[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 135 (Tuesday, July 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42356-42357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15061]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-489-832]


Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the Republic of Turkey: 
Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final Countervailing Duty 
Determination, and Notice of Amended Final Countervailing Duty 
Determination

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

SUMMARY: On June 25, 2020, the United States Court of International 
Trade (CIT) sustained the final results of redetermination pertaining 
to the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of carbon and alloy 
steel wire rod (wire rod) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) for the 
period of investigation (POI), January 1, 2016 through December 31, 
2016. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is notifying the public 
that the final judgment in this case is not in harmony with the final 
determination in the CVD investigation, and that Commerce is amending 
the final determination and resulting CVD order with respect to the 
subsidy rates assigned to Habas Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal 
Endustrisi A.S. (Habas) and all other producers/exporters not 
individually investigated.

DATES: Applicable July 5, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Justin Neuman, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0486.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 28, 2018, Commerce published its Final Determination in 
the CVD investigation of wire rod from Turkey for the POI of January 1, 
2016 through December 31, 2016.\1\ In the Final Determination, Commerce 
applied a rate based on adverse facts available to one program used by 
the respondents after discovering unreported information related to the 
Government of Turkey's (GOT's) ``Assistance to Offset Costs Related to 
AD/CVD Investigations'' program, which confers a countervailable 
subsidy.\2\ In the Final Determination, Commerce also evaluated whether 
the GOT sold natural gas to Turkish wire rod producers for less-than-
adequate remuneration (LTAR), and relied on Russian Eurostat (Eurostat) 
data for the tier two benchmark in the LTAR analysis. On May 21, 2018, 
Commerce published the Amended Final Determination and Order.\3\
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    \1\ See Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from the Republic of 
Turkey: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and 
Final Affirmative Critical Circumstances Determination, in Part, 83 
FR 13239 (March 28, 2018) (Final Determination) accompanying Issues 
and Decision Memorandum (IDM).
    \2\ See IDM at section VII; see also Memorandum, ``Carbon and 
Alloy Steel Wire Rod from the Republic of Turkey: Calculations for 
the Final Countervailing Duty Determination,'' dated March 19, 2018.
    \3\ See Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Italy and the 
Republic of Turkey: Amended Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determination for the Republic of Turkey and Countervailing Duty 
Orders for Italy and the Republic of Turkey, 83 FR 23420 (May 21, 
2018) (Amended Final Determination and Order).
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    On December 3, 2018, Habas, Icdas Celik Enerji Tersane ve Ulasim 
Sanayi A.S. (Icdas), and the Nucor Corporation (Nucor) challenged 
various aspects of Commerce's Final Determination. Habas and Icdas 
contested Commerce's application of adverse facts available as 
unsupported by evidence and contrary to law. Nucor separately argued 
that Commerce's selection of Eurostat data as a tier two benchmark to 
calculate benefits from the provision of natural gas at LTAR was 
inadequately explained, the data did not represent the best available 
information, and the decision was unsupported by evidence and contrary 
to law. On November 19, 2019, the CIT sustained Commerce's application 
of adverse facts available against Habas and Icdas. However, the CIT 
remanded the Final Determination to Commerce with instructions for 
Commerce to reconsider benchmark data relating to the natural gas for 
LTAR program.\4\
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    \4\ See Habas Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal Endustrisi AS et 
al. v. United States, Court No. 18-00144, Slip Op. 19-144 (CIT 
November 19, 2019).
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    On February 11, 2020, Commerce issued its Final Results of 
Redetermination in accordance with the CIT's order.\5\ As part of its 
analysis, Commerce placed new factual information on the record 
relating to natural gas prices. Commerce then reconsidered its reliance 
on Russian Eurostat data as a tier two benchmark, and instead relied on 
data from an International Energy Administration (IEA) report, as 
adjusted by Commerce, to construct a tier three benchmark.\6\ On June 
25, 2020, the CIT sustained

[[Page 42357]]

Commerce's Final Results of Redetermination.\7\
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    \5\ See Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Remand 
Order, Habas Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal Endustrisi AS et al. v. 
United States, Court No. 18-00144, Slip Op. 19-144 (CIT November 19, 
2019), dated February 11, 2020 (Final Results of Redetermination).
    \6\ Id.
    \7\ See Habas Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal Endustrisi AS, et 
al. v. United States, Court No. 18-00144, Slip Op. 20-87 (CIT June 
25, 2020).
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Timken Notice

    In its decision in Timken,\8\ as clarified by Diamond Sawblades,\9\ 
the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) held that, pursuant 
to section 516A 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 June 25, 
2020, judgment sustaining the Final Results of Redetermination 
constitutes a final decision of the CIT that is not in harmony with 
Commerce's Final Determination, as modified by the Amended Final 
Determination and Order. This notice is published in fulfillment of the 
publication requirements of Timken.
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    \8\ See Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337, 341 (Fed. 
Cir. 1990) (Timken).
    \9\ See Diamond Sawblades Mfrs. Coalition v. United States, 626 
F.3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (Diamond Sawblades).
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Amended Final Determination

    Because there is now a final court decision, Commerce is amending 
its Final Determination with respect to the countervailing duty rate 
calculated for Habas and the companies covered by the all-others rate. 
The revised rates are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Subsidy
                    Exporter or producer                         rate
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Habas Sinai ve Tibbi Gazlar Istihsal Endustrisi A.S \10\....        6.09
Icdas Celik Enerji Tersane ve Ulasim Sanayi A.S \11\........        3.81
All Others..................................................        4.95
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Cash Deposit Requirements

    Because Habas does not have a superseding cash deposit rate, i.e., 
there have been no final results published in a subsequent 
administrative review for the Habas, Commerce will issue revised cash 
deposit instructions to CBP. Commerce will instruct CBP to collect a 
cash deposit for estimated countervailing duties at ad valorem rates 
equal to the estimated weighted-average subsidy rates listed above for 
Habas and all other producers and exporters of the subject merchandise, 
effective July 5, 2020.
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    \10\ See Final Results of Redetermination.
    \11\ The rate for Icdas did not change as a result of 
litigation. See Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the Republic of 
Turkey: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and 
Final Affirmative Critical Circumstances Determination, in Part, 83 
FR 13239 (March 28, 2018); see also Order, 83 FR at 23421.
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Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published in accordance with sections 
516A(c)(1) and (e), and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: July 7, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-15061 Filed 7-13-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P