[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 197 (Tuesday, October 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61365-61366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25967]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-580-877]


Welded Line Pipe From the Republic of Korea: Final Negative 
Countervailing Duty Determination

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) determines that 
countervailable subsidies are not being provided to producers and 
exporters of welded line pipe from the Republic of Korea (Korea). The 
period of investigation is January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013.

DATES: Effective date: October 13, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Trainor or Reza Karamloo, 
Office II, 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-
4007 or (202) 482-4470, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The petitioners in this investigation are American Cast Iron Pipe 
Company, Energex (a division of JMC Steel Group), Maverick Tube 
Corporation (Maverick), Northwest Pipe Company, Stupp Corporation (a 
division of Stupp Bros., Inc.), Tex-Tube Company, TMK IPSCO, and 
Welspun Tubular LLC USA (collectively, the petitioners). In addition to 
the Government of the Republic of Korea, the mandatory respondents in 
this investigation are SeAH Steel Corporation and NEXTEEL Co. Ltd.
    The events that have occurred since the Department published the 
Preliminary Determination \1\ on March 20, 2015, are discussed in the 
Issues and Decision Memorandum, which is hereby incorporated in this 
notice.\2\ This memorandum also details the changes we made since the 
Preliminary Determination to the subsidy rates calculated for the 
mandatory respondents and all other producers/exporters. The Issues and 
Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically 
via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to 
registered users at http://access.trade.gov, and is available to all 
parties in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department 
of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html. The signed Issues and Decision 
Memorandum and the electronic version of the Issues and Decision 
Memorandum are identical in content.
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    \1\ See Welded Line Pipe From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary 
Negative Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of Final 
Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination, 80 FR 14907 
(March 20, 2015) (Preliminary Determination).
    \2\ See Memorandum to Paul Piquado, ``Countervailing Duty 
Investigation of Welded Line Pipe from the Republic of Korea: Issues 
and Decision Memorandum for the Final Negative Determination'' 
(October 5, 2015) (Issues and Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The scope of the investigation covers welded line pipe, which is 
carbon and alloy steel pipe of a kind used for oil or gas pipelines, 
not more than 24 inches in nominal outside diameter. For a complete 
description of the scope of the investigation, see Appendix I.

Analysis of Subsidy Programs and Comments Received

    The subsidy programs under investigation and the issues raised in 
the case and rebuttal briefs by parties in this investigation are 
discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum, dated concurrently 
with this notice. A list of the issues that parties raised, and to 
which we responded in the Issues and Decision Memorandum, is attached 
to this notice as Appendix II.

Final Determination

    We determine the countervailable subsidy rates to be:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Company                           Subsidy rate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SeAH Steel Corporation..................  0.44 percent (de minimis)
NEXTEEL Co., Ltd........................  0.28 percent (de minimis)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Because the total estimated net countervailable subsidy rate for 
each examined company is de minimis, we determine that countervailable 
subsidies are not being provided to producers or exporters of welded 
line pipe from Korea. We did not calculate an all-others rate pursuant 
to sections 705(c)(1)(B) and (c)(5) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act) because we did not reach an affirmative final 
determination. Because our final determination is negative, this 
proceeding is terminated in accordance with section 705(c)(2) of the 
Act.
    In the Preliminary Determination, the total net countervailable 
subsidy rates for the individually examined respondents were de minimis 
and, therefore, we did not suspend liquidation of entries of welded 
line pipe from Korea. Because the estimated subsidy rates for the 
examined companies are de minimis in this final determination, we are 
not directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation 
of entries of welded line pipe from Korea.

International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

    In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, we will notify the 
ITC of our final determination. Because our final determination is 
negative, this investigation is terminated.

Return or Destruction of Proprietary Information

    This notice serves as the only reminder to parties subject to the 
administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the destruction of proprietary information disclosed under 
APO in accordance

[[Page 61366]]

with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of the return/
destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order 
is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms 
of an APO is a violation which is subject to sanction.
    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
705(d) and 777(i) of the Act.

    Dated: October 5, 2015.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is circular welded 
carbon and alloy steel (other than stainless steel) pipe of a kind 
used for oil or gas pipelines (welded line pipe), not more than 24 
inches in nominal outside diameter, regardless of wall thickness, 
length, surface finish, end finish, or stenciling. Welded line pipe 
is normally produced to the American Petroleum Institute (API) 
specification 5L, but can be produced to comparable foreign 
specifications, to proprietary grades, or can be non-graded 
material. All pipe meeting the physical description set forth above, 
including multiple-stenciled pipe with an API or comparable foreign 
specification line pipe stencil is covered by the scope of this 
investigation.
    The welded line pipe that is subject to this investigation is 
currently classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS) under subheadings 7305.11.1030, 7305.11.5000, 
7305.12.1030, 7305.12.5000, 7305.19.1030, 7305.19.5000, 
7306.19.1010, 7306.19.1050, 7306.19.5110, and 7306.19.5150. The 
subject merchandise may also enter in HTSUS 7305.11.1060 and 
7305.12.1060. While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the 
scope of this investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Investigation
IV. Use of Facts Otherwise Available
V. Subsidies Valuation
VI. Analysis of Programs
VII. Analysis of Comments
    1. Electricity for Less Than Adequate Remuneration (LTAR)
    2. Unreported Subsidies
    3. Specificity of RSTA Tax Programs
    4. Special Rural Development Tax
    5. Husteel as a Mandatory or Voluntary Respondent
VIII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2015-25967 Filed 10-9-15; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P