[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 118 (Thursday, June 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36835-36837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13159]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-533-892]


Forged Steel Fittings From India: Amended Preliminary Affirmative 
Countervailing Duty Determination

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

SUMMARY: On March 30, 2020, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
published in the Federal Register the preliminary determination of the 
countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on forged steel fittings from 
India. Commerce is amending the scope of the preliminary determination.

DATES: Applicable June 18, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauren Caserta, 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) 482-4737.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 30, 2020, Commerce published in the Federal Register the 
preliminary determination in the CVD investigation of forged steel 
fittings from India.\1\ On May 20, 2020, Commerce placed on the record 
of this investigation a preliminary decision memorandum addressing all 
comments received in this proceeding and the companion antidumping 
proceeding regarding the scope of the investigations.\2\ In accordance 
with the comments discussed in the memorandum, we made certain changes 
to the scope of these investigations. The changes include the addition 
of paragraphs seven, eight, and nine. The revised scope is printed in 
its entirety below.
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    \1\ See Forged Steel Fittings from India: Preliminary 
Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination, and Alignment of 
Final Determination with Final Antidumping Duty Determination, 85 FR 
17536 (March 30, 2020) (Preliminary CVD Determination).
    \2\ See Memorandum, ``Forged Steel Fittings from India and the 
Republic of Korea: Scope Comments Preliminary Decision Memorandum,'' 
dated May 20, 2020 (Preliminary Scope Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is carbon and alloy 
forged steel fittings, whether unfinished (commonly known as blanks or 
rough forgings) or finished. Such fittings are made in a variety of 
shapes including, but not limited to, elbows, tees, crosses, laterals, 
couplings, reducers, caps, plugs, bushings, unions (including hammer 
unions), and outlets. Forged steel fittings are covered regardless of 
end finish, whether threaded, socket-weld or other end connections. The 
scope includes integrally reinforced forged branch outlet fittings, 
regardless of whether they have one or more ends that is a socket 
welding, threaded, butt welding end, or other end connections.
    While these fittings are generally manufactured to specifications 
ASME B16.11, MSS SP-79, MSS SP-83, MSS-SP-97, ASTM A105, ASTM A350 and 
ASTM A182, the scope is not limited to fittings made to these 
specifications.
    The term forged is an industry term used to describe a class of 
products included in applicable standards, and it does not reference an 
exclusive manufacturing process. Forged steel fittings are not 
manufactured from casings. Pursuant to the applicable

[[Page 36836]]

standards, fittings may also be machined from bar stock or machined 
from seamless pipe and tube.
    All types of forged steel fittings are included in the scope 
regardless of nominal pipe size (which may or may not be expressed in 
inches of nominal pipe size), pressure class rating (expressed in 
pounds of pressure, e.g., 2,000 or 2M; 3,000 or 3M; 6,000 or 6M; 9,000 
or 9M), wall thickness, and whether or not heat treated.
    Excluded from this scope are all fittings entirely made of 
stainless steel. Also excluded are flanges, nipples, and all fittings 
that have a maximum pressure rating of 300 pounds per square inch/PSI 
or less.
    Also excluded from the scope are fittings certified or made to the 
following standards, so long as the fittings are not also manufactured 
to the specifications of ASME B16.11, MSS SP-79, MSS SP-83, MSS SP-97, 
ASTM A105, ASTM A350 and ASTM A182:
     American Petroleum Institute (API) 5CT, API 5L, or API 
11B;
     American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B16.9;
     Manufacturers Standardization Society (MSS) SP-75;
     Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) J476, SAE J514, 
SAE J516, SAE J517, SAE J518, SAE J1026, SAE J1231, SAE J1453, SAE 
J1926, J2044 or SAE AS 35411;
     Hydraulic hose fittings (e.g., fittings used in high 
pressure water cleaning applications, in the manufacture of hydraulic 
engines, to connect rubber dispensing hoses to a dispensing nozzle or 
grease fitting) made to ISO 12151-1, 12151-2, 12151-3, 12151-4, 12151-
5, or 12151-6;
     Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) certified electrical 
conduit fittings;
     ASTM A153, A536, A576, or A865;
     Casing conductor connectors made to proprietary 
specifications;
     Machined steel parts (e.g., couplers) that are not 
certified to any specifications in this scope description and that are 
not for connecting steel pipes for distributing gas and liquids;
     Oil country tubular goods (OCTG) connectors (e.g., forged 
steel tubular connectors for API 5L pipes or OCTG for offshore oil and 
gas drilling and extraction);
     Military Specification (MIL) MIL-C-4109F and MIL-F-3541; 
and
     International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 
ISO6150-B.
    Also excluded from the scope are assembled or unassembled hammer 
unions that consist of a nut and two subs. To qualify for this 
exclusion, the hammer union must meet each of the following criteria: 
(1) The face of the nut of the hammer union is permanently marked with 
one of the following markings: ``FIG 100,'' ``FIG 110,'' ``FIG 100C,'' 
``FIG 200,'' ``FIG 200C,'' ``FIG 201,'' ``FIG 202,'' ``FIG 206,'' ``FIG 
207,'' ``FIG 211,'' ``FIG 300,'' ``FIG 301,'' ``FIG 400,'' ``FIG 600,'' 
``FIG 602,'' ``FIG 607,'' ``FIG 1002,'' ``FIG 1003,'' ``FIG 1502,'' 
``FIG 1505,'' ``FIG 2002,'' or ``FIG 2202''; (2) the hammer union does 
not bear any of the following markings: ``Class 3000,'' ``Class 3M,'' 
``Class 6000,'' ``Class 6M,'' ``Class 9000,'' or ``Class 9M''; and (3) 
the nut and both subs of the hammer union are painted.
    Also excluded from the scope are component parts for hammer union 
assemblies, either subs or wingnuts, marked on the wingnut and subs 
with ``FIG 1002,'' ``FIG 1502,'' and ``FIG 2002,'' and with pressure 
rating of 10,000 PSI or greater. These parts are made from AISI/SAE 
4130, 4140 or 4340 steel and are 100 percent magnetic particle 
inspected before shipment.
    Also excluded from the scope are tee, elbow, cross, adapter (or 
``crossover''), blast joint (or ``spacer''), blind sub, swivel joint 
and pup joint which have wing nut or not. To qualify for this 
exclusion, these products must meet each of the following criteria: (1) 
Manufacturing and Inspection standard is API 6A or API 16C; and, (2) 
body or wing nut is permanently marked with one of the following 
markings: ``FIG 2002,'' ``FIG 1502,'' ``FIG 1002,'' ``FIG 602,'' ``FIG 
206,'' or ``FIG any other number'' or MTR (Material Test Report) shows 
these FIG numbers.
    To be excluded from the scope, products must have the appropriate 
standard or pressure markings and/or be accompanied by documentation 
showing product compliance to the applicable standard or pressure, 
e.g., ``API 5CT'' mark and/or a mill certification report.
    Subject carbon and alloy forged steel fittings are normally entered 
under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) 
7307.92.3010, 7307.92.3030, 7307.92.9000, 7307.99.1000, 7307.99.3000, 
7307.99.5045, and 7307.99.5060. They may also be entered under HTSUS 
7307.93.3010, 7307.93.3040, 7307.93.6000, 7307.93.9010, 7307.93.9040, 
7307.93.9060, and 7326.19.0010.
    The HTSUS subheadings and specifications are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes; the written description of the scope 
is dispositive.

Suspension of Liquidation

    Pursuant to the Preliminary CVD Determination, Commerce previously 
suspended liquidation of forged steel fittings from India entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 30, 2020 
(the publication of the Preliminary CVD Determination in the Federal 
Register). Commerce will now instruct Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) to suspend liquidation of certain forged steel fittings from 
India, as defined by the revised scope language included above, 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 
30, 2020, the date of publication of the Preliminary CVD Determination 
in the Federal Register.

Liquidation of Suspended Entries

    As a result of Commerce's amended preliminary determination, for 
suspended entries of the excluded products, that were entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 30, 2020 
(the date on which suspension of liquidation first began), we will 
instruct CBP to discontinue the suspension of liquidation and liquidate 
such entries without regard to countervailing duties (i.e., refund all 
cash deposits).

Public Comment

    Commerce has set a separate deadline for scope comments for both 
the antidumping and CVD proceedings.\3\ The current deadline for case 
briefs regarding scope issues is June 29, 2020, and the current 
deadline for rebuttal briefs regarding scope issues is July 6, 2020. 
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), parties who submit case 
briefs or rebuttal briefs in this investigation 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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    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Clarification of Deadlines for Scope 
Comments,'' dated March 27, 2020; see also Forged Steel Fittings 
from India: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less 
Than Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension 
of Provisional Measures, 85 FR 32007 (May 28, 2020).
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International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify 
the International Trade Commission (ITC) of its amended preliminary 
determination. If Commerce's final determination is affirmative, the 
ITC will make its final determination before the later of 120 days 
after the date of the CVD Preliminary Determination,\4\ or 45 days 
after Commerce's final determination.
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    \4\ See supra note 1.

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[[Page 36837]]

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
703(f) and 777(i) of the Act.

    Dated: June 10, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-13159 Filed 6-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P