2018-11908. Stainless Steel Flanges From the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

Based on affirmative final determinations by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the International Trade Commission (ITC), Commerce is issuing the countervailing duty (CVD) order stainless steel flanges from the People's Republic of China (China).

DATES:

Applicable June 5, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jerry Huang at [phone] or Justin Neuman at [phone], AD/CVD Operations, Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

In accordance with sections 705(a), 705(d), and 777(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (Act), and 19 CFR 351.210(c), on April 12, 2018, Commerce published its affirmative final determinations that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of stainless steel flanges from China.^[1]

On May 29, 2018, the ITC notified Commerce of its affirmative determination that an industry in the United States is materially injured within the meaning of section 705(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, by reason of subsidized imports of subject merchandise from China.^[2]

Scope of the Order

The scope of this order covers stainless steel flanges from China. For a complete description of the scope, see the Appendix to this notice.

Countervailing Duty Order

On May 29, 2018, in accordance with sections 705(b)(1)(A)(i) and 705(d) of the Act, the ITC notified Commerce of its final determination in this investigation, in which it found that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of imports of stainless steel flanges from China.^[3] Therefore, in accordance with section 705(c)(2) of the Act, Commerce is issuing this countervailing duty order. Because the ITC determined that imports of stainless steel flanges from China are materially injuring a U.S. industry, unliquidated entries of such merchandise from China, entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, are subject to the assessment of countervailing duties.

Therefore, in accordance with section 706(a) of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess, upon further instruction by Commerce, countervailing duties for all relevant entries of stainless steel flanges from China. Countervailing duties will be assessed on unliquidated entries of stainless steel flanges from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after January 23, 2018, the date of publication of the Preliminary Determinations.^[4]

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

In accordance with section 706 of the Act, we will instruct CBP to suspend liquidation on all relevant entries of stainless steel flanges from China, as further described below. These instructions suspending liquidation will remain in effect until further notice. Commerce will also instruct CBP to require cash deposits equal to the amounts as indicated below. Accordingly, effective on the date of publication of the ITC's final affirmative injury determinations, CBP will require, at the same time as importers would normally deposit estimated duties on this subject merchandise, a cash deposit equal to the subsidy rates listed below.^[5] The all-others rate applies to all producers or exporters not specifically listed below.

Company	Subsidy rate (percent)
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

Provisional Measures

Section 703(d) of the Act states that instructions issued pursuant to an affirmative preliminary determination may not remain in effect for more than four months. In the underlying investigations, Commerce published the Preliminary Determination on January 23, 2018. As such, the four-month period beginning on the date of the publication of the Preliminary Determinations ended on May 23, 2018. Furthermore, section 707(b) of the Act states that definitive duties are to begin on the date of publication of the ITC's final injury determination.

Therefore, in accordance with section 703(d) of the Act and our practice, we instructed CBP to terminate the suspension of liquidation and to liquidate, without regard to countervailing duties, unliquidated entries of stainless steel flanges from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, on or after May 23, 2018, the date the provisional measures expired, until and through the day preceding the date of publication of the ITC's final injury determination in the Federal Register. Suspension of liquidation will resume on the date of publication of the ITC's final determination in the Federal Register.

Notifications to Interested Parties

This notice constitutes the countervailing duty order with respect to stainless steel flanges from China pursuant to section 706(a) of the Act. Interested parties can find a list of countervailing duty orders currently in effect at http://enforcement.trade.gov/​stats/​iastats1.html.

This order is issued and published in accordance with section 706(a) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.211(b).

Dated: May 29, 2018.

Gary Taverman,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

Scope of the Order

The products covered by this order are certain forged stainless steel flanges, whether unfinished, semi-finished, or finished (certain forged stainless steel flanges). Certain forged stainless steel flanges are generally manufactured to, but not limited to, the material specification of ASTM/ASMEA/SA182 or comparable domestic or foreign specifications. Certain forged stainless steel flanges are made in various grades such as, but not limited to, 304, 304L, 316, and 316L (or combinations thereof). The term “stainless steel” used in this scope refers to an alloy steel containing, by actual weight, 1.2 percent or less of carbon and 10.5 percent or more of chromium, with or without other elements.

Unfinished stainless steel flanges possess the approximate shape of finished stainless steel flanges and have not yet been machined to final specification after the initial forging or like operations. These machining processes may include, but are not limited to, boring, facing, spot facing, drilling, tapering, threading, beveling, heating, or compressing. Semi-finished stainless steel flanges are unfinished stainless steel flanges that have undergone some machining processes.

The scope includes six general types of flanges. They are: (1) Weld neck, generally used in butt-weld line connection; (2) threaded, generally used for threaded line connections; (3) slip-on, generally used to slide over pipe; (4) lap joint, generally used with stub-ends/butt-weld line connections; (5) socket weld, generally used to fit pipe into a machine recession; and (6) blind, generally used to seal off a line. The sizes and descriptions of the flanges within the scope include all pressure classes of ASME B16.5 and range from one-half inch to twenty-four inches nominal pipe size. Specifically excluded from the scope of this order are cast stainless steel flanges. Cast stainless steel flanges generally are manufactured to specification ASTM A351.

The country of origin for certain forged stainless steel flanges, whether unfinished, semi-finished, or finished is the country where the flange was forged. Subject merchandise includes stainless steel flanges as defined above that have been further processed in a third country. The processing includes, but is not limited to, boring, facing, spot facing, drilling, tapering, threading, beveling, heating, or compressing, and/or any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the orders if performed in the country of manufacture of the stainless steel flanges.

Merchandise subject to the order is typically imported under headings 7307.21.1000 and 7307.21.5000 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). While HTSUS subheadings and ASTM specifications are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope is dispositive.

Footnotes

1.  See Countervailing Duty Investigation of Stainless Steel Flanges from the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Determination, 83 FR 15790 (April 12, 2018) (Final Determination) and the accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum.

2.  See Letters to Gary Taverman, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Enforcement and Compliance, from Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission, regarding stainless steel flanges from China (May 29, 2018) (ITC Letter).

3.  See ITC Letter.

4.  See Countervailing Duty Investigation of Stainless Steel Flanges from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination, 83 FR 3124 (January 23, 2018) (Preliminary Determination) and the accompanying Preliminary Issues and Decision Memorandum. However, as described further below, countervailing duties will not be assessed on merchandise entered, or withdrawn for consumption, during the period of time between the expiration of provisional measures and the publication of the ITC's final injury determination in the Federal Register.

5.  See section 706(a)(3) of the Act.