Certain Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From Japan: Notice of Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review of the Antidumping Duty Order, Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-588-824]

Certain Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From

Japan: Notice of Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review of the

Antidumping Duty Order, Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances

Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of initiation and preliminary results of changed

circumstances antidumping duty review, and intent to revoke order in

part.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(b), Uchiyama America, Inc

(``Uchiyama''), an interested party in this proceeding, requested a

changed circumstances review. In response to Uchiyama's request, the

Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a changed

circumstances review and issuing a notice of intent to revoke in part

the antidumping duty order on certain corrosion-resistant carbon steel

flat products from Japan. Interested parties are invited to comment on

these preliminary results.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 2, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doreen Chen or Rick Johnson, Import

Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of

Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

20230; telephone: (202) 482-0408, (202) 482-3818, respectively.

The Applicable Statute and Regulations

Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the statute are

references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective

date of the amendments made to the Tariff Act of 1930 (the Act) by the

Uruguay Round Agreements Act. In addition, unless otherwise indicated,

all citations to the Department's regulations are to the regulations as

codified at 19 CFR part 351, 62 FR 27295 (May 19, 1997)).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On December 11, 1998, Uchiyama requested that the Department revoke

in part the antidumping duty order on certain corrosion-resistant

carbon steel flat products from Japan. Specifically, Uchiyama requested

that the Department revoke the order with respect to imports of the

following subject merchandise: (1) widths ranging from 10 millimeters

(0.394 inches) through 100 millimeters (3.94 inches); (2) thicknesses,

including coatings, ranging from 0.11 millimeters (0.004 inches)

through 0.60 millimeters (0.024 inches); and (3) a coating that is from

0.003 millimeters (0.00012 inches) through 0.005 millimeters (0.000196

inches) in thickness and that is comprised of either two evenly applied

layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt, and 0.5%

molybdenum, followed by a layer consisting of chromate, or three evenly

applied layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt,

and 0.5% molybdenum followed by a layer consisting of chromate, and

finally a layer consisting of silicate. Uchiyama, a domestic

manufacturer of rubber seals and metal inserts for ball bearings, is an

importer of the products in question. On

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January 19, 1999, Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Bethlehem), Inland Steel

Industries, Inc. (Inland), LTV Steel Company (LTV), National Steel

Corporation (National), and U.S. Steel Group, A Unit of USX Corporation

(U.S. Steel), domestic interested parties in this case, submitted a

letter indicating that they have no objection to the initiation of this

changed circumstances review and no interest in maintaining the

antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat

products from Japan with respect to products having the dimensions

indicated above. Based on the fact that this portion of this order is

no longer of interest to domestic parties, we intend to partially

revoke this order.

Initiation of Changed Circumstances Antidumping Duty Review, and

Intent To Revoke Order in Part

Pursuant to sections 751(d)(1) and 782(h)(2) of the Act, the

Department may partially revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty

order based on a review under section 751(b) of the Act (i.e., a

changed circumstances review). Section 751(b)(1) of the Act requires a

changed circumstances review to be conducted upon receipt of a request

which shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review.

Section 351.222(g) of the Department's regulations provides that the

Department will conduct a changed circumstances administrative review

under 19 CFR 351.216, and may revoke an order (in whole or in part), if

it determines that producers accounting for substantially all of the

production of the domestic like product to which the order (or the part

of the order to be revoked) pertains have expressed a lack of interest

in the relief provided by the order, in whole or in part. In addition,

in the event that the Department concludes that expedited action is

warranted, 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii) permits the Department to combine

the notices of initiation and preliminary results.

Therefore, in accordance with sections 751(d)(1) and 782(h)(2) of

the Act, and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.222(g), based on affirmative

statements of no interest by Bethlehem, Inland, LTV, National, and U.S.

Steel in continuing the order with respect to corrosion-resistant

carbon steel flat products with (1) widths ranging from 10 millimeters

(0.394 inches) through 100 millimeters (3.94 inches); (2) thicknesses,

including coatings, ranging from 0.11 millimeters (0.004 inches)

through 0.60 millimeters (0.024 inches); and (3) a coating that is from

0.003 millimeters (0.00012 inches) through 0.005 millimeters (0.000196

inches) in thickness and that is comprised of either two evenly applied

layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt, and 0.5%

molybdenum, followed by a layer consisting of chromate, or three evenly

applied layers, the first layer consisting of 99% zinc, 0.5% cobalt,

and 0.5% molybdenum followed by a layer consisting of chromate, and

finally a layer consisting of silicate, we are initiating this changed

circumstances review. Furthermore, we determine that expedited action

is warranted, and we preliminarily determine that the continued relief

provided by the order with respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel

flat products within the width and thickness range mentioned above is

no longer of interest to domestic interested parties. Because we have

concluded that expedited action is warranted, we are combining these

notices of initiation and preliminary results. Therefore, we are hereby

notifying the public of our intent to revoke in part the antidumping

duty order with respect to imports of corrosion-resistant carbon steel

flat products of the above-mentioned width, thickness, coating range,

and coating composition from Japan.

If final revocation in part occurs, we intend to instruct the U.S.

Customs Service (Customs) to liquidate without regard to antidumping

duties, and to refund any estimated antidumping duties collected for

all entries of corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products, with the

dimensions indicated above, made on or after the date of publication in

the Federal Register of the final results of this review in accordance

with 19 CFR 351.222. We will also instruct Customs to pay interest on

such refunds in accordance with section 778 of the Act. The current

requirement for a cash deposit of estimated antidumping duties on

corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products, with the dimensions

indicated above, will continue unless and until we publish a final

determination to revoke in part.

Public Comment

Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary

results. Parties who submit argument in this proceeding are requested

to submit with the argument (1) a statement of the issue, and (2) a

brief summary of the argument. Parties to the proceedings may request

disclosure within 5 days of the date of publication of this notice and

any interested party may request a hearing within 10 days of

publication. Any hearing, if requested, will be held no later than 28

days after the date of publication of this notice, or the first workday

thereafter. Case briefs may be submitted by interested parties not

later than 14 days after the date of publication of this notice.

Rebuttal briefs and rebuttals to written comments, limited to the

issues raised in those comments, may be filed not later than 21 days

after the date of publication of this notice. All written comments

shall be submitted in accordance with 19 CFR 351.303 and shall be

served on all interested parties on the Department's service list in

accordance with 19 CFR 351.303. Persons interested in attending the

hearing should contact the Department for the date and time of the

hearing. The Department will publish the final results of this changed

circumstances review, including the results of its analysis of issues

raised in any written comments. This notice is in accordance with

sections 751(b)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216 and 351.222.

Dated: January 25. 1999.

Richard W. Moreland,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-2456 Filed 2-1-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P