[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 41 (Friday, March 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9513-9514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3697]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

(A-427-801)


Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof from France: Initiation of an 
Antidumping Duty Changed-Circumstances Review

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: In response to a request for a changed-circumstances review 
from Societe Nouvelle de Fabrication Aeronautique S.A.S.U., SKF France 
S.A., and SKF Aerospace France S.A.S. and pursuant to section 751(b) of 
the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and 19 CFR Sec.  351.216 and 
351.221(c)(3), the Department of Commerce is initiating a changed-
circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on ball bearings and 
parts thereof from France.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 2, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edythe Artman at (202) 482-3931 or 
Richard Rimlinger at (202) 482-4477, AD/CVD Operations, Office 5, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, 
Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Department of Commerce (the Department) published antidumping 
duty orders on ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, and 
spherical plain bearings and parts thereof from France on May 15, 1989. 
See Antidumping Duty Orders: Ball Bearings, Cylindrical Roller 
Bearings, Spherical Plain Bearings, and Parts Thereof From France, 54 
FR 20902 (May 15, 1989). The order on cylindrical roller bearings and 
parts thereof from France was revoked, effective January 1, 2000. See 
Revocation of Antidumping Duty Orders on Certain Bearings From Hungary, 
Japan, Romania, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, 
65 FR 42667 (July 11, 2000). The order on spherical plain bearings and 
parts thereof from France was also revoked, effective July 11, 2005. 
See Antifriction Bearings and Parts Thereof from France and Singapore: 
Revocation of Antidumping Duty Orders, 71 FR 54468 (September 15, 
2006).
    Societe Nouvelle de Fabrication Aeronautique S.A.S.U. (SNFA) and 
SKF France S.A. have participated in numerous administrative reviews of 
the order on ball bearings and parts thereof from France. On August 11, 
2000, the Department revoked the order, effective May 1, 1999, with 
respect to sales of bearings by SNFA. See Antifriction Bearings (Other 
Than Tapered Roller Bearings) and Parts Thereof from France, Germany, 
Italy, Japan, Romania, Singapore, Sweden and the United Kingdom; Final 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Reviews and Revocation of 
Orders in Part, 65 FR 49219 (August 11, 2000).
    On January 9, 2007, SNFA and SKF France S.A. and SKF Aerospace 
France S.A.S. (collectively SKF France) requested that the Department 
initiate and conduct a changed-circumstances review in order to 
determine that, for purposes of the order on ball bearings and parts 
thereof, SNFA is not a successor-in-interest to SKF France following 
SNFA's acquisition by that company and that it is the successor-in-
interest to the pre-acquisition SNFA.
    We did not receive any other comments.

Scope of the Order

    The products covered by these orders are ball bearings (other than 
tapered roller bearings) and parts thereof. These

[[Page 9514]]

products include all bearings that employ balls as the rolling element. 
Imports of these products are classified under the following 
categories: antifriction balls, ball bearings with integral shafts, 
ball bearings (including radial ball bearings) and parts thereof, and 
housed or mounted ball bearing units and parts thereof.
    Imports of these products are classified under the following 
Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States (HTSUS) subheadings: 
3926.90.45, 4016.93.00, 4016.93.10, 4016.93.50, 6909.19.5010, 
8431.20.00, 8431.39.0010, 8482.10.10, 8482.10.50, 8482.80.00, 
8482.91.00, 8482.99.05, 8482.99.2580, 8482.99.35, 8482.99.6595, 
8483.20.40, 8483.20.80, 8483.50.8040, 8483.50.90, 8483.90.20, 
8483.90.30, 8483.90.70, 8708.50.50, 8708.60.50, 8708.60.80, 
8708.70.6060, 8708.70.8050, 8708.93.30, 8708.93.5000, 8708.93.6000, 
8708.93.75, 8708.99.06, 8708.99.31, 8708.99.4960, 8708.99.50, 
8708.99.5800, 8708.99.8080, 8803.10.00, 8803.20.00, 8803.30.00, 
8803.90.30, and 8803.90.90.
    Although the HTSUS item numbers above are provided for convenience 
and customs purposes, written descriptions of the scope of this order 
remain dispositive.
    For a listing of scope determinations which pertain to the order on 
ball bearings and parts thereof, see the Scope Determination Memorandum 
(Scope Memorandum) from the Antifriction Bearings Team to Laurie 
Parkhill, dated March 2, 2006. The Scope Memorandum is on file in the 
Central Records Unit (CRU), main Commerce building, Room B-099, in the 
General Issues record (A-100-001) for the 2004/2005 administrative 
reviews of the orders on antifriction bearings.

Initiation of Changed-Circumstances Review

    Pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(the Act), and 19 CFR Sec.  351.216 (2005), the Department will conduct 
a changed-circumstances review upon receipt of information concerning, 
or a request from an interested party for a review of, an antidumping 
duty order which shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a 
review of the order. SNFA and SKF France claim that they have satisfied 
the criteria to warrant such a review. See 19 CFR Sec.  351.216(d). We 
agree that the information submitted by SNFA and SKF France 
demonstrates changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review. 
Therefore, in accordance with the above-referenced regulation, the 
Department is initiating a changed-circumstances review.
    SNFA and SKF France also claim that the information contained in 
their January 9, 2007, request demonstrates that the post-acquisition 
SNFA is the successor-in-interest to the pre-acquisition SNFA. The 
requesting parties ask that the Department thus refrain from issuing a 
changed-circumstances questionnaire. The Department finds that the 
request does not clearly establish the entity to which SNFA is the 
successor-in-interest. Therefore, in accordance with 19 CFR Sec.  
351.221(b)(2) and (4) and 19 CFR Sec.  351.221(c)(3)(i), we will issue 
a questionnaire requesting factual information for the review and will 
publish a notice of preliminary results of the antidumping duty 
changed-circumstances review in the Federal Register. The notice will 
set forth the factual and legal conclusions upon which our preliminary 
results are based. Pursuant to 19 CFR Sec.  351.221(b)(4)(ii), 
interested parties will have an opportunity to comment on the 
preliminary results of review. We will issue final results of review no 
later than the regulatory deadline in accordance with 19 CFR Sec.  
351.216(e). During the course of this antidumping duty changed-
circumstances review, we will not change the cash-deposit requirements 
for the subject merchandise. The cash-deposit rate will be altered, if 
warranted, pursuant only to the final results of this review.
    This notice of initiation is in accordance with section 751(b)(1) 
of the Act, 19 CFR Sec.  351.216(b) and (d), and 19 CFR Sec.  
351.221(b)(1).

    Dated: February 23, 2007.
David M. Spooner,
Assistant Secretaryfor Import Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-3697 Filed 3-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S