[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46481-46483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23468]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigations Nos. AA1921-191 (Review) and 104-TAA-13 (Review)]
Rayon Staple Fiber From Finland and Sweden
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Institution of five-year reviews concerning the antidumping
duty order on rayon staple fiber from Finland and the countervailing
duty order on rayon staple fiber from Sweden.
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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted
reviews pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the antidumping
duty order on rayon staple fiber from Finland and/or the countervailing
duty order on rayon staple fiber from Sweden would be likely to lead to
continuation or recurrence of material injury. Pursuant to section
751(c)(2) of the Act, interested parties are requested to respond to
this notice by submitting the information specified below to the
Commission; the deadline for responses is October 21, 1998. Comments on
the adequacy of responses may be filed with the Commission by November
13, 1998.
For further information concerning the conduct of these reviews and
rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part
201), and part 207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part 207). Recent
amendments to the Rules of Practice and Procedure pertinent to five-
year reviews, including the text of subpart F of part 207, are
published at 63 FR 30599, June 5, 1998, and may be downloaded from the
Commission's World Wide Web site at http://www.usitc.gov/rules.htm.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Haines (202-205-3200) or
Vera Libeau (202-205-3176), Office of Investigations, U.S.
International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.
Hearing-impaired persons can obtain
[[Page 46482]]
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).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background.--On March 21, 1979, following an affirmative injury
determination by the Commission, the Department of the Treasury issued
an antidumping duty order on imports of rayon staple fiber from Finland
(44 FR 17156). On May 15, 1979, the Department of the Treasury issued a
countervailing duty order on imports of rayon staple fiber from Sweden
(44 FR 28319). There was no Commission determination of material injury
by reason of subsidized imports prior to issuance of the order because
imports from Sweden were not eligible for an injury test unless they
were duty free. However, pursuant to section 104 of the Trade
Agreements Act of 1979, the Commission made a determination in March
1983 that the domestic industry producing rayon staple fiber would be
materially injured by reason of subsidized imports of such fiber from
Sweden in the countervailing duty order covering such imports were to
be revoked. The Commission is now conducting reviews 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.
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 Finland and Sweden.
(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, the Commission defined the Domestic Like Product as
rayon staple fiber.
(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, the
Commission defined the Domestic Industry as producers of rayon staple
fiber.
(5) The Order Dates are the dates that the antidumping and
countervailing duty orders under review became effective. In these
reviews of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders, the Order
Dates are March 21, 1979, and May 15, 1979, respectively.
(6) 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 reviews 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 reviews 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 reviews.
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 these reviews available to authorized
applicants under the APO issued in the reviews, 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 reviews. 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 these reviews 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 October 21, 1998. 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 whether the Commission
should conduct expedited reviews. The deadline for filing such comments
is November 13, 1998. 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. The
Commission's rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the
Secretary by facsimile or electronic means. Also, in accordance with
sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission's rules, each document
filed by a party to the reviews must be served on all other parties to
the reviews (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 reviews 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 in making its
determinations in the reviews.
Information To Be Provided in Response to This Notice of
Institution
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
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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.
(1) The name and address of your firm or entity (including World
Wide Web address if available) and name, telephone number, fax number,
and E-mail address of the certifying official.
(2) A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S.
producer of the Domestic Like Product, 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 these reviews 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 Industry 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. Sec. 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 Industry.
(5) A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of
the Domestic Like Product. 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
Finland and Sweden that currently export or have exported Subject
Merchandise to the United States or other countries since 1978.
(7) If you are a U.S. producer of the Domestic Like Product,
provide the following information on your firm's operations on that
product during calendar year 1997 (report quantity data in thousands of
pounds and value data in thousands of U.S. dollars). 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.
(a) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total U.S. production of the Domestic Like Product
accounted for by your firm's(s') production; and
(b) The quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of the
Domestic Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s).
(8) If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of
U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise from Finland and/or Sweden,
provide the following information on your firm's(s') operations on that
product during calendar year 1997 (report quantity data in thousands of
pounds and value data in thousands of 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 of U.S. imports and, if known, an
estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject Merchandise
from Finland and Sweden accounted for by your firm's(s') imports; and
(b) The quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of Subject
Merchandise imported from Finland and Sweden.
(9) If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business
association of producers or exporters of the Subject Merchandise in
Finland and/or Sweden, provide the following information on your
firm's(s') operations on that product during calendar year 1997 (report
quantity data in thousands of pounds and value data in thousands of
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) Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the
percentage of total production of Subject Merchandise in Finland and
Sweden accounted for by your firm's(s') production; and
(b) 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 Finland and Sweden accounted for by your firm's(s') exports.
(10) Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand
conditions or business cycle for the Domestic Like Product that have
occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject
Merchandise in the Subject Countries since the Order Dates, 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 Product produced in the United States, Subject
Merchandise produced in the Subject Countries, and rayon staple fiber
from other countries.
(11) (OPTIONAL) A statement of whether you agree with the above
definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you
disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why
and provide alternative definitions.
Authority: These reviews are 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.
Issued: August 21, 1998.
By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-23468 Filed 8-31-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P