[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 85 (Monday, May 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24189-24191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9992]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigations Nos. 701-TA-384 and 731-TA-806-808 (Review)]


Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon-Quality Steel Products From Brazil, 
Japan, and Russia

AGENCY: International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of five-year reviews concerning the antidumping 
duty orders on certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel 
products from Brazil and Japan, the suspended countervailing duty 
investigation on certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel 
products from Brazil, and the suspended antidumping duty investigation 
on certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel products from 
Russia.

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted 
reviews pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the antidumping 
duty orders on certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel 
products from Brazil and Japan and termination of the suspended 
investigations on certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel 
products from Brazil and Russia would be likely to lead to continuation 
or recurrence of material injury. Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the 
Act, interested parties are requested to respond to this notice by 
submitting the information specified below to the Commission;\1\ to be 
assured of consideration, the deadline for responses is June 22, 2004. 
Comments on the adequacy of responses may be filed with the Commission 
by July 16, 2004. For further information concerning the conduct of 
these reviews and rules of general application, consult the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A 
through E (19 CFR part 201), and part 207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 
CFR part 207).
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    \1\ No response to this request for information is required if a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number is not 
displayed; the OMB number is 3117-0016/USITC No. 04-5-090, 
expiration date June 30, 2005. Public reporting burden for the 
request is estimated to average 7 hours per response. Please send 
comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate to the 
Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20436.

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DATES: Effective Date: May 3, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Messer (202) 205-3193, Office of 
Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-impaired persons can obtain information 
on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on (202) 
205-1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special 
assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the 
Office of the Secretary at (202) 205-2000. General information 
concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its 
Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov). The public record for these 
reviews may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at 
http://edis.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background.--On June 29, 1999, the 
Department of Commerce (Commerce) issued an antidumping duty order on 
imports of certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel products 
from Japan (64 FR 34778). Effective July 12, 1999, Commerce suspended 
the antidumping duty investigation on such imports from Russia (64 FR 
38642, July 19, 1999) and, effective July 6, 1999, Commerce suspended 
the countervailing duty and antidumping duty investigations on such 
imports from Brazil (64 FR 38792 and 38797, July 19, 1999). Subsequent 
to the termination of the suspension agreement with respect to the 
antidumping duty investigation on imports of certain hot-rolled flat-
rolled carbon-quality steel products from Brazil (67 FR 6226, February 
11, 2002), Commerce issued an antidumping duty order on such imports 
(67 FR 11093, March 12, 2002). The Commission is conducting reviews to 
determine whether revocation of the orders and terminations of the 
suspended investigations would be likely to lead to continuation or 
recurrence of material injury to the domestic industry within a 
reasonably foreseeable time. It will assess the adequacy of interested 
party responses to this notice of institution to determine whether to 
conduct full reviews or expedited reviews. The Commission's 
determinations in any expedited reviews will be based on the facts 
available, which may include information provided in response to this 
notice.
    Definitions.--The following definitions apply to these reviews:
    (1) Subject Merchandise is the class or kind of merchandise that is 
within the scope of the five-year review, as defined by the Department 
of Commerce.
    (2) The Subject Countries in these reviews are Brazil, Japan, and 
Russia.
    (3) The Domestic Like Product is the domestically produced product 
or products which are like, or in the absence of like, most similar in 
characteristics and uses with, the Subject Merchandise. In its original 
determinations, the Commission found one Domestic Like Product 
consisting of all hot-rolled steel, as defined in Commerce's scope.
    (4) The Domestic Industry is the U.S. producers as a whole of the 
Domestic Like Product, or those producers whose collective output of 
the Domestic Like Product constitutes a major proportion of the total 
domestic production of the product. In its original determinations, the 
Commission defined the Domestic Industry as all producers of hot-rolled 
steel.
    (5) The Order Date is the date that the antidumping duty orders 
under review became effective and the investigations were suspended. In 
the reviews concerning the suspended antidumping and countervailing 
duty investigations and the subsequent antidumping duty order on 
imports of certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel products 
from Brazil, the Order Date is July 6, 1999. In the review concerning 
the suspended antidumping investigation on imports of certain hot-
rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel products from Russia, the Order 
Date is July 12, 1999. In the review concerning the antidumping duty 
order on imports of certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel 
products from Japan, the Order Date is June 29, 1999.
    (6) An Importer is any person or firm engaged, either directly or 
through a parent company or subsidiary, in importing the Subject 
Merchandise into the United States from a foreign manufacturer or 
through its selling agent.
    Participation in the reviews and public service list.--Persons, 
including industrial users of the Subject Merchandise and, if the 
merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer 
organizations, wishing to participate in the reviews as parties must 
file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as 
provided in section 201.11(b)(4) of the Commission's rules, no later 
than 21 days after publication of this notice in the FR. The Secretary 
will maintain a public service list containing the names

[[Page 24190]]

and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties 
to the reviews.
    Former Commission employees who are seeking to appear in Commission 
five-year reviews are reminded that they are required, pursuant to 19 
CFR 201.15, to seek Commission approval if the matter in which they are 
seeking to appear was pending in any manner or form during their 
Commission employment. The Commission's designated agency ethics 
official has advised that a five-year review is the ``same particular 
matter'' as the underlying original investigation for purposes of 19 
CFR 201.15 and 18 U.S.C. 207, the post employment statute for Federal 
employees. Former employees may seek informal advice from Commission 
ethics officials with respect to this and the related issue of whether 
the employee's participation was ``personal and substantial.'' However, 
any informal consultation will not relieve former employees of the 
obligation to seek approval to appear from the Commission under its 
rule 201.15. For ethics advice, contact Carol McCue Verratti, Deputy 
Agency Ethics Official, at (202) 205-3088.
    Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under 
an administrative protective order (APO) and APO service list.--
Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary 
will make BPI submitted in these reviews available to authorized 
applicants under the APO issued in the reviews, provided that the 
application is made no later than 21 days after publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. Authorized applicants must represent 
interested parties, as defined in 19 U.S.C. 1677(9), who are parties to 
the reviews. A separate service list will be maintained by the 
Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
    Certification.--Pursuant to section 207.3 of the Commission's 
rules, any person submitting information to the Commission in 
connection with these reviews must certify that the information is 
accurate and complete to the best of the submitter's knowledge. In 
making the certification, the submitter will be deemed to consent, 
unless otherwise specified, for the Commission, its employees, and 
contract personnel to use the information provided in any other reviews 
or investigations of the same or comparable products which the 
Commission conducts under Title VII of the Act, or in internal audits 
and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the 
Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3.
    Written submissions.--Pursuant to section 207.61 of the 
Commission's rules, each interested party response to this notice must 
provide the information specified below. The deadline for filing such 
responses is June 22, 2004. Pursuant to section 207.62(b) of the 
Commission's rules, eligible parties (as specified in Commission rule 
207.62(b)(1)) may also file comments concerning the adequacy of 
responses to the notice of institution and whether the Commission 
should conduct expedited or full reviews. The deadline for filing such 
comments is July 16, 2004. All written submissions must conform with 
the provisions of sections 201.8 and 207.3 of the Commission's rules 
and any submissions that contain BPI must also conform with the 
requirements of sections 201.6 and 207.7 of the Commission's rules. The 
Commission's rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the 
Secretary by facsimile or electronic means, except to the extent 
permitted by section 201.8 of the Commission's rules, as amended, 67 FR 
68036 (November 8, 2002). Also, in accordance with sections 201.16(c) 
and 207.3 of the Commission's rules, each document filed by a party to 
the reviews must be served on all other parties to the reviews (as 
identified by either the public or APO service list as appropriate), 
and a certificate of service must accompany the document (if you are 
not a party to the reviews you do not need to serve your response).
    Inability to provide requested information.--Pursuant to section 
207.61(c) of the Commission's rules, any interested party that cannot 
furnish the information requested by this notice in the requested form 
and manner shall notify the Commission at the earliest possible time, 
provide a full explanation of why it cannot provide the requested 
information, and indicate alternative forms in which it can provide 
equivalent information. If an interested party does not provide this 
notification (or the Commission finds the explanation provided in the 
notification inadequate) and fails to provide a complete response to 
this notice, the Commission may take an adverse inference against the 
party pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act in making its 
determinations in the reviews.
    Information To Be Provided in Response To This Notice of 
Institution: If you are a domestic producer, union/worker group, or 
trade/business association; import/export Subject Merchandise from more 
than one Subject Country; or produce Subject Merchandise in more than 
one Subject Country, you may file a single response. If you do so, 
please ensure that your response to each question includes the 
information requested for each pertinent Subject Country. As used 
below, the term ``firm'' includes any related firms.
    (1) The name and address of your firm or entity (including World 
Wide Web address if available) and name, telephone number, fax number, 
and E-mail address of the certifying official.
    (2) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S. 
producer of the Domestic Like Product, a U.S. union or worker group, a 
U.S. importer of the Subject Merchandise, a foreign producer or 
exporter of the Subject Merchandise, a U.S. or foreign trade or 
business association, or another interested party (including an 
explanation). If you are a union/worker group or trade/business 
association, identify the firms in which your workers are employed or 
which are members of your association.
    (3) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is willing to 
participate in these reviews by providing information requested by the 
Commission.
    (4) A statement of the likely effects of the revocation of the 
antidumping duty orders and termination of the suspended investigations 
on the Domestic Industry in general and/or your firm/entity 
specifically. In your response, please discuss the various factors 
specified in section 752(a) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1675a(a)) including 
the likely volume of subject imports, likely price effects of subject 
imports, and likely impact of imports of Subject Merchandise on the 
Domestic Industry.
    (5) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of 
the Domestic Like Product. Identify any known related parties and the 
nature of the relationship as defined in section 771(4)(B) of the Act 
(19 U.S.C. 1677(4)(B)).
    (6) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. importers of 
the Subject Merchandise and producers of the Subject Merchandise in 
each of the Subject Countries that currently export or have exported 
Subject Merchandise to the United States or other countries since 1998.
    (7) If you are a U.S. producer of the Domestic Like Product, 
provide the following information on your firm's operations on that 
product during calendar year 2003 (report quantity data in short tons 
and value data in U.S. dollars, f.o.b. plant). If you are a union/
worker group or trade/business association, provide the information, on 
an aggregate basis, for the firms in which your workers are employed/
which are members of your association.

[[Page 24191]]

    (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total U.S. production of the Domestic Like Product 
accounted for by your firm's(s') production;
    (b) The quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of the 
Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s); and
    (c) the quantity and value of U.S. internal consumption/company 
transfers of the Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s).
    (8) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of 
U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from the Subject Countries, 
provide the following information on your firm's(s') operations on that 
product during calendar year 2003 (report quantity data in short tons 
and value data in U.S. dollars). If you are a trade/business 
association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the 
firms which are members of your association.
    (a) The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including 
antidumping or countervailing duties) of U.S. imports and, if known, an 
estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise 
from each of the Subject Countries accounted for by your firm's(s') 
imports;
    (b) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping 
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject 
Merchandise imported from each of the Subject Countries; and
    (c) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping 
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. internal consumption/company 
transfers of Subject Merchandise imported from each of the Subject 
Countries.
    (9) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business 
association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in the 
Subject Countries, provide the following information on your firm's(s') 
operations on that product during calendar year 2003 (report quantity 
data in short tons and value data in U.S. dollars, landed and duty-paid 
at the U.S. port but not including antidumping or countervailing 
duties). If you are a trade/business association, provide the 
information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms which are members of 
your association.
    (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in each of the 
Subject Countries accounted for by your firm's(s') production; and
    (b) the quantity and value of your firm's(s') exports to the United 
States of Subject Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise 
from each of the Subject Countries accounted for by your firm's(s') 
exports.
    (10) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand 
conditions or business cycle for the Domestic Like Product that have 
occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject 
Merchandise in each of the Subject Countries since the Order Date, and 
significant changes, if any, that are likely to occur within a 
reasonably foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include 
technology; production methods; development efforts; ability to 
increase production (including the shift of production facilities used 
for other products and the use, cost, or availability of major inputs 
into production); and factors related to the ability to shift supply 
among different national markets (including barriers to importation in 
foreign markets or changes in market demand abroad). Demand conditions 
to consider include end uses and applications; the existence and 
availability of substitute products; and the level of competition among 
the Domestic Like Product produced in the United States, Subject 
Merchandise produced in each of the Subject Countries, and such 
merchandise from other countries.
    (11) (Optional) A statement of whether you agree with the above 
definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you 
disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why 
and provide alternative definitions.

    Authority: These reviews are being conducted under authority of 
title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published 
pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission's rules.

    Issued: April 23, 2004.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 04-9992 Filed 4-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P