[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 190 (Wednesday, October 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59294-59297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23070]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. 731-TA-753, 754, and 756 (Third Review)]


Cut-To-Length Carbon Steel Plate From China, Russia, and Ukraine; 
Institution of Five-Year Reviews

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted 
reviews pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the antidumping 
duty order on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China and/or the 
termination of the suspended investigations on cut-to-length carbon 
steel plate from Russia and Ukraine would be likely to lead to 
continuation or recurrence of material injury. Pursuant to section 
751(c)(2) of the Act, interested parties are requested to respond to 
this notice by submitting the information specified below to the 
Commission; \1\ to be assured of consideration, the deadline for 
responses is October 31, 2014. Comments on the adequacy of responses 
may be filed with the Commission by December 9, 2014. For further 
information concerning the conduct of this proceeding and rules of 
general application, consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part 201), and part 
207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part 207).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ No response to this request for information is required if a 
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number is not 
displayed; the OMB number is 3117-0016/USITC No. 14-5-318, 
expiration date June 30, 2017. Public reporting burden for the 
request is estimated to average 10 hours per response. Please send 
comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate to the 
Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20436.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DATES:  Effective Date: October 1, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Messer (202-205-3193), Office of 
Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-impaired persons can obtain information 
on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-
1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special 
assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the 
Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000. General information concerning 
the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its internet server 
(http://www.usitc.gov). The public record for this proceeding may be 
viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background. On October 24, 1997, the Department of Commerce 
(``Commerce'') suspended antidumping duty investigations on imports of 
cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China, Russia, and Ukraine (62 FR 
61766, 61773, and 61780, November 19, 1997). Following the first five-
year reviews by Commerce and the Commission, effective September 17, 
2003, Commerce issued a continuation of the suspended investigations on 
imports of cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China, Russia, and 
Ukraine (68 FR 54417). The suspension agreement concerning cut-to-
length carbon steel plate from China was subsequently terminated and an 
antidumping duty order was imposed effective November 3, 2003 (68 FR 
60081). Following the second five-year reviews by Commerce and the 
Commission, effective November 10, 2009, Commerce issued a continuation 
of the antidumping duty order on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from 
China and of the suspended investigations on cut-to-length carbon steel 
plate from Russia and Ukraine (74 FR 57994). The Commission is now 
conducting third reviews to determine whether

[[Page 59295]]

revocation of the antidumping duty order on cut-to-length carbon steel 
plate from China and/or the termination of the suspended investigations 
on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from Russia and Ukraine would be 
likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to the 
domestic industry within a reasonably foreseeable time. It will assess 
the adequacy of interested party responses to this notice of 
institution to determine whether to conduct full or expedited reviews. 
The Commission's determinations in any expedited reviews will be based 
on the facts available, which may include information provided in 
response to this notice.
    Definitions. The following definitions apply to these reviews:
    (1) Subject Merchandise is the class or kind of merchandise that is 
within the scope of the five-year reviews, as defined by the Department 
of Commerce.
    (2) The Subject Countries in these reviews are China, Russia, and 
Ukraine.
    (3) The Domestic Like Product is the domestically produced product 
or products which are like, or in the absence of like, most similar in 
characteristics and uses with, the Subject Merchandise. In its original 
determinations, the Commission defined the Domestic Like Product as 
cut-to-length plate, co-extensive with Commerce's scope, produced by 
U.S. mills or cut from coiled plate by service centers. In its full 
first and second five-year review determinations, the Commission 
defined the Domestic Like Product as cut-to-length plate, including 
cut-to-length plate made from microalloy steel. One Commissioner 
defined the Domestic Like Product differently in the first five-year 
reviews.
    (4) The Domestic Industry is the U.S. producers as a whole of the 
Domestic Like Product, or those producers whose collective output of 
the Domestic Like Product constitutes a major proportion of the total 
domestic production of the product. In its original determinations and 
its full first and second five-year review determinations, the 
Commission defined the Domestic Industry to include all producers of 
the Domestic Like Product, whether toll producers, integrated 
producers, or processors. One Commissioner defined the Domestic 
Industry differently in the first five-year reviews.
    (5) An Importer is any person or firm engaged, either directly or 
through a parent company or subsidiary, in importing the Subject 
Merchandise into the United States from a foreign manufacturer or 
through its selling agent.
    Participation in the proceeding and public service list. Persons, 
including industrial users of the Subject Merchandise and, if the 
merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer 
organizations, wishing to participate in the proceeding as parties must 
file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as 
provided in section 201.11(b)(4) of the Commission's rules, no later 
than 21 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. 
The Secretary will maintain a public service list containing the names 
and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties 
to the proceeding.
    Former Commission employees who are seeking to appear in Commission 
five-year reviews are advised that they may appear in a review even if 
they participated personally and substantially in the corresponding 
underlying original investigation or an earlier review of the same 
underlying investigation. The Commission's designated agency ethics 
official has advised that a five-year review is not the same particular 
matter as the underlying original investigation, and a five-year review 
is not the same particular matter as an earlier review of the same 
underlying investigation for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 207, the post 
employment statute for Federal employees, and Commission rule 201.15(b) 
(19 CFR 201.15(b)), 79 FR 3246 (Jan. 17, 2014), 73 FR 24609 (May 5, 
2008). Consequently, former employees are not required to seek 
Commission approval to appear in a review under Commission rule 19 CFR 
Sec.  201.15, even if the corresponding underlying original 
investigation or an earlier review of the same underlying investigation 
was pending when they were Commission employees. For further ethics 
advice on this matter, contact Carol McCue Verratti, Deputy Agency 
Ethics Official, at 202-205-3088.
    Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under 
an administrative protective order (APO) and APO service list. Pursuant 
to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary will make 
BPI submitted in this proceeding available to authorized applicants 
under the APO issued in the proceeding, provided that the application 
is made no later than 21 days after publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register. Authorized applicants must represent interested 
parties, as defined in 19 U.S.C. 1677(9), who are parties to the 
proceeding. A separate service list will be maintained by the Secretary 
for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
    Certification. Pursuant to section 207.3 of the Commission's rules, 
any person submitting information to the Commission in connection with 
this proceeding must certify that the information is accurate and 
complete to the best of the submitter's knowledge. In making the 
certification, the submitter will be deemed to consent, unless 
otherwise specified, for the Commission, its employees, and contract 
personnel to use the information provided in any other reviews or 
investigations of the same or comparable products which the Commission 
conducts under Title VII of the Act, or in internal audits and 
investigations relating to the programs and operations of the 
Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3.
    Written submissions. Pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission's 
rules, each interested party response to this notice must provide the 
information specified below. The deadline for filing such responses is 
October 31, 2014. Pursuant to section 207.62(b) of the Commission's 
rules, eligible parties (as specified in Commission rule 207.62(b)(1)) 
may also file comments concerning the adequacy of responses to the 
notice of institution and whether the Commission should conduct 
expedited or full reviews. The deadline for filing such comments is 
December 9, 2014. All written submissions must conform with the 
provisions of sections 201.8 and 207.3 of the Commission's rules and 
any submissions that contain BPI must also conform with the 
requirements of sections 201.6 and 207.7 of the Commission's rules. 
Please be aware that the Commission's rules with respect to electronic 
filing have been amended. The amendments took effect on November 7, 
2011. See 76 FR 61937 (Oct. 6, 2011) and the revised Commission's 
Handbook on E-Filing, available on the Commission's Web site at http://edis.usitc.gov. Also, in accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 
of the Commission's rules, each document filed by a party to the 
proceeding must be served on all other parties to the proceeding (as 
identified by either the public or APO service list as appropriate), 
and a certificate of service must accompany the document (if you are 
not a party to the proceeding you do not need to serve your response).
    Inability to provide requested information. Pursuant to section 
207.61(c) of the Commission's rules, any interested party that cannot 
furnish the information requested by this notice in the requested form 
and manner shall notify the Commission at the earliest possible time, 
provide a full explanation of why it cannot provide the requested

[[Page 59296]]

information, and indicate alternative forms in which it can provide 
equivalent information. If an interested party does not provide this 
notification (or the Commission finds the explanation provided in the 
notification inadequate) and fails to provide a complete response to 
this notice, the Commission may take an adverse inference against the 
party pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1677e(b)) in 
making its determinations in the reviews.
    Information To Be Provided in Response to This Notice of 
Institution: If you are a domestic producer, union/worker group, or 
trade/business association; import/export Subject Merchandise from more 
than one Subject Country; or produce Subject Merchandise in more than 
one Subject Country, you may file a single response. If you do so, 
please ensure that your response to each question includes the 
information requested for each pertinent Subject Country. As used 
below, the term ``firm'' includes any related firms.
    (1) The name and address of your firm or entity (including World 
Wide Web address) and name, telephone number, fax number, and Email 
address of the certifying official.
    (2) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S. 
producer of the Domestic Like Product, a U.S. union or worker group, a 
U.S. importer of the Subject Merchandise, a foreign producer or 
exporter of the Subject Merchandise, a U.S. or foreign trade or 
business association, or another interested party (including an 
explanation). If you are a union/worker group or trade/business 
association, identify the firms in which your workers are employed or 
which are members of your association.
    (3) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is willing to 
participate in this proceeding by providing information requested by 
the Commission.
    (4) A statement of the likely effects of the revocation of the 
antidumping duty order on cut-to-length carbon steel plate from China 
and/or the termination of the suspended investigations on cut-to-length 
carbon steel plate from Russia and Ukraine on the Domestic Industry in 
general and/or your firm/entity specifically. In your response, please 
discuss the various factors specified in section 752(a) of the Act (19 
U.S.C. 1675a(a)) including the likely volume of subject imports, likely 
price effects of subject imports, and likely impact of imports of 
Subject Merchandise on the Domestic Industry.
    (5) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of 
the Domestic Like Product. Identify any known related parties and the 
nature of the relationship as defined in section 771(4)(B) of the Act 
(19 U.S.C. 1677(4)(B)).
    (6) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. importers of 
the Subject Merchandise and producers of the Subject Merchandise in 
each Subject Country that currently export or have exported Subject 
Merchandise to the United States or other countries after 2008.
    (7) A list of 3-5 leading purchasers in the U.S. market for the 
Domestic Like Product and the Subject Merchandise (including street 
address, World Wide Web address, and the name, telephone number, fax 
number, and Email address of a responsible official at each firm).
    (8) A list of known sources of information on national or regional 
prices for the Domestic Like Product or the Subject Merchandise in the 
U.S. or other markets.
    (9) If you are a U.S. producer of the Domestic Like Product, 
provide the following information on your firm's operations on that 
product during calendar year 2013, except as noted (report quantity 
data in short tons and value data in U.S. dollars, f.o.b. plant). If 
you are a union/worker group or trade/business association, provide the 
information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms in which your workers 
are employed/which are members of your association.
    (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total U.S. production of the Domestic Like Product 
accounted for by your firm's(s') production;
    (b) Capacity (quantity) of your firm to produce the Domestic Like 
Product (i.e., the level of production that your establishment(s) could 
reasonably have expected to attain during the year, assuming normal 
operating conditions (using equipment and machinery in place and ready 
to operate), normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year), 
time for downtime, maintenance, repair, and cleanup, and a typical or 
representative product mix);
    (c) the quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of the 
Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s);
    (d) the quantity and value of U.S. internal consumption/company 
transfers of the Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s); 
and
    (e) the value of (i) net sales, (ii) cost of goods sold (COGS), 
(iii) gross profit, (iv) selling, general and administrative (SG&A) 
expenses, and (v) operating income of the Domestic Like Product 
produced in your U.S. plant(s) (include both U.S. and export commercial 
sales, internal consumption, and company transfers) for your most 
recently completed fiscal year (identify the date on which your fiscal 
year ends).
    (10) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of 
U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from any Subject Country, 
provide the following information on your firm's(s') operations on that 
product during calendar year 2013 (report quantity data in short tons 
and value data in U.S. dollars). If you are a trade/business 
association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the 
firms which are members of your association.
    (a) The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including 
antidumping duties) of U.S. imports and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise from each 
Subject Country accounted for by your firm's(s') imports;
    (b) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping 
duties) of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject Merchandise imported 
from each Subject Country; and
    (c) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping 
duties) of U.S. internal consumption/company transfers of Subject 
Merchandise imported from each Subject Country.
    (11) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business 
association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in any 
Subject Country, provide the following information on your firm's(s') 
operations on that product during calendar year 2013 (report quantity 
data in short tons and value data in U.S. dollars, landed and duty-paid 
at the U.S. port but not including antidumping duties). If you are a 
trade/business association, provide the information, on an aggregate 
basis, for the firms which are members of your association.
    (a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the 
percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in each Subject 
Country accounted for by your firm's(s') production;
    (b) Capacity (quantity) of your firm(s) to produce the Subject 
Merchandise in each Subject Country (i.e., the level of production that 
your establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during 
the year, assuming normal operating conditions (using equipment and 
machinery in place and ready to operate), normal operating levels 
(hours per week/weeks per year), time for downtime, maintenance, 
repair, and cleanup, and a typical or representative product mix); and
    (c) the quantity and value of your firm's(s') exports to the United 
States of

[[Page 59297]]

Subject Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of 
total exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise from each 
Subject Country accounted for by your firm's(s') exports.
    (12) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand 
conditions or business cycle for the Domestic Like Product that have 
occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject 
Merchandise in each Subject Country after 2008, and significant 
changes, if any, that are likely to occur within a reasonably 
foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include technology; 
production methods; development efforts; ability to increase production 
(including the shift of production facilities used for other products 
and the use, cost, or availability of major inputs into production); 
and factors related to the ability to shift supply among different 
national markets (including barriers to importation in foreign markets 
or changes in market demand abroad). Demand conditions to consider 
include end uses and applications; the existence and availability of 
substitute products; and the level of competition among the Domestic 
Like Product produced in the United States, Subject Merchandise 
produced in each Subject Country, and such merchandise from other 
countries.
    (13) (Optional) A statement of whether you agree with the above 
definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you 
disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why 
and provide alternative definitions.

    Authority: This proceeding is being conducted under authority of 
Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published 
pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission's rules.

    Issued: September 24, 2014.

    By order of the Commission.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-23070 Filed 9-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P