[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 190 (Thursday, October 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59192-59195]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24652]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation Nos. 701-TA-249 and 731-TA-262, 263, and 265 (Fourth
Review)]
Iron Construction Castings From Brazil, Canada, and China;
Institution of Five-Year Reviews
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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[[Page 59193]]
SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted
reviews pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (``the Act''), as amended,
to determine whether revocation of the countervailing duty order on
heavy iron construction castings from Brazil, the antidumping duty
order on heavy iron construction castings from Canada, and the
antidumping duty orders on iron construction castings from Brazil and
China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material
injury. Pursuant to the Act, interested parties are requested to
respond to this notice by submitting the information specified below to
the Commission;\1\ to be assured of consideration, the deadline for
responses is November 2, 2015. Comments on the adequacy of responses
may be filed with the Commission by December 15, 2015.
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\1\ No response to this request for information is required if a
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) number is not
displayed; the OMB number is 3117-0016/USITC No. 15-5-344,
expiration date June 30, 2017. Public reporting burden for the
request is estimated to average 15 hours per response. Please send
comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate to the
Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E
Street SW., Washington, DC 20436.
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DATES: Effective October 1, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Messer (202-205-3193), Office of
Investigations, 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 for this proceeding may be
viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background.-- The Department of Commerce issued antidumping duty
orders on imports of ``heavy'' and ``light'' iron construction castings
from Canada on March 5, 1986 (51 FR 7600) and from Brazil and China on
May 9, 1986 (51 FR 17220). On May 15, 1986, Commerce issued a
countervailing duty order on imports of ``heavy'' iron construction
castings from Brazil (51 FR 17786). On September 23, 1998, Commerce
issued the final results of a changed circumstance review concerning
iron construction castings from Canada, in which the antidumping duty
order with respect to ``light'' castings was revoked (63 FR 50881).
Following full first five-year reviews by Commerce and the Commission,
effective November 12, 1999, Commerce issued a continuation of the
countervailing duty order on ``heavy'' iron construction castings from
Brazil, a continuation of the antidumping duty order on ``heavy'' iron
construction castings from Canada, and a continuation of the
antidumping duty orders on ``heavy'' and ``light'' iron construction
castings from Brazil and China (64 FR 61590-61592). Following expedited
second five-year reviews by Commerce and the Commission, effective June
29, 2005, Commerce issued a second continuation of the subject orders
(70 FR 27326). Following expedited third five-year reviews by Commerce
and the Commission, effective November 19, 2010, Commerce issued a
third continuation of the subject orders (75 FR 70900). The Commission
is now conducting fourth reviews pursuant to section 751(c) of the Act,
as amended (19 U.S.C. 1675(c)), to determine whether revocation of the
orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of
material injury to the domestic industry within a reasonably
foreseeable time. Provisions concerning the conduct of this proceeding
may be found in the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure at 19
CFR parts 201, Subparts A and B and 19 CFR part 207, subparts A and F.
The Commission will assess the adequacy of interested party responses
to this notice of institution to determine whether to conduct full or
expedited reviews. The Commission's determinations in any expedited
reviews will be based on the facts available, which may include
information provided in response to this notice.
Definitions.--The following definitions apply to these reviews:
(1) Subject Merchandise is the class or kind of merchandise that is
within the scope of the five-year reviews, as defined by the Department
of Commerce.
(2) The Subject Countries in these reviews are Brazil, Canada, and
China.
(3) The Domestic Like Product is the domestically produced product
or products which are like, or in the absence of like, most similar in
characteristics and uses with, the Subject Merchandise. In its original
determinations, its full first five-year review determinations, and its
expedited second and third five-year review determinations concerning
iron construction castings from Brazil, Canada, and China, the
Commission found two separate Domestic Like Products: ``heavy'' and
``light'' iron construction castings.
(4) The Domestic Industry is the U.S. producers as a whole of the
Domestic Like Product, or those producers whose collective output of
the Domestic Like Product constitutes a major proportion of the total
domestic production of the product. In its original determinations, its
full first five-year review determinations, and its expedited second
and third five-year review determinations, the Commission found two
Domestic Industries: (1) All domestic producers of ``heavy'' iron
construction castings and (2) all domestic producers of ``light'' iron
construction castings.
(5) An Importer is any person or firm engaged, either directly or
through a parent company or subsidiary, in importing the Subject
Merchandise into the United States from a foreign manufacturer or
through its selling agent.
Participation in the proceeding and public service list.--Persons,
including industrial users of the Subject Merchandise and, if the
merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer
organizations, wishing to participate in the proceeding as parties must
file an entry of appearance with the Secretary to the Commission, as
provided in section 201.11(b)(4) 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 the proceeding.
Former Commission employees who are seeking to appear in Commission
five-year reviews are advised that they may appear in a review even if
they participated personally and substantially in the corresponding
underlying original investigation or an earlier review of the same
underlying investigation. The Commission's designated agency ethics
official has advised that a five-year review is not the same particular
matter as the underlying original investigation, and a five-year review
is not the same particular matter as an earlier review of the same
underlying investigation for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 207, the post
employment statute for Federal employees, and Commission rule 201.15(b)
(19 CFR 201.15(b)), 79 FR 3246 (Jan. 17, 2014), 73 FR 24609 (May 5,
2008). Consequently, former employees are not required to seek
Commission approval to appear in a review under Commission rule 19 CFR
201.15, even if the
[[Page 59194]]
corresponding underlying original investigation or an earlier review of
the same underlying investigation was pending when they were Commission
employees. For further ethics advice on this matter, contact Carol
McCue Verratti, Deputy Agency Ethics Official, at 202-205-3088.
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 BPI submitted in this proceeding available to authorized
applicants under the APO issued in the proceeding, provided that the
application is 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
the proceeding. A separate service list will be maintained by the
Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
Certification.--Pursuant to section 207.3 of the Commission's
rules, any person submitting information to the Commission in
connection with this proceeding must certify that the information is
accurate and complete to the best of the submitter's knowledge. In
making the certification, the submitter will be deemed to consent,
unless otherwise specified, for the Commission, its employees, and
contract personnel to use the information provided in any other reviews
or investigations of the same or comparable products which the
Commission conducts under Title VII of the Act, or in internal audits
and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the
Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3.
Written submissions.--Pursuant to section 207.61 of the
Commission's rules, each interested party response to this notice must
provide the information specified below. The deadline for filing such
responses is November 2, 2015. Pursuant to section 207.62(b) of the
Commission's rules, eligible parties (as specified in Commission rule
207.62(b)(1)) may also file comments concerning the adequacy of
responses to the notice of institution and whether the Commission
should conduct expedited or full reviews. The deadline for filing such
comments is December 15, 2015. All written submissions must conform
with the provisions of sections 201.8 and 207.3 of the Commission's
rules and any submissions that contain BPI must also conform with the
requirements of sections 201.6 and 207.7 of the Commission's rules.
Please be aware that the Commission's rules with respect to filing have
changed. The most recent amendments took effect on July 25, 2014. See
79 FR 35920 (June 25, 2014), and the revised Commission Handbook on E-
filing, available from the Commission's Web site at http://edis.usitc.gov. Also, in accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3
of the Commission's rules, each document filed by a party to the
proceeding must be served on all other parties to the proceeding (as
identified by either the public or APO service list as appropriate),
and a certificate of service must accompany the document (if you are
not a party to the proceeding you do not need to serve your response).
Inability to provide requested information.--Pursuant to section
207.61(c) of the Commission's rules, any interested party that cannot
furnish the information requested by this notice in the requested form
and manner shall notify the Commission at the earliest possible time,
provide a full explanation of why it cannot provide the requested
information, and indicate alternative forms in which it can provide
equivalent information. If an interested party does not provide this
notification (or the Commission finds the explanation provided in the
notification inadequate) and fails to provide a complete response to
this notice, the Commission may take an adverse inference against the
party pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1677e(b)) in
making its determinations in the reviews.
Information To be Provided In Response to this Notice of
Institution: Please provide the requested information separately for
each Domestic Like Product, as defined by the Commission in its
previous determinations, and for each of the products identified by
Commerce as Subject Merchandise. If you are a domestic producer, union/
worker group, or trade/business association; import/export Subject
Merchandise from more than one Subject Country; or produce Subject
Merchandise in more than one Subject Country, you may file a single
response. If you do so, please ensure that your response to each
question includes the information requested for each pertinent Subject
Country. As used below, the term ``firm'' includes any related firms.
(1) The name and address of your firm or entity (including World
Wide Web address) and name, telephone number, fax number, and Email
address of the certifying official.
(2) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S.
producer of the Domestic Like Products, a U.S. union or worker group, a
U.S. importer of the Subject Merchandise, a foreign producer or
exporter of the Subject Merchandise, a U.S. or foreign trade or
business association, or another interested party (including an
explanation). If you are a union/worker group or trade/business
association, identify the firms in which your workers are employed or
which are members of your association.
(3) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is willing to
participate in this proceeding by providing information requested by
the Commission.
(4) A statement of the likely effects of the revocation of the
antidumping and countervailing duty orders on the Domestic Industries
in general and/or your firm/entity specifically. In your response,
please discuss the various factors specified in section 752(a) of the
Act (19 U.S.C. 1675a(a)) including the likely volume of subject
imports, likely price effects of subject imports, and likely impact of
imports of Subject Merchandise on the Domestic Industries.
(5) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of
the Domestic Like Products. Identify any known related parties and the
nature of the relationship as defined in section 771(4)(B) of the Act
(19 U.S.C. 1677(4)(B)).
(6) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. importers of
the Subject Merchandise and producers of the Subject Merchandise in
each Subject Country that currently export or have exported Subject
Merchandise to the United States or other countries after 2009.
(7) A list of 3-5 leading purchasers in the U.S. market for the
Domestic Like Products and the Subject Merchandise (including street
address, World Wide Web address, and the name, telephone number, fax
number, and Email address of a responsible official at each firm).
(8) A list of known sources of information on national or regional
prices for the Domestic Like Products or the Subject Merchandise in the
U.S. or other markets.
(9) If you are a U.S. producer of the Domestic Like Products,
provide the following information on your firm's operations on that
product during calendar year 2014, except as noted (report quantity
data in pounds and value data in U.S. dollars, f.o.b. plant). If you
are a union/worker group or trade/business association, provide the
information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms in which your workers
are employed/which are members of your association.
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(a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total U.S. production of the Domestic Like Products
accounted for by your firm's(s') production;
(b) Capacity (quantity) of your firm to produce the Domestic Like
Products (i.e., the level of production that your establishment(s)
could reasonably have expected to attain during the year, assuming
normal operating conditions (using equipment and machinery in place and
ready to operate), normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per
year), time for downtime, maintenance, repair, and cleanup, and a
typical or representative product mix);
(c) the quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of the
Domestic Like Products produced in your U.S. plant(s);
(d) the quantity and value of U.S. internal consumption/company
transfers of the Domestic Like Products produced in your U.S. plant(s);
and
(e) the value of (i) net sales, (ii) cost of goods sold (COGS),
(iii) gross profit, (iv) selling, general and administrative (SG&A)
expenses, and (v) operating income of the Domestic Like Products
produced in your U.S. plant(s) (include both U.S. and export commercial
sales, internal consumption, and company transfers) for your most
recently completed fiscal year (identify the date on which your fiscal
year ends).
(10) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of
U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from any Subject Country,
provide the following information on your firm's(s') operations on that
product during calendar year 2014 (report quantity data in pounds and
value data in U.S. dollars). If you are a trade/business association,
provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms which are
members of your association.
(a) The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including
antidumping or countervailing duties) of U.S. imports and, if known, an
estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise
from each Subject Country accounted for by your firm's(s') imports;
(b) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject
Merchandise imported from each Subject Country; and
(c) the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping
and/or countervailing duties) of U.S. internal consumption/company
transfers of Subject Merchandise imported from each Subject Country.
(11) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business
association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in any
Subject Country, provide the following information on your firm's(s')
operations on that product during calendar year 2014 (report quantity
data in pounds and value data in U.S. dollars, landed and duty-paid at
the U.S. port but not including antidumping or countervailing duties).
If you are a trade/business association, provide the information, on an
aggregate basis, for the firms which are members of your association.
(a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in each Subject
Country accounted for by your firm's(s') production;
(b) Capacity (quantity) of your firm(s) to produce the Subject
Merchandise in each Subject Country (i.e., the level of production that
your establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during
the year, assuming normal operating conditions (using equipment and
machinery in place and ready to operate), normal operating levels
(hours per week/weeks per year), time for downtime, maintenance,
repair, and cleanup, and a typical or representative product mix); and
(c) the quantity and value of your firm's(s') exports to the United
States of Subject Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total exports to the United States of Subject Merchandise
from each Subject Country accounted for by your firm's(s') exports.
(12) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand
conditions or business cycle for the Domestic Like Products that have
occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject
Merchandise in each Subject Country after 2009, and significant
changes, if any, that are likely to occur within a reasonably
foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include technology;
production methods; development efforts; ability to increase production
(including the shift of production facilities used for other products
and the use, cost, or availability of major inputs into production);
and factors related to the ability to shift supply among different
national markets (including barriers to importation in foreign markets
or changes in market demand abroad). Demand conditions to consider
include end uses and applications; the existence and availability of
substitute products; and the level of competition among the Domestic
Like Products produced in the United States, Subject Merchandise
produced in each Subject Country, and such merchandise from other
countries.
(13) (Optional) A statement of whether you agree with the above
definitions of the Domestic Like Products and Domestic Industries; if
you disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain
why and provide alternative definitions.
Authority: This proceeding is being conducted under authority
of Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published
pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission's rules.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: September 24, 2015.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2015-24652 Filed 9-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P