2020-04745. Certain Steel Threaded Rod From the People's Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping Duty Order

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

As a result of the determination by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty order on certain steel threaded rod (steel threaded rod) from the People's Republic of China (China) would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, Commerce is publishing a notice of continuation of the antidumping duty order.

DATES:

Applicable March 9, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Benito Ballesteros, AD/CVD Operations, Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 1, 2019, Commerce published the notice of initiation of the second sunset review of the antidumping duty order ^[1] on steel threaded rod from China, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).^[2] Commerce conducted this sunset review on an expedited basis, pursuant to section 751(c)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(e)(1)(ii)(C)(2), because it received a complete, timely, and adequate response from domestic interested parties,^[3] but no substantive response from respondent interested parties. As a result of its review, Commerce determined that revocation of the Order would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping. Commerce also notified the ITC of the magnitude of the dumping margins likely to prevail should the Order be revoked.^[4]

On February 26, 2020, the ITC published its determination, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Act, that revocation of the Order would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time.^[5]

Scope of the Order

The merchandise covered by the Order is steel threaded rod. Steel threaded rod is certain threaded rod, bar, or studs, of carbon quality steel, having a solid, circular cross section, of any diameter, in any straight length, that have been forged, turned, cold-drawn, cold-rolled, machine straightened, or otherwise cold-finished, and into which threaded grooves have been applied. In addition, the steel threaded rod, bar, or studs subject to the order are non-headed and threaded along greater than 25 percent of their total length. A variety of finishes or coatings, such as plain oil finish as a temporary rust protectant, zinc coating (i.e., galvanized, whether by electroplating or hot-dipping), paint, and other similar finishes and coatings, may be applied to the merchandise.

Included in the scope of the order are steel threaded rod, bar, or studs, in which: (1) Iron predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; (2) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and (3) none of the elements listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively indicated:

•  1.80 percent of manganese, or
•  1.50 percent of silicon, or
•  1.00 percent of copper, or
•  0.50 percent of aluminum, or
•  1.25 percent of chromium, or
•  0.30 percent of cobalt, or
•  0.40 percent of lead, or
•  1.25 percent of nickel, or
•  0.30 percent of tungsten, or
•  0.012 percent of boron, or
•  0.10 percent of molybdenum, or
•  0.10 percent of niobium, or
•  0.41 percent of titanium, or
•  0.15 percent of vanadium, or
•  0.15 percent of zirconium.

Steel threaded rod is currently classifiable under subheadings 7318.15.5051, 7318.15.5056, 7318.15.5090, and 7318.15.2095 of the United States Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise is dispositive.

Excluded from the scope of the order are: (a) Threaded rod, bar, or studs which are threaded only on one or both ends and the threading covers 25 percent or less of the total length; and (b) threaded rod, bar, or studs made to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) A193 Grade B7, ASTM A193 Grade B7M, ASTM A193 Grade B16, or ASTM A320 Grade L7.

Continuation of the Order

As a result of the determinations by Commerce and the ITC that revocation of the Order would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, pursuant to sections 751(c) and 751(d)(2) of the Act, Commerce hereby orders the continuation of the Order on steel threaded rod from China. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to collect antidumping duty cash deposits at the rates in effect at the time of entry for all imports of subject merchandise.

The effective date of the continuation of the Order will be the date of publication in the Federal Register of this notice of continuation. Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(a), Commerce intends to initiate the next sunset review of the order not later than 30 days prior to the fifth anniversary of the effective date of continuation.

Notification to Interested Parties

This five-year sunset review and this notice are in accordance with section 751(c) of the Act and published pursuant to section 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(f)(4).

Dated: March 3, 2020.

Jeffrey I. Kessler,

Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Footnotes

1.  See Certain Steel Threaded Rod from the People's Republic of China: Notice of Antidumping Duty Order, 74 FR 17154 (April 14, 2009) (Order).

2.  See Initiation of Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews, 84 FR 31304 (July 1, 2019).

3.  The domestic interested party is Vulcan Threaded Products, Inc. (Vulcan). See Vulcan's Letter, “Certain Steel Threaded Rod from the People's Republic of China, Second Sunset Review: Substantive Response to Notice of Initiation,” dated July 31, 2019.

4.  See Certain Steel Threaded Rod from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of the Expedited Sunset Review of the Antidumping Duty Order, 84 FR 65780 (November 29, 2019).

5.  See Steel Threaded Rod from China, 85 FR 11101 (February 26, 2020); see also Steel Threaded Rod from China, Inv. No. 731-TA-1145 (Second Review), USITC Pub. 5019, dated February 2020.