[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25449-25450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12203]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-201-817]
Oil Country Tubular Goods From Mexico; Initiation of Changed
Circumstances Antidumping Duty Administrative Review
AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of changed circumstances antidumping duty
administrative review.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a
changed circumstances antidumping duty administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on oil country tubular goods (``OCTG'') from
Mexico. See Notice of Final Determination; Oil Country Tubular Goods
from Mexico, 60 FR 33567 (June 28, 1995).
Within the past year, the Department has received two requests to
revoke the antidumping duty (AD) order covering OCTG from Mexico as it
pertains to drill pipe with tool joints attached (commonly referred to
as finished drill pipe). One was a request by the International
Association of Drilling
[[Page 25450]]
Contractors that the Department self-initiate a changed circumstances
review. The other request came from the leading producer of finished
drill pipe in the United States, Grant Prideco. The latter request was
withdrawn.
We are initiating an antidumping duty changed circumstances
administrative review to determine the extent of domestic industry
support for continuing the antidumping duty order on OCTG from Mexico
with regard to finished drill pipe.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 8, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John K. Drury or Richard Weible,
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482-3208 or (202) 482-1103,
respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 8, 1997, the International Association of Drilling
Contractors (IADC) requested that the Department self-initiate a
changed circumstances review with respect to finished drill pipe. On
March 13, 1998, the Department responded to the IADCO request. On
January 28, 1998, Grant Prideco, Inc. requested revocation of the AD
order on Mexican OCTG with respect to finished drill pipe. The
Department received letters in opposition to this second request from
OMSCO Industries and Drill Pipe Industries, Inc. on February 12, 1998,
and February 13, 1998, respectively. On March 16, 1998, Grant Prideco
withdrew its request for a changed circumstances review.
Since the Department's response to IADC on March 13, 1998, parties
have raised questions regarding whether substantially all of the
domestic industry supports continuation of the AD order on OCTG from
Mexico with respect to finished drill pipe. Therefore, in light of the
request originally filed by Grant Prideco and the information available
to the Department, the Department believes a changed circumstances
review is warranted. The Department intends to examine thoroughly the
domestic producers of the like product to determine which companies are
no longer interested in the portion of the order with respect to
finished drill pipe. The Department will conduct this review as
expeditiously as possible, allowing opportunity for all parties to
comment. The Department will not revoke the order, in part, unless
domestic producers accounting for substantially all of the like product
have expressed lack of interest in maintaining the order with respect
to drill pipe. The Department interprets ``substantially all'' to mean
at least 85 percent of domestic production of the like product. This
review is to determine the level of support of domestic producers of
the like product for maintaining this order with respect to finished
drill pipe.
Applicable Statute and Regulations
Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are
references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective
date of the amendments made to the Tariff Act by the Uruguay Round
Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all citations
to the Department's regulations are to the current regulations.
Scope of the Review
The merchandise subject to this changed circumstances review, is
finished oil well drill pipe with tool joints attached. This
merchandise is currently classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule
of the United States (HTSUS) under item number 8431.43.8010 as ``Parts
suitable for use solely or principally with the machinery of headings
8425 to 8430, [o]f machinery of heading 8426, 8429 or 8430: [p]arts for
boring or sinking machinery of subheading 8430.41 or 8430.49: [o]ther:
[o]f oil and gas field machinery.'' Although the HTSUS subheadings are
provided for convenience and customs purposes, our written description
of the scope of this review is dispositive.
Initiation of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty Order
Administrative Review
Pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act, the Department
will conduct a changed circumstances administrative review upon receipt
of information concerning, or a request from an interested party for a
review of, an antidumping duty order which shows changed circumstances
sufficient to warrant a review of the order. In accordance with section
751(b) and 19 CFR 351.216(b)(4) and 19 CFR 351.216(d), we are
initiating a changed circumstances administrative review. We invite all
parties to provide comments on whether domestic producers of the like
product no longer have an interest in maintaining the order with
respect to finished drill pipe from Mexico within seven days of
publication of this notice of initiation.
The Department will publish in the Federal Register a notice of
preliminary results of changed circumstances antidumping duty
administrative review, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(b)(4) and 19
CFR 351.221(c)(3). The Department will issue its final results of
review in accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(e). All written comments must
be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303 and must be served on
all interested parties on the Department's service list in accordance
with the same provision.
This notice is in accordance with section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff
Act and section 351.221(b)(1) of the Department's regulations.
Dated: May 1, 1998.
Robert S. LaRussa,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-12203 Filed 5-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
