[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 83 (Monday, April 29, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 18720-18721] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-10554] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-428-602] Brass Sheet and Strip From Germany; Amendment of Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Reviews AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of amendment of final results of antidumping duty administrative reviews. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: On July 27, 1995 the Department published the final results of administrative reviews of the antidumping duty order on brass sheet and strip from Germany. Clerical errors which were timely filed by the petitioners were not corrected by the Department prior to the time the petitioners filed suit with the Court of International Trade (CIT). Therefore, the Department requested leave to correct the clerical errors in this case. Pursuant to orders issued by the CIT on February 29, 1996, granting leave to the Department to correct these ministerial errors, we have corrected several ministerial errors with respect to sales of subject merchandise by one German manufacturer/exporter. The errors were present in our final results of reviews. The reviews cover the following three periods: --March 1, 1990, through February 28, 1991; --March 1, 1991, through February 29, 1992; --March 1, 1992, through February 28, 1993. We are publishing this amendment to the final results of reviews in accordance with 19 CFR Sec. 353.28(c). EFFECTIVE DATE: April 29, 1996. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Killiam or John Kugelman, Office of Antidumping Compliance, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone: (202) 482- 5253. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The Department of Commerce (the Department) published the final results of antidumping administrative reviews on July 27, 1995 (60 FR 38542). The reviews covered one manufacturer/exporter, Wieland Werke AG (Wieland), and the periods March 1, 1990 through February 28, 1991 (fourth review), [[Page 18721]] March 1, 1991 through February 29, 1992 (fifth review), and March 1, 1992 through February 28, 1993 (sixth review). For a detailed description of the products covered by this order, see the final results of review referenced above. On August 7, 1995, the petitioners, Hussey Copper, Ltd., The Miller Company, Outokumpu American Brass, Revere Copper Products, Inc., International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Union, Allied Industrial Workers of America (AFL-CIO), Mechanics Educational Society of America (Local 56), and the United Steelworkers of America, alleged that in calculating the final antidumping duty margins the Department committed the ministerial errors described below. The Department found the allegations constituted ministerial errors (see memo from the case analyst to Wendy Frankel dated February 9, 1996). However, because the petitioners filed suit with the CIT before we could correct this error, we were unable to make the corrections and publish the amended final results of reviews. Subsequently, the CIT granted the Department leave to correct these ministerial errors. Applicable Statute and Regulations Unless otherwise stated, all citations to the statute and to the Department's regulations are references to the provisions as they existed on December 31, 1994. Ministerial Errors in Final Results of Review 1990-1991 Administrative Review Comment 1: The petitioners allege that in the final results the Department incorrectly inserted a line of programming which adjusted Wieland's credit expenses based on the ratio between Wieland's U.S. deposit rate and Wieland's German short-term borrowing rate, whereas in our notice of final results we stated that we used the U.S. prime rate to calculate Wieland's imputed U.S. credit expenses for this period. Department's Position: We have reviewed the questionnaire responses, case briefs, and computer programs, and we agree that including the line of programming in question was a clerical error. Accordingly, we have removed the incorrect line of programming for these amended final results. Comment 2: The petitioners allege that in the cost test, the Department failed to subtract after-sale rebates and home market freight charges from home market prices, and failed to add home market packing expenses to cost of production. Department's Position: We agree with the petitioners that it was a ministerial error to fail to deduct after-sale rebates and foreign inland freight expenses from price, and to fail to add packing expenses to costs, for the cost test. We have changed these portions of our analysis accordingly for these amended final results. 1991-1992 Administrative Review Comment 3: The petitioners allege that the Department miscalculated the metal value for sales of alloy CDA250 by referring to the average value of two other alloys, one of which was CDA 260/M32; the petitioners argue that this last should have been CDA 260/M30. Department's Position: We have reviewed the computer programs and we agree with the petitioners. We have corrected our analysis accordingly for these amended final results. Comment 4: The petitioners allege that the Department did not use home market sales of alloy CDA 250 for comparison to U.S. sales in its computer program, despite our statement in the final results of review that we had used them. Department's Position: We have reviewed the computer programs and we agree with the petitioners. Accordingly, we have corrected our analysis to include the appropriate computer language to allow for comparison of U.S. sales to home market sales of alloy CDA 250, where appropriate. 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 Administrative Reviews Comment 5: The petitioners allege that in both reviews the Department incorrectly entered plus signs where minus signs should appear in the value-added tax adjustments for early payment discounts. Department's Position: We have reviewed the computer programs, we agree with the petitioners, and we have corrected our analyses accordingly for these amended final results. Amended Final Results of Reviews After correcting the final results for these ministerial errors, the Department has determined that the following margins exist for the fourth, fifth, and sixth review periods: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Percent Manufacturer/exporter Period Margin ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wieland-Werke AG.............................. 3/1/90-2/28/91 2.57 3/1/91-2/29/92 2.37 3/1/92-2/28/93 0.46 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Individual differences between the USP and FMV may vary from the above percentages. This notice serves as a reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR Sec. 353.26 to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during the review periods. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties. These administrative reviews and this notice are in accordance with section 751(f) of the Act (19 U.S.C. Sec. 1673(d)) and section 353.28(c) of the Department's regulations. Dated: April 23, 1996. Susan G. Esserman, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration. [FR Doc. 96-10554 Filed 4-26-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P