[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 37828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13642]



[[Page 37828]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-475-832; C-475-833; A-570-026; C-570-027]


Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From Italy and the People's 
Republic of China: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final 
Scope Ruling and Notice of Amended Final Scope Ruling Pursuant to Court 
Decision

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is notifying the public 
that the Court of International Trade's (CIT) final judgment in this 
case is not in harmony with Commerce's final scope ruling. Commerce is 
therefore amending its scope ruling to find that certain corrosion-
resistant steel (CORE) products exported by Trendium Pools, Inc. 
(Trendium) are not within the scope of the antidumping (AD) and 
countervailing duty (CVD) orders on CORE products from Italy and the 
People's Republic of China (China).

DATES: Applicable March 29, 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 February 9, 2018, Trendium submitted a complete scope ruling 
request,\1\ asking Commerce to confirm its claim that pool kits and 
individual pool walls containing components manufactured from CORE of 
Chinese and Italian origin are outside the scope of the AD and CVD 
Orders on CORE from Italy and China.\2\
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    \1\ See Trendium's Letter, ``Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel 
Products from India, Italy, the People's Republic of China, Korea 
and Taiwan, Scope Ruling Request for Finished Pool Kits and Pool 
Walls,'' dated November 28, 2017; see also Trendium's Letter, 
``Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, Italy, the 
People's Republic of China, Korea and Taiwan, Supplemental 
Questionnaire Response Regarding Scope Ruling Request for Finished 
Pool Kits and Pool Walls,'' dated February 9, 2018.
    \2\ See Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, 
Italy, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and 
Taiwan: Amended Final Affirmative Antidumping Determination for 
India and Taiwan, and Antidumping Duty Orders, 81 FR 48390 (July 25, 
2016), and Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, 
Italy, Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China: 
Countervailing Duty Order, 81 FR 48387 (July 25, 2016) 
(collectively, the Orders).
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    Commerce issued its Final Scope Ruling on May 10, 2018. In 
evaluating the merchandise at issue, which included potentially subject 
merchandise as components, Commerce looked to the Court of Appeals for 
the Federal Circuit's (Federal Circuit) reasoning in Mid Continent 
Corporation v. United States \3\ for guidance. As a result of this 
analysis, Commerce determined that the components of Trendium's pool 
kits and pool walls manufactured from Italian- and Chinese-origin CORE 
that otherwise satisfy the size and composition requirements of the 
Orders are covered by the scope of the Orders. As a result of the Final 
Scope Ruling, Commerce instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) to continue the suspension of liquidation of entries of certain 
CORE products from Italy and China by Trendium, including components of 
pool kits and pool walls that have been fabricated by Trendium from 
CORE manufactured in Italy or China.\4\
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    \3\ See Mid Continent Nail Corporation v. United States, 725 
F.3d 1295 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (Mid Continent).
    \4\ See Message Numbers 8141305, 8141304, 8040303, and 8141312, 
dated May 21, 2018.
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    Trendium challenged Commerce's Final Scope Ruling before the CIT. 
On August 20, 2019, the CIT issued its decision, holding that Commerce 
had erred in relying on Mid Continent and conducting the two-step 
analysis explained therein because, in the Court's opinion, the record 
evidence showed that Trendium's pool products were finished goods.\5\ 
The CIT also concluded that Trendium's pool products were not covered 
by scope of the Orders because, in its view, the plain language of the 
Orders excluded downstream products and the information relied upon by 
Commerce did not support finding otherwise.\6\ The CIT remanded the 
Final Scope Ruling to Commerce for further consideration, consistent 
with the CIT's opinion.\7\
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    \5\ See Trendium Pool Products, Inc. v. United States, Court No. 
18-00132, Slip Op. 19-113 (CIT August 20, 2019) at 11 n.3.
    \6\ Id. at 10, 14, 16.
    \7\ Id. at 17-18.
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    Pursuant to the CIT's instructions, on remand, and under respectful 
protest, Commerce found that the CORE components of Trendium's pool 
kits and pool walls manufactured from Chinese- and Italian-origin CORE 
did not fall within the scope of the Orders.\8\ On March 19, 2020, the 
CIT sustained Commerce's Final Remand Results.\9\
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    \8\ See Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Court 
Remand, Trendium Pool Products, Inc. v. United States, Court No. 18-
00132, Slip Op. 19-113 (CIT August 20, 2019), dated November 17, 
2019 (Final Remand Results).
    \9\ See Trendium Pool Products, Inc. v. United States, Court No. 
18-00132, Slip Op. 20-36 (CIT March 19, 2020) at 1.
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Timken Notice

    In its decision in Timken,\10\ as clarified by Diamond 
Sawblades,\11\ the Federal Circuit held that, pursuant to sections 
516A(c) and (e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), 
Commerce must publish a notice of a court decision that is not ``in 
harmony'' with a Commerce determination and must suspend liquidation of 
entries pending a ``conclusive'' court decision. The CIT's March 19, 
2020 judgment in this case constitutes a final decision of the court 
that is not in harmony with Commerce's Final Scope Ruling. This notice 
is published in fulfilment of the publication requirements of Timken.
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    \10\ See Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F. 2d 337, 341 (Fed. 
Cir. 1990) (Timken).
    \11\ See Diamond Sawblades Mfrs. Coalition v. United States, 626 
F. 3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (Diamond Sawblades).
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Amended Final Scope Ruling

    There is now a final court decision with respect to the Trendium 
Final Scope Ruling. Therefore, Commerce is amending its scope ruling 
and finds that the scope of the Orders does not cover the products 
addressed in the Final Scope Ruling and the Final Remand Results. The 
period to appeal the CIT's ruling expired on May 18, 2020. Because no 
parties appealed the CIT's ruling, Commerce will instruct CBP to lift 
suspension of liquidation of the CORE components subject to Trendium's 
Scope Request and to liquidate such entries without regard to 
antidumping or countervailing duties. In addition, Commerce will 
instruct CBP to release any cash deposits collected pursuant to the 
Orders on such entries currently awaiting liquidation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published in accordance with section 
516A(e)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: June 16, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-13642 Filed 6-23-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P