[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 4633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1650]



[[Page 4633]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-814]


Carbon Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From the People's Republic 
of China: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final Scope 
Ruling and Notice of Amended Final Scope Ruling Pursuant to Court 
Decision

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On January 6, 2011, the United States Court of International 
Trade (``CIT'') sustained the Department of Commerce's (``the 
Department'') results of redetermination, which construed the scope of 
the Order \1\ as excluding carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings from 
the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') used in structural 
applications, pursuant to the CIT's remand order in King Supply Co. 
LLC, d/b/a King Architectural Metals v. United States, Slip Op. 10-111, 
Court No. 09-00477 (September 30, 2010) (``King Supply I''). See Final 
Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Remand, Court No. 09-00477, 
dated December 1, 2010; King Supply Co. LLC, d/b/a King Architectural 
Metals, v. United States, Slip Op. 11-2, Court No. 09-00477 (January 6, 
2011) (``King Supply II''). Consistent with the decision of the United 
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (``CAFC'') in Timken 
Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (``Timken''), as 
clarified by Diamond Sawblades Mfrs. Coalition v. United States, 626 
F.3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (``Diamond Sawblades''), the Department is 
notifying the public that the final judgment in this case is not in 
harmony with the Department's final scope ruling and is amending its 
final scope ruling on carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings from the PRC 
used in structural applications. See Memorandum from Edward C. Yang, 
Senior NME Coordinator for Import Administration to John M. Andersen, 
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, Final 
Scope Ruling: Antidumping Duty Order on Carbon Steel Butt-Weld Pipe 
Fittings from the People's Republic of China, dated October 20, 2009 
(``Final Scope Ruling'').
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    \1\ See Antidumping Duty Order and Amendment to the Final 
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value; Certain Carbon Steel 
Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From the People's Republic of China, 57 FR 
29702 (July 6, 1992) (``Order'').

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DATES: Effective Date: January 16, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Villanueva, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office 9, Import Administration--International Trade Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC, 20230; telephone (202) 482-3208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 13, 2009, the Department issued a final scope ruling on 
carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings from the PRC used in structural 
applications. See Final Scope Ruling. In the Final Scope Ruling, the 
Department found that carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings from the PRC 
used in structural applications were covered by the Order because they 
met the physical description of subject merchandise. See Final Scope 
Ruling, at 6.
    In King Supply I, the CIT determined that the scope language of the 
Order contains an end-use element that results in the exclusion of pipe 
fittings used to join sections in structural applications from the 
Order. Therefore, the CIT ordered the Department to issue a scope 
determination that construes the scope of the Order as excluding carbon 
steel butt-weld pipe fittings used in structural applications. See King 
Supply I, at 3.
    On December 1, 2010, the Department issued its final results of 
redetermination pursuant to King Supply I. Pursuant to the remand order 
in King Supply I, we construed the scope of the Order as excluding 
carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings used only in structural 
applications. The CIT sustained the Department's remand redetermination 
on January 6, 2011. See King Supply II.

Timken Notice

    In its decision in Timken, 893 F.2d at 341, as clarified by Diamond 
Sawblades, the CAFC has held that, pursuant to section 516A(e) of the 
Act, the Department must publish a notice of a court decision that is 
not ``in harmony'' with a Department determination and must suspend 
liquidation of entries pending a ``conclusive'' court decision. The 
CIT's January 6, 2011, judgment sustaining the Department's remand 
redetermination construing the scope of the Order as excluding carbon 
steel butt-weld pipe fittings used only in structural applications, 
constitutes a final decision of that court that is not in harmony with 
the Department's Final Scope Ruling. This notice is published in 
fulfillment of the publication requirements of Timken. Accordingly, the 
Department will continue the suspension of liquidation of carbon steel 
butt-weld pipe fittings from the PRC used only in structural 
applications pending the expiration of the period of appeal or, if 
appealed, pending a final and conclusive court decision. The cash 
deposit rate on carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings used only in 
structural applications will be zero percent.

Amended Final Scope Ruling

    Because there is now a final court decision with respect to carbon 
steel butt-weld pipe fittings from the PRC used in structural 
applications, the Department amends its final scope ruling and now 
finds that the scope of the Order excludes carbon steel butt-weld pipe 
fittings used only in structural applications. The Department will 
instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') that the cash 
deposit rate on carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings used only in 
structural applications will be zero percent. In the event the CIT's 
ruling is not appealed or, if appealed, upheld by the CAFC, the 
Department will instruct CBP to liquidate entries of carbon steel butt-
weld pipe fittings from the PRC used only in structural applications 
without regard to antidumping duties, and to lift suspension of 
liquidation of such entries.
    This notice is issued and published in accordance with sections 
516A(c)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.

    Dated: January 20, 2011.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-1650 Filed 1-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P