[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 106 (Friday, June 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32513-32517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13239]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-821-809]


Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon-Quality Steel Products From the 
Russian Federation; Preliminary Results of Administrative Review of the 
Suspension Agreement

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

ACTION: Notice of Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review of 
the Suspension Agreement on Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon-Quality Steel 
Products from the Russian Federation.

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SUMMARY: In response to a request from Nucor Corporation (``Nucor''), a 
domestic interested party, the Department of Commerce (``the 
Department'') is conducting an administrative review of the Agreement 
Suspending the Antidumping Duty Investigation of Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled 
Carbon-Quality Steel Products from the Russian Federation (``the 
Agreement'') for the period July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, to 
review the current status of, and compliance with, the Agreement. For 
the reasons stated in this notice, the Department preliminarily 
determines that the Government of the Russian Federation is in 
compliance with the Agreement. However, the Department's preliminary 
evaluation of the status of the Agreement indicates that the Agreement 
is not meeting its statutory requirement to prevent price undercutting 
of domestic hot-rolled steel prices. The preliminary results are set 
forth in the section titled ``Preliminary Results of Review,'' infra. 
Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. 
Parties who submit comments are requested to provide: (1) A statement 
of the issues, and (2) a brief summary of the arguments.

DATES: Effective Date: June 1, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally C. Gannon or Anne D'Alauro, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230, telephone: (202) 482-0162 or (202) 482-4830.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 12, 1999, the Department and the Ministry of Trade 
(``MOT'') of the Russian Federation signed an agreement under section 
734(l) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), suspending the 
antidumping duty (``AD'') investigation on hot-rolled flat-rolled 
carbon-quality steel products (hot-rolled steel) from the Russian 
Federation. See Suspension of Antidumping Duty Investigation: Hot-
Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon-Quality Steel Products From the Russian 
Federation, 64 FR 38642 (July 19, 1999). Upon the request of the 
petitioners, the investigation was continued and the Department made an 
affirmative final determination of sales at less than fair value. See 
Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Hot-
Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon-Quality Steel Products From the Russian 
Federation, 64 FR 38626 (July 19, 1999). Likewise, the International 
Trade Commission (``ITC'') continued its investigation and made an 
affirmative determination of material injury to an industry in the 
United States. See Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Products From Brazil and 
Russia, 64 FR 46951 (August 27, 1999). The MOT was the predecessor to 
the Ministry of Economic Development (``MED'') of the Russian 
Federation, which is now the relevant agency representing the 
Government of the Russian Federation for purposes of this Agreement.
    On August 1, 2011, Nucor submitted a request for an administrative 
review pursuant to Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, 
or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative 
Review, 76 FR 38609 (July 1, 2011). On August 26, 2011, the Department 
initiated an administrative review of the suspension agreement. 
Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Reviews and Requests for Revocation in Part, 76 FR 53404 (August, 26, 
2011). On September 22, 2011, and January 4, 2012, the Department 
issued its questionnaire and supplemental questionnaire, respectively, 
to the Government of the Russian Federation and to the Russian 
producers/exporters. Responses from Russian producers, OJSC ``OMK-
Steel'' (``OMK''), Mechel OAO, and Novolipetsk Steel (``NLMK''), 
received on November 21, 2011, reported that their companies had no 
sales to the United States during the during the period of review 
(``POR''). The Government of the Russian Federation and those companies 
with U.S. sales during the POR, namely Joint Stock Company Severstal 
(``Severstal'') and JSC ``Magnitogorsk & Iron Steel Works'' (``MMK''), 
submitted responses on November 21, 2011, and January 26, 2012, 
respectively.
    Domestic interested parties, Nucor, ArcelorMittal USA LLC, United 
States Steel Corporation, Gallatin Steel Company, Steel Dynamics, Inc., 
and SSAB N.A.D., Inc., submitted comments on October 3, 2011 and 
February 17, 2012, while Nucor submitted additional comments on October 
11, 2011, October 19, 2011, January 17, 2012, February 10, 2012, 
February 21, 2012, and May 11, 2011. On December 20, 2011, Nucor 
submitted a response to a questionnaire issued to the company by the 
Department on November 28, 2011. In their comments, domestic interested 
parties alleged that offers, and subsequent sales, of Russian hot-
rolled steel in the United States are suppressing and undercutting 
domestic hot-rolled steel prices and, as a result, the Agreement is not 
fulfilling its statutory requirements.
    Russian producers Severstal, NLMK, and MMK submitted comments on 
October 6, 2011 and, with the additional producer OMK, on February 17, 
2012, on the issues raised by domestic interested parties in their 
above-noted submissions.
    On January 31, 2012, the Department requested consultations with 
MED, under section VIII.C of the Agreement, to discuss the issues of 
the alleged sales of Russian hot-rolled steel imports at prices that 
call into question the effectiveness of the Agreement's reference price 
mechanism and whether or not the Agreement is fulfilling its statutory 
mandate to prevent the undercutting and suppression of domestic hot-
rolled steel prices. On February 23, 2012, the Department and

[[Page 32514]]

the MED held consultations in Washington, DC to discuss these issues.
    On April 2, 2012, the Department postponed the preliminary results 
of this review until May 24, 2012. See Notice of Extension of Time 
Limit for the Preliminary Results of Administrative Review of the 
Suspension Agreement on Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon-Quality Steel 
Products from the Russian Federation, 77 FR 19619 (April 2, 2012).

Scope of Review

    For the purposes of this Suspension Agreement, ``hot-rolled steel'' 
means certain hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon-quality steel products of a 
rectangular shape, of a width of 0.5 inch or greater, neither clad, 
plated, nor coated with metal and whether or not painted, varnished, or 
coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances, in coils 
(whether or not in successively superimposed layers) regardless of 
thickness, and in straight lengths, of a thickness less than 4.75 mm 
and of a width measuring at least 10 times the thickness.
    Universal mill plate (i.e., flat-rolled products rolled on four 
faces or in a closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 mm but not 
exceeding 1250 mm and of a thickness of not less than 4 mm, not in 
coils and without patterns in relief) of a thickness not less than 4.0 
mm is not included within the scope of this agreement.
    Specifically included in this scope are vacuum degassed, fully 
stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free (``IF'')) steels, 
high strength low alloy (``HSLA'') steels, and the substrate for motor 
lamination steels. IF steels are recognized as low carbon steels with 
micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium and/or niobium added 
to stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized 
as steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, 
copper, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and molybdenum. The substrate for 
motor lamination steels contains micro-alloying levels of elements such 
as silicon and aluminum.
    Steel products to be included in the scope of this agreement, 
regardless of Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(``HTSUS'') definitions, are products in which: (1) Iron predominates, 
by weight, over each of the other contained elements; (2) the carbon 
content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and (3) none of the elements 
listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively indicated: 
1.80 percent of manganese, or 1.50 percent of silicon, or 1.00 percent 
of copper, or 0.50 percent of aluminum, or 1.25 percent of chromium, or 
0.30 percent of cobalt, or 0.40 percent of lead, or 1.25 percent of 
nickel, or 0.30 percent of tungsten, or 0.012 percent of boron, or 0.10 
percent of molybdenum, or 0.10 percent of niobium, or 0.41 percent of 
titanium, or 0.15 percent of vanadium, or 0.15 percent of zirconium.
    All products that meet the physical and chemical description 
provided above are within the scope of this agreement unless otherwise 
excluded. The following products, by way of example, are outside and/or 
specifically excluded from the scope of this agreement:

--Alloy hot-rolled steel products in which at least one of the chemical 
elements exceeds those listed above (including e.g., ASTM 
specifications A543, A387, A514, A517, and A506).
--SAE/AISI grades of series 2300 and higher.
--Ball bearing steels, as defined in the HTSUS.
--Tool steels, as defined in the HTSUS.
--Silico-manganese (as defined in the HTSUS) or silicon electrical 
steel with a silicon level exceeding 1.50 percent.
--ASTM specifications A710 and A736.
--USS Abrasion-resistant steels (USS AR 400, USS AR 500).
--Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, physical 
and mechanical specifications:

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                C                            Mn                     P                      S                      Si                     Cr                    Cu                    Ni
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0.10-0.14%.......................  0.90% Max              0.025% Max             0.005% Max             0.30-0.50%             0.50-0.70%             0.20-0.40%            0.20% Max
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    Width = 44.80 inches maximum; Thickness = 0.063-0.198 inches; Yield 
Strength = 50,000 ksi minimum; Tensile Strength = 70,000-88,000 psi.
    --Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, 
physical and mechanical specifications:

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                C                            Mn                     P                      S                      Si                     Cr                    Cu                    Ni
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0.10-0.16%.......................  0.70-0.90%             0.025% Max             0.006% Max             0.30-0.50%             0.50-0.70%             0.25% Max             0.20% Max
Mo...............................  .....................  .....................  .....................  .....................  .....................  ....................  ....................
0.21% Max........................  .....................  .....................  .....................  .....................  .....................  ....................  ....................
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    Width = 44.80 inches maximum; Thickness = 0.350 inches maximum; 
Yield Strength = 80,000 ksi minimum; Tensile Strength = 105,000 psi 
Aim.
    --Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, 
physical and mechanical specifications:

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                C                            Mn                     P                      S                      Si                     Cr                    Cu                    Ni
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0.10-0.14%.......................  1.30-1.80%             0.025% Max             0.005% Max             0.30-0.50%             0.50-0.70%             0.20-0.40%            0.20% Max
V(wt.)...........................  Cb                     .....................  .....................  .....................  .....................  ....................  ....................
0.10 Max.........................  0.08% Max              .....................  .....................  .....................  .....................  ....................  ....................
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    Width = 44.80 inches maximum; Thickness = 0.350 inches maximum; 
Yield Strength = 80,000 ksi minimum; Tensile Strength = 105,000 psi 
Aim.
--Hot-rolled steel coil which meets the following chemical, physical 
and mechanical specifications:

[[Page 32515]]



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                C                            Mn                     P                      S                      Si                     Cr                    Cu                    Ni
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0.15% Max........................  1.40% Max              0.025% Max             0.010% Max             0.50% Max              1.00% Max              0.50% Max             0.20% Max
Nb...............................  Ca                     Al                     .....................  .....................  .....................  ....................  ....................
0.005% Min.......................  Treated                0.01-0.07%             .....................  .....................  .....................  ....................  ....................
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    Width = 39.37 inches; Thickness = 0.181 inches maximum; Yield 
Strength = 70,000 psi minimum for thicknesses <=0.148 inches and 65,000 
psi minimum for thicknesses >0.148 inches; Tensile Strength = 80,000 
psi minimum.
    --Hot-rolled dual phase steel, phase-hardened, primarily with a 
ferritic-martensitic microstructure, contains 0.9 percent up to and 
including 1.5 percent silicon by weight, further characterized by 
either (i) tensile strength between 540 N/mm\2\ and 640 N/mm\2\ and an 
elongation percentage >=26 percent for thicknesses of 2 mm and above, 
or (ii) a tensile strength between 590 N/mm\2\ and 690 N/mm\2\ and an 
elongation percentage >=25 percent for thicknesses of 2 mm and above.
    --Hot-rolled bearing quality steel, SAE grade 1050, in coils, with 
an inclusion rating of 1.0 maximum per ASTM E 45, Method A, with 
excellent surface quality and chemistry restrictions as follows: 0.012 
percent maximum phosphorus, 0.015 percent maximum sulfur, and 0.20 
percent maximum residuals including 0.15 percent maximum chromium.
    --Grade ASTM A570-50 hot-rolled steel sheet in coils or cut 
lengths, width of 74 inches (nominal, within ASTM tolerances), 
thickness of 11 gauge (0.119 inches nominal), mill edge and skin 
passed, with a minimum copper content of 0.20 percent.

    The covered merchandise is classified in the HTSUS at subheadings: 
7208.10.15.00, 7208.10.30.00, 7208.10.60.00, 7208.25.30.00, 
7208.25.60.00, 7208.26.00.30, 7208.26.00.60, 7208.27.00.30, 
7208.27.00.60, 7208.36.00.30, 7208.36.00.60, 7208.37.00.30, 
7208.37.00.60, 7208.38.00.15, 7208.38.00.30, 7208.38.00.90, 
7208.39.00.15, 7208.39.00.30, 7208.39.00.90, 7208.40.60.30, 
7208.40.60.60, 7208.53.00.00, 7208.54.00.00, 7208.90.00.00, 
7210.70.30.00, 7210.90.90.00, 7211.14.00.30, 7211.14.00.90, 
7211.19.15.00, 7211.19.20.00, 7211.19.30.00, 7211.19.45.00, 
7211.19.60.00, 7211.19.75.30, 7211.19.75.60, 7211.19.75.90, 
7212.40.10.00, 7212.40.50.00, 7212.50.00.00. Certain hot-rolled flat-
rolled carbon-quality steel covered include: Vacuum degassed, fully 
stabilized; high strength low alloy; and the substrate for motor 
lamination steel may also enter under the following tariff numbers: 
7225.11.00.00, 7225.19.00.00, 7225.30.30.50, 7225.30.70.00, 
7225.40.70.00, 7225.99.00.90, 7226.11.10.00, 7226.11.90.30, 
7226.11.90.60, 7226.19.10.00, 7226.19.90.00, 7226.91.50.00, 
7226.91.70.00, 7226.91.80.00, and 7226.99.01.80. Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and Customs purposes, the 
written description of the covered merchandise is dispositive.

Period of Review

    The POR is July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.

Preliminary Results of Review

    Section 751(a)(1)(C) of the Act specifies that, in an 
administrative review of a suspension agreement, the Department shall 
``review the current status of, and compliance with, any agreement by 
reason of which an investigation was suspended.'' In this case, the 
Department and the MOT (the predecessor to the MED) of the Russian 
Federation signed the Agreement, which suspended the underlying AD 
investigation on July 12, 1999. Because the Department determined that 
the Russian Federation was a non-market economy at that time, the 
Agreement was entered into under section 734(l) of the Act, which 
applies to non-market-economy countries. \1\ This section provides that 
the Department may suspend an investigation upon acceptance of an 
agreement with a non-market-economy country to restrict the volume of 
imports into the United States, if the Department determines that the 
agreement: is in the public interest, effective monitoring is possible, 
and the agreement ``will prevent the suppression or undercutting of 
price levels of domestic products by imports of the merchandise under 
investigation.'' Section 734(l)(1). For this purpose, the Agreement's 
terms established annual quota limits and a reference price mechanism 
to provide minimum prices for sales of Russian hot-rolled steel imports 
into the U.S. market. The reference price mechanism relies on quarterly 
adjustments, based on the average unit prices (``AUVs'') of fairly-
traded imports as reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, as 
specified under section III.E of the Agreement.
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    \1\ In a memorandum dated June 6, 2002, based on the evidence of 
Russian economic reforms to that date, the Department revoked 
Russia's status as a non-market-economy under section 771(18)(B) of 
the Act, with such revocation effective as of April 1, 2002.
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    As discussed above, pursuant to section 734(l)(1) of the Act, the 
Department must ensure that the Agreement ``will prevent the 
suppression or undercutting of price levels of domestic products by 
imports of the merchandise under investigation.'' Neither the Act nor 
the Department's regulations contain a definition of price suppression 
or undercutting. Moreover, the legislative history does not contain any 
discussion of the terms price suppression or undercutting. Accordingly, 
the Department has typically considered Section 771(7)(C) of the Act, 
which requires the ITC, in its price analysis when determining whether 
there is material injury to an industry in the United States, to 
consider ``whether--(I) there has been significant price underselling 
by the imported merchandise as compared with the price of domestic like 
products of the United States, and (II) the effect of imports of such 
merchandise otherwise depresses prices to a significant degree or 
prevents price increases, which otherwise would have occurred, to a 
significant degree.''
    In this administrative review, domestic interested parties have 
alleged in part that offers, and subsequent sales, of Russian hot-
rolled steel in the United States are undercutting domestic hot-rolled 
steel prices and, as a result, the Agreement is not fulfilling its 
statutory requirements. In their February 17, 2012 submission, domestic 
interested parties argue that, due to a combination of pricing and cost 
changes in the hot-rolled steel industry, most dramatically in the 
rising price of raw material inputs since 2004, the adjustments made 
quarterly within the reference price mechanism have failed to keep pace 
with changes in U.S. prices. The evidence on the record indicates that, 
once the reference prices became too low relative to U.S. market 
prices, the subsequent quarterly adjustments were no longer effective 
in providing new

[[Page 32516]]

reference prices that were reflective of U.S. market prices for hot-
rolled steel. To demonstrate this point, the current reference price of 
$408.32/metric ton for A36 hot-rolled steel applicable to the second 
quarter of 2012 is now below the price for 1 busheling scrap, 
a type of scrap commonly used to make hot-rolled sheet, of $452/metric 
ton, as reported in the industry publication SteelBenchmarker for March 
26, 2012. Further, on the same date, SteelBenchmarker reported the U.S. 
price of hot-rolled band as $763/metric ton--187 percent higher than 
the reference price issued for the relevant quarter. While these 
particular data pertain to a period that occurred after the period of 
this review, they demonstrate the continuing limitations of the 
reference price mechanism, as adjusted on a quarterly basis under the 
Agreement, and, thus, the continuing failure of that mechanism to 
prevent undercutting of U.S. market prices.
    In their above-cited submissions on the record of this 
administrative review, domestic interested parties have provided 
evidence to demonstrate that the reference prices issued under the 
Agreement have been consistently below the domestic market prices for 
hot-rolled steel, as well as below the average prices of hot-rolled 
steel imports from other countries before and during the POR. See, 
e.g., the February 10, 2012, submission from Nucor and the February 17, 
2012, submission from all domestic interested parties. Further, in 
examining possible price undercutting by Russian hot-rolled steel 
imports, the Department looked at the relationship between Russian hot-
rolled steel AUVs and U.S. prices during the POR. Using public 
information, we found that Russian import prices were below U.S. prices 
in nine out of the 11 months in which imports occurred. See Memorandum 
to the File, from Anne D'Alauro on ``Data Supporting Preliminary 
Results of Administrative Review'' (May 23, 2012). Furthermore, for 
three of these months during the POR, February, March, and April 2011, 
Russian AUVs were significantly below--over $300/metric ton less than-- 
the U.S. prices of hot-rolled steel for those months. Id. Guided by 
Section 771(7)(C) of the Act, which instructs the ITC to consider 
``whether--(I) there has been significant price underselling by the 
imported merchandise as compared with the price of domestic like 
products of the United States,'' \2\ the Department preliminarily 
determines that there is price undercutting by Russian hot-rolled steel 
imports of U.S. hot-rolled steel during the POR.
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    \2\ We note that, although we are guided by this provision of 
the Act, which refers to ``significant price underselling,'' the 
relevant standard for the Department in evaluating the status of an 
Agreement refers only to undercutting, not significant undercutting. 
See section 734(l)(1) of the Act.
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    With respect to compliance with the specific terms of the 
Agreement, such as the quota limits and the reference prices, no party 
has placed evidence on the record of this review suggesting that the 
Russian exporters sold hot-rolled steel products in the U.S. market 
below the applicable reference prices or in excess of the quota, or 
that any violations of the Agreement occurred, during the POR.
    In evaluating the information on the record of this administrative 
review with respect to the current status of, and compliance with, the 
Agreement, the Department preliminarily determines that the Agreement's 
reference price mechanism, in its current form, is no longer preventing 
price undercutting by Russian imports of hot-rolled steel into the U.S. 
market, and, as a result, the Agreement is no longer fulfilling its 
statutory requirement. The record evidence indicates that the 
adjustments made quarterly within the Agreement's current reference 
price mechanism have failed to keep pace with changes in U.S. prices. 
Further, once the reference prices became too low relative to U.S. 
market prices, the subsequent quarterly adjustments were no longer 
effective in providing new reference prices that were reflective of 
U.S. market prices for hot-rolled steel. In addition, the record 
evidence and the Department's analysis indicate that the failing 
reference price mechanism, as described, has led to the undercutting of 
domestic hot-rolled steel price levels by Russian hot-rolled steel 
imports during the POR. Because the Department has preliminarily found 
price undercutting, the Department has not reached the question of 
whether the Agreement is preventing the suppression of domestic price 
levels by Russian hot-rolled steel imports. However, we will further 
consider the issue during the course of the administrative review, as 
necessary. Finally, the Department preliminarily finds no evidence, in 
the information submitted by interested parties in this administrative 
review, that the Agreement has not been complied with during the POR.
    As noted above, on February 23, 2012, the Department and MED 
entered into consultations to discuss the issues of the alleged sales 
of Russian hot-rolled steel imports at prices that call into question 
the effectiveness of the Agreement's reference price mechanism and 
whether the Agreement is fulfilling its statutory mandate to prevent 
the undercutting and suppression of domestic hot-rolled steel prices. 
The Department intends to move forward with additional consultations 
with MED during this administrative review, as mutually agreed, in an 
attempt to resolve these concerns and to bring the Agreement back into 
alignment with its statutory requirement to prevent the undercutting of 
domestic price levels for hot-rolled steel.
    If, for purposes of the final results of this review, the 
Department makes no changes to these preliminary results, and no 
amendment to the Agreement is agreed upon, the Department expects to 
terminate this Agreement in accordance with section 734(i) of the Act. 
In addition, if the Department terminates this Agreement pursuant to 
734(i), the Department will also direct U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection to suspend liquidation of all entries of hot-rolled steel 
from Russia that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for 
consumption on the date which is 90 days before the date of publication 
of the notice of termination of the Agreement. See 19 CFR sections 
351.213(i) and 351.209(c). Section X(C) of the Agreement specifies that 
the Department may terminate the Agreement at any time upon written 
notice to the other party. Pursuant to section X(C) of the Agreement, 
the Department is hereby providing written notice to the MED of the 
termination of the Agreement. If the Department makes an affirmative 
final determination that the Agreement is not satisfying the 
requirements of the statute, and no amendment to address the issue is 
agreed upon, the Department will terminate the Agreement on the date of 
the final results.

Public Comment

    An interested party may request a hearing within 30 days of 
publication of these preliminary results. See 19 CFR 351.310(c). Any 
hearing, if requested, will be held 37 days after the date of 
publication, or the first business day thereafter, unless the 
Department alters the date per 19 CFR 351.310(d). Interested parties 
may submit case briefs no later than 30 days after the date of 
publication of these preliminary results of review. See 19 CFR 
351.309(c). Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case 
briefs, may be filed no later than 35 days after the date of 
publication of this notice. See 19 CFR 351.309(d). Parties who submit 
comments in these proceedings are requested to provide: (1) A statement 
of

[[Page 32517]]

the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of 
authorities. Further, parties submitting case briefs and/or rebuttal 
briefs are requested to provide the Department with an additional copy 
of the public version of any such briefs on diskette. The Department 
will issue the final results of this administrative review, including 
the results of our analysis of the issues raised in any written 
comments or at a hearing, if requested, within 120 days of publication 
of these preliminary results. Given the U.S. market trends and the 
concerns with respect to the Suspension Agreement's legal viability 
that the Department is considering in the context of this 
administrative review, the Department will also evaluate whether there 
is good cause to accelerate the issuance of the final results (i.e., 
prior to the 120th day after publication of the preliminary results).
    We are issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: May 23, 2012.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-13239 Filed 5-31-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P