[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2904-2905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-461]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-823-812]


Changed Circumstances Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on 
Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From Ukraine: Opportunity To 
Comment on the Status of Ukraine as a Non-Market Economy Country and 
Extension of Final Results

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

DATES: January 12, 2006.

ACTION: Request for Comments and Extension of Final Results.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is requesting further comment on 
whether Ukraine should continue to be treated as a non-market economy 
country for purposes of the antidumping duty law. The final results for 
this changed circumstance review are therefore extended by thirty days, 
making the new deadline February 16, 2006. Written comments (original 
and six copies) should be sent to David Spooner, Assistant Secretary 
for Import Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Central Records 
Unit, Room 1870, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, 
DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence Norton or Shauna Lee-Alaia, 
Office of Policy, Import Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington DC, 20230; 
telephone: 202-482-1579 or 202-482-2793, respectively.

[[Page 2905]]

Background

    On April 2, 2005, the Government of Ukraine's Ministry of Economy 
and European Integration requested that the Department of Commerce 
conduct a review of Ukraine's status as a non-market economy (``NME'') 
country within the context of a changed circumstances review of the 
antidumping duty order on carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod from 
Ukraine. In response to this request, the Department initiated a 
changed circumstances review in order to determine whether Ukraine 
should continue to be treated as an NME country for purposes of the 
antidumping law, pursuant to sections 751(b) and 771(18)(C)(ii) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). See Initiation of a 
Changed Circumstances Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Carbon 
and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Ukraine, 70 FR 21396 (April 26, 
2005). In its notice of initiation, the Department invited public 
comment on Ukraine's ongoing economic reforms and received extensive 
initial and rebuttal comments on July 11, 2005, and August 31, 2005, 
respectively. These comments have been made available to the public at 
the Import Administration Web site at the following address: http://ia.ita.doc.gov/. In addition, the Department has compiled and analyzed 
information regarding Ukrainian economic reforms from independent 
third-party sources that it commonly cites for market economy status 
decisions.

Opportunity for Public Comment and Extension of Final Results

    In order to consider any economic and institutional developments 
that occurred in Ukraine since the closure of the record in this review 
that may be of importance to the Department's decision, the Department 
is inviting further public comment on reforms in Ukraine. Specifically, 
the Department invites comment on such developments in relation to the 
factors listed in section 771(18)(B) of the Act, which the Department 
must take into account in making a market/non-market economy decision:
    (i) The extent to which the currency of the foreign country is 
convertible into the currency of other countries;
    (ii) The extent to which wage rates in the foreign country are 
determined by free bargaining between labor and management;
    (iii) The extent to which joint ventures or other investments by 
firms of other foreign countries are permitted in the foreign country;
    (iv) The extent of government ownership or control of the means of 
production;
    (v) The extent of government control over allocation of resources 
and over price and output decisions of enterprises; and
    (vi) Such other factors as the administering authority considers 
appropriate.
    In order to provide opportunity to consider the comments, the 
Department is extending the deadline for the final results of this 
changed circumstance review by thirty days, making the new deadline 
February 16, 2006.

Comments--Deadline, Format, and Number of Copies

    The deadline for submission of comments is January 25, 2006. The 
deadline for rebuttal comments is February 1, 2006. Each person 
submitting comments should include his or her name and address. To 
facilitate their consideration by the Department, comments should be 
submitted in the following format: (1) Begin each comment on a separate 
page; (2) concisely state the issue identified and discussed in the 
comment and include any supporting documentation in exhibits or 
appendices; (3) provide a brief summary of the comment (a maximum of 
three sentences) and label this section ``summary of comment''; (4) 
provide an index or table of contents; and (5) include the case number, 
A-823-812, in the top right hand corner of the submission.
    Persons wishing to comment should file a signed original and six 
copies of each set of comments by the dates specified above. All 
comments responding to this notice will be a matter of public record 
and will be available for public inspection and copying at Import 
Administration's Central Records Unit, Room B-099, between the hours of 
8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on business days. The Department requires that 
comments be submitted in written form. The Department recommends 
submission of comments in electronic media, preferably in Portable 
Document Format (PDF), to accompany the required paper copies. Comments 
filed in electronic form should be submitted on CD-ROM as comments 
submitted on diskettes are likely to be damaged by postal radiation 
treatment.
    Comments received in electronic form will be made available to the 
public on the Internet at the Import Administration Web site at the 
following address: http://ia.ita.doc.gov/.
    Any questions concerning file formatting, document conversion, 
access on the Internet, or other electronic filing issues should be 
addressed to Andrew Lee Beller, Import Administration Webmaster, at 
(202) 482-0866, e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: January 12, 2006.
David Spooner,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 06-461 Filed 1-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P