[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26306-26307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12094]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. 731-TA-1387-1391 (Final)]


Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Resin From Brazil, Indonesia, 
Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Anti-
Dumping Duty Investigations

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the 
final phase of antidumping investigation Nos. 731-TA-1387-1391 (Final) 
pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (``the Act'') to determine whether 
an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened 
with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United 
States is materially retarded, by reason of imports of polyethylene 
terephthalate (PET) resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and 
Taiwan, currently provided for in subheadings 3907.61.00 and 3907.69.00 
of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States,\1\ 
preliminarily determined by the Department of Commerce (``Commerce'') 
to be sold at less-than-fair-value.
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    \1\ Prior to January 1, 2017, PET resin was provided for in 
subheading 3907.60.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States.

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DATES: May 4, 2018.

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 (https://www.usitc.gov). The public record for these 
investigations may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket 
(EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Scope.-- For purposes of these investigations, Commerce has defined 
the subject merchandise as ``. . . polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 
resin having an intrinsic viscosity of at least 70, but not more than 
88, milliliters per gram (0.70 to 0.88 deciliters per gram). The scope 
includes blends of virgin PET resin and recycled PET resin containing 
50 percent or more virgin PET resin content by weight, provided such 
blends meet the intrinsic viscosity requirements above. The scope 
includes all PET resin meeting the above specifications regardless of 
additives introduced in the manufacturing process. The scope excludes 
PET-glycol resin, also referred to as PETG. PET-glycol resins are 
manufactured by replacing a portion of the raw material input 
monoethylene glycol (MEG) with one of five glycol modifiers: 
Cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM), diethylene glycol (DEG), neopentyl glycol 
(NPG), isosorbide, or spiro glycol. Specifically, excluded PET-glycol 
resins must contain a minimum of 10 percent, by weight, of CHDM, DEG, 
NPG, isosorbide or spiro glycol, or some combination of these glycol 
modifiers. Unlike subject PET resin, PET-glycol resins are amorphous 
resins that are not solid-stated and cannot be crystallized or 
recycled.''
    Background.--The final phase of these investigations is being 
scheduled, pursuant to section 735(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 
U.S.C. 1673d(b)), as a result of affirmative preliminary determinations 
by Commerce that imports of PET resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, 
Pakistan, and Taiwan are being sold in the United States at less-than-
fair-value within the meaning of section 733 of the Act (19 U.S.C. 
1673b). The investigations were requested in petitions filed on 
September 26, 2017, by DAK Americas LLC, Charlotte, NC; Indorama 
Ventures USA, Inc., Decatur, AL; M&G Polymers USA, LLC, Houston, TX; 
and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, America Lake City, SC.
    For further information concerning the conduct of this phase of the 
investigations, hearing procedures, and rules of general application, 
consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, 
subparts A and B (19 CFR part 201), and part 207, subparts A and C (19 
CFR part 207).
    Participation in the investigations 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 final phase of these 
investigations as parties must file an entry of appearance with the 
Secretary to the Commission, as provided in section 201.11 of the 
Commission's rules, no later than 21 days prior to the hearing date 
specified in this notice. A party that filed a notice of appearance 
during the preliminary phase of the investigations need not file an 
additional notice of appearance during this final phase. The Secretary 
will maintain a public service list containing the names and addresses 
of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to the 
investigations.
    Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under 
an administrative protective order (APO) and BPI service list.--
Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary 
will make BPI gathered in the final phase of these investigations 
available to authorized applicants under the APO issued in the 
investigations, provided that the application is made no later than 21 
days prior to the hearing date specified in this notice. Authorized 
applicants must represent interested parties, as defined by 19 U.S.C. 
1677(9), who are parties to the investigations. A party granted access 
to BPI in the preliminary phase of the investigations need not reapply 
for such access. A separate service list will be maintained by the 
Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
    Staff report.--The prehearing staff report in the final phase of 
these investigations will be placed in the nonpublic record on August 
30, 2018, and a public version will be issued thereafter, pursuant to 
section 207.22 of the Commission's rules.
    Hearing.--The Commission will hold a hearing in connection with the 
final phase of these investigations beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 
September 13, 2018, at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed in writing 
with the Secretary to the Commission on or before September 7, 2018. A 
nonparty who has testimony that may aid the Commission's deliberations 
may request permission to present a short statement at the hearing.

[[Page 26307]]

All parties and nonparties desiring to appear at the hearing and make 
oral presentations should participate in a prehearing conference to be 
held on September 10, 2018, at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building, if deemed necessary. Oral testimony and written materials to 
be submitted at the public hearing are governed by sections 
201.6(b)(2), 201.13(f), and 207.24 of the Commission's rules. Parties 
must submit any request to present a portion of their hearing testimony 
in camera no later than 7 business days prior to the date of the 
hearing.
    Written submissions.--Each party who is an interested party shall 
submit a prehearing brief to the Commission. Prehearing briefs must 
conform with the provisions of section 207.23 of the Commission's 
rules; the deadline for filing is September 6, 2018. Parties may also 
file written testimony in connection with their presentation at the 
hearing, as provided in section 207.24 of the Commission's rules, and 
posthearing briefs, which must conform with the provisions of section 
207.25 of the Commission's rules. The deadline for filing posthearing 
briefs is September 20, 2018. In addition, any person who has not 
entered an appearance as a party to the investigations may submit a 
written statement of information pertinent to the subject of the 
investigations, including statements of support or opposition to the 
petition, on or before September 20, 2018. On October 11, 2018, the 
Commission will make available to parties all information on which they 
have not had an opportunity to comment. Parties may submit final 
comments on this information on or before October 15, 2018, but such 
final comments must not contain new factual information and must 
otherwise comply with section 207.30 of the Commission's rules. All 
written submissions must conform with the provisions of section 201.8 
of the Commission's rules; any submissions that contain BPI must also 
conform with the requirements of sections 201.6, 207.3, and 207.7 of 
the Commission's rules. The Commission's Handbook on E-Filing, 
available on the Commission's website at https://edis.usitc.gov, 
elaborates upon the Commission's rules with respect to electronic 
filing.
    Additional written submissions to the Commission, including 
requests pursuant to section 201.12 of the Commission's rules, shall 
not be accepted unless good cause is shown for accepting such 
submissions, or unless the submission is pursuant to a specific request 
by a Commissioner or Commission staff.
    In accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission's 
rules, each document filed by a party to the investigations must be 
served on all other parties to the investigations (as identified by 
either the public or BPI service list), and a certificate of service 
must be timely filed. The Secretary will not accept a document for 
filing without a certificate of service.

    Authority: These investigations are being conducted under 
authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is 
published pursuant to section 207.21 of the Commission's rules.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: May 31, 2018.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2018-12094 Filed 6-5-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P