[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 245 (Monday, December 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71068-71072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31478]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-427-825]


Notice of Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value: Wax and Wax/Resin Thermal Transfer Ribbons From France

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 22, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sebastian Wright at (202) 482-5254, or 
Mark Hoadley at (202) 482-3148; Office of AD/CVD Enforcement 7, Group 
III, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Preliminary Determination

    We preliminarily determine that wax and wax/resin thermal transfer 
ribbons (TTR) from France are being sold, or are likely to be sold, in 
the United States at less than fair value (LTFV), as provided in 
section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Because 
the sole respondent involved in this investigation, Armor, S.A. 
(Armor), withdrew its participation in the investigation, the 
preliminary margin assigned to Armor is based on adverse facts 
available (AFA). The estimated margin of sales at LTFV is shown in the 
Suspension of Liquidation section of this notice.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary 
determination. Unless extended, we will make our final determination 
not later than 75 days after the date of this preliminary 
determination.

[[Page 71069]]

Case History

    This investigation was initiated on June 19, 2003.\1\ See Notice of 
Initiation of Antidumping Duty Investigation: Thermal Transfer Ribbons 
From France, Japan and the Republic of Korea, 68 FR 38305 (June 27, 
2003) (Initiation Notice). Since the initiation of the investigation, 
the following events have occurred.
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    \1\ The petitioner in this investigation is International 
Imaging Materials, Inc. (IIMAK).
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    On July 14, 2003, the United States International Trade Commission 
(ITC) preliminarily determined that ``there is a reasonable indication 
that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason 
of imports from France, Japan, and Korea of certain wax and wax/resin 
thermal transfer ribbons.'' See Certain Wax and Wax/Resin Thermal 
Transfer Ribbons From France, Japan, and Korea, 68 FR 42759 (July 18, 
2003).
    On July 14, 2003, counsel for Armor met with the Department to 
discuss product characteristics. On July 17, 2003, Armor submitted 
comments regarding product characteristics and the Department's 
upcoming tour of petitioner's TTR production facilities in New York. On 
July 21, 2003, the Department toured these facilities and met with 
petitioner to discuss product characteristics.
    On August 4, 2003, August 6, 2003, and August 18, 2003, petitioner 
submitted comments regarding the model match criteria. On August 5, 
2003, and August 6, 2003, Armor submitted comments regarding the model 
match criteria. Additional model match comments were submitted by other 
interested parties on this record, as follows: Illinois Tool Works Inc. 
and ITW Specialty Films Co., Ltd. (collectively, ITW), on July 21, 
2003, and August 4, 2003; Dai Nippon Printing Company, Ltd., on August 
5, 2003; and Brother International Corporation, on August 6, 2003. On 
August 8, 2003, the Department issued its model match criteria via 
sections B and C of the questionnaire. On August 28, 2003, the 
Department clarified its model match criteria. On September 4, 2003, 
petitioner submitted additional comments regarding model match 
criteria. On October 9, 2003, the Department met with petitioner's 
counsel to discuss its model match comments.
    On July 28 and July 30, 2003, petitioner submitted comments 
regarding the scope of the investigation. On August 7, 2003, General 
Company Limited, an interested party, submitted comments regarding the 
scope of the investigation. On September 2, 2003, petitioner submitted 
a ``test'' description to the Department, for the purpose of 
determining whether a product should be classified as a wax, resin 
enhanced wax, or wax/resin ribbon. On September 9, 2003, Armor 
submitted comments on petitioner's September 2 test proposal. On 
September 11, 2003, the Department issued a clarification to the scope 
of this investigation. See Memorandum from Edward C. Yang, Director, 
Office of AD/CVD Enforcement 9, to Joseph A. Spetrini, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary; Antidumping Investigation on Certain Wax and Wax/Resin 
Thermal Transfer Ribbon from France, Japan and Korea: Scope 
Clarification. The Department removed the word ``pure'' from the 
section discussing the exclusion of resin TTR in the scope language.
    On November 4, 2003, petitioner submitted a letter to the 
Department correcting a typographical error in the color specification 
of the scope, as written in the petition and initiation notice. 
Petitioner stated that ``-20a*<35'' should read, ``-
20