[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 212 (Thursday, November 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66848-66849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21949]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 701-TA-431 (Section 129 Consistency Determination)]


DRAMs and DRAM Modules from Korea

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Institution of a proceeding under section 129(a)(4) of the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C. 3538(a)(4)).

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted this 
proceeding following receipt on October 14, 2005, of a request from the 
United States Trade Representative (USTR) for a determination under 
section 129(a)(4) of the URAA that would render the Commission's action 
in connection with Investigation No. 701-TA-431 not inconsistent with 
the findings of the dispute settlement panel of the World Trade 
Organization (WTO) in its report United States--Countervailing Duty 
Investigation on Dynamic Random Access Memory Semiconductors (DRAMs) 
from Korea, WT/DS296/R. For further information concerning the conduct 
of this proceeding 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, subpart A (19 CFR part 207).

DATES: Effective Date November 3, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Carpenter (202-205-3160), 
Office of Investigations, or Marc A. Bernstein (202-205-3087), Office 
of General Counsel, 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). The public record of 
Investigation No. 701-TA-431 may be viewed on the Commission's 
electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background. In August 2003, the Commission determined that an 
industry in the United States was materially injured by reason of 
subsidized imports of DRAMs and DRAM modules from Korea. Countervailing 
duties were then assessed against these products. The Republic of Korea 
subsequently initiated a dispute settlement proceeding at the WTO 
concerning the U.S. countervailing duty measure. Korea's action 
challenged both the Department of Commerce's subsidy determination and 
the Commission's injury determination.
    The WTO dispute resolution panel issued its report on December 21, 
2004. The panel evaluated six principal claims that Korea raised 
against the Commission's injury determination. It ruled in favor of the 
United States on five of these claims. The sixth claim concerned 
whether the Commission properly complied with the obligation under 
Article 15.5 of the WTO Agreement of Subsidies and Countervailing 
Measures (ASCM) not to attribute to the subject imports injury caused 
by other factors. The panel concluded that the Commission successfully 
satisfied the non-attribution obligation with respect to the factors of 
non-subject imports; capacity increases by DRAMs suppliers other than 
Hynix, the sole producer of subject merchandise; and the purported 
technological and production difficulties of U.S. producer Micron. It 
also concluded, however, that the Commission did not successfully 
satisfy the non-attribution obligation with respect to the factor of 
declines in demand. Thus, in this one respect, the Panel concluded that 
the Commission's determination was inconsistent with the ASCM. The 
pertinent discussion appears at paragraphs 7.356-7.371 of the Panel 
Report.
    Neither the United States nor Korea appealed the aspects of the 
Panel Report that addressed the Commission injury determination to the 
WTO Appellate Body. Both countries did appeal other aspects of the 
Panel Report, principally concerning Commerce's subsidy determination. 
On June 27, 2005, the Appellate Body resolved the issues on appeal in 
favor of the United States.
    On July 20, 2005, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) adopted the 
Panel Report as modified by the Appellate Body. Consequently, the DSB's 
action finalized the panel's conclusions concerning the Commission's 
determination. On August 3, 2005, the United States informed the DSB 
that it intends within a reasonable period of time to bring its measure 
into conformity with the report that the DSB had adopted.
    The USTR transmitted his request for this determination following 
receipt from the Commission on September 22, 2005, of an advisory 
report under section 129(a)(1) of the URAA stating that the Commission 
has concluded that Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 permits it to 
take steps in connection with its action in DRAMs and DRAM Modules from 
Korea, Investigation No. 701-TA-431, that would render its action in 
that proceeding not inconsistent with the findings of the dispute 
settlement panel.
    Participation in the investigation and public service list. Only 
those persons who were interested parties to the original investigation 
(i.e., persons listed on the Commission Secretary's service list) may 
participate in this proceeding. Such persons wishing to participate in 
this proceeding 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 after publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register. The Secretary will maintain a public 
service list containing the names and addresses of all persons, or 
their representatives, who are parties to this proceeding.
    Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under 
an administrative protective order (APO) and APO service list. Pursuant 
to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary will make 
business proprietary information (BPI) gathered in the original 
investigation available under administrative protective order (APO) to 
authorized applicants that returned or destroyed all BPI received under 
the APO in the original investigation or were not covered under the 
original APO, provided that an application is made in this proceeding.

[[Page 66849]]

Any such application must be made no later than 21 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Authorized 
applicants must represent interested parties, as defined in 19 U.S.C. 
1677(9), who are parties to this proceeding. Parties that are currently 
subject to the APO issued in Investigation No. 701-TA-431 by virtue of 
their participation in the litigation before the Court of International 
Trade in Hynix Semiconductor Inc. v. United States, Ct. No. 03-652, 
need not file a new APO application in this proceeding. The Secretary 
will maintain a separate service list for those parties authorized to 
receive BPI under the APO.
    Limitations on the scope of this proceeding. This proceeding is 
being conducted in order for the Commission to make a determination 
that would render its action in DRAMs and DRAM Modules from Korea, 
Investigation No. 701-TA-431, not inconsistent with the findings of the 
WTO dispute settlement panel. Thus, this proceeding only involves 
issues related to the WTO dispute settlement findings and does not 
involve issues that were not in dispute in the WTO proceeding or on 
which the WTO dispute settlement panel found the United States in 
conformity with its obligations under the WTO. As discussed above, the 
only issue on which the WTO dispute settlement panel found the 
Commission's injury determination inconsistent with the ASCM pertained 
to the question of whether the Commission attributed to the subject 
imports any injury that may have been caused by declines in demand. Any 
material in the parties' submissions that contains new factual 
information or that addresses any issue beyond the scope of this 
proceeding will be disregarded.
    Written Submissions. The Commission is not reopening the record in 
this proceeding for submission of new factual information. The 
Commission will, however, permit the parties to file comments and 
rebuttal comments pertaining to the issue that is within the scope of 
this proceeding. The deadline for filing comments is December 5, 2005. 
Comments shall be limited to no more than forty (40) double-spaced and 
single-sided pages of textual material. The deadline for filing 
rebuttal comments is December 19, 2005. Rebuttal comments shall be 
limited to no more than twenty (20) double-spaced and single sided 
pages of textual material.
    Any material in the parties' submissions that contains new factual 
information or that addresses any issue beyond the scope of this 
proceeding will be disregarded.
    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. The Commission's rules do not authorize 
filing of submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic 
means, except to the extent permitted by section 201.8 of the 
Commission's rules, as amended, 67 FR 68036 (November 8, 2002).
    In accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission's 
rules, each document filed by a party to the investigation must be 
served on all other parties to the investigation (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.
    The Commission has concluded that, because it is not reopening the 
record, conducting a hearing is inappropriate in this proceeding.

    Issued: October 31, 2005.

    By order of the Commission.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 05-21949 Filed 11-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P