[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1740-1741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-431]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigations Nos. 731-TA-1084-1087 (Final)]


Purified Carboxymethylcellulose From Finland, Mexico, 
Netherlands, and Sweden

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Scheduling of the final phase of antidumping investigations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the 
final phase of antidumping investigations Nos. 731-TA-1084-1087 (Final) 
under section 735(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) 
(the Act) to determine whether an industry in the United States is 
materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the 
establishment of an industry in the United States is materially 
retarded, by reason of less-than-fair-value imports from Finland, 
Mexico, the Netherlands, and Sweden of purified carboxymethylcellulose 
(CMC), provided for in subheading 3912.31.00 of the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ For purposes of these investigations, the Department of 
Commerce has defined the subject merchandise as ``all purified 
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), sometimes also referred to as purified 
sodium CMC, polyanionic cellulose, or cellulose gum, which is a 
white to off-white, non-toxic, odorless, biodegradable powder, 
comprising sodium carboxymethylcellulose that has been refined and 
purified to a minimum assay of 90 percent. Purified CMC does not 
include unpurified or crude CMC, CMC Fluidized Polymer Suspensions, 
and CMC that is cross-linked through heat treatment. Purified CMC is 
CMC that has undergone one or more purification operations which, at 
a minimum, reduce the remaining salt and other by-product portion of 
the product to less than ten percent.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For further information concerning the conduct of this phase of the 
investigations, hearing procedures, 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 and C 
(19 CFR part 207).

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 27, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Trainor (202-205-3354), 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 
investigations may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket 
(EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background. The final phase of these investigations is being 
scheduled as a result of affirmative preliminary determinations by the 
Department of Commerce that imports of purified carboxymethylcellulose 
from Finland, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Sweden are being sold in the 
United States at less than fair value within the meaning of section 733 
of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673b). The investigations were requested in a 
petition filed on June 9, 2004, on behalf of Aqualon Company, a 
division of Hercules, Incorporated, Wilmington, DE.
    Participation in the investigations 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 final phase of these 
investigations as parties must file an entry of appearance with the 
Secretary to the Commission, as provided in Sec.  201.11 of the 
Commission's rules, no later than 21 days prior to the hearing date 
specified in this notice. A party that filed a notice of appearance 
during the preliminary phase of the investigations need not file an 
additional notice of appearance during this final phase. The Secretary 
will maintain a public service list containing the names and addresses 
of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to the 
investigations.
    Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under 
an administrative protective order (APO) and BPI service list. Pursuant 
to Sec.  207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary will make 
BPI gathered in the final phase of these investigations available to 
authorized applicants under the APO issued in the investigations, 
provided that the application is made no later than 21 days prior to 
the hearing date specified in this notice. Authorized applicants must 
represent interested parties, as defined by 19 U.S.C. 1677(9), who are 
parties to the investigations. A party granted access to BPI in the 
preliminary phase of the investigations need not reapply for such 
access. A separate service list will be maintained by the Secretary for 
those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
    Staff report. The prehearing staff report in the final phase of 
these investigations will be placed in the nonpublic record on April 
28, 2005, and a public version will be issued thereafter, pursuant to 
section 207.22 of the Commission's rules.
    Hearing. The Commission will hold a hearing in connection with the 
final phase of these investigations beginning at 9:30 a.m. on May 12, 
2005, at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building. Requests to 
appear at the hearing should be filed in writing with the Secretary to 
the Commission on or before May 3, 2005. A nonparty who has testimony 
that may aid the Commission's deliberations may request permission to 
present a short statement at the hearing. All parties and nonparties 
desiring to appear at the hearing and make oral presentations should 
attend a prehearing conference to be held at 9:30 a.m. on May 6, 2005, 
at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building. Oral testimony and 
written materials to be submitted at the public hearing are governed by 
Sec. Sec.  201.6(b)(2), 201.13(f), and 207.24 of the Commission's 
rules. Parties must submit any request to present a portion of their 
hearing testimony in camera no later than 7 days prior to the date of 
the hearing.
    Written submissions. Each party who is an interested party shall 
submit a prehearing brief to the Commission. Prehearing briefs must 
conform with the provisions of Sec.  207.23 of the Commission's rules; 
the deadline for filing is May 5, 2005. Parties may also file written 
testimony in connection with their presentation at the hearing, as 
provided in Sec.  207.24 of the Commission's rules, and posthearing 
briefs, which must conform with the provisions of Sec.  207.25 of the 
Commission's rules. The deadline for filing posthearing briefs is May 
19, 2005; witness testimony must be filed no later than three days 
before the hearing. In addition, any person who has not entered an 
appearance as a party to the investigations may submit a written 
statement of information pertinent to the subject of the 
investigations, including statements of support or opposition to the 
petition, on or before May 19, 2005. On June 8, 2005,

[[Page 1741]]

the Commission will make available to parties all information on which 
they have not had an opportunity to comment. Parties may submit final 
comments on this information on or before June 10, 2005, but such final 
comments must not contain new factual information and must otherwise 
comply with Sec.  207.30 of the Commission's rules. All written 
submissions must conform with the provisions of Sec.  201.8 of the 
Commission's rules; any submissions that contain BPI must also conform 
with the requirements of Sec. Sec.  201.6, 207.3, 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 Sec.  201.8 of the Commission's rules, as 
amended, 67 FR 68036 (November 8, 2002).
    Additional written submissions to the Commission, including 
requests pursuant to Sec.  201.12 of the Commission's rules, shall not 
be accepted unless good cause is shown for accepting such submissions, 
or unless the submission is pursuant to a specific request by a 
Commissioner or Commission staff.
    In accordance with Sec. Sec.  201.16(c) and 207.3 of the 
Commission's rules, each document filed by a party to the 
investigations must be served on all other parties to the 
investigations (as identified by either the public or BPI service 
list), and a certificate of service must be timely filed. The Secretary 
will not accept a document for filing without a certificate of service.

    Authority: These investigations are being conducted under 
authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is 
published pursuant to section 207.21 of the Commission's rules.

    Issued: January 4, 2005.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-431 Filed 1-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P