[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2512-2514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-633]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-580-818]


Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products from the Republic 
of Korea: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On September 9, 2008, the U.S. Department of Commerce (``the 
Department'') published in the Federal Register its preliminary results 
of the administrative review of the countervailing duty (``CVD'') order 
on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (``CORE'') from the 
Republic of Korea (``Korea'') for the period of review

[[Page 2513]]

(``POR'') January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2006. See Corrosion-
Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: 
Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review. 73 FR 
52315 (September 9, 2008) (``Preliminary Results''). We preliminarily 
found that Pohang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. (``POSCO'') and Dongbu Steel 
Co., Ltd. (``Dongbu'') received de minimis countervailable subsidies 
during the POR. We received comments on our preliminary results from 
POSCO, a respondent company. The final results are listed in the 
section ``Final Results of Review'' below.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 15, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Copyak or Gayle Longest, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office 3, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4014, 14th Street and 
Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-2209 
and (202) 482-3338, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 17, 1993, the Department published in the Federal 
Register the CVD order on CORE from Korea. See Countervailing Duty 
Orders and Amendments of Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determinations: Certain Steel Products from Korea, 58 FR 43752 (August 
17, 1993). On September 9, 2008, the Department published in the 
Federal Register its preliminary results of the administrative review 
of this order for the period January 1, 2006, through December 31, 
2006. See Preliminary Results, 73 FR 52315. In accordance with 19 CFR 
351.213(b), this administrative review covers POSCO and Dongbu, 
producers and exporters of subject merchandise.
    In the Preliminary Results, we invited interested parties to submit 
briefs or request a hearing. We received comments from POSCO, a 
respondent. We received no comments from United States Steel 
Corporation and Nucor Corporation, (``petitioners''), or Dongbu. The 
Department did not conduct a hearing in this review because none was 
requested.

Scope of Order

    Products covered by this order are certain corrosion-resistant 
carbon steel flat products from Korea. These products include flat-
rolled carbon steel products, of rectangular shape, either clad, 
plated, or coated with corrosion-resistant metals such as zinc, 
aluminum, or zinc-, aluminum-, nickel- or iron-based alloys, whether or 
not corrugated or painted, varnished or coated with plastics or other 
nonmetallic substances in addition to the metallic coating, in coils 
(whether or not in successively superimposed layers) and of a width of 
0.5 inch or greater, or in straight lengths which, if of a thickness 
less than 4.75 millimeters, are of a width of 0.5 inch or greater and 
which measures at least 10 times the thickness or if of a thickness of 
4.75 millimeters or more are of a width which exceeds 150 millimeters 
and measures at least twice the thickness. The merchandise subject to 
this order is currently classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States (HTSUS) at subheadings: 7210.30.0000, 
7210.31.0000, 7210.39.0000, 7210.41.0000, 7210.49.0030, 7210.49.0090, 
7210.60.0000, 7210.61.0000, 7210.70.6030, 7210.70.6060, 7210.70.6090, 
7210.90.1000, 7210.90.6000, 7210.90.9000, 7212.20.0000, 7212.21.0000, 
7212.29.0000, 7212.30.1030, 7212.30.1090, 7212.30.3000, 7212.30.5000, 
7212.40.1000, 7212.40.5000, 7212.50.0000, 7212.60.0000, 7215.90.1000, 
7215.9030, 7215.90.5000, 7217.12.1000, 7217.13.1000, 7217.19.1000, 
7217.19.5000, 7217.20.1500, 7217.22.5000, 7217.23.5000, 7217.29.1000, 
7217.29.5000, 7217.30.15.0000, 7217.32.5000, 7217.33.5000, 
7217.39.1000, 7217.39.5000, 7217.90.1000 and 7217.90.5000. Although the 
HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, 
the Department's written description of the merchandise is dispositive.

Period of Review

    The POR for which we are measuring subsidies is from January 1, 
2006, through December 31, 2006.

Analysis of Comments

    On October 9, 2008, POSCO filed comments. Neither Dongbu nor 
petitioners filed a case brief or a rebuttal brief. All issues in 
POSCO's case brief are addressed in the accompanying Issues and 
Decision Memorandum for the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review 
on Corrosion-Resistant carbon Steel Flat Products from Korea 
(``Decision Memorandum''), issued concurrently and hereby adopted by 
this notice. A listing of the issues that parties raised and to which 
we have responded is attached to this notice as Appendix I. Parties can 
find a complete discussion of the issues raised in this review and the 
corresponding recommendations in this public memorandum, which is on 
file in the Central Records Unit (``CRU''), Room 1117 of the main 
Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Decision 
Memorandum, can be accessed directly on the World Wide Web at http://ia.ita.doc.gov. The paper copy and the electronic version of the 
Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Final Results of Review

    After reviewing POSCO's comments, we have not changed our findings 
from the Preliminary Results as explained in our Decision Memorandum. 
Consistent with the Preliminary Results, we find that POSCO and Dongbu 
received de minimis countervailable subsidies during the POR at the 
rates below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Company                         Net Subsidy Rate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pohang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. (POSCO)............       0.09 percent ad
                                                    valorem (de minimis)
Dongbu Steel Co. Ltd. (Dongbu)....................       0.22 percent ad
                                                    valorem (de minimis)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Assessment Rates/Cash Deposits

    The Department intends to issue assessment instructions to U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') 15 days after the date of 
publication of these final results of review to liquidate shipments of 
subject merchandise by POSCO and Dongbu entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after January 1, 2006, through 
December 31, 2006, without regard to countervailing duties. We will 
also instruct CBP not to collect cash deposits of estimated 
countervailing duties on shipments of the subject merchandise produced 
by POSCO and Dongbu, entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for 
consumption on or after the date of publication of these final results 
of review.
    For all non-reviewed companies, the Department has instructed CBP 
to assess countervailing duties at the cash deposit rates in effect at 
the time of entry, for entries between January 1, 2006, and December 
31, 2006. The cash deposit rates for all companies not covered by this 
review are not changed by the results of this review.

Return or Destruction of Proprietary Information

    This notice serves as a reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (``APO'') of their responsibility 
concerning the disposition of proprietary information

[[Page 2514]]

disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely 
written notification of return or destruction of APO materials or 
conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to 
comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable 
violation.
    We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: January 7, 2009.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Appendix I - Issues and Decision Memorandum

Company-Specific Issue

Whether Certain Research and Development (``R&D'') Grants Under the 
Industrial Development Act (``IDA'') Are Tied to Non-Subject 
Merchandise
[FR Doc. E9-633 Filed 1-14-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S