[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69065-69067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-31025]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-943]


Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the People's Republic of 
China: Notice of Amended Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less 
Than Fair Value

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

DATES: Effective Date: December 30, 2009.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (``Department'') has determined 
that it made certain significant ministerial errors in the preliminary 
determination of sales at less than fair value in the antidumping duty 
investigation of oil country tubular goods (``OCTG'') from the People's 
Republic of China (``PRC'') \1\ as described below in the 
``Supplementary Information'' section of this notice. The Department 
has corrected those errors and has re-calculated the antidumping duty 
margins for a mandatory respondent and for exporters eligible for a 
separate rate as shown below in the ``Amended Preliminary 
Determination'' section of this notice. As a result of a document 
conversion error, the version of this notice released to interested 
parties on December 4, 2009, omitted the name of an exporter/producer 
combination that is eligible for a separate rate \2\ and inadvertently 
misidentified the name of a non-selected respondent, Qiqihaer Haoying 
Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special Steel Group 
(``Qiqihaer''), a separate-rate applicant. This amended notice corrects 
this error. Because these errors were discovered prior to publication 
in the Federal Register, this amended preliminary determination is 
being published in place of the original version released on December 
4, 2009.
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    \1\ See Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the People's 
Republic of China: Notice of Preliminary Determination of Sales at 
Less Than Fair Value, Affirmative Preliminary Determination of 
Critical Circumstances and Postponement of Final Determination, 74 
FR 59117 (November 17, 2009) (``Preliminary Determination'').
    \2\ The amended Preliminary Determination released to parties on 
December 4, 2009, inadvertently omitted the following exporter and 
producer combination: Exporter, Pangang Group Chengdu Iron & Steel; 
Producer, Pangang Group Chengdu Iron & Steel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Stolz or Eugene Degnan, Import 
Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-4474, or 482-0414, respectively.

Scope of Investigation

    The merchandise covered by the investigation consists of certain 
oil country tubular goods (``OCTG''), which are hollow steel products 
of circular cross-section, including oil well casing and tubing, of 
iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether 
seamless or welded, regardless of end finish (e.g., whether or not 
plain end, threaded, or threaded and coupled) whether or not conforming 
to American Petroleum Institute (``API'') or non-API specifications, 
whether finished (including limited service OCTG products) or 
unfinished (including green tubes and limited service OCTG products), 
whether or not thread protectors are attached. The scope of the 
investigation also covers OCTG coupling stock. Excluded from the scope 
of the investigation are casing or tubing containing 10.5 percent or 
more by weight of chromium; drill pipe; unattached couplings; and 
unattached thread protectors.
    The merchandise covered by the investigation is currently 
classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(``HTSUS'') under item numbers: 7304.29.10.10, 7304.29.10.20, 
7304.29.10.30, 7304.29.10.40, 7304.29.10.50, 7304.29.10.60, 
7304.29.10.80, 7304.29.20.10, 7304.29.20.20, 7304.29.20.30, 
7304.29.20.40, 7304.29.20.50, 7304.29.20.60, 7304.29.20.80, 
7304.29.31.10, 7304.29.31.20, 7304.29.31.30, 7304.29.31.40, 
7304.29.31.50, 7304.29.31.60, 7304.29.31.80, 7304.29.41.10, 
7304.29.41.20, 7304.29.41.30, 7304.29.41.40, 7304.29.41.50, 
7304.29.41.60, 7304.29.41.80, 7304.29.50.15, 7304.29.50.30, 
7304.29.50.45, 7304.29.50.60, 7304.29.50.75, 7304.29.61.15, 
7304.29.61.30, 7304.29.61.45, 7304.29.61.60, 7304.29.61.75, 
7305.20.20.00, 7305.20.40.00, 7305.20.60.00, 7305.20.80.00, 
7306.29.10.30, 7306.29.10.90, 7306.29.20.00, 7306.29.31.00, 
7306.29.41.00, 7306.29.60.10, 7306.29.60.50, 7306.29.81.10, and 
7306.29.81.50.
    The OCTG coupling stock covered by the investigation may also enter 
under the following HTSUS item numbers: 7304.39.00.24, 7304.39.00.28, 
7304.39.00.32, 7304.39.00.36, 7304.39.00.40, 7304.39.00.44, 
7304.39.00.48, 7304.39.00.52, 7304.39.00.56, 7304.39.00.62, 
7304.39.00.68, 7304.39.00.72, 7304.39.00.76, 7304.39.00.80, 
7304.59.60.00, 7304.59.80.15, 7304.59.80.20, 7304.59.80.25, 
7304.59.80.30, 7304.59.80.35, 7304.59.80.40, 7304.59.80.45, 
7304.59.80.50, 7304.59.80.55, 7304.59.80.60, 7304.59.80.65, 
7304.59.80.70, and 7304.59.80.80.

The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes 
only, the written description of the scope of the investigation is 
dispositive.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Significant Ministerial Error

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e) and (g)(1), the Department is 
amending the preliminary determination of sales at less than fair value 
in the antidumping duty investigation of OCTG from the PRC to reflect 
the correction of significant ministerial errors it made in the margin 
calculations regarding

[[Page 69066]]

Tianjin Pipe (Group) Corporation (``TPCO''), a mandatory respondent, 
and in the name of a non-selected respondent, Qiqihaer Haoying Iron and 
Steel Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special Steel Group (``Qiqihaer''), a 
separate rate applicant. A ministerial error is defined as an error in 
addition, subtraction, or other arithmetic function, clerical error 
resulting from inaccurate copying, duplication, or the like, and any 
other similar type of unintentional error which the Secretary considers 
ministerial. See 19 CFR 351.224(f). A significant ministerial error is 
defined as a ministerial error, the correction of which, singly or in 
combination with other errors, would result in (1) a change of at least 
five absolute percentage points in, but not less than 25 percent of, 
the weighted-average dumping margin calculated in the original 
(erroneous) preliminary determination or (2) a difference between a 
weighted-average dumping margin of zero or de minimis and a weighted-
average dumping margin of greater than de minimis or vice versa. See 19 
CFR 351.224(g).

Ministerial-Error Allegation

    On November 17, 2009, the Department published its affirmative 
preliminary determination in this proceeding. See Preliminary 
Determination. On November 13, 2009, Qiqihaer, a separate rate 
applicant, submitted a ministerial error allegation claiming that the 
Department did not name it in the Preliminary Determination as one of 
the exporters receiving a separate rate. On November 16, 2009, Maverick 
Tube Corporation and United States Steel Corporation (``Petitioners'') 
\3\ submitted ministerial error allegations with respect to the margin 
calculations for TPCO in the Preliminary Determination, relating to 
certain conversion errors and surrogate value calculations. No other 
interested party submitted ministerial error allegations. The 
Department has reviewed its preliminary calculations and agrees that 
the errors which the parties alleged are significant ministerial errors 
within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.224(g). See the ``Ministerial Error 
Memorandum, Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from the People's 
Republic of China, Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value,'' dated December 4, 2009, for a discussion of the ministerial 
error allegations. See Appendix I for a list of the ministerial error 
allegations.
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    \3\ TMK IPSCO, V&M Star L.P., V&M Tubular Corporation of 
America, Wheatland Tube Corp., Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel, and 
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, 
Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO-
CLC, also Petitioners, did not submit ministerial error allegations.
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    We are publishing this amendment to the preliminary determination 
pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e). As a result of this amended preliminary 
determination, we have revised the antidumping rate for TPCO and 
corrected Qiqihaer's name in the list of exporters that received a 
separate rate.\4\ In addition, we have revised the separate rate based 
on TPCO's revised dumping margin.
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    \4\ In the Preliminary Determination, we inadvertently referred 
to Qiqihaer as ``Qiqihaer Bonded Logistics Park Products 
International Trading Co., Ltd.'' as both the exporter and producer; 
there was no separate rate applicant named Qiqihaer Bonded Logistics 
Park Products International Trading Co., Ltd.
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    The collection of bonds or cash deposits and suspension of 
liquidation will be revised accordingly and parties will be notified of 
this determination, in accordance with section 733(d) and (f) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, (``the Act'').

Effective Date

    The effective date of the corrected name for Qiqihaer will be 
November 17, 2009, the date of publication of the Preliminary 
Determination. The effective date of the amended preliminary 
determination rate for TPCO and the separate rate recipients will the 
date of publication of this amended preliminary determination in the 
Federal Register.

Amended Preliminary Determination

    As a result of our correction of significant ministerial errors in 
the Preliminary Determination, we have determined that the following 
weighted-average dumping margins apply:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Weighted-
            Exporter                     Producer         average margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tianjin Pipe International       Tianjin Pipe (Group)              96.51
 Economic and Trading             Corporation.
 Corporation.
Angang Group Hong Kong Co., Ltd  Angang Steel Co. Ltd...           96.51
Angang Steel Co., Ltd., and      Angang Steel Co. Ltd...           96.51
 Angang Group International
 Trade Corporation.
Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe Co., Ltd.  Anhui Tianda Oil Pipe             96.51
                                  Co., Ltd.
Anshan Zhongyou Tipo Pipe &      Anshan Zhongyou Tipo              96.51
 Tubing Co., Ltd.                 Pipe & Tubing Co., Ltd.
Baotou Steel International       Baotou Steel                      96.51
 Economic and Trading Co., Ltd.   International Economic
                                  and Trading Co., Ltd.
Benxi Northern Steel Pipes Co.,  Benxi Northern Steel              96.51
 Ltd.                             Pipes Co., Ltd.
Chengdu Wanghui Petroleum Pipe   Chengdu Wanghui                   96.51
 Co. Ltd.                         Petroleum Pipe Co. Ltd.
Dalipal Pipe Company...........  Dalipal Pipe Company...           96.51
Faray Petroleum Steel Pipe Co.   Faray Petroleum Steel             96.51
 Ltd.                             Pipe Co. Ltd.
Freet Petroleum Equipment Co.,   Freet Petroleum                   96.51
 Ltd. of Shengli Oil Field, The   Equipment Co., Ltd. of
 Thermal Recovery Equipment,      Shengli Oil Field, The
 Zibo Branch.                     Thermal Recovery
                                  Equipment, Zibo Branch.
Hengyang Steel Tube Group        Hengyang Valin MPM Tube           96.51
 International Trading, Inc.      Co., Ltd.; Hengyang
                                  Valin Steel Tube Co.,
                                  Ltd.
Huludao Steel Pipe Industrial    Huludao Steel Pipe                96.51
 Co., Ltd./Huludao City Steel     Industrial Co., Ltd./
 Pipe Industrial Co., Ltd.        Huludao City Steel
                                  Pipe Industrial Co.,
                                  Ltd.
Jiangsu Chengde Steel Tube       Jiangsu Chengde Steel             96.51
 Share Co., Ltd.                  Tube Share Co., Ltd.
Jiangyin City Changjiang Steel   Jiangyin City                     96.51
 Pipe Co., Ltd.                   Changjiang Steel Pipe
                                  Co., Ltd.
Pangang Group Beihai Steel Pipe  Pangang Group Beihai              96.51
 Corporation.                     Steel Pipe Corporation.
Pangang Group Chengdu Iron &     Pangang Group Chengdu             96.51
 Steel.                           Iron & Steel.
Qingdao Bonded Logistics Park    Shengli Oilfield                  96.51
 Products International Trading   Highland Petroleum
 Co., Ltd.                        Equipment Co., Ltd.;
                                  Shandong Continental
                                  Petroleum Equipment
                                  Co., Ltd.; Aofei Tele
                                  Dongying Import &
                                  Export Co., Ltd.;
                                  Highgrade Tubular
                                  Manufacturing
                                  (Tianjin) Co., Ltd.;
                                  Cangzhou City Baohai
                                  Petroleum Material
                                  Co., Ltd.
Qiqihaer Haoying Iron and Steel  Qiqihaer Haoying Iron             96.51
 Co., Ltd. of Northeast Special   and Steel Co., Ltd. of
 Steel Group.                     Northeast Special
                                  Steel Group.
Shandong Dongbao Steel Pipe      Shandong Dongbao Steel            96.51
 Co., Ltd.                        Pipe Co., Ltd.

[[Page 69067]]

 
ShanDong HuaBao Steel Pipe Co.,  ShanDong HuaBao Steel             96.51
 Ltd.                             Pipe Co., Ltd.
Shandong Molong Petroleum        Shandong Molong                   96.51
 Machinery Co., Ltd.              Petroleum Machinery
                                  Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Metals & Minerals       Jiangsu Changbao Steel            96.51
 Import & Export Corp./Shanghai   Pipe Co., Ltd.;
 Minmetals Materials & Products   Huludao Steel Pipe
 Corp.                            Industrial Co., Ltd.;
                                  Northeast Special
                                  Steel Group Qiqihaer
                                  Haoying Steel and Iron
                                  Co., Ltd.; Beijing
                                  Youlu Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Zhongyou Tipo Steel     Shanghai Zhongyou Tipo            96.51
 Pipe Co., Ltd.                   Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.
Shengli Oil Field Freet          Freet Petroleum                   96.51
 Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd.    Equipment Co., Ltd. of
                                  Shengli Oil Field, The
                                  Thermal Recovery
                                  Equipment, Zibo
                                  Branch; Faray
                                  Petroleum Steel Pipe
                                  Co., Ltd.; Shengli Oil
                                  Field Freet Petroleum
                                  Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.
Shengli Oil Field Freet          Freet Petroleum                   96.51
 Petroleum Steel Pipe Co., Ltd.   Equipment Co., Ltd. of
                                  Shengli Oil Field, The
                                  Thermal Recovery
                                  Equipment, Zibo
                                  Branch; Tianda Oil
                                  Pipe Co., Ltd; Wuxi
                                  Fastube Dingyuan
                                  Precision Steel Pipe
                                  Co., Ltd.
Shengli Oilfield Highland        Tianjin Pipe Group                96.51
 Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd.    Corp.; Goods &
                                  Materials Supply Dept.
                                  of Shengli Oilfield
                                  SinoPEC;.
                                 Dagang Oilfield Group
                                  New Century Machinery
                                  Co. Ltd.; Tianjin
                                  Seamless Steel Pipe
                                  Plant; Baoshan Iron &
                                  Steel Co. Ltd.
Shengli Oilfield Shengji         Shengli Oilfield                  96.51
 Petroleum Equipment Co., Ltd.    Shengji Petroleum
                                  Equipment Co., Ltd.
Tianjin Xingyuda Import and      Tianjin Lifengyuanda              96.51
 Export Co., Ltd. & Hong Kong     Steel Group Co., Ltd.
 Gallant Group Limited.
Tianjin Seamless Steel Pipe      Tianjin Seamless Steel            96.51
 Plant.                           Pipe Plant.
Tianjin Tiangang Special         Tianjin Tiangang                  96.51
 Petroleum Pipe Manufacturer      Special Petroleum Pipe
 Co., Ltd.                        Manufacturer Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Baoda Petroleum Special     Wuxi Baoda Petroleum              96.51
 Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd.     Special Pipe
                                  Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Seamless Oil Pipe Co., Ltd  Wuxi Seamless Oil Pipe            96.51
                                  Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Sp. Steel Tube              Wuxi Precese Special              96.51
 Manufacturing Co., Ltd.          Steel Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Zhenda Special Steel Tube   Huai'an Zhenda Steel              96.51
 Manufacturing Co., Ltd.          Tube Manufacturing
                                  Co., Ltd.
Xigang Seamless Steel Tube Co.,  Xigang Seamless Steel             96.51
 Ltd.                             Tube Co., Ltd.; Wuxi
                                  Seamless Special Pipe
                                  Co., Ltd.
Yangzhou Lontrin Steel Tube      Yangzhou Lontrin Steel            96.51
 Co., Ltd.                        Tube Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Jianli Co., Ltd. &      Zhejiang Jianli Co.,              96.51
 Zhejiang Jianli Steel Tube       Ltd.; Zhejiang Jianli
 Co., Ltd.                        Steel Tube Co., Ltd.
PRC-wide Entity*...............  .......................           99.14
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    *Shengli Oil Field Freet Import & Export Trade Co., Ltd. is part of 
the PRC-wide entity.
    The PRC-wide rate has not been amended. Further, we will not 
instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to suspend 
liquidation or require a cash deposit or the posting of a bond for 
imports of OCTG from the PRC exported and produced by Changbao, because 
we have calculated a margin of zero percent for Changbao. In addition, 
consistent with the Preliminary Determination, we will adjust, as 
appropriate, the remaining exporter's cash deposit rates for export 
subsidies determined in Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the 
People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determination, Preliminary Negative Critical Circumstances 
Determination, 74 FR 47210 (September 15, 2009).

International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, we have notified the 
International Trade Commission (``ITC'') of our amended preliminary 
determination. If our final determination is affirmative, the ITC will 
determine before the later of 120 days after the date of the 
preliminary determination or 45 days after our final determination 
whether the domestic industry in the United States is materially 
injured, or threatened with material injury, by reason of imports, or 
sales (or likelihood of sales) for importation, of the subject 
merchandise.
    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 733(f) and 777(I)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.224(e).

    Dated: December 18, 2009.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Appendix I

    Issue 1: Whether the Department incorrectly applied a currency 
conversion rate to the surrogate value for oxygen.
    Issue 2: Whether the Department used the correct value for steel 
scrap.
    Issue 3: Whether the Department used the correct surrogate value 
for marine insurance.
    Issue 4: Whether the Department made an error converting 
brokerage and handling to a metric ton (``MT'') basis.
    Issue 5: Whether the Department erroneously applied a weight 
conversion to certain export price (``EP'') sales.
    Issue 6: Whether the Department applied converted MT values in 
certain U.S. price adjustments.
    Issue 7: Whether the Department failed to list the name of a 
company granted a separate rate in the preliminary determination in 
the Federal Register notice.

[FR Doc. E9-31025 Filed 12-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P