[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11463-11465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6175]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-351-828]


Certain Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon Quality Steel Products From 
Brazil: Rescission of Administrative Review of the Agreement Suspending 
the Antidumping Duty Investigation

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

ACTION: Notice of rescission of antidumping duty administrative review.

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SUMMARY: On August 20, 2001, in response to a request made by Bethlehem 
Steel Corporation, LTV Steel Company Inc., National Steel Corporation, 
and United States Steel LLC (``Domestic Producers''), the Department of 
Commerce (``the Department'') published in the Federal Register (66 FR 
43570) a notice announcing the initiation of an administrative review 
of the agreement suspending the antidumping duty investigation on 
certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon quality steel products from 
Brazil. The review period is July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001. This review 
has now been rescinded because Domestic Producers have withdrawn their 
request for review.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 14, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Ferrier, Enforcement Group 
III, Office 8, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 7866, Washington, DC 20230; telephone 
(202) 482-1394.

The Applicable Statute

    Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Tariff Act of 
1930, as amended (the Act) are references to the

[[Page 11464]]

provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective date of the 
amendments made to the Act by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). 
In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the 
Department's regulations are references to the provisions codified at 
19 CFR part 351 (2001).

Scope of the Review

    The products covered are certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-
quality steel products of a rectangular shape, of a width of 0.5 inch 
or greater, neither clad, plated, nor coated with metal and whether or 
not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic 
substances, in coils (whether or not in successively superimposed 
layers) regardless of thickness, and in straight lengths, of a 
thickness less than 4.75 mm and of a width measuring at least 10 times 
the thickness. Universal mill plate (i.e., flat-rolled products rolled 
on four faces or in a closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 mm, but 
not exceeding 1250 mm and of a thickness of not less than 4 mm, not in 
coils and without patterns in relief) of a thickness not less than 4.0 
mm is not included within the scope of this agreement.
    Specifically included in this scope are vacuum degassed, fully 
stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free (IF)) steels, 
high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, and the substrate for motor 
lamination steels. IF steels are recognized as low carbon steels with 
micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium and/or niobium added 
to stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized 
as steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, 
copper, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and molybdenum. The substrate for 
motor lamination steels contains micro-alloying levels of elements such 
as silicon and aluminum.
    Steel products to be included in the scope of this agreement, 
regardless of HTSUS definitions, are products in which: (1) Iron 
predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; (2) 
the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and (3) none of the 
elements listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively 
indicated:
    1.80 percent of manganese, or
    1.50 percent of silicon, or
    1.00 percent of copper, or
    0.50 percent of aluminum, or
    1.25 percent of chromium, or
    0.30 percent of cobalt, or
    0.40 percent of lead, or
    1.25 percent of nickel, or
    0.30 percent of tungsten, or
    0.012 percent of boron, or
    0.10 percent of molybdenum, or
    0.10 percent of niobium, or
    0.41 percent of titanium, or
    0.15 percent of vanadium, or
    0.15 percent of zirconium.
    All products that meet the physical and chemical description 
provided above are within the scope of this agreement unless otherwise 
excluded. The following products, by way of example, are outside and/or 
specifically excluded from the scope of this agreement:
     Alloy hot-rolled steel products in which at least one of 
the chemical elements exceeds those listed above (including e.g., ASTM 
specifications A543, A387, A514, A517, and A506).
     SAE/AISI grades of series 2300 and higher.
     Ball bearing steels, as defined in the HTSUS.
     Tool steels, as defined in the HTSUS.
     Silico-manganese (as defined in the HTSUS) or silicon 
electrical steel with a silicon level exceeding 1.50 percent.
     ASTM specifications A710 and A736.
     USS Abrasion-resistant steels (USS AR 400, USS AR 500).
     Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, 
physical and mechanical specifications:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              C                       Mn                 P                 S                Si                Cr               Cu               Ni
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0.10-0.14%...................  0.90%...........  0.025% Max......  0.005% Max......  0.30-0.50%......  0.30-0.50%.....  0.20-0.40%.....  0.20% Max.
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    Width = 44.80 inches maximum; Thickness = 0.063-0.198 inches; Yield 
Strength = 50,000 ksi minimum; Tensile Strength = 70,000-88,000 psi.
     Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, 
physical and mechanical specifications:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              C                       Mn                 P                 S                Si                Cr               Cu               Ni
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.10-0.16....................  0.70-0.90.......  0.025% Max......  0.006% Max......  0.30-0.50%......  0.30-0.50%.....  0.25% Max......  0.20% Max.
Mo
0.21% Max
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    Width = 44.80 inches maximum; Thickness = 0.350 inches maximum;
    Yield Strength = 80,000 ksi minimum; Tensile Strength = 105,000 psi 
Aim.
     Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, 
physical and mechanical specifications:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              C                       Mn                 P                 S                Si                Cr               Cu               Ni
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.10-0.14%...................  1.30-1.80%......  0.025% Max......  0.005% Max......  0.30-0.50%......  0.50%-0.70%....  0.20-0.40%.....  0.20% Max.
V(wt.).......................  Cb..............
0.10% Max....................  0.08% Max.......
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    Width = 44.80 inches maximum; Thickness = 0.350 inches maximum;
    Yield Strength = 80,000 ksi minimum; Tensile Strength = 105,000 psi 
Aim.
     Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, 
physical and mechanical specifications:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              C                       Mn                 P                 S                Si                Cr               Cu               Ni
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.15% Max....................  1.40% Max.......  0.025% Max......  0.010% Max......  0.50% Max.......  1.00% Max......  0.50% Max......  0.20% Max
Nb...........................  Ca..............  A1..............
0.005% Min...................  Treated.........  0.01-0.07%......
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[[Page 11465]]

    Width = 39.37 inches; Thickness = 0.181 inches maximum; Yield 
Strength = 70,000 psi minimum for thicknesses  0.148 inches 
and 65,000 psi minimum for thicknesses > 0.148 inches; Tensile Strength 
= 80,000 psi minimum.
     Hot-rolled dual phase steel, phase-hardened, primarily 
with a ferritic-martensitic microstructure, contains 0.9 percent up to 
and including 1.5 percent silicon by weight, further characterized by 
either (i) tensile strength between 540 N/mm2 and 640 N/
mm2 and an elongation percentage  26 percent for 
thicknesses of 2 mm and above, or (ii) a tensile strength between 590 
N/mm2 and 690 N/mm2 and an elongation percentage 
 25 percent for thicknesses of 2 mm and above.
     Hot-rolled bearing quality steel, SAE grade 1050, in 
coils, with an inclusion rating of 1.0 maximum per ASTM E 45, Method A, 
with excellent surface quality and chemistry restrictions as follows: 
0.012 percent maximum phosphorus, 0.015 percent maximum sulfur, and 
0.20 percent maximum residuals including 0.15 percent maximum chromium.
     Grade ASTM A570-50 hot-rolled steel sheet in coils or cut 
lengths, width of 74 inches (nominal, within ASTM tolerances), 
thickness of 11 gauge (0.119 inch nominal), mill edge and skin passed, 
with a minimum copper content of 0.20%.
    The merchandise subject to this agreement is classified in the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) at subheadings: 
7208.10.15.00, 7208.10.30.00, 7208.10.60.00, 7208.25.30.00, 
7208.25.60.00, 7208.26.00.30, 7208.26.00.60, 7208.27.00.30, 
7208.27.00.60, 7208.36.00.30, 7208.36.00.60, 7208.37.00.30, 
7208.37.00.60, 7208.38.00.15, 7208.38.00.30, 7208.38.00.90, 
7208.39.00.15, 7208.39.00.30, 7208.39.00.90, 7208.40.60.30, 
7208.40.60.60, 7208.53.00.00, 7208.54.00.00, 7208.90.00.00, 
7210.70.30.00, 7210.90.90.00, 7211.14.00.30, 7211.14.00.90, 
7211.19.15.00, 7211.19.20.00, 7211.19.30.00, 7211.19.45.00, 
7211.19.60.00, 7211.19.75.30, 7211.19.75.60, 7211.19.75.90, 
7212.40.10.00, 7212.40.50.00, 7212.50.00.00. Certain hot-rolled flat-
rolled carbon-quality steel covered by this agreement, including: 
vacuum degassed, fully stabilized; high strength low alloy; and the 
substrate for motor lamination steel may also enter under the following 
tariff numbers: 7225.11.00.00, 7225.19.00.00, 7225.30.30.50, 
7225.30.70.00, 7225.40.70.00, 7225.99.00.90, 7226.11.10.00, 
7226.11.90.30, 7226.11.90.60, 7226.19.10.00, 7226.19.90.00, 
7226.91.50.00, 7226.91.70.00, 7226.91.80.00, and 7226.99.00.00. 
Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and Customs 
purposes, the written description of the merchandise under this 
agreement is dispositive.

Background

    On July 31, 2001, Domestic Producers, as Petitioners in the 
suspended investigation, requested an administrative review of the 
agreement suspending the antidumping duty investigation on hot-rolled 
flat-rolled carbon quality steel from Brazil published in the Federal 
Register on July 19, 1999 (64 FR 38792). On August 20, 2001, the 
Department published in the Federal Register (66 FR 43570) a notice of 
``Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Reviews and Requests for Revocations in Part'' initiating the 
administrative review. On February 19, 2002, Domestic Producers 
withdrew their request for the review. The applicable regulation, 19 
CFR 351.213(d)(1), states that if a party that requested an 
administrative review withdraws the request within 90 days of the 
publication of the notice of initiation of the requested review, the 
Secretary will rescind the review. Additionally, the Secretary may 
extend this time limit if the Secretary decides that it is reasonable 
to do so. Given that we have received no submissions opposing Domestic 
Producers' request for withdrawal of the administrative review and the 
Department terminated the suspension agreement in the first 
administrative review of the suspension agreement, we find it 
reasonable to extend the time period for filing a withdrawal request. 
Based upon Domestic Producers' request, therefore, we are rescinding 
this review of the agreement suspending the antidumping duty 
investigation on hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon quality steel from 
Brazil covering the period July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001.
    This notice is issued and published in accordance with section 
777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(d)(4).

    Dated: March 6, 2002.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Group III.
[FR Doc. 02-6175 Filed 3-13-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P