[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4945-4947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01434]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-489-819]


Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar From the Republic of Turkey: Final 
Results of the Expedited First Sunset Review of the Countervailing Duty 
Order

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

SUMMARY: As a result of this expedited sunset review, the Department of 
Commerce (Commerce) finds that revocation of the countervailing duty 
order on steel concrete reinforcing bar

[[Page 4946]]

(rebar) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) would be likely to lead to 
continuation or recurrence of countervailable subsidies at the levels 
as indicated in the ``Final Results of Sunset Review'' section of this 
notice.

DATES: Applicable January 28, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlotte Baskin-Gerwitz, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office VII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4880.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On November 6, 2014, Commerce published the countervailing duty 
order on rebar from Turkey in the Federal Register.\1\ On October 1, 
2019, Commerce published the notice of initiation of the first five-
year (sunset) review of the Order, pursuant to section 751(c) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).\2\ On October 16, 2019, 
Commerce received a notice of intent to participate from the Rebar 
Trade Action Coalition (RTAC) and its individual members \3\ 
(collectively, the domestic interested parties), within the deadline 
specified in 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(i).\4\ The domestic interested 
parties claimed interested party status under section 771(9)(F) of the 
Act as an association, a majority of whose members are composed of 
interested parties within the meaning of section 771(9)(C)--a 
manufacturer of the domestic like product.\5\
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    \1\ See Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from the Republic of 
Turkey: Countervailing Duty Order, 79 FR 65926, 65927 (November 6, 
2014) (Order).
    \2\ See Initiation of Five-Year (Sunset) Review, 84 FR 52067 
(October 1, 2019) (Notice of Initiation).
    \3\ RTAC's individual members are Nucor Corporation, Gerdau 
Ameristeel U.S. Inc., Commercial Metals Company, and Steel Dynamics, 
Inc.
    \4\ See Domestic Interested Parties' Letter, ``Steel Concrete 
Reinforcing Bars from the Republic of Turkey: Notice of Intent to 
Participate in Sunset Review,'' dated October 16, 2019.
    \5\ Id. at 2.
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    On October 30, 2019, Commerce received adequate substantive 
responses to the Notice of Initiation from the domestic interested 
parties and the Government of Turkey (GOT) within the 30-day deadline 
specified in 19 CFR 351.218(d)(3)(i).\6\ Commerce received no 
substantive response from any respondent interested parties.
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    \6\ See Domestic Interested Parties' Letter, ``Steel Concrete 
Reinforcing Bar from the Republic of Turkey: Substantive Response to 
Notice of Initiation,'' dated October 30, 2019; and see also GOT's 
Letter, ``Substantive Response of the Government of the Republic of 
Turkey in the First Sunset Review of the Countervailing Duty Order 
on Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar,'' dated October 30, 2019.
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    On November 22, 2019, Commerce notified the U.S. International 
Trade Commission (ITC) that it did not receive an adequate substantive 
response from respondent interested parties.\7\ Accordingly, pursuant 
to section 751(c)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(e)(1)(ii)(C)(2), 
Commerce conducted an expedited (120-day) sunset review of the Order.
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    \7\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Sunset Review Initiated on October 
1, 2019,'' dated November 22, 2019.
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Scope of the Order

    The merchandise covered by the Order is steel concrete reinforcing 
bar imported in either straight length or coil form (rebar) regardless 
of metallurgy, length, diameter, or grade. The subject merchandise is 
classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) primarily under item numbers 7213.10.0000, 7214.20.0000, and 
7228.30.8010.
    The subject merchandise may also enter under other HTSUS numbers 
including 7215.90.1000, 7215.90.5000, 7221.00.0015, 7221.00.0030, 
7221.00.0045, 7222.11.0001, 7222.11.0057, 7222.11.0059, 7222.30.0001, 
7227.20.0080, 7227.90.6085, 7228.20.1000, and 7228.60.6000. 
Specifically excluded are plain rounds (i.e., non-deformed or smooth 
rebar). Also excluded from the scope is deformed steel wire meeting 
ASTM A1064/A1064M with no bar markings (e.g., mill mark, size, or 
grade) and without being subject to an elongation test. HTSUS numbers 
are provided for convenience and customs purposes; however, the written 
description of the scope remains dispositive.

Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in this sunset review are addressed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum, including the likelihood of continuation or 
recurrence of countervailable subsidies and the net countervailable 
subsidy likely to prevail if the order were revoked.\8\ The Issues and 
Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically 
via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Centralized Electronic Services System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to 
registered users at http://access.trade.gov, and to all parties in the 
Central Records Unit in Room B8024 of the main Commerce building. In 
addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can 
be accessed directly at https://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html. 
The signed and electronic versions of the Issues and Decision 
Memorandum are identical in content. A list of the issues discussed in 
the decision memorandum is attached at the Appendix to this notice.
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    \8\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the 
Expedited First Sunset Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on 
Drawn Stainless Steel Sinks from the People's Republic of China,'' 
dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Issues 
and Decision Memorandum).
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Final Results of Sunset Review

    Pursuant to sections 751(c)(1) and 752(b) of the Act, Commerce 
determines that revocation of the Order would be likely to lead to 
continuation or recurrence of countervailable subsidies at the 
following rates:
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    \9\ These companies were found to be cross-owned in a prior 
segment of this proceeding. See Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from 
the Republic of Turkey: Final Results and Partial Rescission of 
Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2014, 82 FR 26907 (June 
12, 2017).
    \10\ These companies were found to be cross-owned in a prior 
segment of this proceeding. See Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from 
the Republic of Turkey: Final Results and Partial Rescission of 
Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2015, 83 FR 16051 (April 
13, 2018).
    \11\ Merchandise either produced or exported by Habas (but not 
both) is subject to the all others rate.

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  Manufacturer/producer/exporter      Net countervailable subsidy (%)
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Icdas Celik Enerji Tersane ve      4.02.
 Ulasim Sanayi A.S.
Kaptan Demir Celik Endustrisi ve   1.25.
 Ticaret A.S. and Kaptan Metal
 Dis Ticaret ve Nakliyat A.S.
 (collectively, Kaptan) \9\.
Colakoglu Dis Ticaret A.S. and     1.25.
 Colakoglu Metalurji A.S.
 (collectively, Colakoglu) \10\.
Produced and Exported by Habas     Excluded from the Order.
 Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal
 Endustrisi A.S. (Habas) \11\.
                                  --------------------------------------
    All Others...................  1.25.
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[[Page 4947]]

Administrative Protective Order (APO)

    This notice serves as the only 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). 
Timely written notification of the destruction of APO materials or 
conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to 
comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a violation which is 
subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    Commerce is issuing and publishing the final results and notice in 
accordance with sections 751(c), 752(b), and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: January 22, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. History of the Order
V. Legal Framework
VI. Discussion of the Issues
VII. Final Results of Sunset Review
VIII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2020-01434 Filed 1-27-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P