[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24286-24287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12098]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[A-588-836, A-570-842, A-583-824]


Notice of Antidumping Orders: Polyvinyl Alcohol From Japan, the 
People's Republic of China, and Taiwan

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 14, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David J. Goldberger or Erik Warga, 
Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4136 or (202) 482-0922, 
respectively.

[[Page 24287]]

Scope of Order

    The merchandise covered by these orders is polyvinyl alcohol. 
Polyvinyl alcohol is a dry, white to cream-colored, water-soluble 
synthetic polymer. This product consists of polyvinyl alcohols 
hydrolyzed in excess of 85 percent, whether or not mixed or diluted 
with defoamer or boric acid. Excluded from this investigation are 
polyvinyl alcohols 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 polyvinyl 
alcohols covalently bonded with silane uniformly present on all polymer 
chains in a concentration equal to or greater than one-tenth of one 
mole percent. Polyvinyl alcohol in fiber form is not included in the 
scope of these orders.
    The merchandise under these orders is currently classifiable under 
subheading 3905.30.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the 
merchandise under these orders is dispositive.

Antidumping Duty Order

    In accordance with section 735(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act), the Department of Commerce (the Department) made its 
final determination that polyvinyl alcohol from Japan, the People's 
Republic of China (PRC), and Taiwan is being sold at less than fair 
value (61 FR 14057-14063, March 29, 1996). On May 6, 1996, the 
International Trade Commission (ITC) notified the Department of its 
final determination, pursuant to section 735(b)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act, 
that an industry in the United States is threatened with material 
injury by reason of imports of the subject merchandise from Japan, the 
PRC, and Taiwan. The ITC did not determine, pursuant to section 
735(b)(4)(B) of the Act, that, but for the suspension of liquidation of 
entries of the subject merchandise, the domestic industry would have 
been materially injured.
    When the ITC finds threat of material injury, and makes a negative 
``but for'' finding, the ``Special Rule'' provision of section 
736(b)(2) applies. Therefore, only unliquidated entries of polyvinyl 
alcohol from Japan, the PRC, and Taiwan, except for imports from the 
PRC manufactured and sold to the United States by Sinopec Sichuan 
Vinylon Works, entered or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on 
or after the date on which the ITC published its notice of final 
determination of threat of material injury in the Federal Register are 
liable for the assessment of antidumping duties.
    Accordingly, the Department will direct the Customs Service to 
terminate the suspension of liquidation for entries of polyvinyl 
alcohol imported from Japan, the PRC, and Taiwan, entered, or withdrawn 
from warehouse, for consumption before the date on which the ITC 
published its notice of final determination of threat of material 
injury in the Federal Register, and to release any bond or other 
security, and refund any cash deposit, posted to secure the payment of 
estimated antidumping duties with respect to these entries.
    In accordance with section 736(a)(1) of the Act, the Department 
will direct Customs officers to assess, upon further advice by the 
administering authority, antidumping duties equal to the amount by 
which the foreign market exceeds the United States price for all 
relevant entries of polyvinyl alcohol from Japan, the PRC, and Taiwan, 
except for imports from the PRC manufactured and sold to the United 
States by Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon Works. Customs officers must require, 
at the same time as importers would normally deposit estimated duties 
on this merchandise, a cash deposit equal to the estimated weighted-
average antidumping duty margins as noted below. The ``All Others'' 
rate listed for each country applies to all exporters of polyvinyl 
alcohol not specifically listed below.
    The ad valorem weighted-average dumping margins are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Weighted-
                                                                average 
               Manufacturer/producer/exporter                   margin  
                                                              percentage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Japan:                                                                  
  Kuraray Co. Ltd...........................................      77.49 
  Nippon Synthetic Chemical.................................      77.49 
  Industry Co. Ltd..........................................      77.49 
  Shin-Etsu Chemical Co.....................................      77.49 
  Unitika Ltd...............................................      77.49 
  All Others................................................      77.49 
PRC:                                                                    
  Guangxi GITIC Import/Export...............................     116.75 
  Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon Works (also known as Sichuan                  
   Vinylon Works)...........................................  \1\ 000.00
  PRC-Wide rate.............................................     116.75 
Taiwan:                                                                 
  Chang Chun Petrochemical..................................      19.21 
  All Others................................................      19.21 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Excluded.                                                           

    Allegations of ministerial errors were made with respect to the 
Department's final determinations for polyvinyl alcohol from the PRC 
and Taiwan. Upon review, the Department determined that certain 
corrections to these determinations were appropriate. However, these 
corrections did not alter the margin percentages; therefore, no 
amendments to the final determinations were necessary.
    This notice constitutes the antidumping duty orders with respect to 
polyvinyl alcohol from Japan, the PRC, and Taiwan. The Department of 
Commerce is excluding from the application of the order products from 
the PRC that are manufactured and sold to the United States by Sinopec 
Sichuan Vinylon Works. However, the ad valorem weighted-average dumping 
margin applicable to polyvinyl alcohol manufactured by any other PRC 
manufacturer and exported by Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon Works is 116.75 
percent (the PRC-wide rate).
    Interested parties may contact the Central Records Unit, Room B-099 
of the Main Commerce Building, for copies of an updated list of 
antidumping duty orders currently in effect.
    These orders are published in accordance with section 736(a) of the 
Act.

    Dated: May 9, 1996.
Paul L. Joffe,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 96-12098 Filed 5-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P