[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 1 (Monday, January 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 371-374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34806]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigations Nos. 731-TA-103 (Review), 701-TA-202 (Review), 701-TA-E
(Review), and 731-TA-514 (Review)]
Cotton Shop Towels From China, Pakistan, Peru, and Bangladesh
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution of five-year reviews concerning the antidumping
duty orders on cotton shop towels from China and Bangladesh, the
countervailing duty order on cotton shop towels from Pakistan, and the
suspended countervailing duty investigation on cotton shop towels from
Peru.
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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted
reviews pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
Sec. 1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the
antidumping duty orders on cotton shop towels from China and
Bangladesh, revocation of the countervailing duty order on cotton shop
towels from Pakistan, and termination of the suspended countervailing
duty investigation on cotton shop towels from Peru would be likely to
lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury. Pursuant to
section 751(c)(2) of the Act, interested parties are requested to
respond to this notice by submitting the information specified below to
the Commission; the deadline for responses is February 23, 1999.
Comments on the adequacy of responses may be filed with the Commission
by March 19, 1999.
For further information concerning the conduct of these reviews and
rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part
201), and part 207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part 207). Recent
amendments to the Rules of Practice and Procedure pertinent to five-
year reviews, including the text of subpart F of part 207, are
published at 63 F.R. 30599, June 5, 1998, and may be downloaded from
the Commission's World Wide Web site at http://www.usitc.gov/rules.htm.
[[Page 372]]
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 4, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Messer (202-205-3193) or Vera
Libeau (202-205-3176), Office of Investigations, U.S. International
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-
impaired persons can obtain information on this matter by contacting
the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-1810. Persons with mobility
impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the
Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000.
General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by
accessing its internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background.--On October 4, 1983, the Department of Commerce issued
an antidumping duty order on imports of cotton shop towels from China
(48 F.R. 45277). On March 9, 1984, the Department of Commerce issued a
countervailing duty order on imports of cotton shop towels from
Pakistan (49 F.R. 8974). On September 12, 1984, the Department of
Commerce suspended a countervailing duty investigation on imports of
cotton shop towels from Peru (49 F.R. 35835). On March 20, 1992, the
Department of Commerce issued an antidumping duty order on imports of
cotton shop towels from Bangladesh (57 F.R. 9688). The Commission is
conducting reviews to determine whether revocation of the orders and/or
termination of the suspended investigation would be likely to lead to
continuation or recurrence of material injury to the domestic industry
within a reasonably foreseeable time.
Definitions.--The following definitions apply to these reviews:
(1) Subject Merchandise is the class or kind of merchandise that is
within the scope of the five-year reviews, as defined by the Department
of Commerce.
(2) The Subject Countries in these reviews are Bangladesh, China,
Pakistan, and Peru.
(3) The Domestic Like Product is the domestically produced product
or products which are like, or in the absence of like, most similar in
characteristics and uses with, the Subject Merchandise. In its original
determinations concerning China and Pakistan, the Commission defined
the Domestic Like Product as shop towels. In its original determination
concerning Bangladesh, the Commission defined the Domestic Like Product
as shop towels, whether blended or all cotton, regardless of the origin
of the fabric. The Commission in the Bangladesh determination indicated
that this definition was not different in substance than the definition
used in the original determinations concerning China and Pakistan.
There was no Commission determination concerning the suspended
countervailing duty investigation concerning Peru. Therefore, for
purposes of this notice concerning Peru, you should consider the
Domestic Like Product to be shop towels, whether blended or all cotton,
regardless of the origin of the fabric.
(4) The Domestic Industry is the U.S. producers as a whole of the
Domestic Like Product, or those producers whose collective output of
the Domestic Like Product constitutes a major proportion of the total
domestic production of the product. In its original determinations
concerning China and Pakistan, the Commission defined the Domestic
Industry as all producers of shop towels. In its original determination
concerning Bangladesh, the Commission defined the Domestic Industry as
all producers of the Domestic Like Product, including integrated
producers, converters, and toll producers. There was no Commission
determination concerning the suspended countervailing duty
investigation concerning Peru. Therefore, for purposes of this notice
concerning Peru, the Domestic Industry is all producers of the Domestic
Like Product, including integrated producers, converters, and toll
producers.
(5) The Order Dates are the dates that the antidumping duty and
countervailing duty orders under review became effective and the
countervailing duty investigation was suspended. In the review
concerning China, the Order Date is October 4, 1983. In the review
concerning Pakistan, the Order Date is March 9, 1984. In the review
concerning Peru, the Order Date is September 12, 1984. In the review
concerning Bangladesh, the Order Date is March 20, 1992.
(6) An Importer is any person or firm engaged, either directly or
through a parent company or subsidiary, in importing the Subject
Merchandise into the United States from a foreign manufacturer or
through its selling agent.
Participation in the reviews and public service list.--Persons,
including industrial users of the Subject Merchandise and, if the
merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer
organizations, wishing to participate in the reviews as parties must
file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as
provided in section 201.11(b)(4) of the Commission's rules, no later
than 21 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
The Secretary will maintain a public service list containing the names
and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties
to the reviews.
Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under
an administrative protective order (APO) and APO service list.--
Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary
will make BPI submitted in these reviews available to authorized
applicants under the APO issued in the reviews, provided that the
application is made no later than 21 days after publication of this
notice in the Federal Register. Authorized applicants must represent
interested parties, as defined in 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1677(9), who are
parties to the reviews. A separate service list will be maintained by
the Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the
APO.
Certification.--Pursuant to section 207.3 of the Commission's
rules, any person submitting information to the Commission in
connection with these reviews must certify that the information is
accurate and complete to the best of the submitter's knowledge. In
making the certification, the submitter will be deemed to consent,
unless otherwise specified, for the Commission, its employees, and
contract personnel to use the information provided in any other reviews
or investigations of the same or comparable products which the
Commission conducts under Title VII of the Act, or in internal audits
and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the
Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3.
Written submissions.--Pursuant to section 207.61 of the
Commission's rules, each interested party response to this notice must
provide the information specified below. The deadline for filing such
responses is February 23, 1999. Pursuant to section 207.62(b) of the
Commission's rules, eligible parties (as specified in Commission rule
207.62(b)(1)) may also file comments concerning the adequacy of
responses to the notice of institution and whether the Commission
should conduct expedited or full reviews. The deadline for filing such
comments is March 19, 1999. All written submissions must conform with
the provisions of sections 201.8 and 207.3 of the Commission's rules
and any submissions that contain BPI must also conform with the
requirements of sections 201.6 and 207.7 of the Commission's rules. The
Commission's rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the
Secretary by
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facsimile or electronic means. Also, in accordance with sections
201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission's rules, each document filed by a
party to the reviews must be served on all other parties to the reviews
(as identified by either the public or APO service list as
appropriate), and a certificate of service must accompany the document
(if you are not a party to the reviews you do not need to serve your
response).
Inability to provide requested information.--Pursuant to section
207.61(c) of the Commission's rules, any interested party that cannot
furnish the information requested by this notice in the requested form
and manner shall notify the Commission at the earliest possible time,
provide a full explanation of why it cannot provide the requested
information, and indicate alternative forms in which it can provide
equivalent information. If an interested party does not provide this
notification (or the Commission finds the explanation provided in the
notification inadequate) and fails to provide a complete response to
this notice, the Commission may take an adverse inference against the
party pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act in making its
determinations in the reviews.
Information To Be Provided in Response to This Notice of
Institution: If you are a domestic producer, union/worker group, or
trade/business association; import/export Subject Merchandise from more
than one Subject Country; or produce Subject Merchandise in more than
one Subject Country, you may file a single response. If you do so,
please ensure that your response to each question includes the
information requested for each pertinent Subject Country. As used
below, the term ``firm'' includes any related firms.
(1) The name and address of your firm or entity (including World
Wide Web address if available) and name, telephone number, fax number,
and E-mail address of the certifying official.
(2) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S.
producer of the Domestic Like Product, a U.S. union or worker group, a
U.S. importer of the Subject Merchandise, a foreign producer or
exporter of the Subject Merchandise, a U.S. or foreign trade or
business association, or another interested party (including an
explanation). If you are a union/worker group or trade/business
association, identify the firms in which your workers are employed or
which are members of your association.
(3) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is willing to
participate in these reviews by providing information requested by the
Commission.
(4) A statement of the likely effects of the revocation of the
antidumping duty and countervailing duty orders and termination of the
suspended investigation on the Domestic Industry in general and/or your
firm/entity specifically. In your response, please discuss the various
factors specified in section 752(a) of the Act (19 U.S.C.
Sec. 1675a(a)) including the likely volume of subject imports, likely
price effects of subject imports, and likely impact of imports of
Subject Merchandise on the Domestic Industry.
(5) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of
the Domestic Like Product. Identify any known related parties and the
nature of the relationship as defined in section 771(4)(B) of the Act
(19 U.S.C. Sec. 1677(4)(B)).
(6) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. importers of
the Subject Merchandise and producers of the Subject Merchandise in the
Subject Countries that currently export or have exported Subject
Merchandise to the United States or other countries since the years the
petitions were filed. The Subject Countries and the years the petitions
were filed are listed below:
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Subject Countries Years
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China.......................................................... 1982
Pakistan....................................................... 1983
Peru........................................................... 1984
Bangladesh..................................................... 1990
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(7) If you are a U.S. producer of the Domestic Like Product,
provide the following information on your firm's operations on that
product during calendar year 1998 (report quantity data in thousands of
towels and value data in thousands of U.S. dollars, f.o.b. plant). If
you are a union/worker group or trade/business association, provide the
information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms in which your workers
are employed/which are members of your association.
(a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total U.S. production of the Domestic Like Product
accounted for by your firm's(s') production; and
(b) the quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of the
Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s).
(8) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of
U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from the Subject Countries,
provide the following information on your firm's(s') operations on that
product during calendar year 1998 (report quantity data in thousands of
towels and value data in thousands of U.S. dollars). If you are a
trade/business association, provide the information, on an aggregate
basis, for the firms which are members of your association.
(a) The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including
antidumping or countervailing duties) of U.S. imports and, if known, an
estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise
from the Subject Countries accounted for by your firm's(s') imports;
and
(b) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject
Merchandise imported from the Subject Countries.
(9) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business
association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in the
Subject Countries, provide the following information on your firm's(s')
operations on that product during calendar year 1998 (report quantity
data in thousands of towels and value data in thousands of U.S.
dollars, landed and duty-paid at the U.S. port but not including
antidumping or countervailing duties). If you are a trade/business
association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the
firms which are members of your association.
(a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in the Subject
Countries accounted for by your firm's(s') production; and
(b) the quantity and value of your firm's(s') exports to the United
States of Subject Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise
from the Subject Countries accounted for by your firm's(s') exports.
(10) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand
conditions or business cycle for the Domestic Like Product that have
occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject
Merchandise in the Subject Countries since the Order Dates, and
significant changes, if any, that are likely to occur within a
reasonably foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include
technology; production methods; development efforts; ability to
increase production (including the shift of production facilities used
for other products and the use, cost, or availability of major inputs
into production); and factors related to the ability to shift supply
among different national markets (including barriers to importation in
foreign markets or changes in market demand abroad).
[[Page 374]]
Demand conditions to consider include end uses and applications; the
existence and availability of substitute products; and the level of
competition among the Domestic Like Product produced in the United
States, Subject Merchandise `produced in the Subject Countries, and
such merchandise from other countries.
(11) (Optional) A statement of whether you agree with the above
definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you
disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why
and provide alternative definitions.
Authority: These reviews are being conducted under authority of
title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published
pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission's rules.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: December 24, 1998.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-34806 Filed 12-31-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
