[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 91 (Monday, May 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27717-27719]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10025]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-428-846]


Refillable Stainless Steel Kegs From the Federal Republic of 
Germany: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances 
Review and Intent To Revoke Order

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed 
circumstances review (CCR) of the antidumping duty (AD) order on 
refillable stainless steel kegs (kegs) from the Federal Republic of 
Germany (Germany) based upon a request from American Keg Company (the 
petitioner), as well as issuing preliminary results in that CCR. We 
preliminarily determine that the AD order on kegs from Germany should 
be revoked, in whole, with respect to products subject to the order 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after 
December 13, 2019. Interested parties are invited to comment on these 
preliminary results.

DATES: Applicable May 11, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Hollander, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave. NW, 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-2805.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On December 16, 2019, Commerce published the AD Order.\1\ On 
January 30, 2020, the petitioner requested that Commerce conduct an 
expedited CCR for this AD Order, pursuant to section 751(b) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.216 (b). The 
petitioner expressed a lack of interest in the continuation of this AD 
Order and requested the revocation of the AD Order. In its request, the 
petitioner addressed the conditions under which Commerce may revoke an 
order in whole or in part pursuant to 19 CFR 351.222(g). On March 12, 
2020, Commerce extended the deadline for initiation to April 29, 2020, 
and issued supplemental questions to the petitioner.\2\ On March 19, 
2020, the petitioner responded to Commerce's supplemental questions.\3\
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    \1\ See Refillable Stainless Steel Kegs from the Federal 
Republic of Germany and the People's Republic of China: Antidumping 
Duty Orders, 84 FR 68405 (December 16, 2019) (AD Order).
    \2\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Request for a Changed Circumstances 
Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Refillable Stainless Steel 
Kegs from the Federal Republic of Germany: Extension of Initiation 
Deadline,'' dated March 12, 2020.
    \3\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Refillable Stainless Steel Kegs 
from the Federal Republic of Germany: Response to Extension of 
Initiation Deadline,'' dated March 19, 2020.
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Scope of the AD Order

    The merchandise covered by the order are kegs, vessels, or 
containers with bodies that are approximately cylindrical in shape, 
made from stainless steel (i.e., steel containing at least 10.5 percent 
chromium by weight and less than 1.2 percent carbon by weight, with or 
without other elements), and that are compatible with a ``D Sankey'' 
extractor (refillable stainless steel kegs) with a nominal liquid 
volume capacity of 10 liters or more, regardless of the type of finish, 
gauge, thickness, or grade of stainless steel, and whether or not 
covered by or encased in other materials. Refillable stainless steel 
kegs may be imported assembled or unassembled, with or without all 
components (including spears, couplers or taps, necks, collars, and 
valves), and be filled or unfilled.
    ``Unassembled'' or ``unfinished'' refillable stainless steel kegs 
include drawn stainless steel cylinders that have been welded to form 
the body of the keg and attached to an upper (top) chime and/or lower 
(bottom) chime. Unassembled refillable stainless steel kegs may or may 
not be welded to a neck, may or may not have a valve assembly attached, 
and may be otherwise complete except for testing, certification, and/or 
marking.
    Subject merchandise also includes refillable stainless steel kegs 
that have been further processed in a third country, including but not 
limited to, attachment of necks, collars, spears or valves, heat 
treatment, pickling, passivation, painting, testing, certification or 
any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise 
from the scope of the order if performed in the country of manufacture 
of the in-scope refillable stainless steel keg.

[[Page 27718]]

    Specifically excluded are the following: (1) Vessels or containers 
that are not approximately cylindrical in nature (e.g., box, ``hopper'' 
or ``cone'' shaped vessels); (2) stainless steel kegs, vessels, or 
containers that have either a ``ball lock'' valve system or a ``pin 
lock'' valve system (commonly known as ``Cornelius,'' ``corny'' or 
``ball lock'' kegs); (3) necks, spears, couplers or taps, collars, and 
valves that are not imported with the subject merchandise; and (4) 
stainless steel kegs that are filled with beer, wine, or other liquid 
and that are designated by the Commissioner of Customs as Instruments 
of International Traffic within the meaning of section 332(a) of the 
Act.
    The merchandise covered by the order are currently classified in 
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under 
subheadings 7310.10.0010, 7310.10.0050, 7310.29.0025, and 7310.29.0050.
    These HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs 
purposes; the written description of the scope of the order is 
dispositive.

Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review

    Section 751(d)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.222(g)(1)(i) provide 
that Commerce may revoke an order (in whole or in part) if it 
determines that producers accounting for substantially all of the 
production of the domestic like product have no further interest in the 
order, in whole or in part.\4\ Further, 19 CFR 351.222(g)(2) provides 
that Commerce will conduct a CCR under 19 CFR 351.216, and may revoke 
an order, in whole or in part, if it determines that revocation is 
warranted.
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    \4\ See section 782(h) of the Act.
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    Under 19 CFR 351.216(c), Commerce will not review a final 
determination of an investigation less than 24 months after the date of 
publication of notice of the final determination unless it finds that 
good cause exists. However, 19 CFR 351.216(d) provides that if Commerce 
determines that good cause exists and the changed circumstances are 
sufficient to warrant a review exist, it will conduct a CCR, in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.221.
    Based on record information, Commerce has determined that, pursuant 
to 19 CFR 351.216(c), good cause exists to conduct a CCR. The 
petitioner, the sole American manufacturer of kegs, announced on 
January 15, 2020 that the German producer and sole respondent in the 
underlying investigation, Blefa Kegs, Inc. (Blefa), acquired a major 
stake in the American Keg Company. As part of this investment, Blefa 
committed substantial resources to expanding the petitioner's domestic 
operations by tripling production within three years, which will allow 
the petitioner to at least double its domestic employment during that 
time. As a result of this change in ownership, because the petitioner 
is the only American manufacturer of the domestic merchandise at issue, 
the total amount of American production will increase and the 
commercial situation of the American Keg Company will improve. We 
therefore find that the petitioner's affirmative statement of no 
interest in the AD Order, coupled with the circumstances described 
above, constitute good cause for the conduct of this review.\5\
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    \5\ See 19 CFR 351.216(d); see also Carbon and Certain Alloy 
Steel Wire Rod from Canada: Initiation of Countervailing Duty 
Changed Circumstances Review, 68 FR 62282, 62283-84 (November 3, 
2003) (that ``no further interest . . . in continuing the order . . 
. serves as good cause'' sufficient to review a determination made 
less than 24 months after the date of publication an order).
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    Both the Act and Commerce's regulations require that 
``substantially all'' domestic producers express a lack of interest in 
the AD Order for Commerce to revoke the AD Order.\6\ Commerce has 
interpreted ``substantially all'' to represent producers accounting for 
at least 85 percent of U.S. production of the domestic like product.\7\ 
The petitioner's request indicated that it is the sole producer of the 
domestic like product and, therefore, accounts for at least 85 percent 
of domestic production.
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    \6\ See section 782(h) of the Act; 19 CFR 351.222(g).
    \7\ [thinsp]See, e.g., Certain Cased Pencils from the People's 
Republic of China: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping 
Duty Changed Circumstances Review, and Intent to Revoke Order in 
Part, 77 FR 42276 (July 18, 2012), unchanged in Certain Cased 
Pencils from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of 
Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review, and Determination To 
Revoke Order, in Part, 77 FR 53176 (August 31, 2012).
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    In accordance with section 751(b)(1) of the Act, 19 CFR 351.216, 19 
CFR 351.221, and 351.222(g), we are initiating this CCR.

Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Review

    If we conclude that expedited action is warranted, we may 
concurrently publish the notices of initiation and preliminary results 
of a CCR.\8\ Commerce has combined the notice of initiation and 
preliminary results in CCRs when sufficient documentation has been 
provided supporting the request to make a preliminary determination.\9\
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    \8\ See 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii).
    \9\ See, e.g., Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's 
Republic of China: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping 
and Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Reviews, 82 FR 9561 
(February 7, 2017), unchanged in Multilayered Wood Flooring from the 
People's Republic of China: Final Results of Changed Circumstances 
Reviews, 82 FR 14691 (March 22, 2017).
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    In this instance, we have determined that there is significant 
information on the record to support a finding of changed 
circumstances. Indeed, the petitioner has provided us, we believe, with 
sufficient information to have a clear understanding of the change in 
the commercial situation of the American Keg Company, as well as its 
revised relationship with imports of subject merchandise from Germany 
(and Blefa, in particular). Accordingly, we find that expedited action 
is warranted and we are combining the notice of initiation and the 
notice of preliminary results, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.221(c)(3)(ii).
    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.222(g), Commerce preliminarily 
determines that there is a reasonable basis to believe that changed 
circumstances exist sufficient to warrant revocation of the AD Order. 
Therefore, Commerce is notifying the public of its preliminary intent 
to revoke the AD Order in whole.
    If we make a final determination to revoke, we will instruct U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to discontinue the suspension of 
liquidation and the collection of cash deposits of estimated AD duties, 
to liquidate all unliquidated entries that were entered on or after 
December 13, 2019, without regard to AD duties, and to refund all AD 
cash deposits on all such merchandise, with applicable interest. 
Because the International Trade Commission (ITC) found material 
retardation of the establishment of an industry in the United States, 
as opposed to finding material injury, Commerce instructed CBP in 
accordance with section 736(b)(2) of the Act to terminate any 
retroactive suspension of liquidation and refund any cash deposits 
required to secure the payment of AD duties with respect to entries of 
kegs entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption before the 
date of publication of the ITC's final affirmative determination, i.e., 
December 13, 2019. We therefore intend to revoke the AD Order 
retroactively as of that date, should we determine in the final CCR 
that revocation is warranted.

[[Page 27719]]

Public Comment

    Any interested party may request a hearing within 14 days of 
publication of this notice, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.310(c). 
Interested parties may submit case briefs not later than 14 days after 
the date of publication of this notice.\10\ Rebuttal comments, limited 
to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed by no later than 
three days after the deadline for filing case briefs.\11\ Any hearing, 
if requested, will normally be held two days after rebuttal briefs/
comments are due, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.310(d)(1). Issues 
raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective 
case and rebuttal briefs.\12\ Parties who submit case or rebuttal 
briefs in this CCR are requested to submit with each argument: (1) A 
statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a 
table of authorities.\13\ Note that Commerce has temporarily modified 
certain of its requirements for serving documents containing business 
proprietary information, until May 19, 2020, unless extended.\14\
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    \10\ See 19 CFR 321.309(c)(1)(ii).
    \11\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d)(1).
    \12\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
    \13\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
    \14\ See Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements 
Due to COVID-19, 85 FR 17006 (March 26, 2020).
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    Unless extended, consistent with 19 CFR 351.216(e), we intend to 
issue the final results of this CCR no later than 270 days after the 
date on which this review was initiated, or within 45 days of 
publication of these preliminary results if all parties agree to our 
preliminary findings.

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing and publishing this initiation and preliminary 
results notice in accordance with sections 751(b) and 777(i) of the 
Act, and 19 CFR 351.216, 351.221(b)(1), (b)(4), and (c)(3), and 
351.222(f)(2)(iv).

    Dated: April 28, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-10025 Filed 5-8-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P