[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 251 (Tuesday, December 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79667-79670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31342]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-588-845]


Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils From Japan: Initiation 
of Expedited Changed Circumstances Review, and Preliminary Results of 
Changed Circumstances Review

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance (formerly Import Administration), 
International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

DATES: Effective Date: December 31, 2013.
SUMMARY: In response to a request from Hitachi Metals, Ltd. (Hitachi 
Metals), a producer/exporter of stainless steel sheet and strip in 
coils (SSSSC) from Japan, and pursuant to section 751(b) of the Tariff 
Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), 19 CFR 351.216 and 
351.221(c)(3)(ii), the Department is initiating a changed circumstances 
review and issuing this notice of preliminary results. We have 
preliminarily determined that Hitachi Metals is the successor-in-
interest to the merger of Hitachi Metals and Hitachi Cable Ltd. 
(Hitachi Cable).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terre Keaton Stefanova or Rebecca 
Trainor, AD/CVD Operations, Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-1280 and (202) 482-4007, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 27, 1999, the Department published an antidumping duty 
order on SSSSC from Japan.\1\
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    \1\ See Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less 
Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty Order; Stainless Steel Sheet 
and Strip in Coils from Japan, 64 Fed. Reg. 40565 (July 27, 1999).
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    On November 13, 2013,\2\ Hitachi Metals informed the Department 
that effective July 1, 2013, it had merged with Hitachi Cable,\3\ and 
requested that: (1) The Department conduct an expedited changed 
circumstances review under 19 CFR 351.211(c)(3)(ii) to determine that 
it is the successor-in-interest to Hitachi Cable for purposes of 
determining antidumping duty cash deposits and liabilities; and (2) the 
Department's successor-in-interest determination be retroactively 
effective as of July 1, 2013, the date on which the merger was 
completed. We received no comments from any other interested party.
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    \2\ See Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip from Japan: Request for 
a Changed Circumstances Review (November 13, 2013) (CCR Request).
    \3\ Hitachi Cable was a respondent in the 2007-2008 
administrative review of the antidumping duty order on SSSSC from 
Japan and received a zero percent dumping margin. See Stainless 
Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from Japan: Final Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 75 FR 6631, 6633 (February 
10, 2010).
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Scope of the Order

    The products covered by the order are certain SSSSC. Stainless 
steel is an alloy steel containing, by weight, 1.2 percent or less of 
carbon and 10.5 percent or more of chromium, with or without other 
elements. The subject sheet and strip is a flat-rolled product in coils 
that is greater than 9.5 mm in width and less than 4.75 mm in 
thickness, and that is annealed or otherwise heat treated and pickled 
or otherwise descaled. The subject sheet and strip may also be further 
processed (e.g., cold-rolled, polished, aluminized, coated, etc.) 
provided that it maintains the specific dimensions of sheet and strip 
following such processing.
    The merchandise subject to this order is currently classifiable in 
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) at 
subheadings: 7219.13.00.31, 7219.13.00.51, 7219.13.00.71, 
7219.13.00.81, 7219.14.00.30, 7219.14.00.65, 7219.14.00.90, 
7219.32.00.05, 7219.32.00.20, 7219.32.00.25, 7219.32.00.35, 
7219.32.00.36, 7219.32.00.38, 7219.32.00.42, 7219.32.00.44, 
7219.33.00.05, 7219.33.00.20, 7219.33.00.25, 7219.33.00.35, 
7219.33.00.36, 7219.33.00.38, 7219.33.00.42, 7219.33.00.44, 
7219.34.00.05, 7219.34.00.20, 7219.34.00.25, 7219.34.00.30, 
7219.34.00.35, 7219.35.00.05, 7219.35.00.15, 7219.35.00.30, 
7219.35.00.35, 7219.90.00.10, 7219.90.00.20, 7219.90.00.25, 
7219.90.00.60, 7219.90.00.80, 7220.12.10.00, 7220.12.50.00, 
7220.20.10.10, 7220.20.10.15, 7220.20.10.60, 7220.20.10.80, 
7220.20.60.05, 7220.20.60.10, 7220.20.60.15, 7220.20.60.60, 
7220.20.60.80, 7220.20.70.05, 7220.20.70.10, 7220.20.70.15, 
7220.20.70.60, 7220.20.70.80, 7220.20.80.00, 7220.20.90.30, 
7220.20.90.60, 7220.90.00.10, 7220.90.00.15, 7220.90.00.60, and 
7220.90.00.80. Although the HTS subheadings are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the Department's written description 
of the merchandise under review is dispositive.
    Excluded from the scope of this order are the following: (1) Sheet 
and strip

[[Page 79668]]

that is not annealed or otherwise heat treated and pickled or otherwise 
descaled, (2) sheet and strip that is cut to length, (3) plate (i.e., 
flat-rolled stainless steel products of a thickness of 4.75 mm or 
more), (4) flat wire (i.e., cold-rolled sections, with a prepared edge, 
rectangular in shape, of a width of not more than 9.5 mm), and (5) 
razor blade steel. Razor blade steel is a flat-rolled product of 
stainless steel, not further worked than cold-rolled (cold-reduced), in 
coils, of a width of not more than 23 mm and a thickness of 0.266 mm or 
less, containing, by weight, 12.5 to 14.5 percent chromium, and 
certified at the time of entry to be used in the manufacture of razor 
blades. See Chapter 72 of the HTS, ``Additional U.S. Note'' 1(d).
    Flapper valve steel is also excluded from the scope of the order. 
This product is defined as stainless steel strip in coils containing, 
by weight, between 0.37 and 0.43 percent carbon, between 1.15 and 1.35 
percent molybdenum, and between 0.20 and 0.80 percent manganese. This 
steel also contains, by weight, phosphorus of 0.025 percent or less, 
silicon of between 0.20 and 0.50 percent, and sulfur of 0.020 percent 
or less. The product is manufactured by means of vacuum arc remelting, 
with inclusion controls for sulphide of no more than 0.04 percent and 
for oxide of no more than 0.05 percent. Flapper valve steel has a 
tensile strength of between 210 and 300 ksi, yield strength of between 
170 and 270 ksi, plus or minus 8 ksi, and a hardness (Hv) of between 
460 and 590. Flapper valve steel is most commonly used to produce 
specialty flapper valves in compressors.
    Also excluded is a product referred to as suspension foil, a 
specialty steel product used in the manufacture of suspension 
assemblies for computer disk drives. Suspension foil is described as 
302/304 grade or 202 grade stainless steel of a thickness between 14 
and 127 microns, with a thickness tolerance of plus-or-minus 2.01 
microns, and surface glossiness of 200 to 700 percent Gs. Suspension 
foil must be supplied in coil widths of not more than 407 mm, and with 
a mass of 225 kg or less. Roll marks may only be visible on one side, 
with no scratches of measurable depth. The material must exhibit 
residual stresses of 2 mm maximum deflection, and flatness of 1.6 mm 
over 685 mm length.
    Certain stainless steel foil for automotive catalytic converters is 
also excluded from the scope of this order. This stainless steel strip 
in coils is a specialty foil with a thickness of between 20 and 110 
microns used to produce a metallic substrate with a honeycomb structure 
for use in automotive catalytic converters. The steel contains, by 
weight, carbon of no more than 0.030 percent, silicon of no more than 
1.0 percent, manganese of no more than 1.0 percent, chromium of between 
19 and 22 percent, aluminum of no less than 5.0 percent, phosphorus of 
no more than 0.045 percent, sulfur of no more than 0.03 percent, 
lanthanum of less than 0.002 or greater than 0.05 percent, and total 
rare earth elements of more than 0.06 percent, with the balance iron.
    Permanent magnet iron-chromium-cobalt alloy stainless strip is also 
excluded from the scope of this order. This ductile stainless steel 
strip contains, by weight, 26 to 30 percent chromium, and 7 to 10 
percent cobalt, with the remainder of iron, in widths 228.6 mm or less, 
and a thickness between 0.127 and 1.270 mm. It exhibits magnetic 
remanence between 9,000 and 12,000 gauss, and a coercivity of between 
50 and 300 oersteds. This product is most commonly used in electronic 
sensors and is currently available under proprietary trade names such 
as ``Arnokrome III.'' \4\
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    \4\ ``Arnokrome III'' is a trademark of the Arnold Engineering 
Company.
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    Certain electrical resistance alloy steel is also excluded from the 
scope of this order. This product is defined as a non-magnetic 
stainless steel manufactured to American Society of Testing and 
Materials (ASTM) specification B344 and containing, by weight, 36 
percent nickel, 18 percent chromium, and 46 percent iron, and is most 
notable for its resistance to high temperature corrosion. It has a 
melting point of 1390 degrees Celsius and displays a creep rupture 
limit of 4 kilograms per square millimeter at 1000 degrees Celsius. 
This steel is most commonly used in the production of heating ribbons 
for circuit breakers and industrial furnaces, and in rheostats for 
railway locomotives. The product is currently available under 
proprietary trade names such as ``Gilphy 36.'' \5\
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    \5\ ``Gilphy 36'' is a trademark of Imphy, S.A.
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    Certain martensitic precipitation-hardenable stainless steel is 
also excluded from the scope of this order. This high-strength, ductile 
stainless steel product is designated under the Unified Numbering 
System (UNS) as S45500-grade steel, and contains, by weight, 11 to 13 
percent chromium, and 7 to 10 percent nickel. Carbon, manganese, 
silicon and molybdenum each comprise, by weight, 0.05 percent or less, 
with phosphorus and sulfur each comprising, by weight, 0.03 percent or 
less. This steel has copper, niobium, and titanium added to achieve 
aging, and will exhibit yield strengths as high as 1700 Mpa and 
ultimate tensile strengths as high as 1750 Mpa after aging, with 
elongation percentages of 3 percent or less in 50 mm. It is generally 
provided in thicknesses between 0.635 and 0.787 mm, and in widths of 
25.4 mm. This product is most commonly used in the manufacture of 
television tubes and is currently available under proprietary trade 
names such as ``Durphynox 17.'' \6\
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    \6\ ``Durphynox 17'' is a trademark of Imphy, S.A.
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    Finally, three specialty stainless steels typically used in certain 
industrial blades and surgical and medical instruments are also 
excluded from the scope of this order. These include stainless steel 
strip in coils used in the production of textile cutting tools (e.g., 
carpet knives).\7\ This steel is similar to AISI grade 420 but 
containing, by weight, 0.5 to 0.7 percent of molybdenum. The steel also 
contains, by weight, carbon of between 1.0 and 1.1 percent, sulfur of 
0.020 percent or less, and includes between 0.20 and 0.30 percent 
copper and between 0.20 and 0.50 percent cobalt. This steel is sold 
under proprietary names such as ``GIN4 Mo.'' The second excluded 
stainless steel strip in coils is similar to AISI 420-J2 and contains, 
by weight, carbon of between 0.62 and 0.70 percent, silicon of between 
0.20 and 0.50 percent, manganese of between 0.45 and 0.80 percent, 
phosphorus of no more than 0.025 percent and sulfur of no more than 
0.020 percent. This steel has a carbide density on average of 100 
carbide particles per 100 square microns. An example of this product is 
``GIN5'' steel. The third specialty steel has a chemical composition 
similar to AISI 420 F, with carbon of between 0.37 and 0.43 percent, 
molybdenum of between 1.15 and 1.35 percent, but lower manganese of 
between 0.20 and 0.80 percent, phosphorus of no more than 0.025 
percent, silicon of between 0.20 and 0.50 percent, and sulfur of no 
more than 0.020 percent. This product is supplied with a hardness of 
more than Hv 500 guaranteed after customer processing, and is supplied 
as, for example, ``GIN6.'' \8\
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    \7\ This list of uses is illustrative and provided for 
descriptive purposes only.
    \8\ ``GIN4 Mo,'' ``GIN5'' and ``GIN6'' are the proprietary 
grades of Hitachi Metals America, Ltd.
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Initiation and Preliminary Results

    Pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Act, the Department will 
conduct a changed circumstance review upon receipt of a request from an 
interested party or receipt of information concerning an antidumping 
duty order

[[Page 79669]]

which shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review of the 
order.
    As noted above in the ``Background'' section, we have received 
information indicating that on July 1, 2013, Hitachi Metals merged with 
Hitachi Cable, and assumed all operations for the production and sale 
of the subject merchandise. This constitutes changed circumstances 
warranting a review of this order.\9\ Therefore, in accordance with 
section 751(b)(1) of the Act, we are initiating a changed circumstances 
review based upon the information contained in Hitachi Metals' 
submission.\10\
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    \9\ See 19 CFR 351.216(d).
    \10\ See the CCR Request.
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    Section 351.221(c)(3)(ii) of the Department's regulations permits 
the Department to combine the notice of initiation of a changed 
circumstances review and the notice of preliminary results if the 
Department concludes that expedited action is warranted. In this 
instance, because we have on the record the information necessary to 
make a preliminary finding, we find that expedited action is warranted, 
and have combined the notice of initiation and the notice of 
preliminary results.
    In making a successor-in-interest determination, the Department 
examines several factors, including but not limited to, changes in: (1) 
Management; (2) production facilities; (3) supplier relationships; and 
(4) customer base.\11\ While no single factor or combination of these 
factors will necessarily provide a dispositive indication of a 
successor-in-interest relationship, the Department will generally 
consider the new company to be the successor to the previous company if 
the new company's resulting operation is not materially dissimilar to 
that of its predecessor.\12\ Thus, if the evidence demonstrates that, 
with respect to the production and sale of the subject merchandise, the 
new company operates as the same business entity as the former company, 
the Department will accord the new company the same antidumping 
treatment as its predecessor.
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    \11\ See, e.g., Pressure Sensitive Plastic Tape from Italy: 
Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances 
Review, 75 FR 8925 (Feb. 26, 2010), unchanged in Pressure Sensitive 
Plastic Tape From Italy: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed 
Circumstances Review, 75 FR 27706 (May 18, 2010); Brake Rotors From 
the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Changed 
Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 70 FR 69941 
(November 18, 2005) (Brake Rotors), citing Brass Sheet and Strip 
from Canada; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review, 57 FR 2460 (May 13, 1992); and Structural Steel Beams from 
Korea: Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review, 66 FR 15834 (March 21, 2001).
    \12\ See e.g., Brake Rotors.
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    In its submission, Hitachi Metals explained that effective July 1, 
2013, it merged with Hitachi Cable. Hitachi Metals stated that the 
merger was conducted on an equal basis, but procedurally took the form 
of an absorption-type merger through which Hitachi Metals became the 
surviving company and Hitachi Cable became extinct.\13\ Hitachi Metals 
claimed that since the merger took effect, it is operating essentially 
the same business as the former Hitachi Cable, and there has been no 
significant change in management, production facilities, supplier 
relationships, or customer base with respect to the production and sale 
of the subject merchandise.\14\ Hitachi Metals submitted detailed 
documentation relating to the merger of the two companies (e.g., 
shareholder meeting report, articles of incorporation, and a copy of 
the merger agreement).\15\
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    \13\ See CCR Request at 3.
    \14\ See CCR Request at 4.
    \15\ See CCR Request at 3 and Exhibits 1a through 1d.
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    With respect to management, Hitachi Metals explained that one of 
the objectives of the merger was to improve business efficiency through 
the effective use of management resources.\16\ Therefore, its 
management team does not include all of the former Hitachi Cable 
managers. Hitachi Metals stated that many of the individuals who were 
responsible for making decisions regarding the pricing and production 
practices of Hitachi Cable joined the management team of Hitachi 
Metals, including the former Chairman of the Board of Directors and the 
former Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi Cable. Additionally, Hitachi 
Metals provided lists of directors and officers in both companies to 
support its claim that there are six former Hitachi Cable managers 
employed as officers at Hitachi Metals, making major decisions 
regarding the production and sale of the subject merchandise.\17\
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    \16\ See CCR Request at 5.
    \17\ See CCR Request at 5-6 and Exhibits 2-3.
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    Hitachi Metals further explained that its current organizational 
structure is substantially similar to that of Hitachi Cable, the only 
difference being that the management team of the former company is now 
integrated into the larger management structure of Hitachi Metals.\18\ 
The documentation submitted in the CCR Request shows that the former 
executive director of Hitachi Cable now serves as vice president of 
Hitachi Metals and president of the company's cable materials business, 
which includes the production and sale of SSSSC.\19\
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    \18\ See CCR Request at 6-7.
    \19\ See CCR Request at Exhibits 4-5.
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    Based on this information, and in particular, based on the fact 
that Hitachi Metals' management team included several Hitachi Cable 
managers, we preliminarily find that the reorganization resulting from 
the merger of the two companies did not result in management that was 
materially dissimilar with respect to the subject merchandise.
    With respect to production facilities, Hitachi Metals stated that 
it did not produce the subject merchandise prior to the merger, and 
that the only facility producing the subject merchandise is the one 
formerly operated by Hitachi Cable.\20\ In addition to production 
capacity, Hitachi Metals provided the name and address of this factory, 
which is the same as the factory in which Hitachi Cable produced the 
subject merchandise during the period of the 2007-2008 administrative 
review, the most recent review of the antidumping duty order of SSSSC 
from Japan.\21\ Based on this information, we preliminarily find that 
the merger did not result in material changes to the production of the 
subject merchandise.
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    \20\ See CCR Request at 2 and 7.
    \21\ See CCR Request at Exhibit 6.
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    With respect to suppliers and customers, Hitachi Metals provided 
charts showing no difference between suppliers and customers before and 
after the merger.\22\ Hitachi Metals explained that the merger had no 
effect on the customers or sales practices in either the U.S. or 
Japanese markets, as Hitachi Metals sells the subject merchandise to 
the same customers in exactly the same manner as Hitachi Cable did. The 
only difference cited by Hitachi Metals is that Hitachi Cable's U.S. 
subsidiary, Hitachi Cable America Inc., became a subsidiary of Hitachi 
Metals after the merger.\23\
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    \22\ See CCR Request at Exhibits 7-9.
    \23\ See CCR Request at 8-9.
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    Based on the evidence reviewed, we preliminarily determine that 
Hitachi Metals is the successor-in-interest to the merger of Hitachi 
Metals and Hitachi Cable. Specifically, we find that the merger of 
these two companies resulted in no significant changes to management, 
production facilities, supplier relationships, and customers with 
respect to the production and sale of the subject merchandise. Thus, 
Hitachi Metals operates as the same business entity as Hitachi Cable 
with respect to the subject merchandise. If the Department upholds this 
preliminary determination in the final

[[Page 79670]]

results, Hitachi Metals will retain the antidumping duty deposit rate 
currently assigned to Hitachi Cable with respect to the subject 
merchandise (i.e., 0.00 percent). However, because cash deposits are 
only estimates of the amount of antidumping duties to be assessed, 
changes in cash deposit rates are not made retroactively.\24\ 
Therefore, no retroactive change will be made to Hitachi Metals' cash 
deposit rate, as Hitachi Metals requested. If these preliminary results 
are adopted in the final results of this changed circumstances review, 
we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection not to suspend 
liquidation of entries of SSSSC made by Hitachi Metals, effective on 
the publication date of the final results.
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    \24\ See Notice of Initiation and Preliminary Results of 
Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review: Certain Frozen 
Warmwater Shrimp from India, 77 FR 64953 (October 24, 2012); see 
also Certain Hot-Rolled Lead and Bismuth Carbon Steel Products From 
the United Kingdom: Final Results of Changed-Circumstances 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 64 FR 
66880 (November 30, 1999).
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Public Comment

    Interested parties may submit case briefs and/or written comments 
not later than 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. 
Rebuttal briefs and rebuttals to written comments, which must be 
limited to issues raised in such briefs or comments, may be filed not 
later than 37 days after the date of publication of this notice. 
Parties who submit case or rebuttal briefs are encouraged to submit 
with each argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary 
of the argument; and (3) a table of authorities. All comments are to be 
filed electronically using Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (IA ACCESS) 
available to registered users at http://iaaccess.trade.gov and in the 
Central Records Unit, Room 7046 of the main Department of Commerce 
building, and must also be served on interested parties.\25\ An 
electronically filed document must be received successfully in its 
entirety by IA ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the day it 
is due.\26\
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    \25\ See 19 CFR 351.303(f).
    \26\ See 19 CFR 351.303(b).
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    Consistent with 19 CFR 351.216(e), we will issue the final results 
of this changed circumstances review no later than 270 days after the 
date on which this review was initiated, or within 45 days if all 
parties agree to our preliminary finding. We are issuing and publishing 
this finding and notice in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 
777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216.

    Dated: December 24, 2013.
Christian Marsh,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2013-31342 Filed 12-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P