01-22590. Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Moldova, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, and Venezuela

AGENCY:

International Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Institution of countervailing duty and antidumping investigations and scheduling of preliminary phase investigations.

SUMMARY:

The Commission hereby gives notice of the institution of investigations and commencement of preliminary phase countervailing duty and antidumping investigations Nos. 701-TA-417-421 (Preliminary) and 731-TA-953-963 (Preliminary)^[1] under sections 703(a) and 733(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671b(a) and 1673b(a)) (the Act) to determine whether there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of imports of carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod,^[2] provided for in subheadings 7213.91, 7213.99, 7227.20, and 7227.90.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, that are alleged to be subsidized by the Governments of Brazil, Canada, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey and by reason of such imports from Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Moldova, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, and Venezuela that are alleged to be sold in the United States at less than fair value. Unless the Department of Commerce extends the time for initiation pursuant to sections 702(c)(1)(B) and 732(c)(1)(B) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1671a(c)(1)(B) and 1673a(c)(1)(B)), the Commission must reach a preliminary determination in countervailing duty and antidumping investigations in 45 days, or in this case by October 15, 2001. The Commission's views are due at Commerce within five business days thereafter, or by October 22, 2001.

For further information concerning the conduct of these investigations 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 and B (19 CFR part 207).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

August 31, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Elizabeth Haines (202-205-3200), 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). The public record for these investigations may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS-ON-LINE) at http://dockets.usitc.gov/​eol/​public.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background.— These investigations are being instituted in response to a petition filed on August 31, 2001, by counsel on behalf of Co-Steel Raritan, Inc., Perth Amboy, NJ; GS Industries, Inc., Charlotte, NC; Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc., Dallas, TX; and North Star Steel Texas, Inc., Edina, MN.

Participation in the investigations and public service list.— Persons (other than petitioners) wishing to participate in the investigations as parties must file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as provided in sections 201.11 and 207.10 of the Commission's rules, not later than seven days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Industrial users and (if the merchandise under investigation is sold at the retail level) representative consumer organizations have the right to appear as parties in Commission countervailing duty and antidumping investigations. The Secretary will prepare a public service list containing the names and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to these investigations upon the expiration of the period for filing entries of appearance.

Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under an administrative protective order (APO) and BPI service list.— Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary will make BPI gathered in these investigations available to authorized applicants representing interested parties (as defined in 19 U.S.C. 1677(9)) who are parties to the investigations under the APO issued in the investigations, provided that the application is made not later than seven days after the publication of this notice in the Federal Register. A separate service list will be maintained by the Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.

Conference.— The Commission's Director of Operations has scheduled a conference in connection with these investigations for 9:30 a.m. on September 21, 2001, at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC. Parties wishing to participate in the conference should contact Elizabeth Haines (202-205-3200) not later than September 19, 2001, to arrange for their appearance. Parties in support of the imposition of countervailing and antidumping duties in these investigations and parties in opposition to the imposition of such duties will each be collectively allocated one hour within which to make an oral presentation at the conference. A nonparty who has testimony that may aid the Commission's deliberations may request permission to present a short statement at the conference.

Written submissions.— As provided in sections 201.8 and 207.15 of the Commission's rules, any person may submit to the Commission on or before September 26, 2001, a written brief containing information and arguments pertinent to the subject matter of the investigations. Parties may file written testimony in connection with their presentation at the conference no later than three days before the conference. If briefs or written testimony contain BPI, they must conform with the requirements of sections 201.6, 207.3, and 207.7 of the Commission's rules. The Commission's rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means.

In accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the rules, each document filed by a party to the investigations must be served on all other parties to the investigations (as identified by either the public or BPI service list), and a certificate of service must be timely filed. The Secretary will not accept a document for filing without a certificate of service.

Authority: These investigations are being conducted under authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published pursuant to section 207.12 of the Commission's rules.

Issued: September 4, 2001.

By order of the Commission.

Donna R. Koehnke,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  Investigations Nos. 701-TA-417-421 (Preliminary) cover imports from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey, respectively. Investigations Nos. 731-TA-953-963 (Preliminary) cover imports from Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Moldova, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, and Venezuela, respectively.

2.  For purposes of these investigations, carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod is defined as hot-rolled bars and rods, in irregularly wound coils, of circular cross section, having a diameter of 5 mm or more but less than 19 mm, of non-alloy or alloy steel, except such bars and rods of free-machining steel or of alloy steel containing by weight 24 percent or more of nickel. Free-machining steel is any steel product containing by weight one or more of the following elements, in the specified proportions: 0.03 percent or more of lead, 0.05 percent or more of bismuth, 0.08 percent or more of sulfur, more than 0.04 percent of phosphorus, more than 0.05 percent of selenium, and/or more than 0.01 percent of tellurium. The investigations do not cover concrete reinforcing bars and rods, or bars and rods of stainless steel or tool steel.