PDI, and in accordance with sections 751(d)(1) 
and 751(b)(1) of the Act and section 351.216 of the Department's 
regulations, the Department is initiating a changed circumstance review 
of stainless steel sheet and strip from Japan to determine whether 
partial revocation of the antidumping order is warranted with respect 
to the stainless steel sheet and strip subject to this request. Section 
782(h)(2) of the Act and Sec. 351.222(g)(l)(1) of the Department's 
regulations provide that the Department 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 have 
no further interest in the order, in whole or in part. 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 
Sec. Sec. 351.222(g)(l)(1) and 351.221(c)(3) of the Department's 
regulations, we are initiating this changed circumstance 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 order to the specific stainless 
steel sheet and strip covered by this request. Additionally, in 
accordance with Sec. 351.216(c) we find that the petitioners' 
affirmative statement of no interest constitutes good cause for the 
conduct of this review.
    Based on the expression of no interest by petitioners 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 AD order to the stainless steel sheet and strip subject to this 
request. Therefore, we are notifying the public of our intent to 
revoke, in part, the AD order as it relates to imports of the 
merchandise described above from Japan.

Public Comment

    Interested parties may submit case briefs and/or written comments 
no later than 14 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 21 days after the date of publication. The Department will 
issue the final results of this changed circumstance 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 written 45 days if all parties agree to our 
preliminary determinations. See Sec. 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 for the merchandise 
covered by the revocation effective on or after January 4, 1999, the 
date of publication of the Department's preliminary LTFV determination 
(64 FR 108) and to release any cash deposit or bond. See 
Sec. 351.222(g)(4) of the Department's regulations. The current 
requirement for a cash deposit of estimated AD duties on all subject 
merchandise will continue unless and until it is modified pursuant to 
the final results of this changed circumstance review.
    This initiation of review and notice are in accordance with 
sections 751(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1675(b)) and 19 C.F.R. 351.216, 
351.221, and 351.222.

    Dated: September 15, 2000.
Troy H. Cribb,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-23540 Filed 9-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-M