Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of the 2014-2015 Antidumping Administrative Review

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (the “Department”) has conducted an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain cut-to-length carbon steel plate (“CTL plate”) from the People's Republic of China (“PRC”), covering the period November 1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.

DATES:

Effective December 19, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jonathan Hill, AD/CVD Operations, Office IV, Enforcement & Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3518.

Background

On August 12, 2016, the Department of Commerce (“Department”) published its Preliminary Results of the review of the antidumping duty order on CTL plate from the PRC for Hunan Valin Xiangtan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (“Hunan Valin”) and Wuyang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (“Wuyang Steel”). Although invited to do so, interested parties did not comment on our Preliminary Results. Thus, we have adopted the Preliminary Results as the final results.

Scope of the Order

The product covered by the order is certain cut-to-length carbon steel plate from the PRC. Included in this description is hot-rolled iron and non-alloy steel universal mill plates (i.e., flat-rolled products rolled on four faces or in a closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 millimeters (“mm”) but not exceeding 1250 mm and of a thickness of not less than 4 mm, not in coils and without patterns of relief), of rectangular shape, neither clad, plated nor coated with metal, whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other nonmetallic substances; and certain iron and non-alloy steel flat-rolled products not in coils, of rectangular shape, hot-rolled, neither clad, plated nor coated with metal, whether or not painted, varnished, or covered with plastics or other nonmetallic substances, 4.75 mm or more in thickness and of a width which exceeds 150mm and measures at least twice the thickness. Included as subject merchandise in this order are flat-rolled products of nonrectangular cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the rolling process (i.e., products which have been “worked after rolling”)—for example, products which have been beveled or rounded at the edges. This merchandise is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”) under item numbers 7208.40.3030, 7208.40.3060, 7208.51.0030, 7208.51.0045, 7208.51.0060, 7208.52.0000, 7208.53.0000, 7208.90.0000, 7210.70.3000, 7212.40.5000, and 7212.50.0000. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the order is dispositive. Specifically excluded from subject merchandise within the scope of the order is grade X-70 steel plate.

Analysis

In the Preliminary Results, the Department determined that Hunan Valin was not eligible for separate rate status and was considered part of the PRC-wide entity, and that Wuyang Steel did not have reviewable transactions during the POR. No parties commented on the Preliminary Results. For these final results of review, we have continued to treat Hunan Valin as part of the PRC-wide entity, and continued to find that Wuyang Steel did not have reviewable transactions during the POR. We are adopting the Preliminary Decision Memorandum for these final results of review. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (“ACCESS”). ACCESS is available to registered users at http://access.trade.gov and in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly on the Internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html. The signed and the electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Assessment Rates

Upon issuance of the final results, the Department will determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review. The Department intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP 15 days after the publication date of the final results of this review. The Department intends to instruct CBP to liquidate any entries of subject merchandise exported by Hunan Valin at 128.59 percent (the PRC-wide rate).

Additionally, pursuant to the Department's practice in non-market economy cases, given that we have continued to find that Wuyang Steel had no shipments of subject merchandise during the POR, any suspended entries of subject merchandise exported by Wuyang Steel will be liquidated at the PRC-wide rate.

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the final results of this administrative review for all shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the final results of review, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the “Act”): (1) For previously investigated or reviewed PRC and non-PRC exporters, which are not under review in this segment of the proceeding, but which have separate rates, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the exporter-specific rate published for the most recent period; (2) for all PRC exporters of subject merchandise that have not been found to be entitled to a separate rate, including Hunan Valin, the cash deposit rate will be the PRC-wide rate of 128.59 percent; and (3) for all non-PRC exporters of subject merchandise, which have not received their own rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to the PRC exporter(s) that supplied that non-PRC exporter. These deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification of Interested Parties

This notice also serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that reimbursement of the antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to administrative protective orders (“APOs”) of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305, which continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written notification of the return/destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a violation that is subject to sanction.

This notice of the final results of this antidumping duty administrative review is issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213 and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(5).