[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40099-40100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20012]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration
[A-588-836]


Polyvinyl Alcohol From Japan: Final Results of Changed 
Circumstances Antidumping Duty Review, and Revocation in Part of 
Antidumping Duty Order

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of final results of changed circumstances antidumping 
duty review, and revocation in part of antidumping duty order.

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SUMMARY: On April 30, 1998, the Department published a notice of 
initiation of a changed circumstances antidumping duty review and 
preliminary results of the review with intent to revoke, in part, the 
antidumping duty order on polyvinyl alcohol from Japan. On June 16, 
1998, the Department published a notice amending the preliminary 
results of the changed circumstances antidumping duty review, the scope 
of which included polyvinyl alcohol for use in the manufacture of an 
excipient or as an excipient in the manufacture of film coating systems 
which are components of a drug or dietary supplement. We are now 
revoking this order in part, with regard to polyvinyl alcohol from 
Japan for use in the manufacture of an excipient or as an excipient in 
the manufacture of film coating systems which are components of a drug 
or dietary supplement, based on the fact that domestic parties have 
expressed no further interest in the relief provided by the order with 
respect to the importation or sale of polyvinyl alcohol for use in the 
manner prescribed above.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 1998.

The Applicable Statute

    Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Tariff Act of 
1930, as amended (``the Act''), are references to the provisions 
effective January 1, 1995, the effective date of the amendments made to 
the Act by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (``URAA''). In addition, 
unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Department of 
Commerce's (``the Department'') regulations are to the regulations at 
19 CFR Part 351, 62 FR 27296 (May 19, 1997).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Smith or Brian Ledgerwood, 
Office of AD/CVD Enforcement, Office 5, Import Administration, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone 
(202) 482-1766 or (202) 482-3836, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 12, 1998, Colorcon, Inc. (``Colorcon'') requested that the 
Department conduct a changed circumstances review and revoke, in part, 
the antidumping duty order with respect to polyvinyl alcohol (``PVA'') 
from Japan for use in the manufacture of an excipient or as an 
excipient in the manufacture of film coating systems which are 
components of a drug or dietary supplement. Colorcon included in its 
request a statement from the petitioner dated October 30, 1997, 
expressing (i) no objection to a changed circumstances review, and (ii) 
no further interest in maintaining the antidumping duty order with 
respect to PVA imported from Japan for use in the manner described 
above.
    We preliminarily determined that the petitioner's affirmative 
statement of no interest constituted changed circumstances sufficient 
to warrant a review and partial revocation of this order. Consequently, 
on April 30, 1998, the Department published a notice of initiation and 
preliminary results of changed circumstances antidumping duty review 
with an intent to revoke this order in part (63 FR 23722). In that 
notice, we stated that we intend to revoke in part, the antidumping 
duty order as it relates to ``imports of PVA for use as a 
pharmaceutical excipient or for use in the manufacture of film coating 
systems which are components of a drug or dietary supplement.'' 
Subsequently, it came to the Department's attention that our 
description of the type of PVA subject to the proposed revocation did 
not accurately reflect the description contained in the petitioner's 
expression of no further interest. In particular, the Department's 
description of the product subject to revocation did not include PVA 
``for use in the manufacture of an excipient.'' As a result, we amended 
our preliminary results published on April 30, 1998, to clarify our 
description of the type of PVA subject to the proposed revocation. On 
June 16, 1998, the Department published a notice amending the 
preliminary results of the changed circumstances antidumping duty 
review with an intent to revoke the order in part (63 FR 32809). We 
gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the amended 
preliminary results of this changed circumstances review. We received 
no comments.

Scope of Review

    The product covered by this review is PVA. PVA is a dry, white to 
cream-colored, water-soluble synthetic polymer. Excluded from this 
review are PVAs covalently bonded with acetoacetylate, carboxylic acid, 
or sulfonic acid uniformly present on all polymer chains in a 
concentration equal to or greater than two mole percent, and PVAs 
covalently bonded with silane uniformly present on all polymer chains 
in a concentration equal to or greater than one-tenth of one mole 
percent. PVA in fiber form is not included in the scope of this review.
    The merchandise under review is currently classifiable under 
subheading 3905.30.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States

[[Page 40100]]

(``HTSUS''). Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience 
and customs purposes, our written description of the scope is 
dispositive.

Final Results of Review; Partial Revocation of Antidumping Duty 
Order

    The affirmative statement of no interest by the petitioner in PVA 
from Japan for use in the manufacture of an excipient or as an 
excipient in the manufacture of film coating systems which are 
components of a drug or dietary supplement, constitutes changed 
circumstances sufficient to warrant partial revocation of this order. 
Therefore, the Department is partially revoking the order on PVA from 
Japan for use in the manner prescribed above, in accordance with 
sections 751 (b) and (d) and 782(h) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.222(g)(i). This partial revocation applies to all entries of the 
subject merchandise entered or withdrawn from the warehouse for 
consumption on or after May 1, 1998.
    The Department will instruct the Customs Service (``Customs'') to 
proceed with liquidation, without regard to antidumping duties, of all 
unliquidated entries of PVA from Japan for use in the manufacture of an 
excipient or as an excipient in the manufacture of film coating systems 
which are components of a drug or dietary supplement entered, or 
withdrawn from the warehouse, for consumption on or after May 1, 1998. 
The Department will further instruct Customs to refund with interest 
any estimated duties collected with respect to unliquidated entries of 
PVA from Japan for use in the manner prescribed above, or withdrawn 
from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the 
final results of this changed circumstances review, in accordance with 
Section 778 of the Act.
    This notice also serves as a final reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protection orders (APOs) of their responsibility 
concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under 
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 353.34(d)(1997). Timely written 
notification of the return/destruction of APO materials or conversion 
to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply 
with the regulations and terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.
    This changed circumstances review, partial revocation of the 
antidumping duty order, and notice are in accordance with sections 751 
(b) and (d) and 782(h) of the Act and sections 351.216, 351.221(c)(3), 
and 351.222(g) of the Department's regulations.

    Dated: July 20, 1998.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-20012 Filed 7-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P