[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57848-57850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23533]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-533-871]


Finished Carbon Steel Flanges From India: Preliminary Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2017-2018

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that 
Norma (India) Limited (Norma) and R.N. Gupta & Co. Ltd. (Gupta), 
producers/exporters of finished carbon steel flanges (flanges) from 
India, sold subject merchandise at prices below normal value during the 
period of review (POR) February 8, 2017 through July 31, 2018. We 
invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES: Applicable October 29, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Lui, Paul Walker, or Fred 
Baker, AD/CVD Operations, Office VI, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
1646, (202) 482-0413, or (202) 482-2924, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On August 7, 2018, Commerce published in the Federal Register a 
notice of opportunity to request an administrative review of the 
antidumping duty order on flanges from India, for the period February 
8, 2017 through July 31, 2018.\1\ Subsequently, Commerce received 
timely requests for an administrative review from Weldbend Corporation 
and Boltex Manufacturing Co., L.P. (collectively, the petitioners),\2\ 
Norma,\3\ Gupta,\4\ Jai Auto Pvt. Ltd. (Jai Auto),\5\ and Bebitz 
Flanges Works Private Limited (Bebitz).\6\ The petitioners requested an 
administrative review of 35 companies,\7\ whereas Norma, Gupta, Jai 
Auto and Bebitz requested an administrative review of themselves.\8\ On 
October 4, 2018, Commerce initiated an administrative review of the 
Order for the period February 8, 2017 through July 31, 2018, with 
respect to 37 companies.\9\ On November 9, 2018, Commerce selected 
Gupta and Norma as the mandatory respondents for this

[[Page 57849]]

review.\10\ For a complete description of the events that followed the 
initiation of this review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\11\
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    \1\ See Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India and Italy: 
Antidumping Duty Orders, 82 FR 40136 (August 24, 2017) (Order); see 
also Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended 
Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative Review, 83 FR 
38682, 38683 (August 7, 2018).
    \2\ See Petitioners' Letter, ``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges 
from India: Request for Administrative Review,'' dated August 31, 
2018 (Petitioners' Request for Review).
    \3\ See Norma's Letter, ``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from 
India: Request for entry of appearance in the Anti-Dumping Duty 
Administrative Review for Norma (India) Limited, USK Export Private 
Limited, Umashanker Khandelwal and Co. and Bansidhar Chiranjilal,'' 
dated August 28, 2018 (Norma's Request for Review).
    \4\ See Gupta's Letter, ``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from 
India: Request for Anti-Dumping Duty Administrative Review,'' dated 
August 30, 2018 (Gupta's Request for Review).
    \5\ See Jai Auto's Letter, ``Request for Anti-Dumping Duty 
Administrative Review of finished carbon steel flanges from India,'' 
dated August 31, 2018; see also Jai Auto's Letter, ``Finished Carbon 
Steel Flanges from India: Requests for Administrative Review,'' 
dated August 31, 2018 (Jay Auto's Request for Review).
    \6\ See Bebitz's Letter, ``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from 
India: Requests for Administrative Review,'' dated August 31, 2018 
(Bebitz's Request for Review).
    \7\ See Petitioners' Request for Review, at 2-3.
    \8\ See Norma's Request for Review; Gupta's Request for Review; 
Jai Auto's Request for Review; and Bebitz's Request for Review.
    \9\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 83 FR 50077 (October 4, 2018) (Initiation 
Notice).
    \10\ See Memorandum, ``Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of 
Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India: Respondent Selection,'' 
dated November 9, 2018.
    \11\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for Preliminary 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Finished Carbon 
Steel Flanges from India; 2017-2018,'' dated concurrently with, and 
hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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    Commerce exercised its discretion to toll all deadlines affected by 
the closure of the federal government from December 22, 2018, through 
the resumption of operations on January 29, 2019.\12\ On June 7, 2019 
and September 6, 2019, Commerce extended the deadline for the 
preliminary results of this administrative review, in accordance with 
section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act) 
and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2).\13\ The current deadline is October 10, 2019.
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    \12\ See Memorandum to the Record from Gary Taverman, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations 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.
    \13\ See Memorandum, ``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India: 
Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review,'' dated June 7, 2019; see also Memorandum, 
``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India: Extension of Deadline 
for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,'' 
dated September 6, 2019.
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Scope of the Order

    The merchandise covered by the Order is finished carbon steel 
flanges from India. The product is currently classified under 
subheadings 7307.91.5010 and 7307.91.5050 of the Harmonized Tariff 
System of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheadings are 
provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description 
of merchandise subject to the scope is dispositive.\14\
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    \14\ A full description of the scope of the Order is contained 
in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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Companies Not Selected for Individual Examination

    For companies not selected for individual examination in an 
administrative review, generally, Commerce looks to section 735(c)(5) 
of the Act, which provides instructions for calculating the all-others 
rate in a market economy investigation. Under section 735(c)(5)(A) of 
the Act, the all-others rate is normally ``an amount equal to the 
weighted-average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins 
established for exporters and producers individually investigated, 
excluding any zero or de minimis margins, and any margins determined 
entirely {on the basis of facts available{time} .'' In this segment of 
the proceeding, we calculated a margin for Norma and Gupta that was not 
zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts available. Accordingly, 
Commerce preliminarily has assigned to the companies not individually 
examined a margin of 1.71 percent, which is the simple average of 
Gupta's and Norma's calculated weighted-average dumping margins.\15\
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    \15\ See Memorandum, ``Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India: 
Calculation of Non-Examined Companies' Rate,'' dated concurrently 
with this notice.
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with sections 
751(a)(1)(B) and (2) of the Act. Export price is calculated in 
accordance with section 772 of the Act. Normal value is calculated in 
accordance with section 773 of the Act.
    For a full description of the methodology underlying our 
conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. 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 http://access.trade.gov, and to all parties in the 
Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Commerce building. In 
addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can 
be accessed at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html. The signed 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum and the electronic version of the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content. A list of the 
topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is attached as 
an Appendix to this notice.

Preliminary Results of the Review

    As a result of this review, Commerce preliminarily determines that 
the following weighted-average dumping margins exist for the period 
February 8, 2017 through July 31, 2018:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Weighted-
                                                                average
                    Exporter/manufacturer                       dumping
                                                                margin
                                                               (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
R. N. Gupta & Co., Ltd......................................        1.20
Norma (India) Limited/USK Exports Private Limited/Uma               2.22
 Shanker Khandelwal & Co./Bansidhar Chiranjilal \16\........
Adinath International.......................................        1.71
Allena Group................................................        1.71
Alloyed Steel...............................................        1.71
Bebitz Flanges Works Private Limited........................        1.71
C.D. Industries.............................................        1.71
CHQ Forge Pvt. Ltd..........................................        1.71
CHW Forge...................................................        1.71
Citizen Metal Depot.........................................        1.71
Corum Flange................................................        1.71
DN Forge Industries.........................................        1.71
Echjay Forgings Limited.....................................        1.71
Falcon Valves and Flanges Private Limited...................        1.71
Heubach International.......................................        1.71
Hindon Forge Pvt. Ltd.......................................        1.71
Jai Auto Private Limited....................................        1.71
Kinnari Steel Corporation...................................        1.71
M F Rings and Bearing Races Ltd.............................        1.71
Mascot Metal Manufactures...................................        1.71
OM Exports..................................................        1.71
Punjab Steel Works (PSW)....................................        1.71
R. D. Forge.................................................        1.71
Raaj Sagar Steels...........................................        1.71
Ravi Ratan Metal Industries.................................        1.71
Rolex Fittings India Pvt. Ltd...............................        1.71
Rollwell Forge Pvt. Ltd.....................................        1.71
SHM (ShinHeung Machinery)...................................        1.71
Siddhagiri Metal and Tubes..................................        1.71
Sizer India.................................................        1.71
Steel Shape India...........................................        1.71
Sudhir Forgings Pvt. Ltd....................................        1.71
Tirupati Forge..............................................        1.71
Umashanker Khandelwal Forging Limited.......................        1.71
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Disclosure and Public Comment
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    \16\ In the preliminary determination of the less-than-fair 
value investigation, Commerce determined that Norma (India) Limited; 
USK Exports Private Limited; Uma Shanker Khandelwal & Co.; and 
Bansidhar Chiranjilal were a single entity. See Finished Carbon 
Steel Flanges from India: Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less 
Than Fair Value and Postponement of Final Determination, 82 FR 9719 
(February 8, 2017) and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum 
at 4-5; unchanged in Finished Carbon Steel Flanges from India: Final 
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 82 FR 29483 (June 
29, 2017). In these preliminary results, Norma has presented 
evidence that the factual basis on which Commerce made its prior 
determination has not changed. See Norma's March 1, 2019 
Supplemental Questionnaire Response (Norma March 1, 2019 SQR) at 12-
20. Therefore, in this administrative review, Commerce continues to 
collapse these four entities, and treats them as a single entity.
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    Commerce intends to disclose the calculations performed in 
connection with these preliminary results to interested parties within 
five days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 
19 CFR 351.224(b).

[[Page 57850]]

    Interested parties may submit case briefs to Commerce no later than 
30 days after the date of publication of this notice.\17\ Rebuttal 
briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not 
later than five days after the date for filing case briefs.\18\ 
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), parties who submit case 
briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding 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.
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    \17\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii).
    \18\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d).
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    Interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a 
written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and 
Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, using Enforcement and 
Compliance's ACCESS system within 30 days of publication of this 
notice. \19\ Requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address, 
and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of 
issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to 
those raised in the respective case and rebuttal briefs. 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.
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    \19\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
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    All submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically using 
ACCESS, and must also be served on interested parties.\20\ An 
electronically filed document must be received successfully in its 
entirety by Commerce's electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5:00 p.m. 
Eastern Time on the date that the document is due.
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    \20\ See 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements).
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Assessment Rates

    Upon issuance of the final results, Commerce shall determine, and 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping 
duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review.\21\
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    \21\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
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    If Norma and Gupta's calculated weighted-average dumping margin is 
above de minimis (i.e., greater than or equal to 0.5 percent) in the 
final results of this review, we will calculate importer-specific ad 
valorem duty assessment rates based on the ratio of the total amount of 
antidumping duties calculated for the examined sales to the total 
entered value of the examined sales to that importer, and we will 
instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries 
covered by this review. If Norma and Gupta's weighted-average dumping 
margin continues to be zero or de minimis, or the importer-specific 
assessment rate is zero or de minimis, we will instruct CBP to 
liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping 
duties.\22\
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    \22\ See 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2).
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    In accordance with Commerce's ``automatic assessment'' practice, 
for entries of subject merchandise during the POR produced by Norma and 
Gupta for which each company did not know that the merchandise was 
destined for the United States, we will instruct CBP we will instruct 
CBP to liquidate those entries at the all-others rate if there is no 
rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction.\23\
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    \23\ For a full discussion of this clarification, see 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Assessment of 
Antidumping Duties, 68 FR 23954 (May 6, 2003).
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    We intend to issue instructions to CBP 15 days after the date of 
publication of the final results of this review.

Cash Deposit Requirements

    The following deposit requirements will be effective upon 
publication of the notice of final results of administrative review for 
all shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as 
provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate 
for Norma and Gupta will be the rate established in the final results 
of this review, except if the rate is de minimis within the meaning of 
19 CFR 351.106(c)(1) (i.e., less than 0.50 percent), in which case the 
cash deposit rate will be zero; (2) for merchandise exported by 
manufacturers or exporters not covered in this review but covered in a 
prior segment of the proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to 
be the company-specific rate published for the most recently-completed 
segment; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a 
prior review, or the original investigation, but the manufacturer is, 
the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most 
recently-completed segment for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and 
(4) the cash deposit rate for all other manufacturers or exporters will 
continue to be 11.95 percent, the all-others rate established in the 
less-than-fair-value investigation.\24\ These cash deposit 
requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further 
notice.
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    \24\ See Order, 82 FR at 40138.
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Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice also serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of 
their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate 
regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation 
of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply 
with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that 
reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent 
assessment of double antidumping duties.
    Unless the deadline is extended pursuant to section 
751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2), Commerce intends 
to issue the final results of this administrative review, including the 
results of its analysis of issues raised in any written briefs, not 
later than 120 days after the date of publication of this notice.\25\
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    \25\ See section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act; and 19 CFR 351.213(h).
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    We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: October 10, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Rates for Non-Examined Companies
V. Comparisons to Normal Value
VI. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2019-23533 Filed 10-28-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P