[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1018-1019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00095]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-013]


Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the People's 
Republic of China: Amended Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determination and Countervailing Duty Order

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: Based on affirmative final determinations by the Department of 
Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC), 
the Department is issuing a countervailing duty (CVD) order on carbon 
and certain alloy steel wire rod (steel wire rod) from the People's 
Republic of China (PRC). Also, as explained in this notice, the 
Department is amending its final determination to correct an error with 
respect to the identification of an affiliate of one of the 
respondents.

DATES: Effective Date: January 8, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Trainor or Reza Karamloo, 
Office II, AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
4007 and (202) 482-4470, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 19, 2014, the Department published its final 
determination that countervailable subsidies are being provided to 
producers and exporters of steel wire rod from the PRC.\1\ On January 
2, 2015, the ITC notified the Department of its final determination 
pursuant to sections 705(b)(1)(A)(i) and section 705(d) of the Tariff 
Act of 1930, as amended (the Act) that an industry in the United States 
is materially injured by reasons of subsidized imports of subject 
merchandise from the PRC.\2\ The ITC also determined that critical 
circumstances do not exist.\3\
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    \1\ See Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the 
People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determination and Final Affirmative Critical Circumstances 
Determination, 79 FR 68858 (November 19, 2014) (Final 
Determination).
    \2\ See Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the 
People's Republic of China, Investigation Nos. 701-TA-512 and 731-
TA-1248 (Final), USITC Publication 4509, December 2014.
    \3\ Id.
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Scope of the Order

    The scope of this order covers certain hot-rolled products of 
carbon steel and alloy steel, in coils, of approximately circular cross 
section, less than 19.00 mm in actual 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 (a) stainless steel; (b) tool 
steel; (c) high nickel steel; (d) ball bearing steel; or (e) concrete 
reinforcing bars and rods. Also excluded are free cutting steel (also 
known as free machining steel) products

[[Page 1019]]

(i.e., products that contain by weight one or more of the following 
elements: 0.1 percent or more of lead, 0.05 percent or more of bismuth, 
0.08 percent or more of sulfur, more than 0.04 percent of phosphorus, 
more than 0.05 percent of selenium, or more than 0.01 percent of 
tellurium). All products meeting the physical description of subject 
merchandise that are not specifically excluded are included in this 
scope.
    The products under order are currently classifiable under 
subheadings 7213.91.3011, 7213.91.3015, 7213.91.3020, 7213.91.3093, 
7213.91.4500, 7213.91.6000, 7213.99.0030, 7227.20.0030, 7227.20.0080, 
7227.90.6010, 7227.90.6020, 7227.90.6030, and 7227.90.6035 of the 
HTSUS. Products entered under subheadings 7213.99.0090 and 7227.90.6090 
of the HTSUS also may be included in this scope if they meet the 
physical description of subject merchandise above. Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the 
written description of the scope of this order is dispositive.

Correction to the Final Determination

    In the Final Determination we inadvertently omitted Benxi Iron & 
Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. from the list of companies comprising Benxi 
Beiying Iron & Steel Import & Export Corp./Benxi Beiying Iron & Steel 
(Group) Co., Ltd.\4\ Benxi Iron & Steel (Group) Co., Ltd. is properly 
included in the list of affiliates in the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' 
section of this notice.
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    \4\ See Final Determination at 68859, and the accompanying 
Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Final Determination in the 
Countervailing Duty Investigation of Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel 
Wire Rod From the People's Republic of China at 1-2.
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Countervailing Duty Order

    In accordance with sections 705(b)(1)(A)(i) and 705(d) of the Act, 
the ITC notified the Department of its final determination that the 
industry in the United States producing steel wire rod is materially 
injured by reason of subsidized imports of steel wire rod from the PRC. 
Therefore, in accordance with section 705(c)(2) of the Act, we are 
publishing this CVD order.
    Pursuant to section 706(a) of the Act, the Department will direct 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess, upon further 
instruction by the Department, CVDs on unliquidated entries of steel 
wire rod entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or 
after July 8, 2014, the date on which the Department published its 
affirmative Preliminary Determination \5\ in the Federal Register, and 
before November 5, 2014, the date on which the Department instructed 
CBP to discontinue the suspension of liquidation in accordance with 
section 703(d) of the Act. Section 703(d) of the Act states that the 
suspension of liquidation pursuant to a preliminary determination may 
not remain in effect for more than four months. Entries of steel wire 
rod made on or after November 5, 2014, and prior to the date of 
publication of the ITC's final determination in the Federal Register 
are not liable for assessment of CVDs, due to the Department's 
discontinuation, effective November 5, 2014, of the suspension of 
liquidation.
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    \5\ See Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From the 
People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing 
Duty Determination, Preliminary Affirmative Critical Circumstances 
Determination, and Alignment of Final Countervailing Duty 
Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination, 79 FR 38490 
(July 8, 2014) (Preliminary Determination).
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    With regard to the ITC's negative critical circumstances 
determination, the Department will instruct CBP to lift suspension and 
refund any cash deposits of estimated CVDs for entries on or after 
April 9, 2014 (i.e., 90 days prior to the date of the Preliminary 
Determination), but before July 8, 2014.

Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 706 of the Act, the Department will 
direct CBP to reinstitute the suspension of liquidation of steel wire 
rod from the PRC, effective the date of publication of the ITC's notice 
of final determination in the Federal Register, and to assess, upon 
further instruction by the Department pursuant to section 706(a)(1) of 
the Act, CVDs for each entry of the subject merchandise in an amount 
based on the net countervailable subsidy rates for the subject 
merchandise. CBP must require, at the same time as importers would 
normally deposit estimated duties on this merchandise, a cash deposit 
equal to the rates listed below:
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    \6\ Benxi Steel is comprised of: Benxi Beiying Iron & Steel 
Group Import & Export Corp.; Benxi Beiying Iron & Steel (Group) Co., 
Ltd.; Benxi Steel Group Corporation; Beitai Iron & Steel (Group) 
Co., Ltd.; Benxi Northern Steel Rolling Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beifang 
Gaosu Steel Wire Rod Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beitai Gaosu Steel Wire Rod 
Co., Ltd.; Benxi Northern Steel Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beifang Second 
Rolling Co., Ltd.; Benxi Beitai Ductile Iron Pipes Co., Ltd.; Benxi 
Iron and Steel (Group) Metallurgy Co., Ltd.; Benxi Iron and Steel 
(Group) Real Estate Development Co., Ltd.; Benxi Iron & Steel 
(Group) Co., Ltd.; Bei Tai Iron and Steel Group Imp. and Exp. 
(Dalian) Co., Ltd.; and Bengang Steel Plate Co., Ltd.

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                                                           Subsidy rate
                         Company                             (percent)
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Benxi Steel \6\.........................................          193.31
Hebei Iron & Steel Co Ltd Tangshan Branch...............          178.46
All Others..............................................          185.89
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Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice constitutes the CVD order with respect to steel wire 
rod from the PRC pursuant to section 706(a) of the Act. Interested 
parties may contact the Department's Central Records Unit, Room 7046 of 
the main Commerce Building, for copies of an updated list of 
countervailing duty orders currently in effect.
    This order is issued and published in accordance with section 
706(a) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.211(b).

    Dated: January 2, 2015.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2015-00095 Filed 1-7-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P