[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 46 (Friday, March 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10667-10670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5660]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-588-854]


Certain Tin Mill Products From Japan: Preliminary Results of 
Changed Circumstances Review

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

ACTION: Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Review and Intent 
to Revoke in Part the Antidumping Duty Order.

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SUMMARY: On January 25, 2002, the Department of Commerce (``the 
Department'') published a notice of initiation of a changed 
circumstances review with the intent to revoke, in part, the 
antidumping duty order on certain tin mill products from Japan with 
respect to certain tin-free steel as described below. See Certain Tin 
Mill Products From Japan: Notice of Initiation of Changed Circumstances 
Review of the Antidumping Order, 67 FR 3686 (January 25, 2002) 
(``Initiation Notice''). In our Initiation Notice we invited interested 
parties to comment; however, we did not receive any comments. We now 
preliminarily revoke this order, in part, with respect to future 
entries of certain tin-free steel described below, based on the fact 
that domestic parties have expressed no interest in the continuation of 
the order with respect to these particular tin-free steel products.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 8, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Ferrier, Import 
Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-1394.
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, as amended 
(``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 C.F.R. Part 351 (2001).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
    On August 28, 2000, the Department published in the Federal 
Register the

[[Page 10668]]

antidumping duty order on certain tin mill products from Japan. See 
Notice of Antidumping Duty Order: Certain Tin Mill Products from Japan 
65 FR 52067 (August 28, 2000) (TMP Order). On December 3, 2001, Okaya 
(U.S.A.), Inc. (``Okaya''), a U.S. importer requested that the 
Department revoke in part the antidumping duty order on certain tin 
mill products from Japan. Okaya also requested that the partial 
revocation apply retroactively for all unliquidated entries. 
Specifically, the U.S. importer requested that the Department revoke 
the order with respect to imports meeting the following specifications: 
Steel coated with a metallic chromium layer between 100-200 mg/m\2\ and 
a chromium oxide layer between 5-30 mg/m\2\; chemical composition of 
0.05% maximum carbon, 0.03% maximum silicon, 0.60% maximum manganese, 
0.02% maximum phosphorous, and 0.02% maximum sulfur; magnetic flux 
density (``Br'') of 10 kg minimum and a coercive force (``Hc'') of 3.8 
Oe minimum. The U.S. importer indicated that, based on its 
consultations with domestic producers, the domestic producers lack 
interest in producing this specialized product.
    On January 16, 2002, Weirton Steel, the only petitioner producer in 
the underlying investigation filed a letter stating that they did not 
object to the exclusion of this product from the order. Weirton Steel, 
a domestic producer of tin mill products, together with the Independent 
Steelworkers Union and the United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO, 
were the petitioners in the underlying sales at less-than-fair-value 
investigation (see TMP Order). The Department noted that Weirton Steel 
is a producer of tin mill products, but individually does not account 
for substantially all of the production of the domestic like product. 
See Certain Tin Mill Products From Japan: Final Results of Changed 
Circumstances Review, 66 FR 52109 (October 12, 2001). However, the 
Department had no information on the record that the other known 
domestic producers of tin mill products, Bethlehem Steel Corp., 
National Steel Corp., Midwest Division, Ohio Coatings Co., U.S. Steel 
Group, a Unit of USX Corp., and USS-Posco Industries, Inc., had no 
interest in maintaining the antidumping duty order with respect to 
certain tin-free steel described in Okaya's request. Therefore, we did 
not combine this initiation with the preliminary determination, which 
is our normal practice under section 351.221(c)(3)(ii). On January 25, 
2002, the Department published a notice of initiation of a changed 
circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on certain tin mill 
products from Japan with respect to certain tin-free steel. See 
Initiation Notice. In the Initiation Notice, we indicated that 
interested parties could submit comments for consideration in the 
Department's preliminary results not later than 20 days after 
publication of the initiation of the review, and submit responses to 
those comments no later than 10 days following the submission of 
comments. We did not receive any comments.
Scope of Review
    The products covered by this antidumping order are tin mill flat-
rolled products that are coated or plated with tin, chromium or 
chromium oxides. Flat-rolled steel products coated with tin are known 
as tin plate. Flat-rolled steel products coated with chromium or 
chromium oxides are known as tin-free steel or electrolytic chromium-
coated steel. The scope includes all the noted tin mill products 
regardless of thickness, width, form (in coils or cut sheets), coating 
type (electrolytic or otherwise), edge (trimmed, untrimmed or further 
processed, such and scroll cut), coating thickness, surface finish, 
temper, coating metal (tin, chromium, chromium oxide), reduction 
(single- or double-reduced), and whether or not coated with a plastic 
material. All products that meet the written physical description are 
within the scope of this order unless specifically excluded. The 
following products, by way of example, are outside and/or specifically 
excluded from the scope of this order:
    - Single reduced electrolytically chromium coated steel with a 
thickness 0.238 mm (85 pound base box) (#10%) or 0.251 mm (90 pound 
base box) (#10%) or 0.255 mm (#10%) with 770 mm (minimum width) (#1.588 
mm) by 900 mm (maximum length if sheared) sheet size or 30.6875 inches 
(minimum width) (# 1/16 inch) and 35.4 inches (maximum length if 
sheared) sheet size; with type MR or higher (per ASTM) A623 steel 
chemistry; batch annealed at T2 1/2 anneal temper, with a yield 
strength of 31 to 42 kpsi (214 to 290 Mpa); with a tensile strength of 
43 to 58 kpsi (296 to 400 Mpa); with a chrome coating restricted to 32 
to 150 mg/m\2\; with a chrome oxide coating restricted to 6 to 25 mg/
m\2\ with a modified 7B ground roll finish or blasted roll finish; with 
roughness average (Ra) 0.10 to 0.35 micrometers, measured with a stylus 
instrument with a stylus radius of 2 to 5 microns, a trace length of 
5.6 mm, and a cut-off of 0.8 mm, and the measurement traces shall be 
made perpendicular to the rolling direction; with an oil level of 0.17 
to 0.37 grams/base box as type BSO, or 2.5 to 5.5 mg/m\2\ as type DOS, 
or 3.5 to 6.5 mg/m\2\ as type ATBC; with electrical conductivity of 
static probe voltage drop of 0.46 volts drop maximum, and with 
electrical conductivity degradation to 0.70 volts drop maximum after 
stoving (heating to 400 degrees F for 100 minutes followed by a cool to 
room temperature).
    - Single reduced electrolytically chromium-or tin-coated steel in 
the gauges of 0.0040 inch nominal, 0.0045 inch nominal, 0.0050 inch 
nominal, 0.0061 inch nominal (55 pound base box weight), 0.0066 inch 
nominal (60 pound base box weight), and 0.0072 inch nominal (65 pound 
base box weight), regardless of width, temper, finish, coating or other 
properties.
    - Single reduced electrolytically chromium coated steel in the 
gauge of 0.024 inch, with widths of 27.0 inches or 31.5 inches, and 
with T-1 temper properties.
    - Single reduced electrolytically chromium coated steel, with a 
chemical composition of 0.005% max carbon, 0.030% max silicon, 0.25% 
max manganese, 0.025% max phosphorous, 0.025% max sulfur, 0.070% max 
aluminum, and the balance iron, with a metallic chromium layer of 70-
130 mg/m\2\, with a chromium oxide layer of 5-30 mg/m\2\ , with a 
tensile strength of 260-440 N/mm\2\, with an elongation of 28-48%, with 
a hardness (HR-30T) of 40-58, with a surface roughness of 0.5-1.5 
microns Ra, with magnetic properties of Bm (KG)10.0 minimum, Br (KG) 
8.0 minimum, Hc (Oe) 2.5-3.8, and MU 1400 minimum, as measured with a 
Riken Denshi DC magnetic characteristic measuring machine, Model BHU-
60.
    - Bright finish tin-coated sheet with a thickness equal to or 
exceeding 0.0299 inch, coated to thickness of 3/4 pound (0.000045 inch) 
and 1 pound (0.00006 inch).
    - Electrolytically chromium coated steel having ultra flat shape 
defined as oil can maximum depth of 5/64 inch (2.0 mm) and edge wave 
maximum of 5/64 inch (2.0 mm) and no wave to penetrate more than 2.0 
inches (51.0 mm) from the strip edge and coilset or curling 
requirements of average maximum of 5/64 inch (2.0 mm) (based on six 
readings, three across each cut edge of a 24 inches (61 cm) long sample 
with no single reading exceeding 4/32 inch (3.2 mm) and no more than 
two readings at 4/32 inch (3.2 mm)) and (for 85 pound base box item 
only: crossbuckle maximums of 0.001 inch (0.0025 mm) average having no 
reading above 0.005 inch (0.127 mm)), with a camber maximum of 1/4 inch 
(6.3 mm)

[[Page 10669]]

per 20 feet (6.1 meters), capable of being bent 120 degrees on a 0.002 
inch radius without cracking, with a chromium coating weight of 
metallic chromium at 100 mg/m\2\ and chromium oxide of 10 mg/m\2\, with 
a chemistry of 0.13% maximum carbon, 0.60% maximum manganese, 0.15% 
maximum silicon, 0.20% maximum copper, 0.04% maximum phosphorous, 0.05% 
maximum sulfur, and 0.20% maximum aluminum, with a surface finish of 
Stone Finish 7C, with a DOS-A oil at an aim level of 2 mg/square meter, 
with not more than 15 inclusions/foreign matter in 15 feet (4.6 meters) 
(with inclusions not to exceed 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) in width and 3/64 
inch (1.2 mm) in length), with thickness/temper combinations of either 
60 pound base box (0.0066 inch) double reduced CADR8 temper in widths 
of 25.00 inches, 27.00 inches, 27.50 inches, 28.00 inches, 28.25 
inches, 28.50 inches, 29.50 inches, 29.75 inches, 30.25 inches, 31.00 
inches, 32.75 inches, 33.75 inches, 35.75 inches, 36.25 inches, 39.00 
inches, or 43.00 inches, or 85 pound base box (0.0094 inch) single 
reduced CAT4 temper in widths of 25.00 inches, 27.00 inches, 28.00 
inches, 30.00 inches, 33.00 inches, 33.75 inches, 35.75 inches, 36.25 
inches, or 43.00 inches, with width tolerance of # 1/8 inch, with a 
thickness tolerance of #0.0005 inch, with a maximum coil weight of 
20,000 pounds (9071.0 kg), with a minimum coil weight of 18,000 pounds 
(8164.8 kg) with a coil inside diameter of 16 inches (40.64 cm) with a 
steel core, with a coil maximum outside diameter of 59.5 inches (151.13 
cm), with a maximum of one weld (identified with a paper flag) per 
coil, with a surface free of scratches, holes, and rust.
    - Electrolytically tin coated steel having differential coating 
with 1.00 pound/base box equivalent on the heavy side, with varied 
coating equivalents in the lighter side (detailed below), with a 
continuous cast steel chemistry of type MR, with a surface finish of 
type 7B or 7C, with a surface passivation of 0.7 mg/square foot of 
chromium applied as a cathodic dichromate treatment, with coil form 
having restricted oil film weights of 0.3-0.4 grams/base box of type 
DOS-A oil, coil inside diameter ranging from 15.5 to 17 inches, coil 
outside diameter of a maximum 64 inches, with a maximum coil weight of 
25,000 pounds, and with temper/coating/dimension combinations of : (1) 
CAT 4 temper, 1.00/.050 pound/base box coating, 70 pound/base box 
(0.0077 inch) thickness, and 33.1875 inch ordered width; or (2) CAT5 
temper, 1.00/0.50 pound/base box coating, 75 pound/base box (0.0082 
inch) thickness, and 34.9375 inch or 34.1875 inch ordered width; or (3) 
CAT5 temper, 1.00/0.50 pound/base box coating, 107 pound/base box 
(0.0118 inch) thickness, and 30.5625 inch or 35.5625 inch ordered 
width; or (4) CADR8 temper, 1.00/0.50 pound/base box coating, 85 pound/
base box (0.0093 inch) thickness, and 35.5625 inch ordered width; or 
(5) CADR8 temper, 1.00/0.25 pound/base box coating, 60 pound/base box 
(0.0066 inch) thickness, and 35.9375 inch ordered width; or (6) CADR8 
temper, 1.00/0.25 pound/base box coating, 70 pound/base box (0.0077 
inch) thickness, and 32.9375 inch, 33.125 inch, or 35.1875 inch ordered 
width.
    - Electrolytically tin coated steel having differential coating 
with 1.00 pound/base box equivalent on the heavy side, with varied 
coating equivalents on the lighter side (detailed below), with a 
continuous cast steel chemistry of type MR, with a surface finish of 
type 7B or 7C, with a surface passivation of 0.5 mg/square foot of 
chromium applied as a cathodic dichromate treatment, with ultra flat 
scroll cut sheet form, with CAT 5 temper with 1.00/0.10 pound/base box 
coating, with a lithograph logo printed in a uniform pattern on the 
0.10 pound coating side with a clear protective coat, with both sides 
waxed to a level of 15-20 mg/216 sq. in., with ordered dimension 
combinations of (1) 75 pound/base box (0.0082 inch) thickness and 
34.9375 inch x 31.748 inch scroll cut dimensions; or (2) 75 pound/base 
box (0.0082 inch) thickness and 34.1875 inch x 29.076 inch scroll cut 
dimensions; or (3) 107 pound/base box (0.0118 inch) thickness and 
30.5625 inch x 34.125 inch scroll cut dimension.
    The merchandise subject to this order is classified in the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (``HTSUS''), under 
HTSUS subheadings 7210.11.0000, 7210.12.0000, 7210.50.0000, 
7212.10.0000, and 7212.50.0000 if of non-alloy steel and under HTSUS 
subheadings 7225.99.0090, and 7226.99.0000 if of alloy steel. Although 
the subheadings are provided for convenience and Customs purposes, our 
written description of the scope of this review is dispositive.
Preliminary Results of Review and Intent to Revoke in Part the 
Antidumping Duty Order
    Pursuant to sections 751(d)(1) of the Act, the Department may 
revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, in whole or in 
part, 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 C.F.R. 351.216, and may revoke an order (in whole or in part), 
if it determines that (i) producers accounting for substantially all of 
the production of the domestic like product to which the order pertains 
have expressed a lack of interest in the relief provided by the order, 
in whole or in part, or (ii) if other changed circumstances sufficient 
to warrant revocation exist. To the Department's knowledge the 
following are U.S. producers of tin mill products: Bethlehem Steel 
Corp., National Steel Corp., Midwest Division, Ohio Coatings Co., U.S. 
Steel Group, a Unit of USX Corp., and USS-Posco Industries, Inc. Since 
the Department did not receive any comments during the comment period, 
the Department is preliminarily revoking the order on certain tin mill 
products from Japan in part for all future entries with regard to the 
products which meet the specifications above.
    Interested parties wishing to comment on these results may submit 
briefs to the Department no later than 14 days after the publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register. Parties will have five days 
subsequent to this due date to submit rebuttal comments, limited to
    The issues raised in those comments. Parties who submit comments or 
rebuttal comments in this proceeding are requested to submit with the 
argument (1) a statement of the issue and (2) a brief summary of the 
argument (no longer than five pages, including footnotes). Any requests 
for hearing must be filed within 14 days of the publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register.
    All written comments must be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.303, and must be served on all interested parties on the 
Department's service list. The Department will also issue its final 
results of review within 270 days after the date on which the changed 
circumstances review is initiated, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.216(e), and will publish these results in the Federal Register. 
While the changed circumstances review is underway, the current 
requirement for a cash deposit of estimated antidumping duties on all 
subject merchandise, including the merchandise that is the subject of 
this changed circumstances

[[Page 10670]]

review, will continue unless and until it is modified pursuant to the 
final results of this changed circumstances review or an administrative 
review.
    This notice is in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 777(i)(1) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.222.

    March 4, 2002
Faryar Shirzad,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-5660 Filed 3-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S