Oil Country Tubular Goods From Argentina; Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-357-810]

Oil Country Tubular Goods From Argentina; Rescission of

Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of rescission of antidumping duty administrative review.

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SUMMARY: On September 17, 1996, the Department of Commerce (``the

Department'') published in the Federal Register (61 FR 48882) a notice

announcing the initiation of an administrative review of the

antidumping duty order on oil country tubular goods (``OCTG'') from

Argentina. This review covered the period June 29, 1995 through July

31, 1996 (for OCTG other than drill pipe) and August 11, 1995 through

July 31, 1996 (for drill pipe). This review has now been rescinded as a

result of the absence of entries into the United States of subject

merchandise during the period of review.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 17, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alain Letort or John Kugelman, AD/CVD

Enforcement Group III--Office 8, Import Administration, International

Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and

Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482-

4243 or (202) 482-0649, respectively, or fax (202) 482-1388.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 30, 1996, petitioners requested an

administrative review of Siderca S.A.I.C., an Argentine producer and

exporter of OCTG, and Siderca Corporation, a U.S. importer and reseller

of such merchandise (collectively, ``Siderca''), with respect to the

antidumping duty order published in the Federal Register on August 11,

1995 (60 FR 41055). We initiated this review on September 17, 1996 (61

FR 48882).

On October 4, 1996, Siderca filed a letter with the Department

certifying that it did not export, directly or indirectly, subject

merchandise that was entered for consumption into the United States

during the period of review (``POR''). Siderca also certified that its

U.S. affiliate, Siderca Corporation, did not import for U.S.

consumption any of the subject merchandise during the POR.

[[Page 18748]]

On October 25, 1996, petitioners claimed that publicly available

import data contradicted Siderca's claims. Petitioners contended these

data showed that Siderca was the shipper of a substantial quantity of

OCTG (drill pipe and green tubing) during the period August through

December, 1995, and that Siderca was listed as the consignee of each

entry. Petitioners noted that none of these entries appeared in

official U.S. import statistics. Petitioners also claimed those

statistics showed that a very small quantity of seamless casing entered

the United States from Argentina in December 1995, and requested that

Siderca be asked to explain the exact nature, timing, and details of

this shipment.

On October 30, 1996, we sent a no-shipment inquiry regarding

Siderca to the U.S. Customs Service (``Customs''). Customs did not

indicate that there were records of any consumption entries of OCTG by

Siderca during the POR. On November 13, 1996, Siderca asserted in a

letter to the Department that none of the six entries of drill pipe and

green tubing referenced by petitioners was a consumption entry; rather,

Siderca claimed, two of these entries were temporary importation in-

bond (``TIB'') entries and four were entries into a foreign-trade zone

(``FTZ''). Siderca argued that none of these entries could serve as the

basis for an administrative review since they were not imported into

the United States for consumption. Siderca also stated that it had no

knowledge of, or involvement with, the very small shipment of seamless

casing that allegedly entered the United States in December 1995.

Siderca surmised that this shipment involved parties other than itself.

There is no evidence on the record that would lead us to question this

claim by Siderca.

On April 8, 1997, we received official confirmation from Customs

that two of the entries of drill pipe and green tubing in question were

TIB entries and that the remaining four were FTZ entries. Customs also

confirmed that none of these six entries entered the customs territory

of the United States during the POR for consumption.

Because the only firm for which a review was requested made no

entries into the customs territory of the United States during the POR,

we are rescinding this review in accordance with the Department's

practice. See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties; Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking, 61 FR 7308, 7317, 7365 (February 27, 1996)

(section 351.213(d)(3)). The cash deposit rate for this firm will

continue to be the rate established in the most recently completed

segment of this proceeding.

This notice is published in accordance with section 751 of the

Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. Sec. 1675 (1995)), and

section 353.22 of the Department's regulations (19 CFR Sec. 353.22

(1996)).

Dated: April 10, 1997.

Joseph A. Spetrini,

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Enforcement Group III, Import

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97-9967 Filed 4-16-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P