Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Department of Commerce

###### International Trade Administration

          - [A-570-827]

# AGENCY:

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

# SUMMARY:

As a result of the determinations by the Department of Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain cased pencils from the People's Republic of China (PRC) would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, the Department is publishing this notice of continuation of the AD order.

# DATES:

Applicable September 1, 2017.

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Kolberg, Office I, AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1785.

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

## Background

                    On December 28, 1994, the Department published the AD order on certain cased pencils from the PRC.[1]                                          On June 1, 2016, the Department published the notice of initiation of the fourth sunset review of the                     *Order,*                     pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).[2]                                          As a result of its review, the Department determined that revocation of the                     *Order*                     would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of dumping.[3]                                          The Department, therefore, notified the ITC of the magnitude of the margins likely to prevail should the                     *Order*                     be revoked. On August 17, 2017, the ITC determined that revoking the                     *Order*                     on certain cased pencils from the PRC would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time.[4] 

## Scope of the Order

                    Imports covered by the                     *Order*                     are shipments of certain cased pencils of any shape or dimension (except as described below) which are writing and/or drawing instruments that feature cores of graphite or other materials, encased in wood and/or man-made materials, whether or not decorated and whether or not tipped (                    *e.g.,*                     with erasers, etc.) in any fashion, and either sharpened or unsharpened. The pencils subject to the                     *Order*                     are currently classifiable under subheading 9609.10.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Specifically excluded from the scope of the                     *Order*                     are mechanical pencils, cosmetic pencils, pens, non-cased crayons (wax), pastels, charcoals, chalks, and pencils produced under U.S. patent number 6,217,242, from paper infused with scents by the means covered in the above-referenced patent, thereby having odors distinct from those that may emanate from pencils lacking the scent infusion. Also excluded from the scope of the                     *Order*                     are pencils with all of the following physical characteristics: (1) Length: 13.5 or more inches; (2) sheath diameter: Not less than one-and-one quarter inches at any point (before sharpening); and (3) core length: Not more than 15 percent of the length of the pencil. In addition, pencils with all of the following physical                           ( print page 41609)                        characteristics are excluded from the scope of the                     *Order:*                     Novelty jumbo pencils that are octagonal in shape, approximately ten inches long, one inch in diameter before sharpening, and three-and-one eighth inches in circumference, composed of turned wood encasing one-and-one half inches of sharpened lead on one end and a rubber eraser on the other end. The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes only; the written description of the merchandise covered by the scope of the                     *Order*                     is dispositive.                

## Continuation of the Order

                    As a result of the determinations by the Department and the ITC that revocation of the                     *Order*                     would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, pursuant to section 751(d)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(a), the Department hereby orders the continuation of the                     *Order*                     on certain cased pencils from the PRC. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue to collect AD cash deposits at the rates in effect at the time of entry for all imports of subject merchandise.                

                    The effective date of the continuation of the                     *Order*                     will be the date of publication in the                     **Federal Register**                     of this notice of continuation. Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the Act, the Department intends to initiate the next five-year review of the                     *Order*                     not later than 30 days prior to the fifth anniversary of the effective date of continuation.                

This five-year sunset review and this notice are in accordance with section 751(c) of the Act and published pursuant to section 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.218(f)(4).

Dated: August 28, 2017.

Gary Taverman,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

# Footnotes

1.                                                     *See Antidumping Duty Order: Certain Cased Pencils from the People's Republic of China,*59 FR 66909 (December 28, 1994) (                        *Order*).                    
        Back to Citation      

2.                                                     *See Initiation of Five-Year (Sunset) Review,*81 FR 34974 (June 1, 2016).                    
        Back to Citation      

3.                                                     *See Certain Cased Pencils from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Expedited Sunset Review of the Antidumping Duty Order,*81 FR 69513 (October 6, 2016), and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum.                    
        Back to Citation      

4.                                                     *See Cased Pencils from China,*                         Inv. No. 731-TA-669 (Fourth Review), 82 FR 40019 (August 23, 2017).                    
        Back to Citation      

[FR Doc. 2017-18588 Filed 8-31-17; 8:45 am]

 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P