[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 179 (Friday, September 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54471-54472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15357]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

A-588-857


Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances 
Review and Notice of Intent to Revoke the Order in Part: Certain Welded 
Large Diameter Line Pipe from Japan

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On August 14, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the 
Department'') published a notice of initiation of a changed 
circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on welded large 
diameter line pipe (``LDLP'') from Japan with respect to excluding 
certain LDLP as described below from the order. See Initiation of 
Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review: Certain Welded Large 
Diameter Line Pipe From Japan, 71 FR 46448 (August 14, 2006), (``Notice 
of Initiation''). In our Notice of Initiation, we invited parties to 
comment on the request to exclude certain LDLP (``product in 
question''), as described below. The Department received no comments.
    Absent any comments, the Department preliminarily concludes that 
producers accounting for substantially all of the production of the 
domestic like product to which this order pertains lack interest in the 
relief provided by this order with respect to the product in question. 
Therefore, the Department preliminarily concludes that it is 
appropriate to revoke this order, in part, with respect to all future 
entries for consumption of certain welded LDLP, as described below, 
which would become effective on the date of publication of the final 
results of this review.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 15, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy Lao or Abdelali Elouaradia, AD/
CVD Operations, Office 7, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
7924 and (202) 482-1374, respectively.

The Applicable Statute and Regulations

    Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are 
references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective 
date of the amendments made to the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(``the Act''), by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless 
otherwise indicated, all citations to the Department's regulations are 
to the regulations as codified at 19 C.F.R. Part 351 (2002).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 6, 2001, the Department published in the Federal 
Register the antidumping duty order on certain welded large diameter 
line pipe from Japan. See Notice of Antidumping Duty Order: Certain 
Welded Large Diamter Line Pipe from Japan, 66 FR 63368 (December 6, 
2001); see also Certain Welded Large Diameter Line Pipe From Japan: 
Final Results of Changed Circumstances Review, 67 FR 64870 (October 22, 
2002), which revoked the order with respect to certain merchandise as 
described in the ``Scope of the Order'' section of this notice. On July 
17, 2006, American Steel Pipe Division of the American Cast Iron 
Company, Berg Steel Pipe, and Stupp Corporation, (collectively, 
``petitioners'') requested a changed circumstances review indicating 
they no longer have an interest in the following product being subject 
to the order: API grade X-80 having an outside diameter of 21 inches 
and wall thickness of 0.625 or more inches. See Letter from Petitioners 
to the Department, regarding large diameter welded line pipe from 
Japan, (July 17, 2006). In response to the request made by petitioners, 
the Department published the Notice of Initiation on August 14, 2006. 
In the notice, we indicated that interested parties could submit 
comments for consideration in the Department's preliminary results. We 
did not receive any comments from interested parties.

Scope of the Order

    The product covered by this antidumping order is certain welded 
carbon and alloy line pipe, of circular cross section and with an 
outside diameter greater than 16 inches, but less than 64 inches, in 
diameter, whether or not stenciled. This product is normally produced 
according to American Petroleum Institute (API) specifications, 
including Grades A25, A, B, and X grades ranging from X42 to X80, but 
can also be produced to other specifications. The product currently is 
classified under U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS) item numbers 
7305.11.10.30, 7305.11.10.60, 7305.11.50.00, 7305.12.10.30, 
7305.12.10.60, 7305.12.50.00, 7305.19.10.30. 7305.19.10.60, and 
7305.19.50.00. Although the HTSUS item numbers are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope 
is dispositive. Specifically not included within the scope of this 
order is American Water Works Association (AWWA) specification water 
and sewage pipe and the following size/grade combinations; of line 
pipe:
-Having an outside diameter greater than or equal to 18 inches and less 
than or equal to 22 inches, with a wall thickness measuring 0.750 inch 
or greater, regardless of grade. -Having an outside diameter greater 
than or equal to 24 inches and less than 30 inches, with wall thickness 
measuring greater than 0.875 inches in grades A, B, and X42, with wall 
thickness measuring greater than 0.750 inches in grades X52 through 
X56, and with wall thickness measuring greater than 0.688 inches in 
grades X60 or greater. -Having an outside diameter greater than or 
equal to 30 inches and less than 36 inches, with wall thickness 
measuring greater than 1.250 inches in grades A, B, and X42, with wall 
thickness measuring greater than 1.000 inches in grades X52 through 
X56, and with wall thickness measuring greater than 0.875 inches in 
grades X60 or greater. -Having an outside diameter greater than or 
equal to 36 inches and less than 42 inches, with wall thickness 
measuring greater than 1.375 inches in grades A, B, and X42, with wall 
thickness measuring greater than 1.250 inches in grades X52 through 
X56, and with wall thickness measuring greater than 1.125 inches in 
grades X60 or greater.
-Having an outside diameter greater than or equal to 42 inches and less 
than 64 inches, with a wall thickness measuring greater than 1.500 
inches in grades A, B, and X42, with wall thickness measuring greater 
than 1.375 inches in grades X52 through X56, and with wall thickness 
measuring greater than 1.250 inches in grades X60 or greater.
-Having an outside diameter equal to 48 inches, with a wall thickness 
measuring 1.0 inch or greater, in grades X-80 or greater.
-Having an outside diameter of 48 inches to and including 52 inches, 
and with a wall thickness of 0.90 inch or more in grade X-80
-Having an outsides diameter of 48 inches to and including 52 inches, 
and with a wall thickness of 0.54 inch or more in grade X100.

Scope of Changed Circumstances Review

    The products subject to this changed circumstances review are LDLP 
from Japan with an API grade X-80 having an

[[Page 54472]]

outside diameter of 21 inches and wall thickness of 0.625 or more 
inches.

Preliminary Results of Review and Intent to Revoke in Part the 
Antidumping Duty Order

    Pursuant to section 751(d)(1) of the Act, the Department may revoke 
an antidumping or countervailing duty order, in whole or in part, based 
on a review under section 751(b) of the Act (i.e., a changed 
circumstances review). Section 751(b)(1) of the Act requires a changed 
circumstances review to be conducted upon receipt of a request which 
shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review. Section 
351.222(g)(1) of the Department's regulations provides that the 
Department may revoke an order (in whole or in part) based on changed 
circumstances, if it determines that: (i) producers accounting for 
substantially all of the production of the domestic like product to 
which the order (or part of the order to be revoked) pertains have 
expressed a lack of interest in the relief provided by the order, in 
whole or in part, or (ii) other changed circumstances are sufficient to 
warrant revocation exist. Taking into consideration that (1) the 
petitioners have uniformly expressed that they do not want relief with 
respect to this particular product, and that (2) there have been no 
contrary expressions from the remainder of the known LDLP producers, we 
are notifying the public of our intent to revoke, in part, certain 
welded large diameter line pipe from Japan.
    Interested parties wishing to comment on these preliminary results 
may submit briefs to the Department no later than 15 days after the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Parties will have 7 
days subsequent to this due date to submit rebuttal comments, limited 
to the issues raised in those briefs. Parties who submit briefs or 
rebuttal comments in this proceeding are requested to submit with each 
argument (1) a statement of the issue and (2) a brief summary of the 
argument (no longer than five pages, including footnotes). Any requests 
for hearing must be filed within 30 days of the publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register.
    All written comments must be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.303, with the exception that only three (3) copies for each case 
need be served on the Department. Any comments must also be served on 
all interested parties on the Department's service list, which is 
available on our website (http://ia.ita.doc.gov/apo/index.html). The 
Department will issue its final results in this changed circumstances 
review as soon as practicable following the above comment period, but 
not later than 270 days after the date on which the changed 
circumstances review was initiated, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.216(e), and will publish the results in the Federal Register. If 
the final partial revocation occurs, the Department will instruct U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection to discontinue the suspension of 
liquidation for all future entries of merchandise covered by the 
revocation, and to release any cash deposits or bonds pursuant to 19 
CFR 351.222(g)(4). The current requirement for a cash deposit of 
estimated antidumping duties on all subject merchandise will continue 
unless and until it is modified pursuant to the final results of this 
changed circumstances review.
    This notice is published in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 
777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.222.

    Dated: September 11, 2006.
David M. Spooner,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-15357 Filed 9-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S