[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 183 (Monday, September 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59287-59289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20692]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-489-843]


Prestressed Concrete Steel Wire From the Republic of Turkey: 
Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination, Preliminary 
Affirmative Critical Circumstances Determination, in Part

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines 
that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and 
exporters of prestressed concrete steel wire (PC strand) from the 
Republic of Turkey (Turkey). The period of investigation is January 1, 
2019 through December 31, 2019. Interested parties are invited to 
comment on this preliminary determination.

DATES: Applicable September 21, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Whitley Herndon and Jacob Garten, 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) 482-6274 and (202) 
482-3342, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 
703(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of this investigation on May 13, 
2020.\1\ On July 1, 2020, Commerce postponed the preliminary 
determination of this investigation, and the revised deadline is now 
September 14, 2020.\2\ For a complete description of the events that 
followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary

[[Page 59288]]

Decision Memorandum.\3\ A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file 
electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). 
ACCESS is available to registered users at http://access.trade.gov. In 
addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can 
be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed 
and electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content.
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    \1\ See Prestressed Concrete Steel Wire Strand from the Republic 
of Turkey: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigation, 85 FR 
28610 (May 13, 2020).
    \2\ See Prestressed Concrete Steel Wire Strand from the Republic 
of Turkey: Postponement of Preliminary Determination of 
Countervailing Duty Investigation, 85 FR 39522 (July 1, 2020).
    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Determination of the Countervailing Duty Investigation of 
Prestressed Concrete Steel Wire from the Republic of Turkey,'' dated 
concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is PC strand from Turkey. 
For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see 
Appendix I.

Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with 
section 701 of the Act. For each of the subsidy programs found 
countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a 
subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an ``authority'' that gives 
rise to a benefit to the recipient and that the subsidy is specific.\4\
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    \4\ See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding 
financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding 
benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.
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    Commerce notes that, in making these findings, it relied, in part, 
on facts available and, because it finds that one or more respondents 
did not act to the best of their ability to respond to Commerce's 
requests for information, it drew an adverse inference where 
appropriate in selecting from among the facts otherwise available.\5\ 
For further information, see ``Use of Facts Otherwise Available and 
Adverse Inferences'' in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    \5\ See sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
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Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in 
Part

    In accordance with section 703(e)(1) of the Act, Commerce 
preliminarily determines that critical circumstances exist with respect 
to imports of PC strand from Turkey for Celik Halat ve Tel San A.S. 
(Celik Halat) but do not exist with respect to Guney Celik Hasir ve 
Demir (Guney Celik) and all other exporters or producers not 
individually examined. For a full description of the methodology and 
results of Commerce's analysis, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.

Date of Final Determination

    Section 705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1) provide that 
Commerce will issue the final determination within 75 days after the 
date of its preliminary determination, unless the final determination 
is postponed or aligned with the final determination of a companion 
antidumping duty investigation of PC strand. Accordingly, Commerce 
intends make its final determination no later than November 30, 2020.

All-Others Rate

    Sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that, in the 
preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated all-
others rate for companies not individually examined. This rate shall be 
an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated subsidy rates 
established for those companies individually examined, excluding any 
zero and de minimis rates and any rates based entirely under section 
776 of the Act. In this investigation, Commerce preliminarily assigned 
a rate based entirely on facts available to Celik Halat. Therefore, the 
only rate that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts 
otherwise available is the rate calculated for Guney Celik. 
Consequently, the rate calculated for Guney Celik is also assigned as 
the rate for all other producers and exporters.

Preliminary Determination

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated 
countervailable subsidy rates exist:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Subsidy  rate
                         Company                             (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guney Celik Hasir ve Demir..............................           14.44
Celik Halat ve Tel San A.S. \6\.........................          135.06
All Others..............................................           14.44
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suspension of Liquidation
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    \6\ As discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, 
Commerce has found the following companies to be cross-owned with 
Celik Halat: Dogan Sirketler Grubu Holding A.S. and Adilbey Holding 
A.S.
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    In accordance with section 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, 
Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to 
suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise as described in 
the scope of the investigation section entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. Further, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.205(d), 
Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the rates 
indicated above.
    Section 703(e)(2) of the Act provides that, given an affirmative 
determination of critical circumstances, any suspension of liquidation 
shall apply to unliquidated entries of merchandise entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the later of (a) 
the date which is 90 days before the date on which the suspension of 
liquidation was first ordered, or (b) the date on which notice of 
initiation of the investigation was published. Commerce preliminarily 
finds that critical circumstances exist for imports of subject 
merchandise produced and/or exported by Celik Halat. In accordance with 
section 703(e)(2)(A) of the Act, the suspension of liquidation shall 
apply to unliquidated entries of merchandise from the exporters/
producers identified in this paragraph that were entered, or withdrawn 
from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date which is 90 days 
before the publication of this notice.

Disclosure

    Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis 
performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination 
within five days of its public announcement, or if there is no public 
announcement, within five days of the date of this notice in accordance 
with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Verification

    Commerce is currently unable to conduct on-site verification of the 
information relied upon in making its final determination in this 
investigation. Accordingly, we intend to take additional steps in lieu 
of on-site verification. Commerce will notify interested parties of any 
additional documentation or information required.

Public Comment

    Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. A timeline for the 
submission of case briefs and written comments will be notified to 
interested parties at a later date. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues 
raised in case briefs, may be submitted no later than seven days after 
the deadline date for case

[[Page 59289]]

briefs.\7\ 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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    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general 
filing requirements); Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service 
Requirements Due to COVID-19, 85 FR 17006 (March 26, 2020) 
(Temporary Rule); and Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service 
Requirements Due to COVID-19; Extension of Effective Period, 85 FR 
41363 (July 10, 2020).
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    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to 
request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal 
briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days 
after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain 
the party's name, address, and telephone number; the number of 
participants; whether any participant is a foreign national; and a list 
of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, 
Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be 
determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and 
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.
    Parties are reminded that briefs and hearing requests are to be 
filed electronically using ACCESS and that electronically filed 
documents must be received successfully in their entirety by 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time on the due date. Note that Commerce has temporarily 
modified certain of its requirements for serving documents containing 
business proprietary information, until further notice.\8\
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    \8\ See Temporary Rule.
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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 determination. If the 
final determination is affirmative, the ITC will determine before the 
later of 120 days after the date of this preliminary determination or 
45 days after the final determination.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
703(f) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

    Dated: September 14, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is prestressed 
concrete steel wire strand (PC strand), produced from wire of non-
stainless, non-galvanized steel, which is suitable for use in 
prestressed concrete (both pretensioned and post-tensioned) 
applications. The product definition encompasses covered and 
uncovered strand and all types, grades, and diameters of PC strand. 
PC strand is normally sold in the United States in sizes ranging 
from 0.25 inches to 0.70 inches in diameter. PC strand made from 
galvanized wire is only excluded from the scope if the zinc and/or 
zinc oxide coating meets or exceeds the 0.40 oz./ft2 
standard set forth in ASTM-A-475. The PC strand subject to this 
investigation is currently classifiable under subheadings 
7312.10.3010 and 7312.10.3012 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheadings are 
provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written 
description of the scope of this investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Investigation
IV. Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, 
In Part
V. Injury Test
VI. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences
VII. Subsidies Valuation
VIII. Analysis of Programs
IX. Recommendation

 [FR Doc. 2020-20692 Filed 9-18-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P