[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44916-44917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18421]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. 701-TA-618-619 and 731-TA-1441-1444 (Final)]


Carbon and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod From China, India, Taiwan, 
and Thailand; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Countervailing and 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 and countervailing duty investigation Nos. 
701-TA-618-619 and 731-TA-1441-1444 (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 carbon and alloy steel threaded rod 
from China, India, Taiwan, and Thailand, provided for in subheading 
7318.15.50 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, 
preliminarily determined by the Department of Commerce (``Commerce'') 
to be subsidized and sold at less-than-fair-value.

DATES: August 7, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristina Lara (202-205-3386) or 
Jessica Oliva Figueroa (202-205-3432), 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 ``. . . carbon and alloy steel threaded rod. 
Steel threaded rod is certain threaded rod, bar, or studs, of carbon or 
alloy steel, having a solid, circular cross section of any diameter, in 
any straight length. Steel threaded rod is normally drawn, cold-rolled, 
threaded, and straightened, or it may be hot-rolled. In addition, the 
steel threaded rod, bar, or studs subject to these investigations are 
non-headed and threaded along greater than 25 percent of their total 
actual length. A variety of finishes or coatings, such as plain oil 
finish as a temporary rust protectant, zinc coating (i.e., galvanized, 
whether by electroplating or hot-dipping), paint, and other similar 
finishes and coatings, may be applied to the merchandise.
    Steel threaded rod is normally produced to American Society for 
Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications ASTM A36, ASTM A193 B7/B7m, 
ASTM A193 B16, ASTM A307, ASTM A320 L7/L7M, ASTM A320 L43, ASTM A354 BC 
and BD, ASTM A449, ASTM F1554-36, ASTM F1554-55, ASTM F1554 Grade 105, 
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) specification ASME 
B18.31.3, and American Petroleum Institute (API) specification API 20E. 
All steel threaded rod meeting the physical description set forth above 
is covered by the scope of these investigations, whether or not 
produced according to a particular standard.
    Subject merchandise includes material matching the above 
description that has been finished, assembled, or packaged in a third 
country, including by cutting, chamfering, coating, or painting the 
threaded rod, by attaching the threaded rod to, or packaging it with, 
another product, or any other finishing, assembly, or packaging 
operation that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the 
scope of the investigations if performed in the country of manufacture 
of the threaded rod.
    Carbon and alloy steel threaded rod are also included in the scope 
of these investigations whether or not imported attached to, or in 
conjunction with, other parts and accessories such as nuts and washers. 
If carbon and alloy steel threaded rod are imported attached to, or in 
conjunction with, such non-subject merchandise, only the threaded rod 
is included in the scope.
    Excluded from the scope of these investigations are: (1) Threaded 
rod, bar, or studs which are threaded only on one or both ends and the 
threading covers 25 percent or less of the total actual length; and (2) 
stainless steel threaded rod, defined as steel threaded rod containing, 
by weight, 1.2 percent or less of carbon and 10.5 percent or more of 
chromium, with our without other elements.
    Excluded from the scope of the antidumping investigation on steel 
threaded rod from the People's Republic of China is any merchandise 
covered by the existing antidumping order on Certain Steel Threaded Rod 
from the People's Republic of China. See Certain Steel Threaded Rod 
from the People's Republic of China: Notice of Antidumping Duty Order, 
74 FR 17154 (April 14, 2009).
    Specifically excluded from the scope of these investigations is 
threaded rod that is imported as part of a package of hardware in 
conjunction with a ready-to-assemble piece of furniture. Steel threaded 
rod is currently classifiable under subheadings 7318.15.5051, 
7318.15.5056, and 7318.15.5090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS). Subject merchandise may also enter under 
subheading 7318.15.2095 and 7318.19.0000 of the HTSUS. The HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs purposes 
only. The written description of the scope is dispositive.''
    Background.--The final phase of these investigations is being 
scheduled

[[Page 44917]]

pursuant to sections 705(b) and 731(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 
U.S.C. 1671d(b) and 1673d(b)), as a result of affirmative preliminary 
determinations by Commerce that certain benefits which constitute 
subsidies within the meaning of section 703 of the Act (19 U.S.C. 
1671b) are being provided to manufacturers, producers, or exporters in 
China, India, Taiwan, and Thailand of carbon and alloy steel threaded 
rod, and that such products 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 
February 21, 2019, by Vulcan Steel Products Inc., Pelham, Alabama.
    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 October 
1, 2019, 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 Tuesday, 
October 15, 2019, 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 October 10, 2019. A nonparty 
who has testimony that may aid the Commission's deliberations may 
request permission to present a short statement at the hearing. All 
parties and nonparties desiring to appear at the hearing and make oral 
presentations should participate in a prehearing conference to be held 
on October 11, 2019, 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 October 8, 2019. 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 October 22, 2019. 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 October 22, 2019. On November 6, 2019, 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 November 8, 2019, 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: August 22, 2019.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2019-18421 Filed 8-26-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P