94-19070. Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Stainless Steel Bar From Japan  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 149 (Thursday, August 4, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page 0]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-19070]
    
    
    [[Page Unknown]]
    
    [Federal Register: August 4, 1994]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    [A-588-833]
    
     
    
    Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: 
    Stainless Steel Bar From Japan
    
    AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
    Department of Commerce.
    
    EFFECTIVE DATE: August 4, 1994.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irene Darzenta or Kate Johnson, Office 
    of Antidumping Investigations, Import Administration, International 
    Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
    Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-
    6320 or (202) 482-4929.
    
    Preliminary Determination
    
        The Department of Commerce (the Department) preliminarily 
    determines that stainless steel bar (SSB) from Japan is being, or is 
    likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value, as 
    provided in section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act) 
    (19 U.S.C. 1673b). The estimated margins are shown in the ``Suspension 
    of Liquidation'' section of this notice.
    
    Scope of Investigation
    
        The merchandise covered by this investigation is SSB. For purposes 
    of this investigation, the term ``stainless steel bar'' means articles 
    of stainless steel in straight lengths that have been either hot-
    rolled, forged, turned, cold-drawn, cold-rolled or otherwise cold-
    finished, or ground, having a uniform solid cross section along their 
    whole length in the shape of circles, segments of circles, ovals, 
    rectangles (including squares), triangles, hexagons, octagons or other 
    convex polygons. SSB includes cold-finished SSBs that are turned or 
    ground in straight lengths, whether produced from hot-rolled bar or 
    from straightened and cut rod or wire, and reinforcing bars that have 
    indentations, ribs, grooves, or other deformations produced during the 
    rolling process.
        Except as specified above, the term does not include stainless 
    steel semi-finished products, cut length flat-rolled products (i.e., 
    cut length rolled products which if less than 4.75 mm in thickness have 
    a width measuring at least 10 times the thickness, or if 4.75 mm or 
    more in thickness having a width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at 
    least twice the thickness), wire (i.e., cold-formed products in coils, 
    of any uniform solid cross sections along their whole length, which do 
    not conform to the definition of flat-rolled products), and angles, 
    shapes and sections.
        The SSB subject to this investigation is currently classifiable 
    under subheading 7222.10.0005, 7222.10.0050, 7222.20.0005, 
    7222.20.0045, 7222.20.0075, and 7222.30.0000 of the Harmonized Tariff 
    Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading is 
    provided for convenience and customs purposes, our written description 
    of the scope of this investigation is dispositive.
    
    Period of Investigation
    
        The period of investigation (POI) is July 1, 1993, through December 
    31, 1993.
    
    Case History
    
        Since the notice of initiation on January 19, 1994 (59 FR 3844, 
    January 27, 1994), the following events have occurred.
        On February 4, 1994, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo provided the 
    Department with the names of the firms producing SSB in Japan. To 
    supplement this data, on February 7, 1994, counsel for respondents 
    submitted volume and value statistics for eight Japanese companies.
        On February 14, 1994, the International Trade Commission (ITC) 
    issued an affirmative preliminary injury determination (USITC 
    Publication 2734, February 1994).
        On February 28, 1994, the Department sent its antidumping 
    questionnaire to Aichi Steel Works, Ltd. (Aichi), Daido Steel Co., Ltd. 
    (Daido), and Sanyo Special Steel Co., Ltd. (Sanyo). These firms 
    accounted for at least 60 percent of the exports of the subject 
    merchandise to the United States during the POI, in accordance with 19 
    CFR 353.42(b). On March 7, 1994, the Department met with company 
    officials from Aichi, Daido and Sanyo at the Japanese Ministry of 
    International Trade and Industry in Tokyo. At this meeting each of the 
    three named respondent companies stated that they did not intend to 
    participate in our investigation. No questionnaire responses were 
    submitted.
        On March 11, 1994, the Department received a request from an 
    additional Japanese producer of SSB, Abe Bright Shaft Manufacturing 
    Co., Ltd. (Abe Bright), to be a voluntary respondent in this 
    investigation. On March 11, 1994, we sent a questionnaire to Abe 
    Bright. On April 4, 1994, Abe Bright submitted a letter withdrawing its 
    request to participate as a voluntary respondent in this investigation.
        On March 25, 1994, we received comments on the issue of class or 
    kind of merchandise from interested parties, per the Department's 
    invitation for such comments in its notice of initiation. On April 13, 
    1994, we determined that SSB constitutes one class or kind of 
    merchandise. (See May 11, 1994, Decision Memorandum to Barbara Stafford 
    from The Team Re: Class or Kind of Merchandise.)
        On April 26, 1994, the Department received a request from 
    petitioners to postpone the preliminary determination until July 28, 
    1994. On May 16, 1994, we published in the Federal Register (59 FR 
    25447), a notice announcing the postponement of the preliminary 
    determination until not later than July 28, 1994, pursuant to 
    petitioners' request, in accordance with 19 CFR 353.15 (c) and (d).
    
    Best Information Available
    
        Because the three named respondents failed to respond to the 
    Department's questionnaire, we based our determination on BIA pursuant 
    to section 776(c) of the Act.
        As BIA, we are assigning 61.47 percent, the highest margin among 
    the margins alleged in the petition, in accordance with the two-tiered 
    BIA methodology under which the Department imposes the most adverse 
    rate upon a respondent who refuses to cooperate or otherwise 
    significantly impedes the proceeding, and as outlined in the 
    Antifriction Bearings (Other Than Tapered Roller Bearings) and Parts 
    Thereof From the Federal Republic of Germany; Final Results of 
    Antidumping Duty Administrative Review (56 Fr 31692, 31704, July 11, 
    1991). The Department's methodology for assigning BIA has been upheld 
    by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (see Allied-Signal 
    Aerospace Co. v. United States, Slip Op. 94-1112 (June 30, 1994); and 
    Allied Signal Aerospace Co. v. United States, 996 F.2d 1185 (Fed. Cir. 
    1993); see also Krupp Stahl AG, et al. v. United States, 822 F. Supp. 
    789 (CIT 1993)).
    
    Suspension of Liquidation
    
        In accordance with section 733(d)(1) (19 U.S.C. 1673b(d)(1)) of the 
    Act, we are directing the U.S. Customs Service to suspend liquidation 
    of all entries of SSB from Japan, as defined in the ``Scope of 
    Investigation'' section of this notice, that are entered, or withdrawn 
    from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of 
    this notice in the Federal Register. The Customs Service shall require 
    a cash deposit or posting of a bond equal to the estimated margin 
    amount by which the foreign market value of the subject merchandise 
    exceeds the United States price as shown below. The suspension of 
    liquidation will remain in effect until further notice.
    
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Weighted
                                                                    average 
                   Manufacturer/producer/exporter                    margin 
                                                                    percent 
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Aichi Steel Works, Ltd.......................................      61.47
    Daido Steel Co., Ltd.........................................      61.47
    Sanyo Special Steel Co., Ltd.................................      61.47
    All Others...................................................      61.47
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    ITC Notification
    
        In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, we have notified the 
    ITC of our determination. If our final determination is affirmative, 
    the ITC will determine whether imports of the subject merchandise are 
    materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry, 
    before the later of 120 days after the date of the preliminary 
    determination or 45 days after our final determination.
    
    Public Comment
    
        In accordance with 19 CFR 353.38, case briefs or other written 
    comments must be submitted, in at least ten copies, to the Assistant 
    Secretary for Import Administration no later than November 8, 1994, and 
    rebuttal briefs no later than November 15, 1994. In addition, a public 
    version and five copies should be submitted by the appropriate date if 
    the submission contains business proprietary information. In accordance 
    with 19 CFR 353.38(b), we will hold a public hearing, if requested, to 
    afford interested parties an opportunity to comment on arguments raised 
    in case or rebuttal briefs. Tentatively, the hearing will be held, if 
    requested, at 2:00 p.m. on November 17, 1994, at the U.S. Department of 
    Commerce, Room 1414, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
    Washington DC 20230. Parties should confirm by telephone the time, 
    date, and place of the hearing 48 hours before the scheduled time.
        Interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a 
    written request to the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration, 
    U.S. Department of Commerce, Room B-099 within ten days of the date of 
    publication of this notice. Requests should contain: (1) The party's 
    name, address and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and 
    (3) a list of issues to be discussed. In accordance with 19 CFR 
    353.38(b), oral presentation will be limited to arguments raised in the 
    briefs.
        This determination is published pursuant to section 733(f) of the 
    Act (19 U.S.C. 1673b(f)) and 19 CFR 353.15(a)(4).
    
        Dated: July 28, 1994.
    Barbara R. Stafford,
    Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
    [FR Doc. 94-19070 Filed 8-3-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
08/04/1994
Department:
Commerce Department
Entry Type:
Uncategorized Document
Document Number:
94-19070
Dates:
August 4, 1994.
Pages:
0-0 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: August 4, 1994, A-588-833