Initiation of Antidumping Duty Investigation: Stainless Steel Angle From Japan

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[A-588-834]

Initiation of Antidumping Duty Investigation: Stainless Steel

Angle From Japan

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 4, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Jenkins 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-

1756, or (202) 482-4929.

INITIATION OF INVESTIGATION:

The Petition

On April 8, 1994, we received a petition filed in proper form by

Slater Steels Corporation, Specialty Alloys Division (petitioner), a

U.S. producer of stainless steel angle. In accordance with 19 CFR

353.12, the petitioner alleges that imports of stainless steel angle

from Japan are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at

less than fair value within the meaning of section 731 of the Tariff

Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and that these imports are

materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, a U.S. industry.

The petitioner has stated that it has standing to file the petition

because it is an interested party, as defined under section 771(9)(C)

of the Act, and because the petition is filed on behalf of the U.S.

industry producing the product subject to this investigation. If any

interested party, as described under paragraphs (C), (D), (E), or (F)

of section 771(9) of the Act, wishes to register support for, or

opposition to, this petition, it should file written notification with

the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Under the Department's regulations, any producer or reseller

seeking exclusion from a potential antidumping duty order must submit

its request for exclusion within 30 days of the date of the publication

of this notice. The procedures and requirements are contained in 19 CFR

353.14.

Scope of Investigation

For purposes of this investigation, the term ``stainless steel

angle'' includes hot-rolled, whether or not annealed or descaled,

stainless steel products angled at 90 degrees, that are not otherwise

advanced. The stainless steel angle subject to this investigation is

currently classifiable under subheadings 7222.40.30.20, and

7222.40.30.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States

(HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience

and customs purposes, our written description of the scope of this

investigation is dispositive.

United States Price and Foreign Market Value

Petitioner based U.S. price (USP) on prices contained in a November

1993 price list for subject merchandise sold by an unrelated U.S.

importer and reseller of Japanese stainless steel angle to its U.S.

customer. Since these prices were quoted ex-dock, duty paid, petitioner

deducted from USP amounts for U.S. duty, ocean freight, marine

insurance, harbor maintenance and U.S. merchandise processing fees.

Petitioner used tax-exclusive, delivered prices of subject

merchandise sold in Japan by three Japanese producers during the month

of September 1993, as the basis for foreign market value (FMV). These

prices were obtained from a market research report and pertained to the

following three Japanese producers: Aichi Steel Works, Daido Steel and

Sumitomo Metal Industries. To calculate an ex-factory price, petitioner

used expense information from the market research report. Petitioner

converted the home market prices to U.S. dollars based on the monthly

average yen/dollar exchange rate effective during the month of the U.S.

sale, as reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Petitioner

deducted from FMV an amount for inland freight. Petitioner made

circumstance-of-sale adjustments for differences in imputed credit

costs between Japanese and U.S. sales based on the average payment

period identified in the foreign market research report.

Based on a comparison of USP to FMV, the dumping margins alleged by

petitioner for stainless steel angle from Japan range from 40.82

percent to 58.81 percent.

Preliminary Determination by the International Trade Commission

The International Trade Commission (ITC) will determine by May 23,

1994, whether there is a reasonable indication that imports of

stainless steel angle from Japan are materially injuring, or threaten

material injury to, a U.S. industry. A negative ITC determination will

result in this investigation being terminated; otherwise, the

investigation will proceed according to statutory and regulatory time

limits.

This notice is published pursuant to section 732(c)(2) of the Act

and 19 CFR 353.13(b).

Dated: April 20, 1994.

Susan G. Esserman,

Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 94-10718 Filed 5-3-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P