Opinion ID: 2679723
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Underlying Investigations

Text: On July 29, 2009, Resco Products, Inc. (“Resco”) filed a petition with the Department of Commerce (“Com- merce”) requesting initiation of antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of certain MCBs from China and Mexico. MCBs are a type of refractory brick used to line ladles and furnaces employed in steelmaking and steel handling processes. Resco’s petition proposed that the scope of the investigations be limited to the following: [C]ertain chemically bonded (resin or pitch), magnesia carbon bricks (“MCB”) whose magnesia component contains at least 70 percent magnesia (“MgO”), regardless of the source of raw materials for the MgO, with carbon levels ranging from trace amounts to 30 percent, regardless of en- hancements, regardless of whether or not anti- oxidants are present. The scope of this investigation excludes alumina-carbon bricks, alumina- silicon-carbide-carbon bricks and all dolomite class bricks. 1 1 Fedmet further explained that MCBs can be en- hanced “with coating, grinding, tar impregnation or 4 FEDMET RESOURCES CORP. v. US Joint Appendix (“J.A.”) at 492-93 (footnotes omitted). In proposing that the domestic like product be defined to cover only MCBs, the petition further limited the proposed scope of the investigation by describing MCBs as the product covered by the petition and distinguishing MCBs from other types of refractory bricks: There are several types of standard refractory bricks in addition to magnesia carbon, the subject of this petition. Among the most important are fired magnesite, fired bauxite, magnesia dolomite and magnesia alumin[a] carbon brick. Each of these bricks possess certain unique properties, which make their use highly preferred, and even required, for certain uses in the lining of steel, ceramic, and other furnaces and holding vessels. The different types of bricks are not generally substitutable in a technical sense, due to varying chemical and physical properties and wear char- acteristics. Id. at 498 (emphases added). This language prompted Commerce to inquire regarding the proposed scope of the investigation vis-à-vis other types of refractory bricks. In particular, as part of its pre-initiation investigation, Commerce issued a questionnaire, referring to the subject of the petition as “MCB.” Resco responded to the questionnaire on August 10, 2009. Regarding Questions 6 and 7, Resco stated: [Question] 6. On page 10 of the petitions you state “{t}here are several types of standard refrac- coking, high temperature heat treatments, anti-slip treatments or metal casing,” and that anti-oxidants can be added to MCBs “from trace amounts to 15 percent by weight as various metals, metal alloys, and metal car-