[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60640-60641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19022]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-065]


Stainless Steel Flanges From the People's Republic of China: 
Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset Review of the 
Countervailing Duty Order

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that 
revocation of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on stainless steel 
flanges from the People's Republic of China (China) would be likely to 
lead to continuation or recurrence of countervailable subsidies at the 
levels indicated in the ``Final Results of Review'' section of this 
notice.

DATES: Applicable September 5, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathan James, 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) 482-5305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On June 5, 2018, Commerce published in the Federal Register the CVD 
order

[[Page 60641]]

on stainless steel flanges from China.\1\ On May 1, 2023, Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of the first sunset review of the 
Order, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(the Act).\2\ On May 15 and 16, 2023, Commerce received timely filed 
notices of intent to participate from Core Pipe Products, Inc. (Core 
Pipe) and Kerkau Manufacturing (Kerkau) within the deadline specified 
in 19 CFR 351.218(d)(1)(i).\3\ Core Pipe and Kerkau claimed interested 
party status under section 771(9)(C) of the Act, as manufacturers of 
the domestic like product in the United States.
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    \1\ See Stainless Steel Flanges from the People's Republic of 
China: Countervailing Duty Order, 83 FR 26006 (June 5, 2018) 
(Order).
    \2\ See Initiation of Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews, 88 FR 26522 
(May 1, 2023).
    \3\ See Core Pipe's Letter, ``Core Pipe--Notice of Intent to 
Participate,'' dated May 15, 2023; and Kerkau's Letter, ``Notice of 
Intent to Participate by Kerkau Manufacturing,'' dated May 16, 2023.
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    Commerce received adequate substantive responses to the notice of 
initiation from Core Pipe and Kerkau within the 30-day deadline 
specified in 19 CFR 351.218(d)(3)(i).\4\ We received no substantive 
responses from any respondent interested parties, including the 
Government of China, nor was a hearing requested. On June 20, 2023, 
Commerce notified the U.S. International Trade Commission that it did 
not receive an adequate substantive response from respondent interested 
parties.\5\ As a result, pursuant to 751(c)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.218(e)(1)(ii)(B)(2) and (C)(2), Commerce conducted an expedited 
(120-day) sunset review of the Order.
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    \4\ See Core Pipe's Letter, ``Substantive Response,'' dated May 
31, 2023; and Kerkau's Letter, ``Substantive Response of Kerkau 
Manufacturing,'' dated May 31, 2023.
    \5\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Sunset Reviews Initiated on May 1, 
2023,'' dated June 20, 2023.
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Scope of the Order

    The products covered by the Order are stainless steel flanges. For 
a complete description of the scope of the Order, see the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum.\6\
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    \6\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the 
Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset Review of the 
Countervailing Duty Order on Stainless Steel Flanges from the 
People's Republic of China,'' dated concurrently with this notice 
(Issues and Decision Memorandum).
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Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in this sunset review are addressed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum.\7\ A list of topics discussed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum is included as an appendix to this notice. The 
Issues and Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file 
electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Services System (ACCESS). 
ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov. In 
addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can 
be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.
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    \7\ Id.
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Final Results of Sunset Review

    Pursuant to sections 751(c)(1) and 752(b) of the Act, Commerce 
determines that revocation of the Order would likely lead to 
continuation or recurrence of countervailable subsidies at the rates 
below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Net subsidy
                   Producers/exporters                    rate (percent)
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Bothwell (Jiangyan) Steel Fittings Co., Ltd.............          174.73
Hydro-Fluids Controls Limited...........................          174.73
Jiangyin Shengda Brite Line Kasugai Flange Co., Ltd.....          174.73
Qingdao I-Flow Co., Ltd.................................          174.73
All Others..............................................          174.73
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Administrative Protective Order (APO)

    This notice serves as the only reminder to parties subject to an 
APO of their responsibility concerning the destruction of proprietary 
information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. 
Timely written notification of the return or destruction of APO 
materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby 
requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO 
is a sanctionable violation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing and publishing these final results in accordance 
with sections 751(c), 752(b), and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.218.

    Dated: August 28, 2023.
Lisa W. Wang,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. History of the Order
V. Legal Framework
VI. Discussion of the Issues
    1. Likelihood of Continuation or Recurrence of Countervailable 
Subsidies
    2. Net Countervailable Subsidy Rates That Are Likely To Prevail
    3. Nature of the Subsidies
VII. Final Results of Sunset Review
VIII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2023-19022 Filed 9-1-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P