[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 184 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54618-54619]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22086]



[[Page 54618]]

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigations Nos. 701-TA-455 (Final) and 731-TA-1149-1150 (Final)]


Circular Welded Carbon Quality Steel Line Pipe From China and 
Korea

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Scheduling of the final phase of countervailing duty and 
antidumping investigations.

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the 
final phase of countervailing duty investigation No. 701-TA-455 (Final) 
under section 705(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671d(b)) 
(the Act) and the final phase of antidumping investigation Nos. 731-TA-
1149-1150 (Final) under section 735(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) 
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 
subsidized imports from China and less-than-fair-value imports from 
China and Korea of certain circular welded carbon quality steel line 
pipe, provided for in subheadings 7306.19.10 and 7306.19.51 \1\ of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.\2\
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    \1\ Prior to February 2, 2007, the subject merchandise was 
provided for in subheadings 7306.10.10 and 7306.10.50.
    \2\ For purposes of these investigations, the Department of 
Commerce has defined the subject merchandise as circular welded 
carbon quality steel pipe of a kind used for oil and gas pipelines 
(line pipe), not more that 406.4 mm (16 inches) in outside diameter, 
regardless of wall thickness, length, surface finish, end finish or 
stenciling. The term ``carbon quality steel'' includes both carbon 
steel and carbon steel mixed with small amounts of alloying elements 
that may exceed the individual weight limits for nonalloy steels 
imposed in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. For 
additional information concerning the scope of the subject 
merchandise from Korea, see 73 FR 23184, April 29, 2008. For 
additional information concerning the scope of the subject 
merchandise from China, see 73 FR 52297, September 9, 2008.
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    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).

DATES: Effective Date: September 9, 2008.

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 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 an affirmative preliminary determination by 
the Department of Commerce that certain benefits which constitute 
subsidies within the meaning of section 703 of the Act (19 U.S.C. 
1671b) are being provided to manufacturers, producers, or exporters in 
China of certain circular welded carbon quality steel line pipe. The 
antidumping and countervailing duty investigations were requested in a 
petition filed on April 3, 2008, by Maverick Tube Corp. (Houston, TX), 
Tex-Tube Co. (Houston, TX), U.S. Steel Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA), and the 
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied 
Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO-CLC 
(Pittsburgh, PA).
    The Department of Commerce has postponed its preliminary 
determinations as to whether imports of certain circular welded carbon 
quality steel line pipe from China and Korea are being, or are likely 
to be sold, in the United States at less than fair value.\3\ For 
purposes of efficiency, the Commission is scheduling the final phase of 
the antidumping investigations concerning China and Korea so that they 
may proceed concurrently with the Commission's countervailing duty 
investigation concerning China.
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    \3\ Certain Circular Welded Carbon Quality Steel Line Pipe from 
the Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China: 
Postponement of Preliminary Determination of Antidumping Duty 
Investigations, 73 FR 50941, August 29, 2008. Commerce is scheduled 
to make its preliminary determinations by October 30, 2008.
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    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 section 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 section 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 November 
10, 2008, 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 November 
24, 2008, 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 November 17, 2008. 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 November 19, 2008, at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building. Oral testimony and written materials to be submitted at the 
public hearing are governed by sections 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 
business days prior to the date of the hearing.

[[Page 54619]]

    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 section 207.23 of the Commission's 
rules; the deadline for filing is November 17, 2008. Parties may also 
file written testimony in connection with their presentation at the 
hearing, as provided in section 207.24 of the Commission's rules, and 
posthearing briefs, which must conform with the provisions of section 
207.25 of the Commission's rules. The deadline for filing posthearing 
briefs is December 2, 2008; 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 December 2, 2008. On December 15, 2008, 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 December 17, 2008, but such 
final comments must not contain new factual information and must 
otherwise comply with section 207.30 of the Commission's rules. All 
written submissions must conform with the provisions of section 201.8 
of the Commission's rules; any submissions that contain BPI must also 
conform with the requirements of sections 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 section 201.8 of the Commission's 
rules, as amended, 67 FR 68036 (November 8, 2002). Even where 
electronic filing of a document is permitted, certain documents must 
also be filed in paper form, as specified in II(C) of the Commission's 
Handbook on Electronic Filing Procedures, 67 FR 68168, 68173 (November 
8, 2002).
    Additional written submissions to the Commission, including 
requests pursuant to section 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 sections 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.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: September 17, 2008.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. E8-22086 Filed 9-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P