[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 81 (Thursday, April 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31726-31727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08894]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-580-809, A-580-870, A-580-876, A-580-897]


Circular Welded Non-Alloy Steel Pipe From the Republic of Korea; 
Oil Country Tubular Goods From the Republic of Korea; Welded Line Pipe 
From the Republic of Korea; and Large Diameter Welded Pipe From the 
Republic of Korea: Notice of Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed 
Circumstances Reviews

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a 
changed circumstances review (CCR) to determine whether Hyundai Steel 
Pipe Co., Ltd. (HSP) is the successor-in-interest to Hyundai Steel 
Company (Hyundai Steel) in the context of the antidumping duty (AD) 
orders on circular welded non-alloy steel pipe (CWP); oil country 
tubular goods (OCTG); welded line pipe (WLP); and large diameter welded 
pipe (LDWP) from the Republic of Korea (Korea).

DATES: Applicable April 25, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Kearney, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office VI, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; (202) 482-0167.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 2, 1992, September 10, 2014, December 1, 2015, and May 
2, 2019, respectively, Commerce published in the Federal Register AD 
orders on CWP, OCTG, WLP, and LDWP from Korea.\1\ On March 11, 2024, 
HSP requested that, pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 
1930, as amended (the Act), 19 CFR 351.216, and 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3), 
Commerce conduct an expedited CCR to determine that HSP is the 
successor-in-interest to Hyundai Steel and accordingly to assign it the 
cash deposit rates currently applicable to Hyundai Steel pursuant to 
CWP Order, OCTG Order, WLP Order, and LDWP Order.\2\ In its submission, 
HSP stated that on April 1, 2021, Hyundai Steel restructured to 
organize its internal departmental units on the basis of product type 
through the end of 2023. HSP stated that on September 26, 2023, Hyundai 
Steel's board of directors

[[Page 31727]]

approved a plan to spin off its Steel Pipe Business Division into an 
independent operating company named Hyundai Steel Pipe Co., Ltd (HSP). 
HSP stated that, on October 25, 2023, Hyundai Steel's board of 
directors approved a resolution to transfer its assets and liabilities 
to HSP.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Notice of Antidumping Orders: Certain Circular Welded 
Non-Alloy Steel Pipe from Brazil, the Republic of Korea (Korea), 
Mexico, and Venezuela, and Amendment to Final Determination of Sales 
at Less Than Fair Value: Certain Circular Welded Non-Alloy Steel 
Pipe from Korea, 57 FR 49453 (November 2, 1992) (CWP Order); Certain 
Oil Country Tubular Goods from India, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, 
the Republic of Turkey, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Antidumping Duty Orders; and Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods from 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Amended Final Determination of 
Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 79 FR 53691 (September 10, 2014) 
(OCTG Order); Welded Line Pipe from the Republic of Korea and the 
Republic of Turkey: Antidumping Duty Orders, 80 FR 75056 (December 
1, 2015) (WLP Order); and Large Diameter Welded Pipe from the 
Republic of Korea: Amended Final Affirmative Antidumping 
Determination and Antidumping Duty Order, 84 FR 18767 (May 2, 2019) 
(LDWP Order) (collectively, Orders).
    \2\ See HSP's Letter, ``Hyundai Steel Pipe Request for Changed 
Circumstances Review,'' dated March 11, 2024 (HSP's CCR Request).
    \3\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scope of the Orders

    The merchandise covered by these orders is CWP, OCTG, WLP, and LDWP 
from Korea.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ For a complete description of the scope of each of these 
orders, see CWP Order, OCTG Order, WLP Order, and LDWP Order.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Initiation of CCRs

    Pursuant to section 751(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(d), 
Commerce conducts a CCR upon receipt of information concerning, or a 
request from, an interested party for a review of an AD and/or CVD 
order which shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review 
of the order. The information submitted by HSP regarding its claim that 
it is the successor-in-interest to Hyundai Steel demonstrates changed 
circumstances sufficient to warrant the initiation of such reviews.\5\ 
Therefore, in accordance with section 751(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 
CFR 351.216(d) and (e), we are initiating the CCRs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See HSP's CCR Request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In making a successor-in-interest determination, Commerce examines 
several factors, including, but not limited to, changes in the 
following: (1) management; (2) production facilities; (3) supplier 
relationships; and (4) customer base.\6\ While no single factor or 
combination of factors will necessarily provide a dispositive 
indication of a successor-in-interest relationship, generally, Commerce 
will consider the new company to be the successor to the previous 
company if the new company's resulting operation is not materially 
dissimilar to that of its predecessor.\7\ Thus, if the record evidence 
demonstrates that, with respect to the production and sale of the 
subject merchandise, the new company operates as the same business 
entity as the predecessor company, Commerce may assign the new company 
the cash deposit rate of its predecessor.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See, e.g., Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from India: 
Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Changed 
Circumstances Review, 81 FR 75376 (October 31, 2016) (Shrimp from 
India Preliminary Results), unchanged in Certain Frozen Warmwater 
Shrimp from India: Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty 
Changed Circumstances Review, 81 FR 90774 (December 15, 2016) 
(Shrimp from India Final Results).
    \7\ See, e.g., Shrimp from India Preliminary Results, 81 FR at 
75377, unchanged in Shrimp from India Final Results, 81 FR at 90774.
    \8\ Id.; see also Notice of Final Results of Changed 
Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: 
Polychloroprene Rubber from Japan, 67 FR 58, 59 (January 2, 2002); 
Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof from France: Final Results of 
Changed-Circumstances Review, 75 FR 34688, 34689 (June 18, 2010); 
and Circular Welded Non-Alloy Steel Pipe from the Republic of Korea; 
Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances 
Review, 63 FR 14679 (March 26, 1998), unchanged in Circular Welded 
Non-Alloy Steel Pipe from Korea; Final Results of Antidumping Duty 
Changed Circumstances Review, 63 FR 20572 (April 27, 1998), in which 
Commerce found that a company which only changed its name and did 
not change its operations is a successor-in-interest to the company 
before it changed its name.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii), Commerce may combine the 
notices of initiation and preliminary results of a CCR into a single 
notice if it concludes that expedited action is warranted. We have 
determined that it is appropriate to further consider, and potentially 
seek additional information regarding, certain factors noted above that 
Commerce examines in successor-in-interest CCRs. Therefore, we have 
determined that expedited action is not warranted, and we have not 
combined the notice of preliminary results of the CCRs with this 
notice. Commerce intends to publish in the Federal Register a notice of 
the preliminary results of this CCR, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.221(b)(4) and (c)(3)(i), which will set forth Commerce's 
preliminary factual and legal conclusions. Pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.221(b)(4)(ii), interested parties will have an opportunity to 
comment on the preliminary results.
    Unless extended, Commerce intends to issue the final results of 
this CCR within 270 days after the date of initiation, in accordance 
with 19 CFR 351.216(e).

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing this notice in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) 
and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(b) and 351.221(b)(1).

    Dated: April 19, 2024.
Ryan Majerus,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy & Negotiations, performing the 
non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-08894 Filed 4-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P