[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 61 (Monday, March 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17533-17534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06549]



[[Page 17533]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-013]


Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the People's 
Republic of China: Final Results of the Expedited First Five-Year 
Sunset Review of the Countervailing Duty Order

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

SUMMARY: As a result of this sunset review, the Department of Commerce 
(Commerce) finds that revocation of the countervailing duty (CVD) order 
on carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod (wire rod) from the People's 
Republic of China (China) would be likely to lead to continuation or 
recurrence of countervailable subsidies at the levels indicated in the 
``Final Results of Review'' section of this notice.

DATES: Applicable March 30, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ian Hamilton, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4798.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On January 8, 2015, Commerce published its CVD order on wire rod 
from China in the Federal Register.\1\ On December 2, 2019, Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of the first sunset review of the 
Order,\2\ pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act).\3\ Commerce received a notice of intent to 
participate from Charter Steel, Commercial Metals Company, EVRAZ Rocky 
Mountain Steel, Liberty Steel USA, Nucor Corporation, and Optimus Steel 
LLC (collectively, domestic interested parties), within the deadline 
specified in 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(i).\4\ Each claimed interested party 
status under section 771(9)(C) of the Act, as domestic producers of 
wire rod in the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from the 
People's Republic of China: Amended Final Affirmative Countervailing 
Duty Determination and Countervailing Duty Order, 80 FR 1018 
(January 8, 2015) (Order).
    \2\ See Order. We applied subsidy rates of 193.31 percent to 
Benxi Steel (comprised of: Benxi Beiying Iron & Steel Group Import & 
Export Corp.; Benxi Beiying Iron & Steel (Group) Co., Ltd.; Benxi 
Steel Group Corporation; Beitai Iron & Steel (Group) Co., Ltd.; 
Benxi Northern Steel Rolling Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beifang Gaosu Steel 
Wire Rod Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beitai Gaosu Steel Wire Rod Co., Ltd.; 
Benxi Northern Steel Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beifang Second Rolling Co., 
Ltd.; Benxi Beitai Ductile Iron Pipes Co., Ltd.; Benxi Iron and 
Steel (Group) Metallurgy Co., Ltd.; Benxi Iron and Steel (Group) 
Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.; Benxi Iron & Steel (Group) Co., 
Ltd.; Bei Tai Iron and Steel Group Imp. And Exp. (Dalian) Co., Ltd.; 
and Bengang Steel Plate Co., Ltd.); 178.46 percent to Hebei Iron & 
Steel Co., Ltd. Tangshan Branch; and 185.89 percent to all others. 
Id., 80 FR at 1019.
    \3\ See Initiation of Five-Year (Sunset) Review, 84 FR 65968 
(December 2, 2019).
    \4\ See Domestic Interested Parties' Letter, ``Carbon and 
Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from the People's Republic of China: 
Notice of Intent to Participate,'' dated December 17, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Commerce received a substantive response from the domestic 
interested parties \5\ within the 30-day deadline specified in 19 CFR 
351.218(d)(3)(i). We received no substantive response from any other 
domestic or interested parties in this proceeding, nor was a hearing 
requested.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Domestic Interested Parties' Letter, ``Carbon and 
Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from the People's Republic of China: 
Substantive Response,'' dated January 2, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On January 22, 2020, Commerce notified the U.S. International Trade 
Commission (ITC) that it did not receive an adequate substantive 
response from respondent interested parties.\6\ As a result, 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 this Order.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Sunset Reviews Initiated on 
December 2, 2019,'' dated January 22, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scope of the Order

    The merchandise covered by this Order is certain hot-rolled 
products of carbon steel and alloy steel, in coils, of approximately 
circular cross section, less than 19.00 mm in actual solid cross-
sectional diameter. Specifically excluded are steel products possessing 
the above-noted physical characteristics and meeting the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) definitions for (a) 
stainless steel; (b) tool steel; (c) high nickel steel; (d) ball 
bearing steel; or (e) concrete reinforcing bars and rods. Also excluded 
are free cutting steel (also known as free machining steel) products 
(i.e., products that contain by weight one or more of the following 
elements: 0.1 percent or more of lead, 0.05 percent or more of bismuth, 
0.08 percent or more of sulfur, more than 0.04 percent of phosphorus, 
more than 0.05 percent of selenium, or more than 0.01 percent of 
tellurium). All products meeting the physical description of subject 
merchandise that are not specifically excluded are included in this 
scope.
    The products subject to this Order are currently classifiable under 
subheadings 7213.91.3011, 7213.91.3015, 7213.91.3020, 7213.91.3093; 
7213.91.4500, 7213.91.6000, 7213.99.0030, 7227.20.0030, 7227.20.0080, 
7227.90.6010, 7227.90.6020, 7227.90.6030, and 7227.90.6035 of the 
HTSUS. Products entered under subheadings 7213.99.0090 and 7227.90.6090 
of the HTSUS also may be included in this scope if they meet the 
physical description of subject merchandise above. Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the 
written description of the merchandise covered by the Order is 
dispositive. For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see 
the accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the 
Expedited First Sunset Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on 
Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod Oxide from the People's 
Republic of China,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, 
this notice (Issues and Decision Memorandum).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in this sunset review are addressed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum. A list of topics discussed in the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum is included as an appendix to this notice. The 
Issues and Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file 
electronically via the 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 
in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Commerce building. 
In addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum 
can be accessed directly on the internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed and electronic versions of the 
Issues and Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Final Results of Sunset Review

    Pursuant to sections 751(c)(1) and 752(b) of the Act, we determine 
that revocation of the CVD order on wire rod from China would be likely 
to lead to continuation or recurrence of countervailable subsidies at 
the following rates:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Net
                                                         countervailable
           Manufacturers/producers/ exporters                subsidy
                                                            (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benxi Steel............................................           193.31
Hebei Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. Tangshan Branch...........           178.46
All Others.............................................           185.89
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 17534]]

Administrative Protective Order (APO)

    This notice also serves as the only reminder to parties subject to 
an APO of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of 
proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.305. Timely 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 terms of an APO 
is a violation which is subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing and publishing the final results and this notice in 
accordance with sections 751(c), 752(b), and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 
19 CFR 351.218.

    Dated: March 24, 2020.
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. History of the Order
IV. Scope of the Order
V. Legal Framework
VI. Discussion of the Issues
    1. Likelihood of Continuation or Recurrence of a Countervailable 
Subsidy
    2. Net Countervailable Subsidy Rates Likely to Prevail
    3. Nature of the Subsidies
VII. Final Results of Sunset Review
VIII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2020-06549 Filed 3-27-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P