[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 161 (Wednesday, August 20, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44288-44290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22051]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigations Nos. 701-TA-368-371 (Final)]


Certain Steel Wire Rod From Canada, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, 
and Venezuela

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Scheduling of the final phase of countervailing duty 
investigations.

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the 
final phase of countervailing duty investigations Nos. 701-TA-368-371 
(Final) under section 705(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 
Sec. 1671d(b)) (the Act) to determine whether an industry in the United 
States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the 
establishment of an industry in the United States is materially 
retarded, by reason of subsidized imports from Canada, Germany, 
Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela of certain steel wire rod, provided 
for in subheadings 7213.91.30, 7213.91.45, 7213.91.60, 7213.99.00, 
7227.20.00, and 7227.90.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States.<SUP>1</SUP>
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    \1\ For purposes of these investigations, Commerce has defined 
the subject merchandise as ``hot-rolled carbon steel and alloy steel 
products, in coils, of approximately round cross section, between 
5.00 mm (0.20 inch) and 19.0 mm (0.75 inch), inclusive, in solid 
cross-sectional diameter. Specifically excluded are steel products 
possessing the above-noted physical characteristics and meeting the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) definitions 
for [being made of] (a) stainless steel; (b) tool steel; (c) high 
nickel steel; (d) ball bearing steel, (e) free machining steel that 
contains by weight 0.03 percent or more of lead, 0.05 percent or 
more of bismuth, 0.08 percent or more of sulfur, more than 0.4 
percent of phosphorus, more than 0.05 percent of selenium, and/or 
more than 0.01 percent of tellurium; or (f) concrete reinforcing 
bars and rods. The following products are also excluded from the 
scope of the investigations:
    Coiled products 5.50 mm or less in true diameter with an average 
partial decarburization per coil of no more than 70 microns in 
depth, no inclusions greater than 20 microns, containing by weight 
the following: carbon greater than or equal to 0.68 percent; 
aluminum less than or equal to 0.005 percent; phosphorous plus 
sulfur less than or equal to 0.040 percent; maximum combined copper, 
nickel and chromium content of 0.13 percent; and nitrogen less than 
or equal to 0.006 percent. This product is commonly referred to as 
``tire cord wire rod.''
    Coiled products 7.9 mm to 18 mm in diameter, with a partial 
decarburization of 75 microns or less in depth and seams no more 
than 75 microns in depth, containing 0.48 percent to 0.73 percent 
carbon by weight. This product is commonly referred to as ``valve 
spring quality wire rod.''

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[[Page 44289]]

    For further information concerning the conduct of this phase of the 
investigations, hearing procedures, and rules of general application, 
consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, 
subparts A through E (19 CFR part 201), and part 207, subparts A and C 
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(19 CFR part 207), as corrected by 62 FR 39438, July 23, 1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 1, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Reavis (202-205-3185), Office of 
Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-impaired persons can obtain information 
on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal on 202-205-
1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special 
assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the 
Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000. General information concerning 
the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its internet server 
(http://www.usitc.gov or ftp://ftp.usitc.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The final phase of these investigations is being scheduled as a 
result of affirmative preliminary determinations by the Department of 
Commerce that certain benefits which constitute subsidies within the 
meaning of section 703 of the Act (19 U.S.C. Sec. 1671b) are being 
provided to manufacturers, producers, or exporters of certain steel 
wire rod in Canada, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. The 
investigations were requested in a petition filed on February 26, 1997, 
by Connecticut Steel Corp., Wallingford, CT; Co-Steel Raritan, Perth 
Amboy, NJ; GS Industries, Inc., Georgetown, SC; Keystone Steel & Wire 
Co., Peoria, IL; North Star Steel Texas, Inc., Beaumont, TX; and 
Northwestern Steel & Wire, Sterling, IL.

Participation in the Investigations and Public Service List

    Persons, including industrial users of the subject merchandise and, 
if the merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer 
organizations, wishing to participate in the final phase of these 
investigations as parties must file an entry of appearance with the 
Secretary to the Commission, as provided in section 201.11 of the 
Commission's rules, no later than 21 days prior to the hearing date 
specified in this notice. A party that filed a notice of appearance 
during the preliminary phase of the investigations need not file an 
additional notice of appearance during this final phase. The Secretary 
will maintain a public service list containing the names and addresses 
of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to the 
investigations.

Limited Disclosure of Business Proprietary Information (BPI) Under 
an Administrative Protective Order (APO) and BPI Service List

    Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the 
Secretary will make BPI gathered in the final phase of these 
investigations available to authorized applicants under the APO issued 
in the investigations, provided that the application is made no later 
than 21 days prior to the hearing date specified in this notice. 
Authorized applicants must represent interested parties, as defined by 
19 U.S.C. Sec. 1677(9), who are parties to the investigations. A party 
granted access to BPI in the preliminary phase of the investigations 
need not reapply for such access. A separate service list will be 
maintained by the Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI 
under the APO.

Staff Report

    The prehearing staff report in the final phase of these 
investigations will be placed in the nonpublic record on October 2, 
1997, and a public version will be issued thereafter, pursuant to 
section 207.22 of the Commission's rules.

Hearing

    The Commission will hold a hearing in connection with the final 
phase of these investigations beginning at 9:30 a.m. on October 16, 
1997, at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building. Requests to 
appear at the hearing should be filed in writing with the Secretary to 
the Commission on or before October 8, 1997. A nonparty who has 
testimony that may aid the Commission's deliberations may request 
permission to present a short statement at the hearing. All parties and 
nonparties desiring to appear at the hearing and make oral 
presentations should attend a prehearing conference to be held at 9:30 
a.m. on October 10, 1997, at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building. Oral testimony and written materials to be submitted at the 
public hearing are governed by sections 201.6(b)(2), 201.13(f), and 
207.24 of the Commission's rules. Parties must submit any request to 
present a portion of their hearing testimony in camera no later than 7 
days prior to the date of the hearing.

Written Submissions

    Each party who is an interested party shall submit a prehearing 
brief to the Commission. Prehearing briefs must conform with the 
provisions of section 207.23 of the Commission's rules; the deadline 
for filing is October 9, 1997. Parties may also file written testimony 
in connection with their presentation at the hearing, as provided in 
section 207.24 of the Commission's rules, and posthearing briefs, which 
must conform with the provisions of section 207.25 of the Commission's 
rules. The deadline for filing posthearing briefs is October 24, 1997; 
witness testimony must be filed no later than three days before the 
hearing. In addition, any person who has not entered an appearance as a 
party to the investigations may submit a written statement of 
information pertinent to the subject of the investigations on or before 
October 24, 1997. On November 13, 1997, the Commission will make 
available to parties all information on which they have not had an 
opportunity to comment. Parties may submit final comments on this 
information on or before November 17, 1997, but such final comments 
must not contain new factual information and must otherwise comply with 
section 207.30 of the Commission's rules. All written submissions must 
conform with the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's rules; 
any submissions that contain BPI must also conform with the 
requirements of sections 201.6, 207.3, and 207.7 of the Commission's 
rules.
    In accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission's 
rules, each document filed by a party to the investigations must be 
served on all other parties to the investigations (as identified by 
either the public or BPI service list), and a certificate of service 
must be timely filed. The Secretary will not accept a document for 
filing without a certificate of service.

    Authority: These investigations are being conducted under 
authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is 
published pursuant to section 207.21 of the Commission's rules.

    Issued: August 11, 1997.


[[Page 44290]]


    By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-22051 Filed 8-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P