[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22443-22445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10283]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-433-813]


Strontium Chromate From Austria: Preliminary Determination of 
Sales at Not Less Than Fair Value and Postponement of Final 
Determination

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines 
that strontium chromate from Austria is not being, or is not likely to 
be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the 
period of investigation (POI) July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018. 
Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary 
determination.

DATES: Applicable May 17, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Smith or Jaron Moore, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1766 or (202) 
482-3640, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of this investigation on October 2, 
2018.\1\ Commerce exercised its discretion to toll all deadlines 
affected by the partial federal government closure from December 22, 
2018, through the resumption of operations on January 29, 2019.\2\ On 
March 11, 2019, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination of 
this investigation until May 13, 2019.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Strontium Chromate from Austria and France: Initiation 
of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 83 FR 49543 (October 2, 
2018) (Initiation Notice).
    \2\ See Memorandum to the Record from 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, ``Deadlines 
Affected by the Partial Shutdown of the Federal Government,'' dated 
January 28, 2019. All deadlines in this segment of the proceeding 
have been extended by 40 days.
    \3\ See Strontium Chromate from Austria and France: Postponement 
of Preliminary Determinations of Antidumping Duty Investigations, 84 
FR 8669 (March 11, 2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For a complete description of the events that followed the 
initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary

[[Page 22444]]

Decision Memorandum.\4\ A list of topics included in the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The 
Preliminary 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 https://access.trade.gov, 
and to all parties in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main 
Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed and the electronic versions of 
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Strontium 
Chromate from Austria'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted 
by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is strontium chromate 
from Austria. For a complete description of the scope of this 
investigation, see Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    In accordance with the preamble to Commerce's regulations,\5\ the 
Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise 
issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).\6\ No interested party 
commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the 
Initiation Notice. Commerce is therefore not preliminarily modifying 
the scope language as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. See the 
Scope of the Investigation in Appendix I to this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
    \6\ See Initiation Notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with 
section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export prices in 
accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Constructed export prices 
have been calculated in accordance with section 772(b) of the Act. 
Normal value (NV) is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the 
Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying the 
preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Determination

    For this preliminary determination, Commerce calculated an 
estimated weighted-average dumping margin of 1.24 percent (de minimis) 
for Habich GmbH, the only mandatory respondent in this investigation. 
Consistent with section 733(d) of the Act, Commerce has not calculated 
an estimated weighted-average dumping margin for all other producers 
and exporters because it has not made an affirmative preliminary 
determination of sales at LTFV.

Suspension of Liquidation

    Because Commerce has made a negative preliminary determination of 
sales at LTFV with regard to subject merchandise, U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection will not be directed to suspend liquidation on 
entries of strontium chromate from Austria.

Disclosure

    Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis 
performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination 
within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no public 
announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this 
notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Verification

    As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to 
verify the information relied upon in making its final determination.

Public Comment

    Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven 
days after the date on which the last verification report is issued in 
this investigation. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in case 
briefs, may be submitted no later than five days after the deadline 
date for case briefs.\7\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), 
parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this investigation 
are encouraged to submit with each argument: (1) A statement of the 
issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of 
authorities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general 
filing requirements).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to 
request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal 
briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days 
after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain 
the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of 
participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list 
of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, 
Commerce intends to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, at a time 
and date to be determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the 
date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled 
date.

Postponement of Final Determination

    Section 735(a)(2)(B) of the Act provides that a final determination 
may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the date of the 
publication of the preliminary determination if, in the event of a 
negative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is 
made by the petitioner.\8\ On April 12, 2019, the petitioner requested 
that Commerce postpone the final determination.\9\ In accordance with 
section 735(a)(2)(B) of the Act, because the preliminary determination 
is negative and the petitioner has requested the postponement of the 
final determination, Commerce is postponing the final determination. 
Accordingly, Commerce will make its final determination no later than 
135 days after the date of publication of this preliminary 
determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ The petitioner is Lumimove, Inc., d.b.a. WPC Technologies.
    \9\ See Petitioner's letter, ``Strontium Chromate from Austria; 
Habich GmbH's Request to Extend Final Determination,'' dated April 
12, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify 
the International Trade Commission (ITC) of its preliminary 
determination. If the final determination is affirmative, the ITC will 
determine 75 days after the final determination whether these imports 
are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. 
industry.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ See section 735(b)(3) of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).


[[Page 22445]]


    Dated: May 13, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is strontium 
chromate, regardless of form (including but not limited to, powder 
(sometimes known as granular), dispersions (sometimes known as 
paste), or in any solution). The chemical formula for strontium 
chromate is SrCrO4 and the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry 
number is 7789-06-2.
    Strontium chromate that has been blended with another product or 
products is included in the scope if the resulting mix contains 15 
percent or more of strontium chromate by total formula weight. 
Products with which strontium chromate may be blended include, but 
are not limited to, water and solvents such as Aromatic 100 Methyl 
Amyl Ketone (MAK)/2-Heptanone, Acetone, Glycol Ether EB, Naphtha 
Leicht, and Xylene. Subject merchandise includes strontium chromate 
that has been processed in a third country into a product that 
otherwise would be within the scope of this investigation if 
processed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope strontium 
chromate.
    The merchandise subject to this investigation is currently 
classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) under subheading 2841.50.9100. Subject merchandise may also 
enter under HTSUS subheading 3212.90.0050. While the HTSUS 
subheadings and CAS registry number are provided for convenience and 
customs purposes, the written description of the scope is 
dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Postponement of Final Determination
V. Discussion of the Methodology
    A. Determination of the Comparison Method
    B. Results of the Differential Pricing Analysis
VI. Date of Sale
VII. Product Comparisons
VIII. Export Price
IX. Constructed Export Price
X. Normal Value
    A. Home Market Viability
    B. Level of Trade
    C. Cost of Production Analysis
    1. Calculation of COP
    2. Test of Comparison-Market Sales Prices
    3. Results of the COP Test
    D. Calculation of NV Based on Comparison-Market Prices
XI. Currency Conversion
XII. Conclusion

[FR Doc. 2019-10283 Filed 5-16-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P