[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 174 (Wednesday, September 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54267-54272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-22556]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-351-846, C-580-884, C-489-827]


Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products From Brazil, the Republic 
of Korea, and Turkey: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigations

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

DATES: Effective date: September 9, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sergio Balbontin at (202) 482-6478 
(Brazil); Katie Marksberry at (202) 482-7906 (Republic of Korea); Emily 
Halle at (202) 482-0176 (Turkey), AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and 
Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The Petitions

    On August 11, 2015, the Department of Commerce (Department) 
received countervailing duty (CVD) petitions concerning imports of 
certain hot-rolled steel flat products (hot-rolled steel) from Brazil, 
the Republic of Korea (Korea), and Turkey, filed in proper form on 
behalf of AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal USA LLC, Nucor 
Corporation, SSAB Enterprises, LLC, Steel Dynamics, Inc., and United 
States Steel Corporation, (collectively, Petitioners). The CVD 
petitions were accompanied by antidumping duty (AD) petitions also 
concerning imports of hot-rolled steel from Australia, Brazil, Japan, 
Korea, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.\1\ Petitioners 
are domestic producers of hot-rolled steel.\2\
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    \1\ See ``Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from Australia, 
Brazil, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Turkey, and 
the United Kingdom: Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duties,'' dated August 11, 2015 (Petitions).
    \2\ See Volume I of the Petitions, at 2 and Exhibit I-1.
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    On August 14, 2015, the Department requested information and 
clarification for certain areas of the Petitions.\3\ Petitioners filed 
responses to these requests on August 21 and 26, 2015.\4\ On August 19, 
2015, the Department sought additional information with regard to the 
Brazilian CVD Petition.\5\ Petitioners filed additional Brazilian CVD 
responses on August 20 and 25, 2015.\6\
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    \3\ See Letter from the Department to Petitioners entitled 
``Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duties on Imports of Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from 
Brazil, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Turkey and 
Antidumping Duties on Imports of Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat 
Products from Australia, Japan, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom: 
Supplemental Questions,'' dated August 14, 2015 (General Issues 
Questionnaire); Letters from the Department to Petitioners entitled 
``Re: Petition for the Imposition of Antidumping Duties on Imports 
of Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from {country{time} : 
Supplemental Questions'' on each of the country-specific records, 
dated August 14, 2015.
    \4\ See Letter from Petitioners entitled ``Certain Hot-Rolled 
Steel Flat Products From Australia, Brazil, Japan, the Republic of 
Korea, the Netherlands. Turkey, and the United Kingdom--Petitioners' 
Amendment to Petition,'' dated August 21, 2015 (General Issues 
Supplement); see also Scope Supplement to the Petitions, dated 
August 26, 2015 (Scope Supplement).
    \5\ See Letter from the Department to Petitioners entitled 
``Petition for the Imposition of Countervailing Duties on Imports of 
Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from Brazil: Supplemental 
Questions,'' dated August 19, 2015 (Brazil Second Questionnaire).
    \6\ See Letter from Petitioners entitled ``Certain Hot-Rolled 
Steel Flat Products From Australia, Brazil, Japan, the Republic of 
Korea, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom-Petitioners' 
Amendment to Petition,'' dated August 20, 2015 (Brazil Second 
Supplement); see also Letter from Petitioners entitled ``Certain 
Hot-Rolled Steel Flat products from Australia, Brazil Japan, the 
Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom-
Petitioners' Amendment to Petition,'' dated August 25, 2015 (Brazil 
Third Supplement).
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    In accordance with section 702(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act), Petitioners allege that the Governments of Brazil 
(GOB), Korea (GOK), and Turkey (GOT) are providing countervailable 
subsidies (within the meaning of sections 701 and 771(5) of the Act) to 
imports of hot-rolled steel from the Brazil, Korea, and Turkey, 
respectively, and that such imports are materially injuring, or 
threatening material injury to, an industry in the United States. Also, 
consistent with section 702(b)(1) of the Act, the Petitions are 
accompanied by information reasonably available to Petitioners 
supporting their allegations.
    The Department finds that Petitioners filed the Petitions on behalf 
of the domestic industry because Petitioners are interested parties as 
defined in section 771(9)(C) of the Act. The Department also finds that 
Petitioners demonstrated sufficient industry support with respect to 
the initiation of

[[Page 54268]]

the CVD investigations that Petitioners are requesting.\7\
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    \7\ See the ``Determination of Industry Support for the 
Petitions'' section below.
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Period of Investigations

    The period of investigations is January 1, 2014, through December 
31, 2014.\8\
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    \8\ 19 CFR 351.204(b)(2).
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Scope of the Investigations

    The product covered by these investigations is hot-rolled steel 
from the Brazil, Korea, and Turkey. For a full description of the scope 
of these investigations, see the ``Scope of the Investigations'' in 
Appendix I of this notice.

Comments on Scope of the Investigations

    During our review of the Petitions, the Department discussed with 
Petitioners the proposed scope to ensure that the scope language in the 
Petitions would be an accurate reflection of the products for which the 
domestic industry is seeking relief.\9\
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    \9\ See Memorandum from Vicki Flynn to The File, dated August 7, 
2015. See also Letter from Petitioners entitled ``Revised Scope, 
Amendment to Petitions,'' dated August 10, 2015.
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    As discussed in the preamble to the Department's regulations,\10\ 
we are setting aside a period for interested parties to raise issues 
regarding product coverage (scope). The Department will consider all 
comments received from parties and, if necessary, will consult with 
parties prior to the issuance of the preliminary determinations. If 
scope comments include factual information (see 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21)), 
all such factual information should be limited to public information. 
In order to facilitate preparation of its questionnaires, the 
Department requests all interested parties to submit such comments by 5 
p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Monday, September 21, 2015, which is the 
first business day after 20 calendar days from the signature date of 
this notice.\11\ Any rebuttal comments, which may include factual 
information, must be filed by 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 1, 2015, 
which is 10 calendar days after the initial comments deadline.
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    \10\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties; Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
    \11\ See 19 CFR 351.303(b).
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    The Department requests that any factual information the parties 
consider relevant to the scope of the investigations be submitted 
during this time period. However, if a party subsequently finds that 
additional factual information pertaining to the scope of the 
investigations may be relevant, the party may contact the Department 
and request permission to submit the additional information. All such 
comments must be filed on the records of each of the concurrent AD and 
CVD investigations.

Filing Requirements

    All submissions to the Department must be filed electronically 
using Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). An electronically-filed 
document must be received successfully in its entirety by the time and 
date it is due. Documents excepted from the electronic submission 
requirements must be filed manually (i.e., in paper form) with 
Enforcement and Compliance's APO/Dockets Unit, Room 18022, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230, and stamped with the date and time of receipt by 
the applicable deadlines.

Consultations

    Pursuant to section 702(b)(4)(A)(i) of the Act, the Department 
notified representatives of the GOB, GOK, and GOT of the receipt of the 
Petitions. Also, in accordance with section 702(b)(4)(A)(ii) of the 
Act, the Department provided representatives of the GOB, GOK, and GOT 
the opportunity for consultations with respect to the CVD Petitions. On 
August 25, 2015, consultations were held with the GOB, on August 27, 
2015, consultations were held with the GOK, and on August 28, 2015, 
consultations were held with the GOT. All invitation letters and 
memoranda regarding these consultations are on file electronically via 
ACCESS.

Determination of Industry Support for the Petitions

    Section 702(b)(1) of the Act requires that a petition be filed on 
behalf of the domestic industry. Section 702(c)(4)(A) of the Act 
provides that a petition meets this requirement if the domestic 
producers or workers who support the petition account for: (i) At least 
25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product; and 
(ii) more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like 
product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support 
for, or opposition to, the petition. Moreover, section 702(c)(4)(D) of 
the Act provides that, if the petition does not establish support of 
domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of 
the total production of the domestic like product, the Department 
shall: (i) Poll the industry or rely on other information in order to 
determine if there is support for the petition, as required by 
subparagraph (A); or (ii) determine industry support using a 
statistically valid sampling method to poll the ``industry.''
    Section 771(4)(A) of the Act defines the ``industry'' as the 
producers as a whole of a domestic like product. Thus, to determine 
whether a petition has the requisite industry support, the statute 
directs the Department to look to producers and workers who produce the 
domestic like product. The International Trade Commission (ITC), which 
is responsible for determining whether ``the domestic industry'' has 
been injured, must also determine what constitutes a domestic like 
product in order to define the industry. While both the Department and 
the ITC must apply the same statutory definition regarding the domestic 
like product,\12\ they do so for different purposes and pursuant to a 
separate and distinct authority. In addition, the Department's 
determination is subject to limitations of time and information. 
Although this may result in different definitions of the like product, 
such differences do not render the decision of either agency contrary 
to law.\13\
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    \12\ See section 771(10) of the Act.
    \13\ See USEC, Inc. v. United States, 132 F. Supp. 2d 1, 8 (CIT 
2001) (citing Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. v. United States, 688 F. 
Supp. 639, 644 (CIT 1988), aff'd 865 F.2d 240 (Fed. Cir. 1989)).
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    Section 771(10) of the Act defines the domestic like product as ``a 
product which is like, or in the absence of like, most similar in 
characteristics and uses with, the article subject to an investigation 
under this title.'' Thus, the reference point from which the domestic 
like product analysis begins is ``the article subject to an 
investigation'' (i.e., the class or kind of merchandise to be 
investigated, which normally will be the scope as defined in the 
Petitions).
    With regard to the domestic like product, Petitioners do not offer 
a definition of the domestic like product distinct from the scope of 
the investigations. Based on our analysis of the information submitted 
on the record, we have determined that hot-rolled steel constitutes a 
single domestic like product and we have analyzed industry support in 
terms of that domestic like product.\14\
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    \14\ For a discussion of the domestic like product analysis in 
this case, see Countervailing Duty Investigation Initiation 
Checklist: Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from Brazil 
(Brazil CVD Checklist), at Attachment II, Analysis of Industry 
Support for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions 
Covering Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from Australia, 
Brazil, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, the Republic 
of Turkey, and the United Kingdom (Attachment II); Countervailing 
Duty Investigation Initiation Checklist: Certain Hot-Rolled Steel 
Flat Products from the Republic of Korea (Korea CVD Initiation 
Checklist), at Attachment II; and Countervailing Duty Investigation 
Initiation Checklist: Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from 
the Republic of Turkey (Turkey CVD Initiation Checklist). These 
checklists are dated concurrently with this notice and on file 
electronically via ACCESS. Access to documents filed via ACCESS is 
also available in the Central Records Unit, Room B8024 of the main 
Department of Commerce building.

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[[Page 54269]]

    In determining whether Petitioners have standing under section 
702(c)(4)(A) of the Act, we considered the industry support data 
contained in the Petitions with reference to the domestic like product 
as defined in the ``Scope of the Investigations,'' in Appendix I of 
this notice. Petitioners provided their production volume of the 
domestic like product in 2014, as well as an estimate of total 
production of the domestic like product for the entire domestic 
industry.\15\ To establish industry support, Petitioners compared their 
own production to total estimated production of the domestic like 
product for the entire domestic industry.\16\
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    \15\ See Volume I of the Petitions, at 2-4 and Exhibits I-3 and 
I-4; see also General Issues Supplement, at 8-9.
    \16\ Id. For further discussion, see Brazil CVD Initiation 
Checklist, Korea CVD Initiation Checklist, and Turkey CVD Initiation 
Checklist, at Attachment II.
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    Our review of the data provided in the Petitions, General Issues 
Supplement, and other information readily available to the Department 
indicates that Petitioners have established industry support.\17\ 
First, the Petitions established support from domestic producers (or 
workers) accounting for more than 50 percent of the total production of 
the domestic like product and, as such, the Department is not required 
to take further action in order to evaluate industry support (e.g., 
polling).\18\ Second, the domestic producers (or workers) have met the 
statutory criteria for industry support under section 702(c)(4)(A)(i) 
of the Act because the domestic producers (or workers) who support the 
Petitions account for at least 25 percent of the total production of 
the domestic like product.\19\ Finally, the domestic producers (or 
workers) have met the statutory criteria for industry support under 
section 702(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Act because the domestic producers (or 
workers) who support the Petitions account for more than 50 percent of 
the production of the domestic like product produced by that portion of 
the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the 
Petitions.\20\ Accordingly, the Department determines that the 
Petitions were filed on behalf of the domestic industry within the 
meaning of section 702(b)(1) of the Act.
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    \17\ See Brazil CVD Initiation Checklist, Korea CVD Initiation 
Checklist, and Turkey CVD Initiation Checklist, at Attachment II.
    \18\ See section 702(c)(4)(D) of the Act; see also Brazil CVD 
Initiation Checklist, Korea CVD Initiation Checklist, and Turkey CVD 
Initiation Checklist, at Attachment II.
    \19\ See Brazil CVD Initiation Checklist, Korea CVD Initiation 
Checklist, and Turkey CVD Initiation Checklist, at Attachment II.
    \20\ Id.
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    The Department finds that Petitioners filed the Petitions on behalf 
of the domestic industry because they are interested parties as defined 
in section 771(9)(C) of the Act and they have demonstrated sufficient 
industry support with respect to the CVD investigations that they are 
requesting the Department initiate.\21\
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    \21\ Id.
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Injury Test

    Because Brazil, Korea, and Turkey are ``Subsidies Agreement 
Countries'' within the meaning of section 701(b) of the Act, section 
701(a)(2) of the Act applies to these investigations. Accordingly, the 
ITC must determine whether imports of the subject merchandise from 
Brazil, Korea, and/or Turkey materially injure, or threaten material 
injury to, a U.S. industry.

Allegations and Evidence of Material Injury and Causation

    Petitioners allege that imports of the subject merchandise are 
benefitting from countervailable subsidies and that such imports are 
causing, or threaten to cause, material injury to the U.S. industry 
producing the domestic like product. Petitioners allege that subject 
imports exceed the negligibility threshold of three percent provided 
for under section 771(24)(A) of the Act.\22\ In CVD petitions, section 
771(24)(B) of the Act provides that imports of subject merchandise from 
developing countries must exceed the negligibility threshold of four 
percent. Petitioners also demonstrate that subject imports from Brazil, 
which has been designated as a developing country under section 
771(36)(A) of the Act, exceed the negligibility threshold provided for 
under section 771(24)(B) of the Act.\23\
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    \22\ See Volume I of the Petitions, at 21-22 and Exhibit I-11.
    \23\ Id.
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    Petitioners contend that the industry's injured condition is 
illustrated by reduced market share; underselling and price suppression 
or depression; lost sales and revenues; decline in production, 
shipments, and capacity utilization; and decline in financial 
performance.\24\ We have assessed the allegations and supporting 
evidence regarding material injury, threat of material injury, and 
causation, and we have determined that these allegations are properly 
supported by adequate evidence and meet the statutory requirements for 
initiation.\25\
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    \24\ See Volume I of the Petitions, at 15-19, 21-42 and Exhibits 
I-4, I-6, I-9 and I-11 through I-17; see also General Issues 
Supplement, at 9-10.
    \25\ See Brazil CVD Initiation Checklist, Korea CVD Initiation 
Checklist, and Turkey CVD Initiation Checklist at Attachment III, 
Analysis of Allegations and Evidence of Material Injury and 
Causation for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions 
Covering Certain Hot-Rolled Steel Flat Products from Australia, 
Brazil, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, the Republic 
of Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
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Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigations

    Section 702(b)(1) of the Act requires the Department to initiate a 
CVD investigation whenever an interested party files a CVD petition on 
behalf of an industry that: (1) Alleges the elements necessary for an 
imposition of a duty under section 701(a) of the Act; and (2) is 
accompanied by information reasonably available to Petitioners 
supporting the allegations.
    Petitioners allege that producers/exporters of hot-rolled steel in 
Brazil, Korea, and Turkey benefited from countervailable subsidies 
bestowed by the governments/authorities of these countries, 
respectively. The Department examined the Petitions and finds that they 
comply with the requirements of section 702(b)(1) of the Act. 
Therefore, in accordance with section 702(b)(1) of the Act, we are 
initiating CVD investigations to determine whether manufacturers, 
producers, or exporters of hot-rolled steel from Brazil, Korea, and 
Turkey receive countervailable subsidies from the governments/
authorities of these countries, respectively.
    On June 29, 2015, the President of the United States signed into 
law the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, which made numerous 
amendments to the AD and CVD law.\26\ The 2015 law does not specify 
dates of application for those amendments. On August 6, 2015, the 
Department published an interpretative rule, in which it announced the 
applicability dates for each amendment to the Act, except for 
amendments contained in section 771(7) of the Act, which relate to 
determinations of material injury by the ITC.\27\ The amendments to 
sections 776

[[Page 54270]]

and 782 of the Act are applicable to all determinations made on or 
after August 6, 2015, and, therefore, apply to these CVD 
investigations.\28\
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    \26\ See Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, Pub. L. 114-
27, 129 Stat. 362 (2015).
    \27\ See Dates of Application of Amendments to the Antidumping 
and Countervailing Duty Laws Made by the Trade Preferences Extension 
Act of 2015, 80 FR 46793 (August 6, 2015) (Applicability Notice). 
The 2015 amendments may be found at https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1295/text/pl.
    \28\ Id. at 46794-95.
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Brazil

    Based on our review of the petition, we find that there is 
sufficient information to initiate a CVD investigation on 33 of the 35 
alleged programs. For a full discussion of the basis for our decision 
to initiate or not initiate on each program, see the Brazil CVD 
Initiation Checklist.

Korea

    Based on our review of the petition, we find that there is 
sufficient information to initiate a CVD investigation on 39 of the 41 
alleged programs. For a full discussion of the basis for our decision 
to initiate or not initiate on each program, see the Korea CVD 
Initiation Checklist.

Turkey

    Based on our review of the Petition, we find that there is 
sufficient information to initiate a CVD investigation on all 18 of the 
alleged programs. For a full discussion of the basis for our decision 
to initiate on each program, see the Turkey CVD Initiation Checklist.
    A public version of the initiation checklist for each investigation 
is available on ACCESS.
    In accordance with section 703(b)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.205(b)(1), unless postponed, we will make our preliminary 
determinations no later than 65 days after the date of this initiation.

Respondent Selection

    Petitioners named six companies as producers/exporters of hot-
rolled steel in Brazil, four in Korea, and six in Turkey.\29\ Following 
standard practice in CVD investigations, the Department will, where 
appropriate, select respondents based on U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) data for U.S. imports of hot-rolled steel during the 
periods of investigation. We intend to release CBP data under 
Administrative Protective Order (APO) to all parties with access to 
information protected by APO within five business days of publication 
of this Federal Register notice. The Department invites comments 
regarding respondent selection within seven business days of 
publication of this Federal Register notice.
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    \29\ See Volume I of the Petitions, at Exhibits I-8.
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    Comments must be filed electronically using ACCESS. An 
electronically-filed document must be received successfully in its 
entirety by ACCESS, by 5 p.m. ET by the date noted above. We intend to 
make our decision regarding respondent selection within 20 days of 
publication of this notice. Interested parties must submit applications 
for disclosure under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(b). 
Instructions for filing such applications may be found on the 
Department's Web site at http://enforcement.trade.gov/apo.

Distribution of Copies of the Petitions

    In accordance with section 702(b)(4)(A)(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.202(f), copies of the public version of the Petitions have been 
provided to the GOB, GOK, and GOT via ACCESS. To the extent 
practicable, we will attempt to provide a copy of the public version of 
the Petitions to each known exporter (as named in the Petitions), 
consistent with 19 CFR 351.203(c)(2).

ITC Notification

    We will notify the ITC of our initiation, as required by section 
702(d) of the Act.

Preliminary Determinations by the ITC

    The ITC will preliminarily determine, within 45 days after the date 
on which the Petitions were filed, whether there is a reasonable 
indication that imports of hot-rolled steel from Brazil, Korea, and 
Taiwan are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, a 
U.S. industry.\30\ A negative ITC determination for any country will 
result in the investigation being terminated with respect to that 
country; \31\ otherwise, these investigations will proceed according to 
statutory and regulatory time limits.
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    \30\ See section 703(a) of the Act.
    \31\ Id.
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Submission of Factual Information

    Factual information is defined in 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) as: (i) 
Evidence submitted in response to questionnaires; (ii) evidence 
submitted in support of allegations; (iii) publicly available 
information to value factors under 19 CFR 351.408(c) or to measure the 
adequacy of remuneration under 19 CFR 351.511(a)(2); (iv) evidence 
placed on the record by the Department; and (v) evidence other than 
factual information described in (i)-(iv). The regulation requires any 
party, when submitting factual information, to specify under which 
subsection of 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) the information is being submitted 
and, if the information is submitted to rebut, clarify, or correct 
factual information already on the record, to provide an explanation 
identifying the information already on the record that the factual 
information seeks to rebut, clarify, or correct. Time limits for the 
submission of factual information are addressed in 19 CFR 351.301, 
which provides specific time limits based on the type of factual 
information being submitted. Parties should review the regulations 
prior to submitting factual information in these investigations.

Extension of Time Limits Regulation

    Parties may request an extension of time limits before the 
expiration of a time limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, or as 
otherwise specified by the Secretary. In general, an extension request 
will be considered untimely if it is filed after the expiration of the 
time limit established under 19 CFR 351.301 expires. For submissions 
that are due from multiple parties simultaneously, an extension request 
will be considered untimely if it is filed after 10 a.m. on the due 
date. Under certain circumstances, we may elect to specify a different 
time limit by which extension requests will be considered untimely for 
submissions which are due from multiple parties simultaneously. In such 
a case, we will inform parties in the letter or memorandum setting 
forth the deadline (including a specified time) by which extension 
requests must be filed to be considered timely. An extension request 
must be made in a separate, stand-alone submission; under limited 
circumstances we will grant untimely-filed requests for the extension 
of time limits. Review Extension of Time Limits; Final Rule, 78 FR 
57790 (September 20, 2013), available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-09-20/html/2013-22853.htm, prior to submitting factual 
information in these investigations.

Certification Requirements

    Any party submitting factual information in an AD or CVD proceeding 
must certify to the accuracy and completeness of that information.\32\ 
Parties are hereby reminded that revised certification requirements are 
in effect for company/government officials, as well as their 
representatives. Investigations initiated on the basis of petitions 
filed on or after August 16, 2013, and other segments of any AD or CVD 
proceedings initiated on or after August 16, 2013, should use the 
formats

[[Page 54271]]

for the revised certifications provided at the end of the Final 
Rule.\33\ The Department intends to reject factual submissions if the 
submitting party does not comply with the applicable revised 
certification requirements.
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    \32\ See section 782(b) of the Act.
    \33\ See Certification of Factual Information To Import 
Administration During Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 17, 2013) (Final Rule); see also 
frequently asked questions regarding the Final Rule, available at 
http://enforcement.trade.gov/tlei/notices/factual_info_final_rule_FAQ_07172013.pdf.
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Notification to Interested Parties

    Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under 
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. On January 22, 2008, the 
Department published Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: 
Documents Submission Procedures; APO Procedures, 73 FR 3634 (January 
22, 2008). Parties wishing to participate in these investigations 
should ensure that they meet the requirements of these procedures 
(e.g., the filing of letters of appearance as discussed at 19 CFR 
351.103(d)).
    This notice is issued and published pursuant to sections 702 and 
777(i) of the Act.

    Dated: August 31, 2015.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Attachment I

Scope of the Investigations

    The products covered by these investigations are certain hot-
rolled, flat-rolled steel products, with or without patterns in relief, 
and whether or not annealed, painted, varnished, or coated with 
plastics or other non-metallic substances. The products covered do not 
include those that are clad, plated, or coated with metal. The products 
covered include coils that have a width or other lateral measurement 
(``width'') of 12.7 mm or greater, regardless of thickness, and 
regardless of form of coil (e.g., in successively superimposed layers, 
spirally oscillating, etc.). The products covered also include products 
not in coils (e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness of less than 
4.75 mm and a width that is 12.7 mm or greater and that measures at 
least 10 times the thickness. The products described above may be 
rectangular, square, circular, or other shape and include products of 
either rectangular or non-rectangular cross-section where such cross-
section is achieve subsequent to the rolling process, i.e., products 
which have been ``worked after rolling'' (e.g., products which have 
been beveled or rounded at the edges). For purposes of the width and 
thickness requirements referenced above:
    (1) Where the nominal and actual measurements vary, a product is 
within the scope if application of either the nominal or actual 
measurement would place it within the scope based on the definitions 
set forth above unless the resulting measurement makes the product 
covered by the existing antidumping \34\ or countervailing duty \35\ 
orders on Certain Cut-To-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate Products 
From the Republic of Korea (A-580-836; C-580-837), and
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    \34\ Notice of Amendment of Final Determinations of Sales at 
Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty Orders: Certain Cut-To-
Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate Products From France, India, 
Indonesia, Italy, Japan and the Republic of Korea, 65 FR 6585 
(February 10, 2000).
    \35\ Notice of Amended Final Determinations: Certain Cut-to-
Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate From India and the Republic of 
Korea; and Notice of Countervailing Duty Orders: Certain Cut-To-
Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate From France, India, Indonesia, 
Italy, and the Republic of Korea, 65 FR 6587 (February 10, 2000).
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    (2) where the width and thickness vary for a specific product 
(e.g., the thickness of certain products with non-rectangular cross-
section, the width of certain products with non-rectangular shape, 
etc.), the measurement at its greatest width or thickness applies.
    Steel products included in the scope of these investigations 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:

 2.50 percent of manganese, or
 3.30 percent of silicon, or
 1.50 percent of copper, or
 1.50 percent of aluminum, or
 1.25 percent of chromium, or
 0.30 percent of cobalt, or
 0.40 percent of lead, or
 2.00 percent of nickel, or
 0.30 percent of tungsten, or
 0.80 percent of molybdenum, or
 0.10 percent of niobium, or
 0.30 percent of vanadium, or
 0.30 percent of zirconium.

    Unless specifically excluded, products are included in this scope 
regardless of levels of boron and titanium.
    For example, specifically included in this scope are vacuum 
degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free 
(IF)) steels, high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, the substrate for 
motor lamination steels, Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS), and 
Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS). 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. AHSS and UHSS are 
considered high tensile strength and high elongation steels, although 
AHSS and UHSS are covered whether or not they are high tensile strength 
or high elongation steels.
    Subject merchandise includes hot-rolled steel that has been further 
processed in a third country, including but not limited to pickling, 
oiling, levelling, annealing, tempering, temper rolling, skin passing, 
painting, varnishing, trimming, cutting, punching, and/or slitting, or 
any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise 
from the scope of the investigations if performed in the country of 
manufacture of the hot-rolled steel.
    All products that meet the written physical description, and in 
which the chemistry quantities do not exceed any one of the noted 
element levels listed above, are within the scope of these 
investigations unless specifically excluded. The following products are 
outside of and/or specifically excluded from the scope of these 
investigations:
     Universal mill plates (i.e., hot-rolled, flat-rolled 
products not in coils that have been rolled on four faces or in a 
closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 mm but not exceeding 1250 mm, 
of a thickness not less than 4.0 mm, and without patterns in relief);
     Products that have been cold-rolled (cold-reduced) after 
hot-rolling; \36\
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    \36\ For purposes of this scope exclusion, rolling operations 
such as a skin pass, levelling, temper rolling or other minor 
rolling operations after the hot-rolling process for purposes of 
surface finish, flatness, shape control, or gauge control do not 
constitute cold-rolling sufficient to meet this exclusion.
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     Ball bearing steels; \37\
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    \37\ Ball bearing steels are defined as steels which contain, in 
addition to iron, each of the following elements by weight in the 
amount specified: (i) Not less than 0.95 nor more than 1.13 percent 
of carbon; (ii) not less than 0.22 nor more than 0.48 percent of 
manganese; (iii) none, or not more than 0.03 percent of sulfur; (iv) 
none, or not more than 0.03 percent of phosphorus; (v) not less than 
0.18 nor more than 0.37 percent of silicon; (vi) not less than 1.25 
nor more than 1.65 percent of chromium; (vii) none, or not more than 
0.28 percent of nickel; (viii) none, or not more than 0.38 percent 
of copper; and (ix) none, or not more than 0.09 percent of 
molybdenum.

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[[Page 54272]]

     Tool steels; \38\ and
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    \38\ Tool steels are defined as steels which contain the 
following combinations of elements in the quantity by weight 
respectively indicated: (i) More than 1.2 percent carbon and more 
than 10.5 percent chromium; or (ii) not less than 0.3 percent carbon 
and 1.25 percent or more but less than 10.5 percent chromium; or 
(iii) not less than 0.85 percent carbon and 1 percent to 1.8 
percent, inclusive, manganese; or (iv) 0.9 percent to 1.2 percent, 
inclusive, chromium and 0.9 percent to 1.4 percent, inclusive, 
molybdenum; or (v) not less than 0.5 percent carbon and not less 
than 3.5 percent molybdenum; or (vi) not less than 0.5 percent 
carbon and not less than 5.5 percent tungsten.
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     Silico-manganese steels; \39\
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    \39\ Silico-manganese steel is defined as steels containing by 
weight: (i) Not more than 0.7 percent of carbon; (ii) 0.5 percent or 
more but not more than 1.9 percent of manganese, and (iii) 0.6 
percent or more but not more than 2.3 percent of silicon.
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    The products subject to these investigations are currently 
classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) under item numbers: 7208.10.1500, 7208.10.3000, 7208.10.6000, 
7208.25.3000, 7208.25.6000, 7208.26.0030, 7208.26.0060, 7208.27.0030, 
7208.27.0060, 7208.36.0030, 7208.36.0060, 7208.37.0030, 7208.37.0060, 
7208.38.0015, 7208.38.0030, 7208.38.0090, 7208.39.0015, 7208.39.0030, 
7208.39.0090, 7208.40.6030, 7208.40.6060, 7208.53.0000, 7208.54.0000, 
7208.90.0000, 7210.70.3000, 7211.14.0030, 7211.14.0090, 7211.19.1500, 
7211.19.2000, 7211.19.3000, 7211.19.4500, 7211.19.6000, 7211.19.7530, 
7211.19.7560, 7211.19.7590, 7225.11.0000, 7225.19.0000, 7225.30.3050, 
7225.30.7000, 7225.40.7000, 7225.99.0090, 7226.11.1000, 7226.11.9030, 
7226.11.9060, 7226.19.1000, 7226.19.9000, 7226.91.5000, 7226.91.7000, 
and 7226.91.8000. The products subject to the investigations may also 
enter under the following HTSUS numbers: 7210.90.9000, 7211.90.0000, 
7212.40.1000, 7212.40.5000, 7212.50.0000, 7214.91.0015, 7214.91.0060, 
7214.91.0090, 7214.99.0060, 7214.99.0075, 7214.99.0090, 7215.90.5000, 
7226.99.0180, and 7228.60.6000.
    The HTSUS subheadings above are provided for convenience and U.S. 
Customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the 
investigations is dispositive.

[FR Doc. 2015-22556 Filed 9-8-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P