[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 30411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14280]



[[Page 30411]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-485-806]


Notice of Amended Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determination of 
Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat 
Products From Romania

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Riker or Charles Riggle, 
Office of AD/CVD Enforcement 5, Import Administration, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-0186 
or (202) 482-0650, respectively.

Amendment of Preliminary Determination

    The Department of Commerce (the Department) is amending the 
preliminary determination in the antidumping investigation of certain 
hot-rolled carbon steel flat products (HRS) from Romania. This amended 
preliminary determination results in revised antidumping rates.

Background

    On April 23, 2001, the Department issued its affirmative 
preliminary determination in this proceeding. See Notice of Preliminary 
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Certain Hot-Rolled 
Carbon Steel Flat Products from Romania, 66 FR 22194 (May 3, 2001). On 
May 1, 2001, the Department received timely allegations from certain 
petitioners \1\ of ministerial errors in connection with the 
preliminary determination.
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    \1\ The petitioners who alleged ministerial errors were 
Bethlehem Steel Corporation, LTV Steel Company, Inc., National Steel 
Corporation, and U.S. Steel Group, a unit of USX Corporation.
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    The petitioners alleged that significant ministerial errors exist, 
specifically that the Department did not value electricity or methane 
gas correctly in their factors of production valuation memorandum and 
erred in not including interest expenses in its normal value 
calculations. See letter from Dewey Ballantine to the Department of 
Commerce alleging ministerial errors in the preliminary determination 
(May 1, 2001).

Significant Ministerial Error

    A significant ministerial error is defined as a correction which, 
singly or in combination with other errors, would result in (1) a 
change of at least 5 absolute percentage points in, but not less than 
25 percent of, the weighted-average dumping margin calculated in the 
original (erroneous) preliminary determination; or (2) a difference 
between a weighted-average dumping margin of zero or de minimis and a 
weighted-average dumping margin of greater than de minimis or vice 
versa. See 19 CFR 351.224(g).

Amended Determination

    The Department has reviewed its preliminary calculations and agrees 
with the petitioners that it made certain ministerial errors within the 
meaning of 19 CFR 351.224(f) and (g). We agree with the petitioners 
that the Department erred in miscalculating the surrogate value for 
electricity, and should have included interest expenses in the normal 
value calculations. However, we do not agree that the Department erred 
in not calculating a surrogate value for methane gas. For a detailed 
analysis of these allegations, and the Department's determinations, see 
the May 25, 2001 Memorandum to Bernard T. Carreau from Christopher 
Riker, regarding Ministerial Error Allegations on file in room B-099 of 
the Main Commerce building. As a result of our analysis of the 
petitioners' allegations and because those errors were significant 
within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.224(g), we are amending our 
preliminary determination to revise the antidumping rates for Sidex 
Trading, SRL & Sidex International, Plc, Metanef, S.A., Metagrimex, 
S.A. and Metalexportimport, S.A., in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(e). 
Suspension of liquidation will be revised accordingly and parties shall 
be notified of this determination, in accordance with sections 733(d) 
and (f) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.
    The following weighted-average dumping margins apply:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Margin
                    Manufacturer/exporter                      (percent)
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Sidex Trading, SRL & Sidex International, Plc...............       50.96
Metanef, S.A................................................       62.37
Metagrimex, S.A.............................................       50.23
Metalexportimport, S.A......................................       54.22
Romania-Wide................................................       88.62
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    The Romania-wide rate has not been amended, and applies to all 
entries of the subject merchandise except for entries from exporters/
producers that are identified individually above.
    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: May 29, 2001.
Faryar Shirzad,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-14280 Filed 6-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P