2018-16348. Stainless Steel Flanges From the People's Republic of China: Antidumping 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 an antidumping duty order on stainless steel flanges from the People's Republic of China (China).

DATES:

Applicable August 1, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ian Hamilton, 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

In accordance with section 735(d) and 777(i)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.210(c), on June 11, 2018, Commerce published its affirmative Final Determination in the less than fair value (LTFV) investigation of stainless steel flanges from China.^[1] On July 25, 2018, the ITC notified Commerce of its final determination pursuant to section 735(d) of the Act, that an industry in the United States is materially injured by reason of LTFV imports of stainless steel flanges from China, within the meaning of section 735(b)(1)(A) of the Act.^[2]

Scope of the Order

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

Antidumping Duty Order

In accordance with sections 735(b)(1)(A) and 735(d) of the Act, the ITC has notified Commerce of its final determination in this investigation, in which it found that imports of stainless steel flanges from China are materially injuring a U.S. industry.^[3] Therefore, in accordance with sections 735(c)(2) and 736(a) of the Act, we are publishing this antidumping duty order.

As a result of the ITC's final determination, in accordance with section 736(a)(1) of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess, upon further instruction by Commerce, antidumping duties equal to the amount by which the normal value of the merchandise exceeds the export price (or constructed export price) of the merchandise, for all relevant entries of stainless steel flanges from China. These antidumping duties will be assessed on unliquidated entries of stainless steel flanges from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 28, 2018, the date on which Commerce published the Preliminary Determination,^[4] but will not include entries occurring after the expiration of the provisional measures period and before publication of the ITC's final injury determination, as further described below.

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

In accordance with section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, we will instruct CBP to continue to suspend liquidation on entries of subject merchandise from China. We will also instruct CBP to require cash deposits equal to the estimated amount by which the normal value exceeds the U.S. price as indicated in the chart below. These instructions suspending liquidation will remain in effect until further notice.

Accordingly, effective on the date of publication of the ITC's final affirmative injury determination, CBP will require, at the same time as importers would normally deposit estimated duties on this subject merchandise, a cash deposit equal to the estimated antidumping duty margin.^[5] The “China-wide” rate applies to all exporters of subject merchandise not specifically listed in the table below.

Provisional Measures

Section 733(d) of the Act states that instructions to suspend liquidation issued pursuant to an affirmative preliminary determination may not remain in effect for more than four months, except where exporters representing a significant proportion of exports of subject merchandise request to extend the four-month period to six months. Therefore, the four-month period beginning on March 28, 2018, the date of publication of the Preliminary Determination, ended on July 25, 2018. Furthermore, section 737(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 733(d) of the Act and our practice, we will instruct CBP to terminate the suspension of liquidation and to liquidate, without regard to antidumping duties, unliquidated entries of stainless steel flanges from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after July 26, 2018, the day after which 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.

Estimated Dumping Margins

Commerce determines that the estimated final weighted-average dumping margins are as follows:

Exporter/producer	Weighted-average dumping margins (percent)
Shanxi Guanjiaying Flange Forging Group Co., Ltd	257.11
China-wide Entity	257.11

Notification to Interested Parties

This notice constitutes the antidumping duty order with respect to stainless steel flanges from China, pursuant to section 736(a) of the Act. Interested parties can find a list of antidumping duty orders currently in effect at http://enforcement.trade.gov/​stats/​iastats1.html.

This order is issued and published in accordance with section 736(a) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.211(b).

Dated: July 25, 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/ASME A/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 investigation 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 Stainless Steel Flanges from the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 83 FR 26959 (June 11, 2018) (Final Determination).

2.  See ITC Letter regarding stainless steel flanges from China, dated July 25, 2018 (ITC Notification); see also Stainless Steel Flanges from China, Inv. No. 731-TA-1383 (Final), USITC Pub. 4807, (July 2018).

3.  See ITC Notification.

4.  See Stainless Steel Flanges from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 83 FR 13244 (March 28, 2018) (Preliminary Determination).

5.  See section 736(a)(3) of the Act.