[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 135 (Monday, July 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32681-32682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14953]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-823-815]


Amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty 
Investigation on Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From Ukraine

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


DATES: Applicable July 10, 2017.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) and a 
representative of the Ukrainian signatory producer/exporter of certain 
oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Ukraine, Interpipe, have signed 
an amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty 
Investigation on Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from Ukraine 
(Agreement). The amendment to the Agreement extends the Agreement for 
one additional year, specifying that the Agreement shall terminate four 
years after the effective date of the original agreement, on July 10, 
2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally Craig Gannon or David Cordell at 
(202) 482-0162 or (202) 482-0408, respectively; Bilateral Agreements 
Unit, Office of Policy, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    As signed on July 10, 2014, Section H of the Agreement stated that, 
``{t{time} his Agreement shall terminate three years after the 
effective date of this Agreement, on July 10, 2017.'' \1\ On December 
9, 2016, the Ukrainian signatory producer/exporter Interpipe \2\ 
requested that the Agreement be extended by five years, to July 10, 
2022.\3\ On December 22, 2016, the Department invited interested 
parties to comment on the extension request.\4\ On January 13, 2017, 
the Petitioners \5\ filed a letter in opposition to the request to 
extend the Agreement.\6\ On May 19, 2017, the Department informed 
Interpipe that it was denying Interpipe's request to extend the 
Agreement by five years.\7\ The Department stated that it had reviewed 
Interpipe's request and the comments received from interested parties 
and that it intended to follow the current terms of the Agreement by 
proceeding to issue an antidumping duty order on July 10, 2017.
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    \1\ See Suspension of Antidumping Investigation: Certain Oil 
Country Tubular Goods from Ukraine, 79 FR 41959 (July 18, 2014).
    \2\ Interpipe Europe S.A.; Interpipe Ukraine LLC; PJSC Interpipe 
NiznedneprovskyTube Rolling Plant (aka Interpipe NTRP); LLC 
Interpipe Niko Tube; North American Interpipe, Inc. (collectively 
Interpipe).
    \3\ See Letter from Interpipe, entitled ``Antidumping Duty 
Suspension Agreement on Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from 
Ukraine: Request to Extend the Suspension Agreement'' (December 9, 
2016).
    \4\ See Memorandum to all interested parties inviting comments 
on the extension request (December 22, 2016).
    \5\ Maverick Tube Corporation, United States Steel Corporation, 
Energex Tube, TMK IPSCO, and Welded Tube USA Inc. (collectively, 
Petitioners).
    \6\ See Letter from the Petitioners entitled ``Agreement 
Suspending the Antidumping Duty Investigation on Certain Oil Country 
Tubular Goods from Ukraine: Comments in Opposition to Interpipe's 
Request to Extend Suspension Agreement'' (January 13, 2017).
    \7\ See Letter to Deen Kaplan from Ronald K. Lorentzen, re 
``Antidumping Duty Suspension Agreement on Certain Oil Country 
Tubular Goods from Ukraine: Request to Extend the Suspension 
Agreement'' (May 19, 2017).
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    Subsequently, the Department reconsidered its decision and, on July 
10, 2017, met with counsel to the Petitioners to discuss the possible

[[Page 32682]]

extension of the Agreement.\8\ As a result of its reconsideration, the 
Department determined to grant Interpipe's request, in part, and extend 
the Agreement by one year, based on the unique facts and circumstances 
in Ukraine which have affected Interpipe's operations since the 
inception of the Agreement and are still ongoing.\9\ The Department and 
Interpipe, therefore, signed an amendment to the Agreement on July 10, 
2017, extending the Agreement by an additional one-year period such 
that the Agreement will terminate, and the Department will issue an 
antidumping duty order, on July 10, 2018.
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    \8\ See Memorandum to the File entitled ``Meeting with Counsel 
to the Petitioners'' (July 11, 2017).
    \9\ See Interpipe's submission, entitled ``Agreement Suspending 
the Antidumping Duty Investigation on Certain Oil Country Tubular 
Goods from Ukraine: Rebuttal to Petitioners' Comments in Opposition 
to Interpipe's Request to Extend the Suspension Agreement'' (January 
23, 2017) at 2-6.
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    The terms and conditions of the July 10, 2017 amendment to the 
Agreement are set forth in the Amendment to the Agreement, which is 
attached in Annex 1 to this notice.
    We are publishing this notice consistent with section 734(f)(1)(A) 
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and 19 CFR 351.208(g)(2).

    Dated: July 11, 2017.
Gary Taverman,
 Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Annex 1: Amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty 
Investigation on Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) From Ukraine

Amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty 
Investigation on Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From Ukraine

    The United States Department of Commerce (the Department) and 
the producers/exporters of Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from 
Ukraine that are signatories to the Agreement Suspending the 
Antidumping Duty Investigation on Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods 
from Ukraine (Agreement), signed on July 10, 2014, hereby amend 
Section H of the Agreement, as follows:
    The first sentence of Section H is amended as follows (changes 
in italics):

(H) Termination or Withdrawal

    This Agreement shall terminate four years after the effective 
date of this Agreement, on July 10, 2018.
    All other provisions of the Agreement, as amended, continue with 
full force.

    Signed on July 10, 2017, in Washington, DC by

Gary Taverman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Deen Kaplan,
Counsel for Interpipe Europe S.A.; Interpipe Ukraine, LLC; PJSC 
Interpipe NiznedneprovskyTube Rolling Plant (aka Interpipe NTRP); 
LLC Interpipe Niko Tube; North American Interpipe, Inc.

[FR Doc. 2017-14953 Filed 7-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P