[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16290-16292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06587]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-583-852]


Non-Oriented Electrical Steel from Taiwan: Preliminary 
Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of Final Determination 
With Final Antidumping Determination

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) preliminarily 
determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to 
producers and exporters of non-oriented electrical steel (NOES) from 
Taiwan. The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2012, through 
December 31, 2012. Interested parties are invited to comment on this 
preliminary determination.\1\
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    \1\ The deadline for the preliminary determination of this 
investigation was March 17, 2014. Due to the closure of the Federal 
Government in Washington, DC on March 17, 2014, the Department 
reached this determination on the next business day (i.e., March 18, 
2014). See Notice of Clarification: Application of ``Next Business 
Day'' Rule for Administrative Determination Deadlines Pursuant to 
the Tariff Act of 1930, As Amended, 70 FR 24533 (May 10, 2005).

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DATES:  Effective Date: March 25, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Tran and Christopher Hargett, 
Office III, AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-1503 and (202) 482-4161, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Alignment of Final Countervailing Duty (CVD) Determination With Final 
Antidumping Duty (AD) Determination

    On the same day that the Department initiated this countervailing 
duty (CVD) investigation, the Department also initiated antidumping 
duty (AD) investigations of NOES from Germany, Japan, the People's 
Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan.\2\ 
The CVD investigation and the AD investigations cover the same 
merchandise. On March 11, 2014, in accordance with section 705(a)(1) of 
the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (Act), alignment of the final CVD 
determination with the final AD determination of NOES from Taiwan was 
requested by the petitioner.\3\ Therefore, in accordance with section 
705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(4), we are aligning the 
final CVD determination with the final AD determination. Consequently, 
the final CVD determination will be issued on the same date as the 
final AD determination, which is currently scheduled to be issued no 
later than July 29, 2014, unless postponed.
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    \2\ See Non-Oriented Electrical Steel From the People's Republic 
of China, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan: Initiation of 
Countervailing Duty Investigations, 78 FR 68412 (November 14, 2013) 
and Non-Oriented Electrical Steel From the People's Republic of 
China, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan: 
Initiation of Antidumping Duty Investigations, 78 FR 69041 (November 
18, 2013).
    \3\ See Letter from Petitioner regarding ``Non-Oriented 
Electrical Steel from Taiwan: Request to Align,'' (March 11, 2014).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise subject to this investigation consists of (NOES), 
which includes cold-rolled, flat-rolled, alloy steel products, whether 
or not in coils, regardless of width, having an actual thickness of 
0.20 mm or more, in which the core loss is substantially equal in any 
direction of magnetization in the plane of the material. For a complete 
description of the scope of the investigation, see Appendix 1 to this 
notice.

Methodology

    The Department is conducting this CVD investigation in accordance 
with section 701 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology 
underlying our preliminary conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.\4\ The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document 
and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service 
System (IA ACCESS). IA ACCESS is available to registered users at 
http://iaaccess.trade.gov, and is available to all parties in the 
Central Records Unit, room 7046 of the main Department of Commerce 
building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum can be accessed directly on the internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed Preliminary Decision Memorandum 
and the electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content.
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    \4\ See Memorandum from Gary Taverman, Senior Advisor for 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, to Paul Piquado, 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, regarding 
``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Determination in the 
Countervailing Duty Investigation Non-Oriented Electrical Steel from 
Taiwan,'' dated concurrently with this notice (Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum).
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    For this preliminary determination, we have relied on facts 
available for Leicong Industrial Co., Ltd. (Leicong), a mandatory 
respondent, because the company did not act to the best of its ability 
and respond to the Department's requests for information. Further, we 
have drawn an adverse inference in selecting from among the facts 
otherwise available to calculate the ad valorem rate for Leicong.\5\ 
For further information, see ``Use of Facts Otherwise Available and 
Adverse Inferences'' in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    \5\ See sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
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    The Department's analysis of program usage by China Steel 
Corporation (CSC), a mandatory respondent, and its cross-owned 
affiliates HiMag Magnetic Corporation (HIMAG), and China Steel Global 
Trading Corporation (CSGT) (collectively, CSC Companies), is also 
contained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

[[Page 16291]]

Preliminary Determination and Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 703(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, we 
calculated a CVD rate for each individually investigated producer/
exporter of the subject merchandise. For companies not individually 
investigated, we calculated an all others rate as described in the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    We preliminarily determine the countervailable subsidy rates to be:

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                             Company                                               Subsidy rate
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China Steel Corporation (CSC), HiMag Magnetic Corporation         0.15 percent (de minimis).
 (HIMAG), and China Steel Global Trading Corporation (CSGT)
 (collectively, CSC Companies).
Leicong Industrial Co., Ltd. (Leicong)..........................  12.82 percent.
All Others......................................................  6.41 percent.
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    With the exception of entries from the CSC Companies, in accordance 
with sections 703(d)(1)(B) and (2) of the Act, we are directing U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of all 
entries of NOES from Taiwan that are entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of the publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register, and to require a cash deposit for 
such entries of the merchandise in the amounts indicated above. Because 
we preliminarily determine that the CVD rate in this investigation for 
the CSC Companies is de minimis, we will not direct CBP to suspend 
liquidation of the CSC Companies' entries of the subject merchandise 
from Taiwan.
    In accordance with sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A)(i) of the Act, 
for companies not investigated, we apply an ``all-others'' rate equal 
to the weighted average countervailable subsidy rates established for 
exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero 
and de minimis countervailable subsidy rates, and any rates determined 
entirely under section 776 of the Act. As indicated above, for this 
preliminary determination, we have calculated a de minimis 
countervailable subsidy rate for the CSC Companies and a 
countervailable subsidy rate for Leicong based entirely on adverse 
facts available (AFA) as provided under section 776(b) of the Act. 
Where the rates for the investigated companies are all zero or de 
minimis or based entirely on AFA, section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act 
instructs the Department to establish an all-others rate using ``any 
reasonable method.'' We preliminarily determine that a reasonable 
method for establishing the all-other rate is to calculate a simple 
average of the de minimis net subsidy rate calculated for the CSC 
companies and the total AFA rate assigned to Leicong.

Verification

    As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, we intend to verify 
the information submitted by the respondents prior to making our final 
determination.

Disclosure and Public Comment

    The Department intends to disclose to interested parties the 
calculations performed in connection with this preliminary 
determination within five days of public announcement of this 
determination.\6\ Interested parties may submit case and rebuttals 
briefs, as well as request a hearing.\7\ For a schedule of the 
deadlines for filing case briefs, rebuttal briefs, and hearing request, 
see the Preliminary Determination Memorandum.
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    \6\ See 19 CFR 351.224(b).
    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.309, 19 CFR 351.310.
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International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, we will notify the 
International Trade Commission (ITC) of our determination. In addition, 
we are making available to the ITC all non-privileged and non-
proprietary information relating to this investigation. We will allow 
the ITC access to all privileged and business proprietary information 
in our files, provided the ITC confirms that it will not disclose such 
information, either publicly or under an administrative protective 
order, without the written consent of the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance.
    In accordance with section 705(b)(2) of the Act, if our final 
determination is affirmative, the ITC will make its final determination 
within 45 days after the Department makes its final determination.
    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
703(f) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

     Dated: March 18, 2014.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix 1

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise subject to this investigation consists of non-
oriented electrical steel (NOES), which includes cold-rolled, flat-
rolled, alloy steel products, whether or not in coils, regardless of 
width, having an actual thickness of 0.20 mm or more, in which the 
core loss is substantially equal in any direction of magnetization 
in the plane of the material. The term ``substantially equal'' in 
the prior sentence means that the cross grain direction of core loss 
is no more than 1.5 times the straight grain direction (i.e., the 
rolling direction) of core loss. NOES has a magnetic permeability 
that does not exceed 1.65 Tesla when tested at a field of 800 A/m 
(equivalent to 10 Oesteds) along (i.e., parallel to) the rolling 
direction of the sheet (i.e., B800 value). NOES contains 
by weight at least 1.25 percent of silicon but less than 3.5 percent 
of silicon, not more than 0.08 percent of carbon, and not more than 
1.5 percent of aluminum.
    NOES is subject to this investigation whether it is fully 
processed (fully annealed to develop final magnetic properties) or 
semi-processed (finished to final thickness and physical form but 
not fully annealed to develop final magnetic properties); whether or 
not it is coated (e.g., with enamel, varnish, natural oxide surface, 
chemically treated or phosphate surface, or other non-metallic 
materials). Fully processed NOES is typically made to the 
requirements of ASTM specification A 677, Japanese Industrial 
Standards (JIS) specification C 2552, and/or International 
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specification 60404-8-4. Semi-
processed NOES is typically made to the requirements of ASTM 
specification A 683. However, the scope of this investigation is not 
limited to merchandise meeting the specifications noted above.
    NOES is sometimes referred to as cold-rolled non-oriented 
electrical steel (CRNO), non-grain oriented (NGO), non-oriented 
(NO), or cold-rolled non-grain oriented (CRNGO). These terms are 
interchangeable.
    The subject merchandise is provided for in subheadings 
7225.19.0000, 7226.19.1000, and 7226.19.9000 of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Subject merchandise 
may also be entered under subheadings 7225.50.8085, 7225.99.0090, 
7226.92.5000, 7226.92.7050,

[[Page 16292]]

7226.92.8050, 7226.99.0180 of the HTSUS. Although HTSUS subheadings 
are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written 
description of the scope is dispositive.

Appendix 2

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

1. Scope Comments
2. Scope of the Investigation
3. Injury Test
4. Subsidies Valuation
5. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences
6. Analysis of Programs
7. Calculation of the All Others Rate
8. Disclosure and Public Comment
9. Verification

[FR Doc. 2014-06587 Filed 3-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P