Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from Mexico; Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 45675-45682 [E5-4254]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 151 / Monday, August 8, 2005 / Notices
calculations. As noted by U&A France,
the Department has previously included
the value of merchandise entered for
consumption into the United States, but
first sold outside of the United States, in
the denominator of the importer specific
assessment calculations. See Mexinox
2002; Mexinox 2003; and Mexinox 2004.
In Mexinox 2002, we determined that it
is appropriate to include the entered
value of merchandise entered for
consumption into the United States, but
subsequently first sold outside of the
United States into the denominator of
the Department’s importer specific
assessment calculation to ‘‘facilitate the
U.S. Customs Service’s collection of
antidumping duties on subject
merchandise.’’ See Mexinox 2002 and
accompanying Issues and Decision
Memorandum, at comment 15.
Finally, we disagree with the
Petitioners’ assertion that we are unable
to determine who is the importer of
record from the record of this case. U&A
France specifically states that U&A
France is the importer of record for the
sales entered for consumption, but
subsequently first sold outside of the
United States, at Appendix SA–2 of the
supplemental questionnaire response
dated March 22, 2005. Accordingly, the
Department has preliminarily included
the entered value of the merchandise
which was imported for consumption
into the United States, but subsequently
first sold outside of the United States in
the denominator of the importer specific
assessment calculation. A more detailed
discussion of this issue and the
computer code which implements this
decision is included in the Department’s
analysis memorandum. See Analysis
Memorandum.
Preliminary Results of Review
As a result of this review, we
preliminarily find that the following
weighted-average dumping margin
exists:
STAINLESS STEEL SHEET AND STRIP IN
COILS FROM FRANCE
Producer/manufacturer/exporter
U&A France ..............
Weighted-average
margin
11.11 percent.
Duty Assessment
Upon issuance of the final results of
review, the Department shall determine,
and CBP shall assess, antidumping
duties on all appropriate entries. The
Department will issue appraisement
instructions directly to CBP within
fifteen days of publication of the final
results of review. The final results of
this review shall be the basis for the
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assessment of antidumping duties on
entries of merchandise covered by these
results and for future deposits of
estimated duties. For duty assessment
purposes, we calculated an importerspecific assessment rate by dividing the
total dumping margins calculated for
the U.S. sales to the importer by the sum
of total entered value of these sales plus
the entered value of subject
merchandise entered for consumption
but first sold outside of the United
States. If the preliminary results are
adopted in the final results of review,
this rate will be used for assessment of
antidumping duties on all entries of the
subject merchandise by that importer
during the POR.
Revocation of the Order
On July 12, 2005, the United States
International Trade Commission (ITC)
informed the Department that the
revocation of the antidumping duty
orders on stainless steel sheet and strip
from France would not likely lead to
continuation of recurrence of material
injury to an industry in the United
States within a reasonably foreseeable
time. Accordingly, the Department will
be revoking this antidumping duty order
effective, July 27, 2004. Therefore, cash
deposits of estimated antidumping
duties are no longer required.
Public Comment
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(b), the
Department will disclose to parties to
the proceeding any calculation
performed in connection with these
preliminary results within five days
after the date of publication of this
notice. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309,
interested parties may submit written
comments in response to these
preliminary results. Unless extended by
the Department, case briefs are to be
submitted within 30 days after the date
of publication of this notice, and
rebuttal briefs, limited to arguments
raised in case briefs, are to be submitted
no later than five days after the time
limit for filing case briefs. Parties who
submit arguments in this proceeding are
requested to submit with the argument:
(1) A statement of the issues, and (2) a
brief summary of the argument. Case
and rebuttal briefs must be served on
interested parties in accordance with 19
CFR 351.303(f).
Also, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c),
within 30 days of the date of publication
of this notice, interested parties may
request a public hearing on arguments
to be raised in the case and rebuttal
briefs. Unless the Secretary specifies
otherwise, the hearing, if requested, will
be held two days after the date for
submission of rebuttal briefs. Parties
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45675
will be notified of the time and location.
The Department will publish the final
results of this administrative review,
including the results of its analysis of
issues raised in any case or rebuttal
brief, no later than 120 days after
publication of these preliminary results,
unless extended. See 19 CFR 351.213(h).
Notification to Importers
This notice serves as a preliminary
reminder to importers of their
responsibility under regulation 19 CFR
351.402(f) 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 antidumping duties
occured and the subsequent assessment
of double antidumping duties.
These preliminary results of this
administrative review and notice are
issued and published in accordance
with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of
the Act.
Dated: August 1, 2005.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. 05–15639 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–M
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–201–822]
Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils
from Mexico; Preliminary Results of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: In response to requests from
respondent ThyssenKrupp Mexinox
S.A. de C.V. (Mexinox S.A.) and
Mexinox USA, Inc. (Mexinox USA)
(collectively, Mexinox) and petitioners,1
the Department of Commerce (the
Department) is conducting an
administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on stainless
steel sheet and strip in coils (S4 in coils)
from Mexico. This administrative
review covers imports of subject
AGENCY:
1 Petitioners are Allegheny Ludlum Corporation,
North American Stainless, United Auto Workers
Local 3303, Zanesville Armco Independent
Organization, Inc. and the United Steelworkers of
America, AFL-CIO/CLC.
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 151 / Monday, August 8, 2005 / Notices
merchandise from Mexinox S.A. during
the period July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004.
We preliminarily determine that sales
of S4 in coils from Mexico have been
made below normal value (NV). If these
preliminary results are adopted in our
final results of administrative review,
we will instruct U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) to assess
antidumping duties based on the
difference between the constructed
export price (CEP) and NV. Interested
parties are invited to comment on these
preliminary results. Parties who submit
argument in these proceedings are
requested to submit with the argument:
1) a statement of the issues, 2) a brief
summary of the argument, and 3) a table
of authorities.
EFFECTIVE DATE: August 8, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Angela Strom, Maryanne Burke or
Robert James, AD/CVD Operations,
Office 7, Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20230, telephone: (202)
482–2704, (202) 482–5604 or (202) 482–
0649, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 27, 1999, the Department
published in the Federal Register the
Notice of Amended Final Determination
of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and
Antidumping Duty Order; Stainless
Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from
Mexico (64 FR 40560). On July 1, 2004,
the Department published the
Antidumping or Countervailing Duty
Order, Finding, or Suspended
Investigation; Opportunity To Request
Administrative Review, of, inter alia, S4
in coils from Mexico for the period July
1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. 69 FR
39903.
In accordance with 19 CFR
351.213(b)(1), Mexinox and petitioners
requested that we conduct an
administrative review. On August 30,
2004, we published in the Federal
Register a notice of initiation of this
antidumping duty administrative review
covering the period July 1, 2003 through
June 30, 2004. Initiation of Antidumping
and Countervailing Duty Administrative
Reviews and Requests for Revocation in
Part, 69 FR 52857 (August 30, 2004).
On September 8, 2004, the
Department issued an antidumping duty
questionnaire to Mexinox. Mexinox
submitted its response to section A of
the questionnaire on October 8, 2004,
and its response to sections B through
E of the questionnaire on November 10,
2004. On January 28, 2005, the
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Department issued its first supplemental
questionnaire for sections A, B, and C,
to which Mexinox responded on March
7, 2005. On April 14, 2005, the
Department issued a second
supplemental questionnaire for sections
A through C, as well as for section E
pertaining to an affiliated U.S. reseller,
Ken–Mac Metals, Inc. (Ken–Mac).
Mexinox responded to sections A–C of
this supplemental questionnaire on May
16, 2005, and filed its response to
section E on May 23, 2005. The
Department also issued a supplemental
questionnaire for section D on April 18,
2005; Mexinox submitted its response to
this questionnaire on May 16, 2005. On
May 25, 2005, the Department issued a
second supplemental questionnaire for
section D and Mexinox filed its
response to this on June 8, 2005.
Finally, on July 6, 2005, the Department
issued a third supplemental
questionnaire for sections A through C,
to which Mexinox responded on July
14, 2005.
Because it was not practicable to
complete this review within the normal
time frame, on March 8, 2005, we
published in the Federal Register our
notice of the extension of time limits for
this review. Stainless Steel Sheet and
Strip in Coils from Mexico; Extension of
Time Limit for Preliminary Results of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 70 FR 11194 (March 8, 2005).
This extension established the deadline
for these preliminary results as July 31,
2005.
Period of Review
The period of review (POR) is July 1,
2003, through June 30, 2004.
Scope of the Order
For purposes of this order, the
products covered are certain stainless
steel sheet and strip in coils. Stainless
steel is an alloy steel containing, by
weight, 1.2 percent or less of carbon and
10.5 percent or more of chromium, with
or without other elements. The subject
sheet and strip is a flat–rolled product
in coils that is greater than 9.5 mm in
width and less than 4.75 mm in
thickness, and that is annealed or
otherwise heat treated and pickled or
otherwise descaled. The subject sheet
and strip may also be further processed
(e.g., cold–rolled, polished, aluminized,
coated, etc.) provided that it maintains
the specific dimensions of sheet and
strip following such processing.
The merchandise subject to this order
is currently classifiable in the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (HTS) at subheadings:
7219.13.00.31, 7219.13.00.51,
7219.13.00.71, 7219.13.00.81,
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7219.14.00.30, 7219.14.00.65,
7219.14.00.90, 7219.32.00.05,
7219.32.00.20, 7219.32.00.25,
7219.32.00.35, 7219.32.00.36,
7219.32.00.38, 7219.32.00.42,
7219.32.00.44, 7219.33.00.05,
7219.33.00.20, 7219.33.00.25,
7219.33.00.35, 7219.33.00.36,
7219.33.00.38, 7219.33.00.42,
7219.33.00.44, 7219.34.00.05,
7219.34.00.20, 7219.34.00.25,
7219.34.00.30, 7219.34.00.35,
7219.35.00.05, 7219.35.00.15,
7219.35.00.30, 7219.35.00.35,
7219.90.00.10, 7219.90.00.20,
7219.90.00.25, 7219.90.00.60,
7219.90.00.80, 7220.12.10.00,
7220.12.50.00, 7220.20.10.10,
7220.20.10.15, 7220.20.10.60,
7220.20.10.80, 7220.20.60.05,
7220.20.60.10, 7220.20.60.15,
7220.20.60.60, 7220.20.60.80,
7220.20.70.05, 7220.20.70.10,
7220.20.70.15, 7220.20.70.60,
7220.20.70.80, 7220.20.80.00,
7220.20.90.30, 7220.20.90.60,
7220.90.00.10, 7220.90.00.15,
7220.90.00.60, and 7220.90.00.80.
Although the HTS subheadings are
provided for convenience and customs
purposes, the Department’s written
description of the merchandise under
this order is dispositive.
Excluded from the scope of this order
are the following: (1) sheet and strip that
is not annealed or otherwise heat treated
and pickled or otherwise descaled; (2)
sheet and strip that is cut to length; (3)
plate (i.e., flat–rolled stainless steel
products of a thickness of 4.75 mm or
more); (4) flat wire (i.e., cold–rolled
sections, with a prepared edge,
rectangular in shape, of a width of not
more than 9.5 mm); and (5) razor blade
steel. Razor blade steel is a flat–rolled
product of stainless steel, not further
worked than cold–rolled (cold–
reduced), in coils, of a width of not
more than 23 mm and a thickness of
0.266 mm or less, containing, by weight,
12.5 to 14.5 percent chromium, and
certified at the time of entry to be used
in the manufacture of razor blades. See
Chapter 72 of the HTSUS, ‘‘Additional
U.S. Note’’ 1(d).
In response to comments by interested
parties, the Department has determined
that certain specialty stainless steel
products are also excluded from the
scope of this order. These excluded
products are described below.
Flapper valve steel is defined as
stainless steel strip in coils containing,
by weight, between 0.37 and 0.43
percent carbon, between 1.15 and 1.35
percent molybdenum, and between 0.20
and 0.80 percent manganese. This steel
also contains, by weight, phosphorus of
0.025 percent or less, silicon of between
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0.20 and 0.50 percent, and sulfur of
0.020 percent or less. The product is
manufactured by means of vacuum arc
remelting, with inclusion controls for
sulphide of no more than 0.04 percent
and for oxide of no more than 0.05
percent. Flapper valve steel has a tensile
strength of between 210 and 300 ksi,
yield strength of between 170 and 270
ksi, plus or minus 8 ksi, and a hardness
(Hv) of between 460 and 590. Flapper
valve steel is most commonly used to
produce specialty flapper valves for
compressors.
Also excluded is a product referred to
as suspension foil, a specialty steel
product used in the manufacture of
suspension assemblies for computer
disk drives. Suspension foil is described
as 302/304 grade or 202 grade stainless
steel of a thickness between 14 and 127
microns, with a thickness tolerance of
plus–or-minus 2.01 microns, and
surface glossiness of 200 to 700 percent
Gs. Suspension foil must be supplied in
coil widths of not more than 407 mm,
and with a mass of 225 kg or less. Roll
marks may only be visible on one side,
with no scratches of measurable depth.
The material must exhibit residual
stresses of 2 mm maximum deflection,
and flatness of 1.6 mm over 685 mm
length.
Certain stainless steel foil for
automotive catalytic converters is also
excluded from the scope of this order.
This stainless steel strip in coils is a
specialty foil with a thickness of
between 20 and 110 microns used to
produce a metallic substrate with a
honeycomb structure for use in
automotive catalytic converters. The
steel contains, by weight, carbon of no
more than 0.030 percent, silicon of no
more than 1.0 percent, manganese of no
more than 1.0 percent, chromium of
between 19 and 22 percent, aluminum
of no less than 5.0 percent, phosphorus
of no more than 0.045 percent, sulfur of
no more than 0.03 percent, lanthanum
of between 0.002 and 0.05 percent, and
total rare earth elements of more than
0.06 percent, with the balance iron.
Permanent magnet iron–chromiumcobalt alloy stainless strip is also
excluded from the scope of this order.
This ductile stainless steel strip
contains, by weight, 26 to 30 percent
chromium, and 7 to 10 percent cobalt,
with the remainder of iron, in widths
228.6 mm or less, and a thickness
between 0.127 and 1.270 mm. It exhibits
magnetic remanence between 9,000 and
12,000 gauss, and a coercivity of
between 50 and 300 oersteds. This
product is most commonly used in
electronic sensors and is currently
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available under proprietary trade names
such as ‘‘Arnokrome III.’’2
Certain electrical resistance alloy steel
is also excluded from the scope of this
order. This product is defined as a non–
magnetic stainless steel manufactured to
American Society of Testing and
Materials (ASTM) specification B344
and containing, by weight, 36 percent
nickel, 18 percent chromium, and 46
percent iron, and is most notable for its
resistance to high temperature
corrosion. It has a melting point of 1390
degrees Celsius and displays a creep
rupture limit of 4 kilograms per square
millimeter at 1000 degrees Celsius. This
steel is most commonly used in the
production of heating ribbons for circuit
breakers and industrial furnaces, and in
rheostats for railway locomotives. The
product is currently available under
proprietary trade names such as ‘‘Gilphy
36.’’3
Certain martensitic precipitation–
hardenable stainless steel is also
excluded from the scope of this order.
This high–strength, ductile stainless
steel product is designated under the
Unified Numbering System (UNS) as
S45500–grade steel, and contains, by
weight, 11 to 13 percent chromium, and
7 to 10 percent nickel. Carbon,
manganese, silicon and molybdenum
each comprise, by weight, 0.05 percent
or less, with phosphorus and sulfur
each comprising, by weight, 0.03
percent or less. This steel has copper,
niobium, and titanium added to achieve
aging, and will exhibit yield strengths as
high as 1700 Mpa and ultimate tensile
strengths as high as 1750 Mpa after
aging, with elongation percentages of 3
percent or less in 50 mm. It is generally
provided in thicknesses between 0.635
and 0.787 mm, and in widths of 25.4
mm. This product is most commonly
used in the manufacture of television
tubes and is currently available under
proprietary trade names such as
‘‘Durphynox 17.’’4
Finally, three specialty stainless steels
typically used in certain industrial
blades and surgical and medical
instruments are also excluded from the
scope of this order. These include
stainless steel strip in coils used in the
production of textile cutting tools (e.g.,
carpet knives).5 This steel is similar to
ASTM grade 440F, but containing, by
weight, 0.5 to 0.7 percent of
molybdenum. The steel also contains,
by weight, carbon of between 1.0 and
2 ‘‘Arnokrome III’’ is a trademark of the Arnold
Engineering Company.
3 ‘‘Gilphy 36’’ is a trademark of Imphy, S.A.
4 ‘‘Durphynox 17’’ is a trademark of Imphy, S.A.
5 This list of uses is illustrative and provided for
descriptive purposes only.
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45677
1.1 percent, sulfur of 0.020 percent or
less, and includes between 0.20 and
0.30 percent copper and between 0.20
and 0.50 percent cobalt. This steel is
sold under proprietary names such as
‘‘GIN4 Mo.’’ The second excluded
stainless steel strip in coils is similar to
AISI 420–J2 and contains, by weight,
carbon of between 0.62 and 0.70
percent, silicon of between 0.20 and
0.50 percent, manganese of between
0.45 and 0.80 percent, phosphorus of no
more than 0.025 percent and sulfur of
no more than 0.020 percent. This steel
has a carbide density on average of 100
carbide particles per square micron. An
example of this product is ‘‘GIN5’’ steel.
The third specialty steel has a chemical
composition similar to AISI 420 F, with
carbon of between 0.37 and 0.43
percent, molybdenum of between 1.15
and 1.35 percent, but lower manganese
of between 0.20 and 0.80 percent,
phosphorus of no more than
0.025percent, silicon of between 0.20
and 0.50 percent, and sulfur of no more
than 0.020 percent. This product is
supplied with a hardness of more than
Hv 500 guaranteed after customer
processing, and is supplied as, for
example, ‘‘GIN6.’’6
Sales Made Through Affiliated
Resellers
A. U.S. Market
Mexinox USA, a wholly–owned
subsidiary of Mexinox S.A., which is a
subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp AG, the
lead holding company for steel
operations in the ThyssenKrupp Group,
sold subject merchandise in the United
States during the POR to unaffiliated
customers. Mexinox USA also made
sales of subject merchandise to affiliated
company, Ken–Mac, located in the
United States. Ken–Mac is an operating
division of ThyssenKrupp Materials
Inc., a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp USA
Inc. (TKUSA), which is the primary
holding company for ThyssenKrupp AG
in the U.S. market. Ken–Mac further
manufactured and/or resold the subject
merchandise to unaffiliated customers
in the United States. See Mexinox’s
October 8, 2004, questionnaire response
at A–10, A–18 and A–37 through A–38.
For purposes of this review, we have
included both Mexinox USA’s and Ken–
Mac’s sales of subject merchandise to
unaffiliated customers in the United
States in our sales analysis.
B. Home Market
Mexinox Trading, S.A. de C.V.
(Mexinox Trading), a wholly–owned
subsidiary of Mexinox S.A., resells the
foreign like product as well as other
6 ‘‘GIN4 Mo,’’ ‘‘GIN5’’ and ‘‘GIN6’’ are the
proprietary grades of Hitachi Metals America, Ltd.
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merchandise in the home market.
Mexinox reported its sales to Mexinox
Trading during the POR. These sales
represented a small portion of
Mexinox’s total sales of the foreign like
product in the home market and were
less than five percent of home market
sales. See, e.g., Mexinox’s October 8,
2004, questionnaire response at A–3 to
A–4 and its May 23, 2005, supplemental
questionnaire response at Attachment
A–28 (quantity and value chart).
Because Mexinox Trading’s sales of the
foreign like product were less than five
percent of home market sales of the
foreign like product, in accordance with
19 CFR 351.403(d), we did not require
Mexinox to report downstream sales by
Mexinox Trading to its first unaffiliated
customers. This treatment is also
consistent with that employed in past
administrative reviews of S4 in coils
from Mexico. See, e.g., Stainless Steel
Sheet and Strip in Coils from Mexico;
Final Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 70 FR 3677
(January 26, 2005) (S4 in Coils from
Mexico 2002–2003 Final Results).
Fair Value Comparisons
To determine whether sales of S4 in
coils from Mexico to the United States
were made at less than fair value, we
compared the CEP to NV, as described
in the ‘‘Constructed Export Price’’ and
‘‘Normal Value’’ sections of this notice,
below. In accordance with section
777A(d)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act), we compared
individual CEPs to monthly weighted–
average NVs.
Transactions Reviewed
For its home market and U.S. sales,
Mexinox reported the date of invoice as
the date of sale. This is consistent with
the Department’s stated preference for
using the invoice date as the date of
sale, unless a date other than the date
of invoice better reflects the date on
which the exporter or producer
establishes the material terms of sale.
See 19 CFR 351.401(i). Mexinox
indicated the invoice date represented
the date when the material terms of
sales (i.e., price and quantity) are
definitively set, and that up to the date
of shipment and invoicing, these terms
were subject to change. See, e.g.,
Mexinox’s October 8, 2004,
questionnaire response at A–35 and A–
41. Mexinox stated that sale orders may
include provisional prices and
customers may adjust the quantity of an
order up to the date of shipment. See
March 7, 2005, supplemental
questionnaire response at 12. We have
preliminarily determined the date of
invoice is the appropriate date of sale
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because evidence on the record
indicates that final prices are not fixed
until the material is sought to be
released for shipment and invoicing.
See Mexinox’s October 8, 2004,
questionnaire response at A–35.
Product Comparisons
In accordance with section 771(16) of
the Act we considered all products
produced by Mexinox S.A. covered by
the description in the ‘‘Scope of the
Order’’ section, above, and sold in the
home market during the POR, to be
foreign like products for purposes of
determining appropriate product
comparisons to U.S. sales. We relied on
nine characteristics to match U.S. sales
of subject merchandise to comparison
sales of the foreign like product (listed
in order of priority): (1) grade; (2) cold/
hot rolled; (3) gauge; (4) surface finish;
(5) metallic coating; (6) non–metallic
coating; (7) width; (8) temper; and (9)
edge trim. Where there were no sales of
identical merchandise in the home
market to compare to U.S. sales, we
compared U.S. sales to the next most
similar foreign like product on the basis
of the characteristics and reporting
instructions listed in the Department’s
September 8, 2004, questionnaire.
Level of Trade
In accordance with section
773(a)(1)(B) of the Act, to the extent
practicable, we base NV on sales made
in the comparison market at the same
level of trade (LOT) as the export
transaction. There is one LOT in the
comparison market, the NV LOT, which
is defined as the starting price of the
comparison sales in the home market or,
when NV is based on constructed value
(CV), we use the sales from which
selling, general, and administrative
(SG&A) expenses and profit are derived.
With respect to CEP transactions in the
U.S. market, the CEP LOT is defined as
the level of the constructed sale from
the exporter to the importer. See
773(a)(7)(A) of the Act.
To determine whether NV sales are at
a different LOT than CEP sales, we
examine stages in the marketing process
and selling functions along the chain of
distribution between the producer and
the unaffiliated customer. See 19 CFR
351.412(c)(2). If the comparison–market
sales are at a different LOT, and the
difference affects price comparability, as
manifested in a pattern of consistent
price differences between the sales on
which NV is based and comparison–
market sales at the LOT of the export
transaction, we make an LOT
adjustment under section 773(a)(7)(A) of
the Act. For CEP sales, if the NV level
is more remote from the factory than the
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CEP level and there is no basis for
determining whether the difference in
the levels between NV and CEP affects
price comparability, we adjust NV
under section 773(a)(7)(B) of the Act
(the CEP offset provision). See, e.g.,
Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value: Greenhouse Tomatoes
From Canada, 67 FR 8781 (February 26,
2002); see also Notice of Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value: Certain Cut–to-Length
Carbon Steel Plate from South Africa,
62 FR 61731 (November 19, 1997) and
Certain Hot–Rolled Flat–Rolled Carbon
Quality Steel Products from Brazil;
Preliminary Results of Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review, 70 FR
17406 (April 6, 2005). For CEP sales, we
consider only the selling activities
reflected in the price after the deduction
of expenses and CEP profit under
section 772(d) of the Act. See Micron
Technology Inc. v. United States, 243
F.3d 1301, 1314–1315 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
We expect that, if the claimed LOTs are
the same, the functions and activities of
the seller should be similar. Conversely,
if a party claims that the LOTs are
different for different groups of sales,
the functions and activities of the seller
should be dissimilar. See Porcelain–onSteel Cookware from Mexico: Final
Results of Administrative Review, 65 FR
30068 (May 10, 2000).
We obtained information from
Mexinox regarding the marketing stages
involved in making the reported foreign
market and U.S. sales. Mexinox
provided a description of all selling
activities performed, along with a
flowchart and tables comparing the
levels of trade and degrees of intensity
among each channel of distribution and
type in both markets. See Mexinox’s
October 8, 2004, questionnaire response
at A–30 through A–35 and Attachments
A–4–A through A–4–C. Mexinox sold
S4 in coils to end–users and retailers/
distributors in the home market and to
end–users and distributors/service
centers in the U.S.
With respect to the home market,
Mexinox identified two channels of
distribution described as follows: 1)
direct shipments (i.e., products
produced to order) and 2) sales from
inventory. See Mexinox’s October 8,
2004, questionnaire response at A–22
through A–23. We compared the selling
functions performed across all home
market channels of distribution. In
certain activities such as pre–sale
technical assistance, process customer
orders, sample analysis, prototypes and
trial lots, freight and delivery, price
negotiation/customer communications,
sales calls and visits and warranty
services, the level of intensity for direct
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shipments and sales through inventory
were identical, while only a few
functions such as inventory
maintenance and just–in-time
performance differed. Within its two
channels of distribution, Mexinox S.A.
made sales to both affiliated and
unaffiliated distributors/retailers and
end–users, all requiring smaller volume
transactions, technical assistance,
frequent sales calls and visits and other
similar selling services. See October 8,
2004, at A–25 and Attachments A–4–B
and A–4–C. While we find slight
differences in the level of intensity of
these selling activities performed for
direct shipments and sales through
inventory to both end–users and
retailers, these differences are minor
and do not establish distinct, multiple
levels of trade in Mexico. Based on our
analysis of all of Mexinox’s home
market selling functions, we find that all
home market sales were made at the
same LOT, the NV LOT.
With respect to the U.S. market,
Mexinox indicated that it made CEP
sales through its U.S. affiliate, Mexinox
USA, through the following four
channels of distribution: 1) direct
shipments to unaffiliated customers; 2)
stock sales from the San Luis Potosi
(SLP) factory; 3) sales to unaffiliated
customers through Mexinox USA’s
inventory/warehouses; and 4) sales
through Ken–Mac. Ken–Mac is an
affiliated service center located in the
United States which purchases S4 in
coils produced by Mexinox and Ken–
Mac then resells (after, in some
instances, further manufacturing the
merchandise) to unaffiliated U.S.
customers. We compared the selling
activities performed in each channel
and found the same selling functions
(e.g., price negotiation/customer
communications, sales calls, warranty
services and freight/delivery
arrangements) were performed at the
same relative level of intensity in all
channels of distribution. See October 8,
2004, questionnaire response at
Attachment A 4–C. Accordingly, we
find all CEP sales constitute one LOT,
the CEP LOT, in the U.S. market.
We then compared the CEP LOT to
the NV LOT. The CEP LOT is based on
the selling activities associated with the
transaction between Mexinox and its
affiliated importer, Mexinox USA;
whereas the NV LOT is based on the
selling activities associated with the
transactions with unaffiliated customers
in the home market. From our analysis,
we found that the selling functions
performed for home market customers
are either performed at a higher degree
of intensity or are greater in number
than the selling functions performed for
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20:13 Aug 05, 2005
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the U.S. customer. For example, in
comparing Mexinox’s selling activities,
we find there are more functions
performed in the home market which
are not a part of CEP transactions (e.g.,
technical assistance, sample analysis,
prototypes and trial lots, price
negotiation/customer communications,
inventory maintenance, just–in-time
deliveries, sales calls and visits, and
warranty services). For selling activities
performed in both markets (e.g., process
customer orders, freight and delivery),
we find that Mexinox performed each of
these at a higher level of intensity in the
home market than in the U.S. market.
We note that CEP sales from Mexinox to
Mexinox USA generally occur at the
beginning of the distribution chain and
more closely resemble that of an ex–
factory sale. In contrast, all sales in the
home market occur closer to the end of
the distribution chain and involve
smaller individual transaction volumes,
which require more selling functions to
be performed. See Mexinox’s October 8,
2004, questionnaire response at A–30
through A–35 and Attachments A–4–A
through A–4–C. See also Mexinox’s July
14, 2005, supplemental questionnaire
response at 3 to 6. From the evidence on
the record, we conclude that the NV
LOT is at a more advanced stage than
the CEP LOT.
Since we found that the home market
and U.S. sales were made at different
LOTs, we examined whether an LOT
adjustment or a CEP offset may be
appropriate in this review. As we found
only one LOT in the home market, it
was not possible to make an LOT
adjustment to home market sales,
because such an adjustment is
dependent on our ability to identify a
pattern of consistent price differences
between the home market sales on
which NV is based and home market
sales at the LOT of the export
transaction. See 19 CFR
351.412(d)(1)(ii). Furthermore, we have
no other information that provides an
appropriate basis for determining an
LOT adjustment. Because the data
available do not form an appropriate
basis for making an LOT adjustment,
and because the NV LOT is at a more
advanced stage of distribution than the
CEP LOT, we have made a CEP offset to
NV in accordance with section
773(a)(7)(B) of the Act.
Constructed Export Price
In accordance with section 772(b) of
the Act, CEP is the price at which the
subject merchandise is first sold (or
agreed to be sold) in the United States
before or after the date of importation by
or for the account of the producer or
exporter of such merchandise, or by a
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45679
seller affiliated with the producer or
exporter, to a purchaser not affiliated
with the producer or exporter. Mexinox
properly classified all of its U.S. sales of
subject merchandise as CEP transactions
because such sales were made in the
United States by Mexinox’s affiliate,
Mexinox USA, to unaffiliated
purchasers. We based CEP on packed
prices to unaffiliated purchasers in the
United States. We made adjustments for
billing adjustments, discounts and
rebates, and commissions, where
applicable. We also made deductions for
movement expenses in accordance with
section 772(c)(2)(A) of the Act. These
expenses included, where appropriate:
foreign inland freight, foreign brokerage
and handling, inland insurance, ocean
freight (for sales to Puerto Rico), U.S.
customs duties, U.S. inland freight, U.S.
brokerage, and U.S. warehousing
expenses. As directed by section
772(d)(1) of the Act, we deducted those
selling expenses associated with
economic activities occurring in the
United States, including direct selling
expenses (i.e., credit costs, warranty
expenses, and another expense not
subject to public disclosure), inventory
carrying costs, and other indirect selling
expenses. We also made an adjustment
for profit in accordance with section
772(d)(3) of the Act. We used the
adjustments as reported by Mexinox,
except we recalculated the U.S. indirect
selling expense ratio. See Analysis of
Data Submitted by ThyssenKrupp
Mexinox S.A. de C.V. for the
Preliminary Results of the Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review of S4 in
Coils from Mexico (Preliminary
Analysis Memorandum) from Angela
Strom and Maryanne Burke to the File
dated August 1, 2005.
For sales in which the material was
sent to an unaffiliated U.S. processor to
be further processed, we made an
adjustment based on the transaction–
specific further–processing amounts
reported by Mexinox. In addition, the
U.S. affiliated reseller Ken–Mac
performed some further manufacturing
of some of Mexinox’s U.S. sales. For
these sales, we deducted the cost of
further processing in accordance with
section 772(d)(2) of the Act. In
calculating the cost of further
manufacturing for Ken–Mac, we relied
upon Ken–Mac’s reported cost of further
manufacturing materials, labor and
overhead, plus amounts for further
manufacturing general and
administrative expenses (G&A), as
reported in the May 23, 2005,
supplemental questionnaire response
and incorporated the revised financial
expense ratio (INTEX). See the
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Department’s Cost of Production and
Constructed Value Calculation
Adjustments for the Preliminary Results
- ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de C.V.
(Cost Calculation Memorandum) from
Laurens Van Houten to the File and
Preliminary Analysis Memorandum,
both dated August 1, 2005.
Normal Value
A. Selection of Comparison Market
To determine whether there is a
sufficient volume of sales in the home
market to serve as a viable basis for
calculating NV (i.e., the aggregate
volume of home market sales of the
foreign like product is greater than five
percent of the aggregate volume of U.S.
sales), we compared Mexinox’s volume
of home market sales of the foreign like
product to the volume of its U.S. sales
of the subject merchandise, in
accordance with section 773(a)(1)(B) of
the Act. Because Mexinox’s aggregate
volume of home market sales of the
foreign like product was greater than
five percent of its aggregate volume of
U.S. sales for the subject merchandise,
we determined the home market was
viable. See, e.g., Mexinox’s May 23,
2005, supplemental questionnaire
response at Attachment A–28.
B. Affiliated–Party Transactions and
Arm’s–Length Test
Sales to affiliated customers in the
home market not made at arm’s–length
prices are excluded from our analysis
because we consider them to be outside
the ordinary course of trade. See 19 CFR
351.102(b). Consistent with 19 CFR
351.403(c) and (d) and agency practice,
‘‘the Department may calculate NV
based on sales to affiliates if satisfied
that the transactions were made at arm’s
length.’’ See China Steel Corp. v. United
States, 264 F. Supp. 2d 1339, 1365 (CIT
2003). To test whether the sales to
affiliates were made at arm’s–length
prices, we compared on a model–
specific basis the starting prices of sales
to affiliated and unaffiliated customers
net of all direct selling expenses,
discounts and rebates, movement
charges, and packing. Where prices to
the affiliated party were, on average,
within a range of 98 to 102 percent of
the price of identical or comparable
merchandise to the unaffiliated parties,
we determined that the sales made to
the affiliated party were at arm’s length.
See Antidumping Proceedings:
Affiliated Party Sales in the Ordinary
Course of Trade, 67 FR 69186, 69194
(November 15, 2002). We found that one
affiliated home market customer failed
the arm’s length test and, in accordance
with the Department’s practice, we
excluded these sales from our analysis.
See section 773(f)(2) of the Act.
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C. Cost of Production Analysis
Because we disregarded sales of
certain products made at prices below
the cost of production (COP) in the most
recently completed review of S4 in coils
from Mexico (See, e.g., Stainless Steel
Sheet and Strip in Coils from Mexico;
Final Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 69 FR 6259
(February 10, 2004) (S4 in Coils from
Mexico 2001–2002 Final Results), we
had reasonable grounds to believe or
suspect that sales of the foreign like
product under consideration for the
determination of NV in this review for
Mexinox may have been made at prices
below the COP, as provided by section
773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act. Pursuant to
section 773(b)(1) of the Act, we initiated
a COP investigation of sales by
Mexinox.
We recalculated Mexinox’s G&A and
INTEX as described in the Cost
Calculation Memorandum and
Preliminary Analysis Memorandum. We
added material and fabrication costs for
the foreign like product, plus amounts
for SG&A and packing costs, in
accordance with section 773(b)(3) of the
Act. We then computed weighted–
average COPs during the POR, and
compared the weighted–average COP
figures to home market sales prices of
the foreign like product as required
under section 773(b) of the Act, to
determine whether these sales had been
made at prices below the COP. On a
product–specific basis, we compared
the COP to the home market prices net
of billing adjustments, discounts and
rebates, and any applicable movement
charges.
In determining whether to disregard
home market sales made at prices below
the COP, we examined, in accordance
with sections 773(b)(1)(A) and (B) of the
Act, whether, within an extended
period of time, such sales were made in
substantial quantities; and whether such
sales were made at prices which
permitted the recovery of all costs
within a reasonable period of time in
the normal course of trade. Where less
than 20 percent of the respondent’s
home market sales of a given model
were at prices below the COP, we did
not disregard any below–cost sales of
that model because we determined that
the below–cost sales were not made
within an extended period of time and
in ‘‘substantial quantities.’’ Where 20
percent or more of the respondent’s
home market sales of a given model
were at prices less than the COP, we
disregarded the below–cost sales
because: (1) they were made within an
extended period of time in ‘‘substantial
quantities,’’ in accordance with sections
773(b)(2)(B) and (C) of the Act; and (2)
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Sfmt 4703
based on our comparison of prices to the
weighted–average COPs for the POR,
they were at prices which would not
permit the recovery of all costs within
a reasonable period of time, in
accordance with section 773(b)(2)(D) of
the Act.
Our cost test for Mexinox revealed
that, for home market sales of certain
models, less than 20 percent of the sales
of those models were at prices below the
COP. We therefore retained all such
sales in our analysis and used them as
the basis for determining NV. Our cost
test also indicated that, for certain
models, more than 20 percent of the
home market sales of those models were
sold at prices below the COP within an
extended period of time and were at
prices which would not permit the
recovery of all costs within a reasonable
period of time. Thus, in accordance
with section 773(b)(1) of the Act, we
excluded these below–cost sales from
our analysis and used the remaining
above–cost sales as the basis for
determining NV.
D. Constructed Value
In accordance with section 773(e) of
the Act, we calculated CV based on the
sum of Mexinox’s material and
fabrication costs, SG&A expenses, profit,
and U.S. packing costs. We calculated
the COP component of CV as described
above in the ‘‘Cost of Production
Analysis’’ section of this notice. In
accordance with section 773(e)(2)(A) of
the Act, we based SG&A expenses and
profit on the amounts incurred and
realized by the respondent in
connection with the production and sale
of the foreign like product in the
ordinary course of trade, for
consumption in the foreign country.
E. Price–to-Price Comparisons
We calculated NV based on prices to
unaffiliated customers or prices to
affiliated customers we determined to
be at arm’s length. We made
adjustments for billing adjustments,
discounts, rebates and interest revenue,
where appropriate. We made
deductions, where appropriate, for
foreign inland freight, insurance,
handling, and warehousing, pursuant to
section 773(a)(6)(B) of the Act. In
addition, we made adjustments for
differences in cost attributable to
differences in physical characteristics of
the merchandise pursuant to section
773(a)(6)(C)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.411, as well as for differences in
circumstances of sale (COS) in
accordance with section 773(a)(6)(C)(iii)
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.410. We
made COS adjustments for imputed
credit expenses and warranty expenses.
As noted in the ‘‘Level of Trade’’ section
of this notice, we also made an
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adjustment for the CEP offset in
accordance with section 773(a)(7)(B) of
the Act. Finally, we deducted home
market packing costs and added U.S.
packing costs in accordance with
sections 773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
We used Mexinox’s adjustments and
deductions as reported, except for
certain handling expenses and imputed
credit expenses. We have recalculated
the handling expenses incurred by
home market affiliate, Mexinox Trading,
and applied the revised ratio to those
home market sales whereby Mexinox
reported a handling expense. We based
imputed credit expense on the short–
term borrowing rate associated with the
currency of each home market sale
transaction at issue. See Preliminary
Analysis Memorandum. Both
methodologies are consistent with past
administrative reviews of this case. See
e.g., S4 in Coils from Mexico 2002–2003
Final Results.
F. Price–to-CV Comparisons
In accordance with section 773(a)(4)
of the Act, we based NV on CV if we
were unable to find a home market
match of such or similar merchandise.
Where appropriate, we made
adjustments to CV in accordance with
section 773(a)(8) of the Act.
Facts Available
In accordance with section 776(a)(1)
of the Act, for these preliminary results
we find it necessary to use partial facts
available in those instances where the
respondent did not provide certain
information necessary to conduct our
analysis.
In our September 8, 2004,
questionnaire at G–6, we requested that
Mexinox provide sales and cost data for
all affiliates involved with the
production or sale of the merchandise
under review during the POR in both
home and U.S. markets. In its October
8, 2004, questionnaire response at A–2,
Mexinox indicated that its affiliated
reseller, Ken–Mac, sold subject
merchandise in the United States during
the POR. In its November 10, 2004,
submission at KMC–2, Mexinox
provided data related to Ken–Mac’s
resales of subject merchandise to
unaffiliated customers in the United
States, although Mexinox notified the
Department that a small subset of sale
transactions could not be traced to an
original stock item or supplier. In its
supplemental questionnaire response
dated May 23, 2005, at 2, Mexinox
reported those sale transactions
(unattributed sales) where the origin of
the original stock item could not be
determined.
Because of the unknown origin of a
certain number of Ken–Mac resales,
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Mexinox has not provided all the
information necessary to complete our
analysis. Pursuant to section 776(a)(1) of
the Act, it is appropriate to use the facts
otherwise available in calculating a
margin on Ken–Mac’s unattributed
sales. Section 776(a)(1) of the Act
provides that the Department will,
subject to section 782(d) of the Act, use
the facts otherwise available in reaching
a determination if ‘‘necessary
information is not available on the
record.’’ For these preliminary results,
we have calculated a margin on Ken–
Mac’s unattributed sales by applying the
overall margin calculated on Mexinox’s
other U.S. sales of subject merchandise
to the weighted–average price of Ken–
Mac’s unattributed sales. This
methodology is consistent with that
employed in past administrative
reviews of S4 in coils from Mexico. See,
e.g., S4 in Coils from Mexico 2002–2003
Final Results.
Prior to applying the overall margin
calculated on other sales/resales of
subject merchandise to Ken–Mac’s
unattributed sales, we calculated the
portion of the unattributed sales
quantity that could be reasonably
allocated to subject stainless steel
merchandise purchased from Mexinox.
We based our allocation on the relative
percentage (by volume) of subject
stainless steel merchandise that Ken–
Mac had purchased from Mexinox as
compared to the total stainless steel
merchandise it had purchased from all
vendors. See Mexinox’s May 23, 2005,
supplemental questionnaire response at
Attachment KMC–14. The Department
finds that Mexinox, to the best of its
ability, complied with the Department’s
request for information; thus, we have
not used an adverse inference, as
provided under section 776(b) of the
Act, to calculate a margin on Ken–Mac’s
unattributed sales.
Currency Conversion
We made currency conversions into
U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates
in effect on the dates of the U.S. sales,
as certified by the Federal Reserve Bank,
in accordance with section 773A(a) of
the Act.
Preliminary Results of Review
As a result of our review we
preliminarily determine the following
weighted–average dumping margin
exists for the period July 1, 2003
through June 30, 2004:
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Manufacturer / Exporter
ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de
C.V. .........................................
45681
Weighted
Average
Margin
(percentage)
3.01
The Department will disclose
calculations performed within five days
of the date of publication of this notice
in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
An interested party may request a
hearing within thirty days of
publication of these preliminary results.
See 19 CFR 351.310(c). Any hearing, if
requested, will be held 37 days after the
date of publication, or the first business
day thereafter, unless the Department
alters the date per 19 CFR 351.310(d).
Interested parties may submit case briefs
no later than 30 days after the date of
publication of these preliminary results
of review. Rebuttal briefs limited to
issues raised in the case briefs, may be
filed no later than 35 days after the date
of publication of this notice. Parties who
submit argument in these proceedings
are requested to submit with the
argument: 1) a statement of the issue, 2)
a brief summary of the argument and 3)
a table of authorities. Further, parties
submitting case briefs and/or rebuttal
briefs are requested to provide the
Department with an additional copy of
the public version of any such argument
on diskette. The Department will issue
final results of this administrative
review, including the results of our
analysis of the issues in any such
argument or at a hearing, within 120
days of publication of these preliminary
results.
Upon completion of this
administrative review, the Department
shall determine, and CBP shall assess,
antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries. In accordance with 19 CFR
351.212(b)(1), we will calculate
importer–specific ad valorem
assessment rates for the merchandise
based on the ratio of the total amount of
antidumping duties calculated for the
examined sales made during the POR to
the total customs value of the sales used
to calculate those duties. The total
customs value is based on the entered
value reported by Mexinox, for all U.S.
entries of subject merchandise initially
purchased for consumption to the
United States made during the POR. See
Preliminary Analysis Memorandum. In
accordance with 19 CFR 356.8(a), the
Department will issue appropriate
assessment instructions directly to CBP
on or after 41 days following the
publication of the final results of
review.
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Furthermore, the following deposit
requirements will be effective upon
completion of the final results of this
administrative review for all shipments
of S4 in coils from Mexico entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for
consumption on or after the publication
date of the final results of this
administrative review, as provided by
section 751(a)(1) of the Act:
(1) The cash deposit rate for Mexinox
will be the rate established in the
final results of review;
(2) If the exporter is not a firm
covered in this review or the less–
than-fair–value (LTFV)
investigation, but the manufacturer
is, the cash deposit rate will be the
rate established for the most recent
period for the manufacturer of the
merchandise; and
(3) If neither the exporter nor the
manufacturer is a firm covered in
this or any previous review, or the
LTFV investigation conducted by
the Department, the cash deposit
rate will be the ‘‘all others’’ rate
from the investigation (30.85
percent). See Notice of Amended
Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value and Antidumping
Duty Order; Stainless Steel Sheet
and Strip in Coils from Mexico, 64
FR 40560, 40562 (July 27, 1999).
This notice also serves as a
preliminary reminder to importers of
their responsibility under 19 CFR
351.402(f) 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 antidumping duties
occurred and the subsequent assessment
of double antidumping duties.
We are issuing and publishing this
notice in accordance with sections
751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.
Dated: August 1, 2005.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E5–4254 Filed 8–5–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–428–825]
Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils
From Germany; Notice of Preliminary
Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: In response to a request from
Allegheny Ludlum, North American
Stainless, Local 3303 United Auto
Workers, United Steelworkers of
America, AFL–CIO/CLC, and Zanesville
Armco Independent Organization
(collectively, petitioners), the
Department of Commerce (the
Department) is conducting an
administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on stainless
steel sheet and strip in coils (S4) from
Germany. The review covers exports of
the subject merchandise to the United
States of the collapsed parties,
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta GmbH
(ThyssenKrupp Nirosta), ThyssenKrupp
VDM GmbH (TKVDM), and
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta Prazisionsband
GmbH (TKNP) (collectively, TKN). The
period of review (POR) is July 1, 2003,
through June 30, 2004.
We preliminarily find that TKN made
sales at less than normal value during
the POR. If these preliminary results are
adopted in our final results of this
review, we will instruct U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (Customs) to
assess antidumping duties based on the
difference between the United States
Price (USP) and normal value (NV).
Interested parties are invited to
comment on these preliminary results.
Parties who submit arguments in this
proceeding are requested to submit with
the arguments: (1) a statement of the
issues, (2) a brief summary of the
arguments (no longer than five pages,
including footnotes) and (3) a table of
authorities.
AGENCY:
EFFECTIVE DATE:
August 8, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deborah Scott, Tyler Weinhold, or
Robert James, AD/CVD Operations,
Office 7, Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20230, telephone: (202)
482–2657, (202) 482–1121 or (202) 482–
0649, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate jul<14>2003
20:13 Aug 05, 2005
Jkt 205001
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Background
The Department published an
antidumping duty order on S4 from
Germany on July 27, 1999. Notice of
Amended Final Determination of Sales
at Less than Fair Value and
Antidumping Duty Order; Stainless
Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from
Germany, 64 FR 40557 (July 27, 1999)
(Antidumping Duty Order). On July 1,
2004, the Department published the
‘‘Notice of Opportunity to Request
Administrative Review’’ of S4 from
Germany for the period July 1, 2003,
through June 30, 2004. Antidumping or
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity
To Request Administrative Review, 69
FR 39903 (July 1, 2004).
On July 30, 2004, petitioners
requested an administrative review of
TKN’s sales for the period July 1, 2003,
through June 30, 2004. On August 30,
2004, we published in the Federal
Register a notice of initiation of this
antidumping duty administrative
review. Initiation of Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Administrative
Reviews and Requests for Revocation in
Part, 69 FR 52857 (August 30, 2004).
On September 8, 2004, the
Department issued an antidumping duty
questionnaire to TKN. TKN submitted
its response to section A of the
questionnaire on September 29, 2004,
and its response to sections B through
D of the questionnaire on November 9,
2004.1 On March 3, 2005, the
Department issued a supplemental
questionnaire requesting that TKN
provide downstream sales data for
certain affiliated parties in the home
market. On March 7, 2005, TKN filed a
letter asking that it be required to report
downstream sales information for only
two of the affiliated parties identified in
the Department’s March 3, 2005, letter,
ThyssenKrupp Schulte GmbH (TS) and
EBOR Edelstahl GmbH (EBOR). The
Department granted TKN’s request and
on March 28, 2005, TKN submitted
home market sales information for TS
and EBOR. On April 14, 2005, the
Department issued a supplemental
questionnaire for sections A, B, and C,
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
1 Section A of the questionnaire requests general
information concerning a company’s corporate
structure and business practices, the merchandise
under review that it sells, and the manner in which
it sells that merchandise in all of its markets.
Section B requests a complete listing of all home
market sales, or, if the home market is not viable,
of sales in the most appropriate third-country
market (this section is not applicable to respondents
in non-market economy cases). Section C requests
a complete listing of U.S. sales. Section D requests
information on the cost of production of the foreign
like product and the constructed value of the
merchandise under review. Section E requests
information on further manufacturing.
E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM
08AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 151 (Monday, August 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45675-45682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4254]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-201-822]
Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from Mexico; Preliminary
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review
AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: In response to requests from respondent ThyssenKrupp Mexinox
S.A. de C.V. (Mexinox S.A.) and Mexinox USA, Inc. (Mexinox USA)
(collectively, Mexinox) and petitioners,\1\ the Department of Commerce
(the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on stainless steel sheet and strip in coils (S4
in coils) from Mexico. This administrative review covers imports of
subject
[[Page 45676]]
merchandise from Mexinox S.A. during the period July 1, 2003, to June
30, 2004.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Petitioners are Allegheny Ludlum Corporation, North American
Stainless, United Auto Workers Local 3303, Zanesville Armco
Independent Organization, Inc. and the United Steelworkers of
America, AFL-CIO/CLC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We preliminarily determine that sales of S4 in coils from Mexico
have been made below normal value (NV). If these preliminary results
are adopted in our final results of administrative review, we will
instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping
duties based on the difference between the constructed export price
(CEP) and NV. Interested parties are invited to comment on these
preliminary results. Parties who submit argument in these proceedings
are requested to submit with the argument: 1) a statement of the
issues, 2) a brief summary of the argument, and 3) a table of
authorities.
EFFECTIVE DATE: August 8, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Strom, Maryanne Burke or Robert
James, AD/CVD Operations, Office 7, Import Administration,
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone:
(202) 482-2704, (202) 482-5604 or (202) 482-0649, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 27, 1999, the Department published in the Federal Register
the Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair
Value and Antidumping Duty Order; Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in
Coils from Mexico (64 FR 40560). On July 1, 2004, the Department
published the Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review,
of, inter alia, S4 in coils from Mexico for the period July 1, 2003,
through June 30, 2004. 69 FR 39903.
In accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(b)(1), Mexinox and petitioners
requested that we conduct an administrative review. On August 30, 2004,
we published in the Federal Register a notice of initiation of this
antidumping duty administrative review covering the period July 1, 2003
through June 30, 2004. Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing
Duty Administrative Reviews and Requests for Revocation in Part, 69 FR
52857 (August 30, 2004).
On September 8, 2004, the Department issued an antidumping duty
questionnaire to Mexinox. Mexinox submitted its response to section A
of the questionnaire on October 8, 2004, and its response to sections B
through E of the questionnaire on November 10, 2004. On January 28,
2005, the Department issued its first supplemental questionnaire for
sections A, B, and C, to which Mexinox responded on March 7, 2005. On
April 14, 2005, the Department issued a second supplemental
questionnaire for sections A through C, as well as for section E
pertaining to an affiliated U.S. reseller, Ken-Mac Metals, Inc. (Ken-
Mac). Mexinox responded to sections A-C of this supplemental
questionnaire on May 16, 2005, and filed its response to section E on
May 23, 2005. The Department also issued a supplemental questionnaire
for section D on April 18, 2005; Mexinox submitted its response to this
questionnaire on May 16, 2005. On May 25, 2005, the Department issued a
second supplemental questionnaire for section D and Mexinox filed its
response to this on June 8, 2005. Finally, on July 6, 2005, the
Department issued a third supplemental questionnaire for sections A
through C, to which Mexinox responded on July 14, 2005.
Because it was not practicable to complete this review within the
normal time frame, on March 8, 2005, we published in the Federal
Register our notice of the extension of time limits for this review.
Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from Mexico; Extension of Time
Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 70 FR 11194 (March 8, 2005). This extension established the
deadline for these preliminary results as July 31, 2005.
Period of Review
The period of review (POR) is July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004.
Scope of the Order
For purposes of this order, the products covered are certain
stainless steel sheet and strip in coils. Stainless steel is an alloy
steel containing, by weight, 1.2 percent or less of carbon and 10.5
percent or more of chromium, with or without other elements. The
subject sheet and strip is a flat-rolled product in coils that is
greater than 9.5 mm in width and less than 4.75 mm in thickness, and
that is annealed or otherwise heat treated and pickled or otherwise
descaled. The subject sheet and strip may also be further processed
(e.g., cold-rolled, polished, aluminized, coated, etc.) provided that
it maintains the specific dimensions of sheet and strip following such
processing.
The merchandise subject to this order is currently classifiable in
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) at
subheadings: 7219.13.00.31, 7219.13.00.51, 7219.13.00.71,
7219.13.00.81, 7219.14.00.30, 7219.14.00.65, 7219.14.00.90,
7219.32.00.05, 7219.32.00.20, 7219.32.00.25, 7219.32.00.35,
7219.32.00.36, 7219.32.00.38, 7219.32.00.42, 7219.32.00.44,
7219.33.00.05, 7219.33.00.20, 7219.33.00.25, 7219.33.00.35,
7219.33.00.36, 7219.33.00.38, 7219.33.00.42, 7219.33.00.44,
7219.34.00.05, 7219.34.00.20, 7219.34.00.25, 7219.34.00.30,
7219.34.00.35, 7219.35.00.05, 7219.35.00.15, 7219.35.00.30,
7219.35.00.35, 7219.90.00.10, 7219.90.00.20, 7219.90.00.25,
7219.90.00.60, 7219.90.00.80, 7220.12.10.00, 7220.12.50.00,
7220.20.10.10, 7220.20.10.15, 7220.20.10.60, 7220.20.10.80,
7220.20.60.05, 7220.20.60.10, 7220.20.60.15, 7220.20.60.60,
7220.20.60.80, 7220.20.70.05, 7220.20.70.10, 7220.20.70.15,
7220.20.70.60, 7220.20.70.80, 7220.20.80.00, 7220.20.90.30,
7220.20.90.60, 7220.90.00.10, 7220.90.00.15, 7220.90.00.60, and
7220.90.00.80. Although the HTS subheadings are provided for
convenience and customs purposes, the Department's written description
of the merchandise under this order is dispositive.
Excluded from the scope of this order are the following: (1) sheet
and strip that is not annealed or otherwise heat treated and pickled or
otherwise descaled; (2) sheet and strip that is cut to length; (3)
plate (i.e., flat-rolled stainless steel products of a thickness of
4.75 mm or more); (4) flat wire (i.e., cold-rolled sections, with a
prepared edge, rectangular in shape, of a width of not more than 9.5
mm); and (5) razor blade steel. Razor blade steel is a flat-rolled
product of stainless steel, not further worked than cold-rolled (cold-
reduced), in coils, of a width of not more than 23 mm and a thickness
of 0.266 mm or less, containing, by weight, 12.5 to 14.5 percent
chromium, and certified at the time of entry to be used in the
manufacture of razor blades. See Chapter 72 of the HTSUS, ``Additional
U.S. Note'' 1(d).
In response to comments by interested parties, the Department has
determined that certain specialty stainless steel products are also
excluded from the scope of this order. These excluded products are
described below.
Flapper valve steel is defined as stainless steel strip in coils
containing, by weight, between 0.37 and 0.43 percent carbon, between
1.15 and 1.35 percent molybdenum, and between 0.20 and 0.80 percent
manganese. This steel also contains, by weight, phosphorus of 0.025
percent or less, silicon of between
[[Page 45677]]
0.20 and 0.50 percent, and sulfur of 0.020 percent or less. The product
is manufactured by means of vacuum arc remelting, with inclusion
controls for sulphide of no more than 0.04 percent and for oxide of no
more than 0.05 percent. Flapper valve steel has a tensile strength of
between 210 and 300 ksi, yield strength of between 170 and 270 ksi,
plus or minus 8 ksi, and a hardness (Hv) of between 460 and 590.
Flapper valve steel is most commonly used to produce specialty flapper
valves for compressors.
Also excluded is a product referred to as suspension foil, a
specialty steel product used in the manufacture of suspension
assemblies for computer disk drives. Suspension foil is described as
302/304 grade or 202 grade stainless steel of a thickness between 14
and 127 microns, with a thickness tolerance of plus-or-minus 2.01
microns, and surface glossiness of 200 to 700 percent Gs. Suspension
foil must be supplied in coil widths of not more than 407 mm, and with
a mass of 225 kg or less. Roll marks may only be visible on one side,
with no scratches of measurable depth. The material must exhibit
residual stresses of 2 mm maximum deflection, and flatness of 1.6 mm
over 685 mm length.
Certain stainless steel foil for automotive catalytic converters is
also excluded from the scope of this order. This stainless steel strip
in coils is a specialty foil with a thickness of between 20 and 110
microns used to produce a metallic substrate with a honeycomb structure
for use in automotive catalytic converters. The steel contains, by
weight, carbon of no more than 0.030 percent, silicon of no more than
1.0 percent, manganese of no more than 1.0 percent, chromium of between
19 and 22 percent, aluminum of no less than 5.0 percent, phosphorus of
no more than 0.045 percent, sulfur of no more than 0.03 percent,
lanthanum of between 0.002 and 0.05 percent, and total rare earth
elements of more than 0.06 percent, with the balance iron.
Permanent magnet iron-chromium-cobalt alloy stainless strip is also
excluded from the scope of this order. This ductile stainless steel
strip contains, by weight, 26 to 30 percent chromium, and 7 to 10
percent cobalt, with the remainder of iron, in widths 228.6 mm or less,
and a thickness between 0.127 and 1.270 mm. It exhibits magnetic
remanence between 9,000 and 12,000 gauss, and a coercivity of between
50 and 300 oersteds. This product is most commonly used in electronic
sensors and is currently available under proprietary trade names such
as ``Arnokrome III.''\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``Arnokrome III'' is a trademark of the Arnold Engineering
Company.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certain electrical resistance alloy steel is also excluded from the
scope of this order. This product is defined as a non-magnetic
stainless steel manufactured to American Society of Testing and
Materials (ASTM) specification B344 and containing, by weight, 36
percent nickel, 18 percent chromium, and 46 percent iron, and is most
notable for its resistance to high temperature corrosion. It has a
melting point of 1390 degrees Celsius and displays a creep rupture
limit of 4 kilograms per square millimeter at 1000 degrees Celsius.
This steel is most commonly used in the production of heating ribbons
for circuit breakers and industrial furnaces, and in rheostats for
railway locomotives. The product is currently available under
proprietary trade names such as ``Gilphy 36.''\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``Gilphy 36'' is a trademark of Imphy, S.A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certain martensitic precipitation-hardenable stainless steel is
also excluded from the scope of this order. This high-strength, ductile
stainless steel product is designated under the Unified Numbering
System (UNS) as S45500-grade steel, and contains, by weight, 11 to 13
percent chromium, and 7 to 10 percent nickel. Carbon, manganese,
silicon and molybdenum each comprise, by weight, 0.05 percent or less,
with phosphorus and sulfur each comprising, by weight, 0.03 percent or
less. This steel has copper, niobium, and titanium added to achieve
aging, and will exhibit yield strengths as high as 1700 Mpa and
ultimate tensile strengths as high as 1750 Mpa after aging, with
elongation percentages of 3 percent or less in 50 mm. It is generally
provided in thicknesses between 0.635 and 0.787 mm, and in widths of
25.4 mm. This product is most commonly used in the manufacture of
television tubes and is currently available under proprietary trade
names such as ``Durphynox 17.''\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ ``Durphynox 17'' is a trademark of Imphy, S.A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, three specialty stainless steels typically used in certain
industrial blades and surgical and medical instruments are also
excluded from the scope of this order. These include stainless steel
strip in coils used in the production of textile cutting tools (e.g.,
carpet knives).\5\ This steel is similar to ASTM grade 440F, but
containing, by weight, 0.5 to 0.7 percent of molybdenum. The steel also
contains, by weight, carbon of between 1.0 and 1.1 percent, sulfur of
0.020 percent or less, and includes between 0.20 and 0.30 percent
copper and between 0.20 and 0.50 percent cobalt. This steel is sold
under proprietary names such as ``GIN4 Mo.'' The second excluded
stainless steel strip in coils is similar to AISI 420-J2 and contains,
by weight, carbon of between 0.62 and 0.70 percent, silicon of between
0.20 and 0.50 percent, manganese of between 0.45 and 0.80 percent,
phosphorus of no more than 0.025 percent and sulfur of no more than
0.020 percent. This steel has a carbide density on average of 100
carbide particles per square micron. An example of this product is
``GIN5'' steel. The third specialty steel has a chemical composition
similar to AISI 420 F, with carbon of between 0.37 and 0.43 percent,
molybdenum of between 1.15 and 1.35 percent, but lower manganese of
between 0.20 and 0.80 percent, phosphorus of no more than 0.025percent,
silicon of between 0.20 and 0.50 percent, and sulfur of no more than
0.020 percent. This product is supplied with a hardness of more than Hv
500 guaranteed after customer processing, and is supplied as, for
example, ``GIN6.''\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ This list of uses is illustrative and provided for
descriptive purposes only.
\6\ ``GIN4 Mo,'' ``GIN5'' and ``GIN6'' are the proprietary
grades of Hitachi Metals America, Ltd.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sales Made Through Affiliated Resellers
A. U.S. Market
Mexinox USA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mexinox S.A., which is a
subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp AG, the lead holding company for steel
operations in the ThyssenKrupp Group, sold subject merchandise in the
United States during the POR to unaffiliated customers. Mexinox USA
also made sales of subject merchandise to affiliated company, Ken-Mac,
located in the United States. Ken-Mac is an operating division of
ThyssenKrupp Materials Inc., a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp USA Inc.
(TKUSA), which is the primary holding company for ThyssenKrupp AG in
the U.S. market. Ken-Mac further manufactured and/or resold the subject
merchandise to unaffiliated customers in the United States. See
Mexinox's October 8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-10, A-18 and A-
37 through A-38. For purposes of this review, we have included both
Mexinox USA's and Ken-Mac's sales of subject merchandise to
unaffiliated customers in the United States in our sales analysis.
B. Home Market
Mexinox Trading, S.A. de C.V. (Mexinox Trading), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Mexinox S.A., resells the foreign like product as well as
other
[[Page 45678]]
merchandise in the home market. Mexinox reported its sales to Mexinox
Trading during the POR. These sales represented a small portion of
Mexinox's total sales of the foreign like product in the home market
and were less than five percent of home market sales. See, e.g.,
Mexinox's October 8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-3 to A-4 and its
May 23, 2005, supplemental questionnaire response at Attachment A-28
(quantity and value chart). Because Mexinox Trading's sales of the
foreign like product were less than five percent of home market sales
of the foreign like product, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.403(d), we
did not require Mexinox to report downstream sales by Mexinox Trading
to its first unaffiliated customers. This treatment is also consistent
with that employed in past administrative reviews of S4 in coils from
Mexico. See, e.g., Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from
Mexico; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 70 FR
3677 (January 26, 2005) (S4 in Coils from Mexico 2002-2003 Final
Results).
Fair Value Comparisons
To determine whether sales of S4 in coils from Mexico to the United
States were made at less than fair value, we compared the CEP to NV, as
described in the ``Constructed Export Price'' and ``Normal Value''
sections of this notice, below. In accordance with section 777A(d)(2)
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), we compared individual
CEPs to monthly weighted-average NVs.
Transactions Reviewed
For its home market and U.S. sales, Mexinox reported the date of
invoice as the date of sale. This is consistent with the Department's
stated preference for using the invoice date as the date of sale,
unless a date other than the date of invoice better reflects the date
on which the exporter or producer establishes the material terms of
sale. See 19 CFR 351.401(i). Mexinox indicated the invoice date
represented the date when the material terms of sales (i.e., price and
quantity) are definitively set, and that up to the date of shipment and
invoicing, these terms were subject to change. See, e.g., Mexinox's
October 8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-35 and A-41. Mexinox
stated that sale orders may include provisional prices and customers
may adjust the quantity of an order up to the date of shipment. See
March 7, 2005, supplemental questionnaire response at 12. We have
preliminarily determined the date of invoice is the appropriate date of
sale because evidence on the record indicates that final prices are not
fixed until the material is sought to be released for shipment and
invoicing. See Mexinox's October 8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-
35.
Product Comparisons
In accordance with section 771(16) of the Act we considered all
products produced by Mexinox S.A. covered by the description in the
``Scope of the Order'' section, above, and sold in the home market
during the POR, to be foreign like products for purposes of determining
appropriate product comparisons to U.S. sales. We relied on nine
characteristics to match U.S. sales of subject merchandise to
comparison sales of the foreign like product (listed in order of
priority): (1) grade; (2) cold/hot rolled; (3) gauge; (4) surface
finish; (5) metallic coating; (6) non-metallic coating; (7) width; (8)
temper; and (9) edge trim. Where there were no sales of identical
merchandise in the home market to compare to U.S. sales, we compared
U.S. sales to the next most similar foreign like product on the basis
of the characteristics and reporting instructions listed in the
Department's September 8, 2004, questionnaire.
Level of Trade
In accordance with section 773(a)(1)(B) of the Act, to the extent
practicable, we base NV on sales made in the comparison market at the
same level of trade (LOT) as the export transaction. There is one LOT
in the comparison market, the NV LOT, which is defined as the starting
price of the comparison sales in the home market or, when NV is based
on constructed value (CV), we use the sales from which selling,
general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses and profit are derived.
With respect to CEP transactions in the U.S. market, the CEP LOT is
defined as the level of the constructed sale from the exporter to the
importer. See 773(a)(7)(A) of the Act.
To determine whether NV sales are at a different LOT than CEP
sales, we examine stages in the marketing process and selling functions
along the chain of distribution between the producer and the
unaffiliated customer. See 19 CFR 351.412(c)(2). If the comparison-
market sales are at a different LOT, and the difference affects price
comparability, as manifested in a pattern of consistent price
differences between the sales on which NV is based and comparison-
market sales at the LOT of the export transaction, we make an LOT
adjustment under section 773(a)(7)(A) of the Act. For CEP sales, if the
NV level is more remote from the factory than the CEP level and there
is no basis for determining whether the difference in the levels
between NV and CEP affects price comparability, we adjust NV under
section 773(a)(7)(B) of the Act (the CEP offset provision). See, e.g.,
Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Greenhouse
Tomatoes From Canada, 67 FR 8781 (February 26, 2002); see also Notice
of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Certain Cut-
to-Length Carbon Steel Plate from South Africa, 62 FR 61731 (November
19, 1997) and Certain Hot-Rolled Flat-Rolled Carbon Quality Steel
Products from Brazil; Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 70 FR 17406 (April 6, 2005). For CEP sales, we
consider only the selling activities reflected in the price after the
deduction of expenses and CEP profit under section 772(d) of the Act.
See Micron Technology Inc. v. United States, 243 F.3d 1301, 1314-1315
(Fed. Cir. 2001). We expect that, if the claimed LOTs are the same, the
functions and activities of the seller should be similar. Conversely,
if a party claims that the LOTs are different for different groups of
sales, the functions and activities of the seller should be dissimilar.
See Porcelain-on-Steel Cookware from Mexico: Final Results of
Administrative Review, 65 FR 30068 (May 10, 2000).
We obtained information from Mexinox regarding the marketing stages
involved in making the reported foreign market and U.S. sales. Mexinox
provided a description of all selling activities performed, along with
a flowchart and tables comparing the levels of trade and degrees of
intensity among each channel of distribution and type in both markets.
See Mexinox's October 8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-30 through
A-35 and Attachments A-4-A through A-4-C. Mexinox sold S4 in coils to
end-users and retailers/distributors in the home market and to end-
users and distributors/service centers in the U.S.
With respect to the home market, Mexinox identified two channels of
distribution described as follows: 1) direct shipments (i.e., products
produced to order) and 2) sales from inventory. See Mexinox's October
8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-22 through A-23. We compared the
selling functions performed across all home market channels of
distribution. In certain activities such as pre-sale technical
assistance, process customer orders, sample analysis, prototypes and
trial lots, freight and delivery, price negotiation/customer
communications, sales calls and visits and warranty services, the level
of intensity for direct
[[Page 45679]]
shipments and sales through inventory were identical, while only a few
functions such as inventory maintenance and just-in-time performance
differed. Within its two channels of distribution, Mexinox S.A. made
sales to both affiliated and unaffiliated distributors/retailers and
end-users, all requiring smaller volume transactions, technical
assistance, frequent sales calls and visits and other similar selling
services. See October 8, 2004, at A-25 and Attachments A-4-B and A-4-C.
While we find slight differences in the level of intensity of these
selling activities performed for direct shipments and sales through
inventory to both end-users and retailers, these differences are minor
and do not establish distinct, multiple levels of trade in Mexico.
Based on our analysis of all of Mexinox's home market selling
functions, we find that all home market sales were made at the same
LOT, the NV LOT.
With respect to the U.S. market, Mexinox indicated that it made CEP
sales through its U.S. affiliate, Mexinox USA, through the following
four channels of distribution: 1) direct shipments to unaffiliated
customers; 2) stock sales from the San Luis Potosi (SLP) factory; 3)
sales to unaffiliated customers through Mexinox USA's inventory/
warehouses; and 4) sales through Ken-Mac. Ken-Mac is an affiliated
service center located in the United States which purchases S4 in coils
produced by Mexinox and Ken-Mac then resells (after, in some instances,
further manufacturing the merchandise) to unaffiliated U.S. customers.
We compared the selling activities performed in each channel and found
the same selling functions (e.g., price negotiation/customer
communications, sales calls, warranty services and freight/delivery
arrangements) were performed at the same relative level of intensity in
all channels of distribution. See October 8, 2004, questionnaire
response at Attachment A 4-C. Accordingly, we find all CEP sales
constitute one LOT, the CEP LOT, in the U.S. market.
We then compared the CEP LOT to the NV LOT. The CEP LOT is based on
the selling activities associated with the transaction between Mexinox
and its affiliated importer, Mexinox USA; whereas the NV LOT is based
on the selling activities associated with the transactions with
unaffiliated customers in the home market. From our analysis, we found
that the selling functions performed for home market customers are
either performed at a higher degree of intensity or are greater in
number than the selling functions performed for the U.S. customer. For
example, in comparing Mexinox's selling activities, we find there are
more functions performed in the home market which are not a part of CEP
transactions (e.g., technical assistance, sample analysis, prototypes
and trial lots, price negotiation/customer communications, inventory
maintenance, just-in-time deliveries, sales calls and visits, and
warranty services). For selling activities performed in both markets
(e.g., process customer orders, freight and delivery), we find that
Mexinox performed each of these at a higher level of intensity in the
home market than in the U.S. market. We note that CEP sales from
Mexinox to Mexinox USA generally occur at the beginning of the
distribution chain and more closely resemble that of an ex-factory
sale. In contrast, all sales in the home market occur closer to the end
of the distribution chain and involve smaller individual transaction
volumes, which require more selling functions to be performed. See
Mexinox's October 8, 2004, questionnaire response at A-30 through A-35
and Attachments A-4-A through A-4-C. See also Mexinox's July 14, 2005,
supplemental questionnaire response at 3 to 6. From the evidence on the
record, we conclude that the NV LOT is at a more advanced stage than
the CEP LOT.
Since we found that the home market and U.S. sales were made at
different LOTs, we examined whether an LOT adjustment or a CEP offset
may be appropriate in this review. As we found only one LOT in the home
market, it was not possible to make an LOT adjustment to home market
sales, because such an adjustment is dependent on our ability to
identify a pattern of consistent price differences between the home
market sales on which NV is based and home market sales at the LOT of
the export transaction. See 19 CFR 351.412(d)(1)(ii). Furthermore, we
have no other information that provides an appropriate basis for
determining an LOT adjustment. Because the data available do not form
an appropriate basis for making an LOT adjustment, and because the NV
LOT is at a more advanced stage of distribution than the CEP LOT, we
have made a CEP offset to NV in accordance with section 773(a)(7)(B) of
the Act.
Constructed Export Price
In accordance with section 772(b) of the Act, CEP is the price at
which the subject merchandise is first sold (or agreed to be sold) in
the United States before or after the date of importation by or for the
account of the producer or exporter of such merchandise, or by a seller
affiliated with the producer or exporter, to a purchaser not affiliated
with the producer or exporter. Mexinox properly classified all of its
U.S. sales of subject merchandise as CEP transactions because such
sales were made in the United States by Mexinox's affiliate, Mexinox
USA, to unaffiliated purchasers. We based CEP on packed prices to
unaffiliated purchasers in the United States. We made adjustments for
billing adjustments, discounts and rebates, and commissions, where
applicable. We also made deductions for movement expenses in accordance
with section 772(c)(2)(A) of the Act. These expenses included, where
appropriate: foreign inland freight, foreign brokerage and handling,
inland insurance, ocean freight (for sales to Puerto Rico), U.S.
customs duties, U.S. inland freight, U.S. brokerage, and U.S.
warehousing expenses. As directed by section 772(d)(1) of the Act, we
deducted those selling expenses associated with economic activities
occurring in the United States, including direct selling expenses
(i.e., credit costs, warranty expenses, and another expense not subject
to public disclosure), inventory carrying costs, and other indirect
selling expenses. We also made an adjustment for profit in accordance
with section 772(d)(3) of the Act. We used the adjustments as reported
by Mexinox, except we recalculated the U.S. indirect selling expense
ratio. See Analysis of Data Submitted by ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de
C.V. for the Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review of S4 in Coils from Mexico (Preliminary Analysis Memorandum)
from Angela Strom and Maryanne Burke to the File dated August 1, 2005.
For sales in which the material was sent to an unaffiliated U.S.
processor to be further processed, we made an adjustment based on the
transaction-specific further-processing amounts reported by Mexinox. In
addition, the U.S. affiliated reseller Ken-Mac performed some further
manufacturing of some of Mexinox's U.S. sales. For these sales, we
deducted the cost of further processing in accordance with section
772(d)(2) of the Act. In calculating the cost of further manufacturing
for Ken-Mac, we relied upon Ken-Mac's reported cost of further
manufacturing materials, labor and overhead, plus amounts for further
manufacturing general and administrative expenses (G&A), as reported in
the May 23, 2005, supplemental questionnaire response and incorporated
the revised financial expense ratio (INTEX). See the
[[Page 45680]]
Department's Cost of Production and Constructed Value Calculation
Adjustments for the Preliminary Results - ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de
C.V. (Cost Calculation Memorandum) from Laurens Van Houten to the File
and Preliminary Analysis Memorandum, both dated August 1, 2005.
Normal Value
A. Selection of Comparison Market
To determine whether there is a sufficient volume of sales in the
home market to serve as a viable basis for calculating NV (i.e., the
aggregate volume of home market sales of the foreign like product is
greater than five percent of the aggregate volume of U.S. sales), we
compared Mexinox's volume of home market sales of the foreign like
product to the volume of its U.S. sales of the subject merchandise, in
accordance with section 773(a)(1)(B) of the Act. Because Mexinox's
aggregate volume of home market sales of the foreign like product was
greater than five percent of its aggregate volume of U.S. sales for the
subject merchandise, we determined the home market was viable. See,
e.g., Mexinox's May 23, 2005, supplemental questionnaire response at
Attachment A-28.
B. Affiliated-Party Transactions and Arm's-Length Test
Sales to affiliated customers in the home market not made at arm's-
length prices are excluded from our analysis because we consider them
to be outside the ordinary course of trade. See 19 CFR 351.102(b).
Consistent with 19 CFR 351.403(c) and (d) and agency practice, ``the
Department may calculate NV based on sales to affiliates if satisfied
that the transactions were made at arm's length.'' See China Steel
Corp. v. United States, 264 F. Supp. 2d 1339, 1365 (CIT 2003). To test
whether the sales to affiliates were made at arm's-length prices, we
compared on a model-specific basis the starting prices of sales to
affiliated and unaffiliated customers net of all direct selling
expenses, discounts and rebates, movement charges, and packing. Where
prices to the affiliated party were, on average, within a range of 98
to 102 percent of the price of identical or comparable merchandise to
the unaffiliated parties, we determined that the sales made to the
affiliated party were at arm's length. See Antidumping Proceedings:
Affiliated Party Sales in the Ordinary Course of Trade, 67 FR 69186,
69194 (November 15, 2002). We found that one affiliated home market
customer failed the arm's length test and, in accordance with the
Department's practice, we excluded these sales from our analysis. See
section 773(f)(2) of the Act.
C. Cost of Production Analysis
Because we disregarded sales of certain products made at prices
below the cost of production (COP) in the most recently completed
review of S4 in coils from Mexico (See, e.g., Stainless Steel Sheet and
Strip in Coils from Mexico; Final Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 69 FR 6259 (February 10, 2004) (S4 in Coils from
Mexico 2001-2002 Final Results), we had reasonable grounds to believe
or suspect that sales of the foreign like product under consideration
for the determination of NV in this review for Mexinox may have been
made at prices below the COP, as provided by section 773(b)(2)(A)(ii)
of the Act. Pursuant to section 773(b)(1) of the Act, we initiated a
COP investigation of sales by Mexinox.
We recalculated Mexinox's G&A and INTEX as described in the Cost
Calculation Memorandum and Preliminary Analysis Memorandum. We added
material and fabrication costs for the foreign like product, plus
amounts for SG&A and packing costs, in accordance with section
773(b)(3) of the Act. We then computed weighted-average COPs during the
POR, and compared the weighted-average COP figures to home market sales
prices of the foreign like product as required under section 773(b) of
the Act, to determine whether these sales had been made at prices below
the COP. On a product-specific basis, we compared the COP to the home
market prices net of billing adjustments, discounts and rebates, and
any applicable movement charges.
In determining whether to disregard home market sales made at
prices below the COP, we examined, in accordance with sections
773(b)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act, whether, within an extended period of
time, such sales were made in substantial quantities; and whether such
sales were made at prices which permitted the recovery of all costs
within a reasonable period of time in the normal course of trade. Where
less than 20 percent of the respondent's home market sales of a given
model were at prices below the COP, we did not disregard any below-cost
sales of that model because we determined that the below-cost sales
were not made within an extended period of time and in ``substantial
quantities.'' Where 20 percent or more of the respondent's home market
sales of a given model were at prices less than the COP, we disregarded
the below-cost sales because: (1) they were made within an extended
period of time in ``substantial quantities,'' in accordance with
sections 773(b)(2)(B) and (C) of the Act; and (2) based on our
comparison of prices to the weighted-average COPs for the POR, they
were at prices which would not permit the recovery of all costs within
a reasonable period of time, in accordance with section 773(b)(2)(D) of
the Act.
Our cost test for Mexinox revealed that, for home market sales of
certain models, less than 20 percent of the sales of those models were
at prices below the COP. We therefore retained all such sales in our
analysis and used them as the basis for determining NV. Our cost test
also indicated that, for certain models, more than 20 percent of the
home market sales of those models were sold at prices below the COP
within an extended period of time and were at prices which would not
permit the recovery of all costs within a reasonable period of time.
Thus, in accordance with section 773(b)(1) of the Act, we excluded
these below-cost sales from our analysis and used the remaining above-
cost sales as the basis for determining NV.
D. Constructed Value
In accordance with section 773(e) of the Act, we calculated CV
based on the sum of Mexinox's material and fabrication costs, SG&A
expenses, profit, and U.S. packing costs. We calculated the COP
component of CV as described above in the ``Cost of Production
Analysis'' section of this notice. In accordance with section
773(e)(2)(A) of the Act, we based SG&A expenses and profit on the
amounts incurred and realized by the respondent in connection with the
production and sale of the foreign like product in the ordinary course
of trade, for consumption in the foreign country.
E. Price-to-Price Comparisons
We calculated NV based on prices to unaffiliated customers or
prices to affiliated customers we determined to be at arm's length. We
made adjustments for billing adjustments, discounts, rebates and
interest revenue, where appropriate. We made deductions, where
appropriate, for foreign inland freight, insurance, handling, and
warehousing, pursuant to section 773(a)(6)(B) of the Act. In addition,
we made adjustments for differences in cost attributable to differences
in physical characteristics of the merchandise pursuant to section
773(a)(6)(C)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.411, as well as for
differences in circumstances of sale (COS) in accordance with section
773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.410. We made COS
adjustments for imputed credit expenses and warranty expenses. As noted
in the ``Level of Trade'' section of this notice, we also made an
[[Page 45681]]
adjustment for the CEP offset in accordance with section 773(a)(7)(B)
of the Act. Finally, we deducted home market packing costs and added
U.S. packing costs in accordance with sections 773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of
the Act.
We used Mexinox's adjustments and deductions as reported, except
for certain handling expenses and imputed credit expenses. We have
recalculated the handling expenses incurred by home market affiliate,
Mexinox Trading, and applied the revised ratio to those home market
sales whereby Mexinox reported a handling expense. We based imputed
credit expense on the short-term borrowing rate associated with the
currency of each home market sale transaction at issue. See Preliminary
Analysis Memorandum. Both methodologies are consistent with past
administrative reviews of this case. See e.g., S4 in Coils from Mexico
2002-2003 Final Results.
F. Price-to-CV Comparisons
In accordance with section 773(a)(4) of the Act, we based NV on CV
if we were unable to find a home market match of such or similar
merchandise. Where appropriate, we made adjustments to CV in accordance
with section 773(a)(8) of the Act.
Facts Available
In accordance with section 776(a)(1) of the Act, for these
preliminary results we find it necessary to use partial facts available
in those instances where the respondent did not provide certain
information necessary to conduct our analysis.
In our September 8, 2004, questionnaire at G-6, we requested that
Mexinox provide sales and cost data for all affiliates involved with
the production or sale of the merchandise under review during the POR
in both home and U.S. markets. In its October 8, 2004, questionnaire
response at A-2, Mexinox indicated that its affiliated reseller, Ken-
Mac, sold subject merchandise in the United States during the POR. In
its November 10, 2004, submission at KMC-2, Mexinox provided data
related to Ken-Mac's resales of subject merchandise to unaffiliated
customers in the United States, although Mexinox notified the
Department that a small subset of sale transactions could not be traced
to an original stock item or supplier. In its supplemental
questionnaire response dated May 23, 2005, at 2, Mexinox reported those
sale transactions (unattributed sales) where the origin of the original
stock item could not be determined.
Because of the unknown origin of a certain number of Ken-Mac
resales, Mexinox has not provided all the information necessary to
complete our analysis. Pursuant to section 776(a)(1) of the Act, it is
appropriate to use the facts otherwise available in calculating a
margin on Ken-Mac's unattributed sales. Section 776(a)(1) of the Act
provides that the Department will, subject to section 782(d) of the
Act, use the facts otherwise available in reaching a determination if
``necessary information is not available on the record.'' For these
preliminary results, we have calculated a margin on Ken-Mac's
unattributed sales by applying the overall margin calculated on
Mexinox's other U.S. sales of subject merchandise to the weighted-
average price of Ken-Mac's unattributed sales. This methodology is
consistent with that employed in past administrative reviews of S4 in
coils from Mexico. See, e.g., S4 in Coils from Mexico 2002-2003 Final
Results.
Prior to applying the overall margin calculated on other sales/
resales of subject merchandise to Ken-Mac's unattributed sales, we
calculated the portion of the unattributed sales quantity that could be
reasonably allocated to subject stainless steel merchandise purchased
from Mexinox. We based our allocation on the relative percentage (by
volume) of subject stainless steel merchandise that Ken-Mac had
purchased from Mexinox as compared to the total stainless steel
merchandise it had purchased from all vendors. See Mexinox's May 23,
2005, supplemental questionnaire response at Attachment KMC-14. The
Department finds that Mexinox, to the best of its ability, complied
with the Department's request for information; thus, we have not used
an adverse inference, as provided under section 776(b) of the Act, to
calculate a margin on Ken-Mac's unattributed sales.
Currency Conversion
We made currency conversions into U.S. dollars based on the
exchange rates in effect on the dates of the U.S. sales, as certified
by the Federal Reserve Bank, in accordance with section 773A(a) of the
Act.
Preliminary Results of Review
As a result of our review we preliminarily determine the following
weighted-average dumping margin exists for the period July 1, 2003
through June 30, 2004:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted
Average
Manufacturer / Exporter Margin
(percentage)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ThyssenKrupp Mexinox S.A. de C.V.......................... 3.01
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Department will disclose calculations performed within five
days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19
CFR 351.224(b). An interested party may request a hearing within thirty
days of publication of these preliminary results. See 19 CFR
351.310(c). Any hearing, if requested, will be held 37 days after the
date of publication, or the first business day thereafter, unless the
Department alters the date per 19 CFR 351.310(d). Interested parties
may submit case briefs no later than 30 days after the date of
publication of these preliminary results of review. Rebuttal briefs
limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed no later than
35 days after the date of publication of this notice. Parties who
submit argument in these proceedings are requested to submit with the
argument: 1) a statement of the issue, 2) a brief summary of the
argument and 3) a table of authorities. Further, parties submitting
case briefs and/or rebuttal briefs are requested to provide the
Department with an additional copy of the public version of any such
argument on diskette. The Department will issue final results of this
administrative review, including the results of our analysis of the
issues in any such argument or at a hearing, within 120 days of
publication of these preliminary results.
Upon completion of this administrative review, the Department shall
determine, and CBP shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries. In accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), we will calculate
importer-specific ad valorem assessment rates for the merchandise based
on the ratio of the total amount of antidumping duties calculated for
the examined sales made during the POR to the total customs value of
the sales used to calculate those duties. The total customs value is
based on the entered value reported by Mexinox, for all U.S. entries of
subject merchandise initially purchased for consumption to the United
States made during the POR. See Preliminary Analysis Memorandum. In
accordance with 19 CFR 356.8(a), the Department will issue appropriate
assessment instructions directly to CBP on or after 41 days following
the publication of the final results of review.
[[Page 45682]]
Furthermore, the following deposit requirements will be effective
upon completion of the final results of this administrative review for
all shipments of S4 in coils from Mexico entered, or withdrawn from
warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the
final results of this administrative review, as provided by section
751(a)(1) of the Act:
(1) The cash deposit rate for Mexinox will be the rate established
in the final results of review;
(2) If the exporter is not a firm covered in this review or the
less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation, but the manufacturer is, the
cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent
period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and
(3) If neither the exporter nor the manufacturer is a firm covered
in this or any previous review, or the LTFV investigation conducted by
the Department, the cash deposit rate will be the ``all others'' rate
from the investigation (30.85 percent). See Notice of Amended Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty
Order; Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip in Coils from Mexico, 64 FR
40560, 40562 (July 27, 1999).
This notice also serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of
their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f) 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 antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent
assessment of double antidumping duties.
We are issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.
Dated: August 1, 2005.
Joseph A. Spetrini,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. E5-4254 Filed 8-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S