Certain Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate From Brazil; Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; Notice of Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[(A-351-817)]

Certain Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate From Brazil; Antidumping

Duty Administrative Review; Notice of 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 25, 1997, the Department of Commerce (``the

Department'') published in the Federal Register (62 FR 50292) a notice

announcing the initiation of an administrative review of the

antidumping duty order on Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate

(Carbon Steel Plate) from Brazil. This administrative review covered

two Brazilian manufacturers and exporters of plate, Usinas Siderurgica

de Minas Gerais (``USIMINAS'') and Companhia Siderurgica Paulista

(``COSIPA''), for the period of August 1, 1996 through July 31, 1997.

This review has now been rescinded as a result of the absence of

shipments and entries into the United States of subject merchandise

during the period of review.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 6, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen Kramer or Linda Ludwig, Office

of AD/CVD Enforcement, Group III, Import Administration, International

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

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-0405

or 482-3833, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 29, 1997, Skadden, Arps, Slate,

Meagher & Flom LLP, on behalf of petitioners in this proceeding,

requested a review of sales made by USIMINAS and COSIPA. On September

10, 1997, USIMINAS and COSIPA claimed, in a letter to the Department,

``that they had no sales or entries of cut-to-length plate in the U.S.

during the 1996/97 review period.'' The Department sent a no-shipment

inquiry regarding USIMINAS and COSIPA to U.S. Customs on October 16,

1997. Customs did not indicate that there were any such entries. In a

letter to the Department dated January 7, 1998, petitioners asked the

Department to investigate the accuracy of respondents' claim. U.S.

Census Bureau import statistics and privately collected data indicated

there may have been entries of subject merchandise during the period of

review. On January 20 and 29, 1998, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, counsel

for USIMINAS and COSIPA, provided documentation to support its claim

that the merchandise in question was either not entered for consumption

in the United States (i.e., was transshipped to third countries) or was

outside the scope of the antidumping duty order. On February 11, 1998,

counsel for petitioners argued that the documentation provided was

incomplete and inconclusive. Accordingly, the Department asked the U.S.

Customs Service (``Customs'') to conduct an inquiry to determine

whether certain entries for consumption in the United States were

properly classified as falling under the scope of the antidumping duty

order. Customs conveyed the results of this inquiry to the Department

on July 24, 1998, stating that all of the entries in question were of

non-scope merchandise. The Department therefore concludes that USIMINAS

and COSIPA made no shipments of the subject merchandise during the

period of review. Accordingly, this administrative review is being

rescinded in accordance with Section 751(a)(1) of the Tariff Act (19

U.S.C. 1675(a)(1)) and section 351.213(d)(3) of the Department's

regulations.

Dated: July 28, 1998.

Joseph A. Spetrini,

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Enforcement Group III.

[FR Doc. 98-21062 Filed 8-5-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P