[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 206 (Friday, October 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67511-67512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23513]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-822-804; A-822-806]


Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars From Belarus and Carbon and Alloy 
Steel Wire Rod From Belarus: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed 
Circumstances Reviews

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

SUMMARY: On February 6, 2020, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
published the initiation of the changed circumstances reviews (CCRs) of 
steel concrete reinforcing bars from Belarus and carbon and alloy steel 
wire rod from Belarus. For these final results, Commerce concludes that 
Belarus continues to be a non-market economy (NME) country for purposes 
of the antidumping duty (AD) law, because its economy does not 
primarily operate on market principles.

DATES: Applicable October 23, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Loopesko, Office of 
Policy, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, 
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0969.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 16, 2019, the Government of Belarus (GOB) requested 
that Commerce review Belarus' status as an NME country within the 
context of CCRs of the AD orders on steel concrete reinforcing bars and 
carbon and alloy steel wire rod.\1\ On February 6, 2020, Commerce 
published in the Federal Register the notice of initiation of these 
CCRs.\2\
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    \1\ See GOB's Letter, ``Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars from 
Belarus and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus: Request for the 
Department of Commerce to Initiate a Changed Circumstance Review on 
Behalf of the Republic of Belarus,'' dated December 16, 2019.
    \2\ See Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars from Belarus and Carbon 
and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus: Initiation of Antidumping 
Duty Changed Circumstances Reviews, 85 FR 6893 (February 6, 2020).
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    On March 9, 2020, Commerce received comments and information from 
Liberty Steel USA, Optimus Steel LLC, and Charter Steel (collectively, 
Domestic Wire Rod Producers); \3\ Nucor Corporation (Nucor) and 
Commercial Metals Company (CMC), domestic producers of carbon and alloy 
steel wire rod; the Rebar Trade Action Coalition and its individual 
members, Nucor, Gerdau Ameristeel US Inc., CMC, Steel Dynamics, Inc., 
and Byer Steel Group, Inc., domestic producers of steel concrete 
reinforcing bar (collectively, Domestic Steel Producers); \4\ and the 
GOB.\5\ On March 13, 2020, Commerce received comments and information 
from the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, 
Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union 
(USW).\6\
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    \3\ See Domestic Wire Rod Producers' Letter, ``Steel Concrete 
Reinforcing Bars from Belarus and Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod 
from Belarus--Comments on Changed Circumstances Reviews re: Belarus 
Non-Market Economy Status,'' dated March 9, 2020.
    \4\ See Domestic Steel Producers' Letter, ``Steel Concrete 
Reinforcing Bars from Belarus and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus: 
Comments Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1677(18)(B),'' dated March 9, 2020.
    \5\ See GOB's Letter, ``Changed Circumstances Reviews--Belarus 
Nonmarket Economy Graduation: Government of Belarus Case Brief and 
Hearing Request,'' dated March 9, 2020.
    \6\ See USW's Letter, ``Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars from 
Belarus and Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus: Refiling 
of Comments,'' dated March 13, 2020 (USW's Brief). The USW's brief 
was timely filed on March 6, 2020. However, the USW omitted certain 
certifications, and Commerce requested that the USW refile its 
submission with the proper certifications by March 13, 2020. 
Therefore, we consider this brief to be timely filed.
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    On April 6, 2020, Commerce received rebuttal briefs from Domestic 
Wire Rod Producers,\7\ Domestic Steel Producers,\8\ and the GOB.\9\
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    \7\ See Domestic Steel Producers' Letter, ``Steel Concrete 
Reinforcing Bars from Belarus and Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod 
from Belarus--Domestic Interested Parties' Rebuttal Comments on 
Belarus' NME Graduation Comments,'' dated April 6, 2020.
    \8\ See Domestic Steel Producers' Letter, ``Steel Concrete 
Reinforcing Bars from Belarus and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus: 
Rebuttal Comments,'' dated April 6, 2020.
    \9\ See GOB's Letter, ``Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar and 
Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus: Government of Belarus 
Rebuttal Comments,'' dated April 6, 2020.
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Public Hearing

    On September 30, 2020, Commerce held a public hearing via 
videoconference.\10\
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    \10\ See Public Hearing Transcript regarding ``Antidumping Duty 
Changed Circumstances Reviews of Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars 
from Belarus and Carbon and Alloy Steel Wire Rod from Belarus,'' 
dated September 30, 2020.
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Analysis of Comments Received

    Commerce's analysis of the issues raised by parties to this review 
is

[[Page 67512]]

included in the NME Analysis Memo.\11\ The NME Analysis Memo is a 
public document 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 NME Analysis 
Memo can be accessed directly on the internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html. The signed NME Analysis Memo and 
the electronic versions of the NME Analysis Memo are identical in 
content.
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    \11\ See Memorandum, ``Final Results of Changed Circumstances 
Reviews Regarding Belarus' Status as a Non-Market Economy Country,'' 
dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (NME 
Analysis Memo).
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Final Results of Changed Circumstances Reviews

    These CCRs were conducted pursuant to section 771(18)(A) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), which defines the term ``non-
market economy country'' as any foreign country determined by Commerce 
not to ``operate on market principles of cost or pricing structures, so 
that sales of merchandise in such country do not reflect the fair value 
of the merchandise.'' Section 771(18)(B) of the Act lists six factors 
Commerce must consider in any inquiry made under section 771(18)(A) of 
the Act, and under section 771(18)(C)(i) of the Act, a country's NME 
country status remains in effect until revoked.
    Section 771(18)(B) of the Act requires that Commerce take into 
account: (1) The extent to which the currency of the foreign country is 
convertible into the currency of other countries; (2) the extent to 
which wage rates in the foreign country are determined by free 
bargaining between labor and management; (3) the extent to which joint 
ventures or other investments by firms of other foreign countries are 
permitted in the foreign country; (4) the extent of government 
ownership or control of the means of production; (5) the extent of 
government control over the allocation of resources and over the price 
and output decisions of enterprises; and (6) such other factors as the 
administering authority (i.e., Commerce) considers appropriate. In 
these final results, Commerce concludes that Belarus remains an NME 
country, based on an analysis of these six factors. The Belarusian 
government's role in the economy and its relationship with markets and 
the private sector lead to fundamental distortions and allocative 
efficiency problems, and affect Belarusian costs or pricing structures 
that are relevant to Commerce's antidumping analysis. Commerce's 
analysis and reasoning in support of its conclusion are detailed in the 
NME Analysis Memo.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 751(b) and 771(18)(C)(ii) of the Act.

    Dated: October 16, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-23513 Filed 10-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P