[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 236 (Monday, December 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67258-67260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26457]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-583-865]


Carbon and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod From Taiwan: Final 
Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that carbon 
and alloy steel threaded rod (steel threaded rod) from Taiwan is being, 
or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value 
(LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2018 through 
December 31, 2018. The final estimated weighted-average dumping margins 
of sales at LTFV are shown in the ``Final Determination'' section of 
this notice.

DATES: Applicable December 9, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicholas Czajkowski or William 
Langley, AD/CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1395 
or (202) 482-3861, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 25, 2019, Commerce published the Preliminary 
Determination of this LTFV investigation in which Commerce found that 
steel threaded rod from Taiwan was sold at LTFV.\1\ We invited 
interested parties to comment on the Preliminary Determination. We 
received no comments from interested parties.
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    \1\ See Carbon and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod from Taiwan: 
Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value, 84 FR 50382 (September 25, 2019) (Preliminary Determination).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are steel threaded rod 
from Taiwan. For a complete description of the scope of this 
investigation, see the appendix to this notice.

Scope Comments

    On July 22, 2019, we issued a Preliminary Scope Memorandum.\2\ The 
scope case briefs were due on August 28, 2019.\3\ We received no scope 
case briefs from interested parties. Therefore, Commerce has made no 
changes to the scope of this investigation since the Preliminary 
Determination.
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    \2\ See Memorandum ``Carbon and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod from 
India, Taiwan, Thailand, and the People's Republic of China: Scope 
Comments Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Determinations,'' 
dated July 22, 2019 (Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum).
    \3\ The scope case briefs were due 30 days after the publication 
of Carbon and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod from the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and 
Alignment of Final Determination with Final Antidumping Duty 
Determination, 84 FR 36578 (July 29, 2019). See Preliminary Scope 
Decision Memorandum at 3.
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Verification

    Because each of the mandatory respondents in this investigation 
(i.e., Quintain Steel Co. Ltd. (Quintain Steel), Top Forever Screws Co. 
Ltd. (Top Forever), Fastenal Asia Pacific Ltd. TW Repres (Fastenal), 
QST International Corporation (QST), and Ta Chen Steel Pipe Ltd. (Ta 
Chen)) did not provide the information requested by Commerce, and 
Commerce determined that each of the examined respondents have been 
uncooperative, we did not conduct verification.\4\
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    \4\ See Preliminary Determination, 84 FR at 50382.
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Analysis of Comments Received

    As stated above, we did not receive comments in response to the 
Preliminary Determination. For the final determination, Commerce made 
no changes to the Preliminary Determination.

Use of Adverse Facts Available

    We continue to find, as stated in the Preliminary Determination, 
that the mandatory respondents Quintain, Top Forever, Fastenal, QST, 
and Ta Chen withheld requested information, failed to provide 
information by the specified deadlines, and significantly impeded the 
proceeding, pursuant to section 776(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act).\5\ Further, we continue to find that Quintain Steel, 
Top Forever, Fastenal, QST, and Ta Chen failed to cooperate to the best 
of their abilities to comply with our requests for information, and 
accordingly, we continue to apply an adverse inference when selecting 
from among the facts otherwise available to determine the relevant 
dumping margins, in accordance with section 776(b) of the Act.\6\ We 
further continue to select the only dumping margin alleged in the 
Petition \7\ as the rate applicable to Quintain Steel, Top Forever, 
Fastenal, QST, and Ta Chen.\8\
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    \5\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Carbon 
and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod from Taiwan,'' dated September 18, 2019 
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum)
    \6\ Id.
    \7\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitions for the Imposition of 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: Carbon and Alloy Steel 
Threaded Rod from the People's Republic of China, India, Taiwan, and 
Thailand,'' dated February 21, 2019 (Petition).
    \8\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum. All-Others Rate
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    As discussed in the Preliminary Determination, we continue to 
assign the single dumping margin alleged in the Petition \9\ as the 
all-others rate applicable to all exporters and/or producers not 
individually examined.\10\
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    \9\ See Petition.
    \10\ For a full description of the methodology underlying 
Commerce's analysis, see Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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Final Determination

    Commerce determines that the following estimated weighted-average 
dumping margins exist:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Estimated
                                                              weighted-
                                                               average
                    Exporter or producer                       dumping
                                                                margin
                                                              (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quintain Steel Co. Ltd.....................................        32.26
Top Forever Screws Co. Ltd.................................        32.26

[[Page 67259]]

 
Fastenal Asia Pacific Ltd. TW Repres.......................        32.26
QST International Corporation..............................        32.26
Ta Chen Steel Pipe Ltd.....................................        32.26
All Others.................................................        32.26
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Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, we will 
instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to 
suspend liquidation of all unliquidated entries of subject merchandise 
which were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or 
after September 25, 2019, which is the date of publication of the 
Preliminary Determination in the Federal Register.
    Pursuant to section 735(c)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(d), 
Commerce will instruct CBP to require cash deposits equal to the 
estimated weighted-average dumping margins indicated in the table above 
as follows: (1) The cash deposit rate for the respondents listed above 
will be equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-average 
dumping margins determined in this final determination; (2) if the 
exporter is not a respondent identified above, but the producer is, 
then the cash deposit rate will be equal to the company-specific 
estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for that producer 
of the subject merchandise; and (3) the cash deposit rate for all other 
producers or exporters will be 32.26 percent, the all-others weighted-
average dumping margin. These suspension of liquidation and cash 
deposit instructions will remain in effect until further notice.

Disclosure

    Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations 
performed in connection with a final determination within five days of 
any public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within 
five days of the date of publication of the notice of final 
determination in the Federal Register, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.224(b). However, because Commerce applied adverse facts available 
(AFA) to the individually examined companies in this investigation, in 
accordance with section 776 of the Act, and the applied AFA rate is 
based solely on the Petition, there are no calculations to disclose.

International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

    In accordance with section 735(d) of the Act, Commerce will notify 
the ITC of its final affirmative determination of sales at LTFV. 
Because the final determination in this proceeding is affirmative, in 
accordance with section735(b)(2) of the Act, the ITC will make its 
final determination as to whether the domestic industry in the United 
States is materially injured, or threatened with material injury, by 
reason of imports or sales (or the likelihood of sales) of steel 
threaded rod from Taiwan no later than 45 days after our final 
determination. If the ITC determines that material injury or threat of 
material injury does not exist, the proceeding will be terminated, and 
all cash deposits will be refunded. If the ITC determines that such 
injury does exist, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order 
directing CBP to assess, upon further instruction by Commerce, 
antidumping duties on all imports of the subject merchandise entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the effective 
date of the suspension of liquidation, as discussed above in the 
``Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation'' section.

Administrative Protective Orders (APOs)

    This notice serves as a reminder to parties subject to APO of their 
responsibility concerning the disposition of proprietary information 
disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely 
written notification of the return or destruction of APO materials, or 
conversion to judicial protective order, is hereby requested. Failure 
to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a violation 
subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination and this notice are issued and published 
pursuant to sections 735(d) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 
352.210(c).

    Dated: December 3, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I--Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by the scope of the investigation is 
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 the investigation 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 A329 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 the 
investigation, 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 investigation if performed in the 
country of manufacture of the threaded rod.
    Carbon and alloy steel threaded rod are also included in the 
scope of the investigation 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 the investigation 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 the investigation 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

[[Page 67260]]

subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs purposes 
only. The written description of the scope is dispositive.

[FR Doc. 2019-26457 Filed 12-6-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P