Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review: Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand, 18766-18771 [E8-7204]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• International Trade Administration

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 67 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18766-18771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7204]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

(A-549-817)


Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review: 
Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: In accordance with section 751(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, 
as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.216(b), United States Steel 
Corporation (petitioner) filed a request for the Department of Commerce 
(the Department) to initiate a changed circumstances review of the 
antidumping duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products 
(hot-rolled steel) from Thailand. Petitioner alleges that Sahaviriya 
Steel Industries Public Company Limited (SSI), a Thai hot-rolled steel 
producer previously revoked from the antidumping duty order, has 
resumed sales at prices below normal value (NV). Petitioner notes that 
SSI agreed in writing to reinstatement in the antidumping duty order if 
it was found to have resumed dumping, and contends that SSI violated 
this agreement by selling hot-rolled steel at less than NV in the 
United States subsequent to its revocation from the order. Therefore, 
petitioner requests that the Department reinstate the antidumping duty 
order with respect to SSI.
    The Department finds the information submitted by petitioner 
sufficient to warrant initiation of a changed circumstances review of 
the antidumping duty order on hot-rolled steel from Thailand with 
respect to SSI. In this changed circumstances review, we will determine 
whether SSI sold hot-rolled steel at less than NV subsequent to its 
revocation from the order. If we determine in this changed 
circumstances review that SSI sold hot-rolled steel at less than NV and 
resumed dumping, we will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) to suspend liquidation of all entries of hot-rolled steel 
manufactured and exported by SSI.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 7, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Bailey or Angelica Mendoza, 
AD/CVD Operations, Office 7, Import Administration, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0193 
and (202) 482-3019, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 29, 2001, the Department published the antidumping duty 
order on hot-rolled steel from Thailand. See Notice of Antidumping Duty 
Order: Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products From Thailand, 66 
FR 59562 (November 29, 2001) (Hot-Rolled Steel Order). In November of 
2004, in the course of the 2003 - 2004 administrative review, SSI 
requested revocation of the Hot-Rolled Steel Order with respect to its 
sales of subject merchandise. See Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat 
Products From Thailand; Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review and Intent to Revoke and Rescind in Part, 70 FR 
73197 (December 9, 2005).
    In its revocation request, SSI agreed to immediate reinstatement in 
the Hot-Rolled Steel Order, so long as any producer or reseller is 
subject to the order, should the Department determine that SSI ``sold 
the subject merchandise at less than normal value.'' See SSI's November 
30, 2004, letter to the Department requesting revocation. On May 17, 
2006, the Department revoked the antidumping duty order with respect to 
SSI after having determined that SSI sold the merchandise at not less 
than normal value for a period of at least three consecutive years.\1\ 
See Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand: Final 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, Partial Revocation 
of Antidumping Duty Order and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review, 71 FR 28659 (May 17, 2006) (Revocation).
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    \1\ The three administrative reviews forming the basis of the 
revocation are: 1) the May 3, 2001, through October 31, 2002, 
review, Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products From Thailand: 
Final Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review, 69 FR 19388 (April 13, 2004) (first 
administrative review); 2) the November 1, 2002 through October 31, 
2003, review, Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from 
Thailand: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 69 
FR 18349 (April 7, 2004) (second administrative review); and 3) the 
November 1, 2003, through October 31, 2004, review, Certain Hot-
Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Thailand: Final Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, Partial Revocation of 
Antidumping Duty Order and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review, 71 FR 28659, (May 17, 2006).
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    On November 8, 2006, petitioner submitted an allegation arguing 
that SSI has resumed dumping hot-rolled steel in the United States 
since revocation from the Hot-Rolled Steel Order, and requested a 
changed circumstances review. See Petitioner's November 8, 2006, letter 
to the Department. Petitioner requested that the Department reinstate 
the Hot-Rolled Steel Order with respect to SSI's exports to the United 
States of hot-rolled steel produced by SSI. Petitioner used constructed 
value (CV) as normal value (NV) claiming it could not find home market 
prices of hot-rolled steel for SSI.
    The Department requested additional information from petitioner on 
December 1, 2006, December 22, 2006, February 1, 2007, and December 11, 
2007. Petitioner filed responses to the Department's request for 
additional information on December 5, 2006, January 12, 2007, February 
26, 2007, and January 29, 2008, respectively.
    In its February 1, 2007, request for additional information, the 
Department requested that petitioner update its U.S., home market, and 
cost data for SSI for the period October 1, 2005 through September 30, 
2006. See the Department's February 1, 2007, request for additional 
information at question 1. In its February 26, 2007, response, 
petitioner updated its request by using the time period October 1, 
2005, through September 30, 2006, for its margin analysis as requested 
by the Department. Petitioner also utilized a Kim Eng Live (Kelive) 
Market Analysis report dated February 14, 2007, to value slab for use 
in CV because it could not find home market or third country prices for 
hot-rolled steel for the period October 1, 2005, through September 30, 
2006, to use as the basis for NV. See Exhibit 2, pages 1-4 of 
petitioner's February 26, 2007, submission.
    On May 11, 2007, the Department met with petitioner to discuss its 
request for a changed circumstances review for SSI. On September 27, 
2007, petitioner

[[Page 18767]]

submitted slab cost data for SSI from two sources independent of Kelive 
Market Analysis. On November 20, 2007, the Department released to 
parties information regarding its inquiries into petitioner's use of 
slab cost from a February 14, 2007, Kim Eng Live (Kelive) Market 
Analysis. See the Department's November 20, 2007, Memorandum to the 
File and accompanying email attachments.
    On December 11, 2007, the Department requested that petitioner 
update its changed circumstances review request to use more 
contemporaneous information for its margin analysis (i.e., July 1, 
2006, through June 30, 2007). Additionally, the Department requested 
that petitioner update its request for the October 1, 2005, through 
September 30, 2006, period using the two sources of data provided in 
its September 27, 2007, submission to value steel slab. See the 
Department's December 11, 2007, request for additional information at 
question 1. In its January 29, 2008, response, petitioner updated its 
review request pursuant to the requests of the Department. On March 5, 
2008, petitioner explained that it could not locate home market or 
third country prices for hot-rolled steel for the period July 1, 2006, 
through June 30, 2007, to use as the basis for NV.
    On January 17, 2007, February 22, 2007, and February 5, 2008, SSI 
submitted letters to the Department requesting that it be granted an 
Administrative Protective Order (APO) in order to have access to 
proprietary information submitted by petitioner. On February 16, 2007, 
March 2, 2007, and February 14, 2008, respectively, the Department 
responded to these requests, explaining, in part, that the Department 
could not grant APO access pursuant to 19 C.F.R. 351.104(a) to SSI 
because a changed circumstances review had not been initiated. See the 
Department's February 16, 2007, March 2, 2007, and February 14, 2008, 
letters to SSI.
    On December 12, 2006, January 4, 2007, January 17, 2007, March 7, 
2007, March 28, 2007, April 5, 2007, April 10, 2007, November 28, 2007, 
February 12, 2008, and March 21, 2008, SSI filed letters contesting 
petitioner's request for a changed circumstances review. SSI asserts 
that section 751(b) of the Act, the statutory provision governing 
changed circumstance reviews, does not cover reinstatement of a revoked 
company into an antidumping duty order. SSI argues that a changed 
circumstances review of affirmative dumping or injury determinations is 
allowed, but that the statute does not mention the reinstatement of a 
previously revoked company. SSI maintains that once an antidumping duty 
order is revoked, whether in whole or in part, the underlying injury 
and dumping determinations no longer apply to the merchandise that has 
been revoked, and that the Department relinquishes jurisdiction over 
the merchandise covered.
    SSI argues that section 751(b) of the Act grants authority to the 
Department and the International Trade Commission (ITC) to conduct 
changed circumstance reviews of a final affirmative determination that 
resulted in an antidumping duty order provided there are sufficient 
changed circumstances to warrant a review of such determination. Citing 
19 USC 1673, SSI argues that the only two affirmative final 
determinations that result in an antidumping order are: (1) a final 
dumping determination by the Department in a less-than-fair value 
investigation, and (2) a final injury determination by the ITC. SSI 
contends that the statute does not grant authority to the Department to 
review a determination to revoke an order, in addition to a final 
affirmative determination that resulted in an order. SSI further argues 
that section 751(d)(1) of the Act is the only other section of the 
statute referencing section 751(b), but that it too fails to mention 
reinstatement of an order.
    SSI argues that the Court of International Trade's (CIT's) decision 
in Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. v. United States, 727 F. Supp. 625 
(CIT 1989) (Asahi), prevents the Department from reinstating an order 
against merchandise that was previously revoked. SSI contends that the 
CIT in Asahi determined that revocation of the order renders the order 
non-operative and that it cannot be reinstated because of the necessity 
of an ITC injury finding to accompany the dumping determination by the 
Department. See Asahi, 727 F. Supp at 628. SSI contends that the 
Department regulation in affect now is essentially the same regulation 
in affect at the time of Asahi, in that both regulations require 
immediate reinstatement of the order if it resumes dumping. SSI further 
contends that the CIT determined that the Department may not condition 
a party's exclusion from an antidumping duty order on its agreement to 
be brought within the order, as only the statute provides the authority 
to impose duties. See Chang Tieh Ind. Co. V. United States, 850 F. 
Supp. 141, 149 (Ct. Int'l Trade 1993).
    SSI maintains that in previous cases, rather than reinstating the 
original antidumping duty order with respect to revoked companies, the 
Department initiated a new investigation against the companies in 
question. See Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value and Affirmative Final Determination of Critical Circumstances: 
Certain Orange Juice from Brazil, 71 FR 2183 (January 13, 2006) (Orange 
Juice from Brazil), and Final Determination; Antidumping Duty 
Investigation of Pads for Woodwind Instruments from Italy Manufactured 
by Music Center s.n.c. di Luciano Pisoni and Luciem s.n.c. di Danilo 
Pisoni & C., 58 FR 42295 (August 9, 1993).
    SSI argues that the Department's regulations do not specify the 
circumstances under which it will consider reinstatement, nor the type 
of investigation that will precede reinstatement. SSI contends that the 
new regulation, similar to the regulation in effect at the time of the 
Asahi case, remains silent on the interrelationship between 
reinstatement and the existing framework for imposing duties and that 
the problems raised in Asahi still exist in the current 
``reinstatement'' regulations.
    SSI argues that since the statute does not address reinstatement of 
a company into an antidumping duty order, as a matter of law, the only 
way SSI's exports may be subject to antidumping duties would be if the 
Department initiated a new investigation that leads to an antidumping 
determination by the Department and an injury determination by the ITC.
    SSI contends that, should the Department determine that it 
possesses the legal authority to conduct a changed circumstances 
review, it must impose a rigorous evidentiary standard. SSI argues that 
the statute and regulations require the Department to find that the 
request ``shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review,'' 
and ``whether the continued application of the antidumping duty order 
is otherwise necessary to offset dumping''; i.e., the Department must 
find proof that the company involved is engaging in a pattern of 
dumping and that dumping is likely in the future.
    Additionally, in its January 4, 2007, comments, SSI argues that the 
Department's regulations require a party to certify that it will not 
dump after revocation of the antidumping duty order. SSI notes that 
revocation occurred with the publication of the revocation notice in 
the Federal Register on May 17, 2006, five months after the December 
2005 shipment listed in petitioner's November 8, 2006, and revised 
February 26, 2007, submissions. Therefore, SSI argues that it is not 
bound by the certification as it did not apply to the sale in question. 
SSI further

[[Page 18768]]

notes that the preliminary decision was made after the sale in question 
was shipped and had no affect on SSI's decision to sell in the United 
States.
    SSI argues that the CIT's decision in Sebacic Acid from China 
(USITC 3775 May 2005) does not support petitioner because the case 
sunsetted immediately following the final results and was never tested 
in court. SSI also contends that in Silicon Metal from Brazil, the 
Department postponed initiating a changed circumstances review in order 
to allow the case to sunset. See Silicon Metal from Brazil: Revocation 
of Antidumping Duty Order, 71 FR 76635 (December 21, 2006) (Silicon 
Metal from Brazil).
    SSI also maintains that the Department has passed the 45-day 
deadline mandated in the regulations for initiating a changed 
circumstances review and therefore cannot do so now. SSI further 
contends that the Department could have reversed its decision in the 
preliminary results that led to the revocation, resulting in the 
December 2005 sale being reviewed in a subsequent review process and 
not escaping review as petitioner claims. SSI explains that if the 
Department had denied SSI's revocation request for the final results of 
the 03-04 administrative review, and in turn conducted an 
administrative review for the 04-05 period for SSI, the December 2005 
entry would have been captured in the review process.
    In its January 17, 2007 comments, SSI argues that the plain 
language of the statute refers to a party certifying not to dump after 
the revocation, with no mention of dumping after the effective date of 
revocation. SSI notes that the statute speaks to the facts of the case 
as they existed at the time of sale, not at time of the revocation, 
which occurred in May of 2006.

Rebuttal Comments

    On December 21, 2006, January 12, 2007, March 23, 2007, April 2, 
2007, and April 9, 2007, petitioner filed rebuttal comments to SSI's 
comments. Petitioner argues that in Sebacic Acid from China, the 
Department rejected arguments similar to SSI's contentions regarding 
the Department's legal authority to reinstate the order. See Sebacic 
Acid from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping 
Duty Changed Circumstances Review and Reinstatement of the Antidumping 
Duty Order, 70 FR 16218 (March 30, 2005) (Sebacic Acid from China). 
Petitioner also argues that SSI's contention, that the Department 
impose a rigorous evidentiary standard for initiation for a changed 
circumstances review, is incorrect. Petitioner claims that the 
Department should not impose a higher standard for a respondent with a 
prior history of dumping than it would for a respondent without a prior 
history of dumping. Petitioner maintains that the standard for 
initiation of a changed circumstances review should be lower than that 
for an investigation. However, regardless of the standard, petitioner 
claims that it has demonstrated that SSI has resumed dumping.
    Petitioner argues that SSI's claim, that reinstatement of an order 
requires petitioner to establish that the reinstatement be necessary to 
``otherwise offset dumping,'' is incorrect. Petitioner maintains that 
the requirement of ``otherwise necessary to offset dumping'' only 
appears as a caveat in the Department's regulations regarding partial 
revocation of an antidumping duty order, with no similar requirement in 
an initiation for a changed circumstances review.

Allegation of Resumed Dumping

    On December 1, 2006, the Department sent a letter to petitioner 
requesting additional information concerning the U.S., home market, and 
cost data provided by petitioner in its November 8, 2006, submission. 
Petitioner provided its response on December 5, 2006. On December 22, 
2006, the Department requested additional information from petitioner 
concerning its submissions of November 8, 2006, and December 5, 2006. 
Petitioner submitted its response to our second request for additional 
information on January 12, 2007. Initially, the Department instructed 
petitioner to base its allegation on sales and cost information for the 
period October 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006, which petitioner 
did in its February 26, 2007, submission. Finally, on December 11, 
2007, the Department instructed petitioner to base its allegation on 
sales and cost information for the period July 1, 2006, through June 
30, 2007 (i.e., the POR), which petitioner did in its January 29, 2008, 
response.
    In its January 29, 2008, submission, petitioner provided price 
quotes concerning SSI's sales activity in the U.S. and cost information 
for its NV (CV) calculation, and argued that SSI had sold hot-rolled 
steel at less than NV during the period July 1, 2006, through June 30, 
2007. The allegation of resumed dumping upon which the Department has 
based its decision to initiate a changed circumstances review is 
detailed below. The sources of data for the deductions and adjustments 
relating to NV and U.S. price are discussed in greater detail in the 
Changed Circumstances Review Initiation Checklist dated concurrently 
with this notice. Should the need arise to use any of this information 
as facts available under section 776 of the Act, we may reexamine the 
information and revise the margin calculation, if appropriate.
1. Export Price (EP)
    Petitioner based its calculation of U.S. price upon import 
statistics obtained from the United States Department of Commerce, 
Bureau of Census IM-145 import data for 14 different HTS numbers of 
hot-rolled steel commonly sold in the United States, depending on the 
source and the time period used. See Attachment II of the Changed 
Circumstances Review Initiation Checklist, dated March 21, 2008, for 
the margin ranges. Petitioner obtained and compared bill of lading 
summaries from Trade Intelligence PIERS, which is specific to SSI, with 
quantities from IM-145 data in order to isolate those specific 
shipments of subject merchandise from SSI. Petitioner divided the 
entered value by the reported quantity and made no adjustments.
2. Normal Value

Normal Value (NV)

    The petitioner was unable to obtain SSI's home market or third 
country prices for the proposed 05-06 and 06-07 PORs. See petitioner's 
February 26, 2007, and March 5, 2008, submissions. Therefore, the 
petitioner based normal value for sales made by SSI in the United 
States during the proposed PORs on CV.
3. Constructed Value

Price-to-Constructed Value Comparisons

    Because petitioner could not obtain home market or third country 
pricing information for SSI, petitioner calculated normal value based 
on a constructed value and provided a comparison of U.S. price to CV. 
See Exhibit 2 pages 1-4 of petitioner's February 26, 2007, submission 
for the 05-06 period and pages 2-5 of petitioner's March 5, 2008, 
submission for the 06-07 period. Pursuant to section 773(e) of the Act, 
CV consists of the cost of manufacturing (COM), selling, general, and 
administrative (SG&A), financial expenses, packing expenses, and 
profit. Petitioner calculated COM based on its own production 
experience, adjusted for known differences between costs incurred to 
produce hot-rolled carbon steel flat products in the United States

[[Page 18769]]

and in Thailand. Petitioner calculated the COM as the sum of raw 
materials, direct labor, electricity, natural gas, manufacturing 
overhead, and depreciation expenses.
    To calculate SG&A, petitioner relied upon the amounts reported in 
SSI's 2006 calendar year unconsolidated financial statements. To 
calculate interest expense, petitioner relied upon the amounts reported 
in the 2006 calendar year consolidated financial statements of SSI. For 
packing cost, petitioner did not include any amount. Consistent with 
section 773(e)(2) of the Act, petitioner included in CV an amount for 
profit. For profit, petitioner relied upon the amounts reported in 
SSI's 2006 calendar year unconsolidated financial statements. See the 
Initiation Checklist.
4. Alleged Margins of Dumping
    Based upon the information summarized above, petitioner argues that 
SSI has resumed dumping hot-rolled steel. Depending upon the HTS number 
of the hot-rolled steel, petitioner estimates margins of 2.91 percent 
to 19.64 percent using the first source of data provided by petitioner, 
and 2.00 percent to 23.89 percent using the second source of data 
provided by petitioner, for the 05-06 period. Estimated dumping margins 
range from 0.60 percent to 26.24 percent using the first source of data 
provided by petitioner, and 0.78 percent to 28.22 percent for the 
second source of data provided by petitioner, for the 06-07 period. See 
Changed Circumstances Review Initiation Checklist, dated March 21, 
2008, for the first and second sources of data used to value SSI's 
steel slab.

Scope of the Review

    For purposes of this review, the products covered are certain hot-
rolled carbon steel flat products of a rectangular shape, of a width of 
0.5 inch or greater, neither clad, plated, nor coated with metal and 
whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other 
non-metallic substances, in coils (whether or not in successively 
superimposed layers), regardless of thickness, and in straight lengths, 
of a thickness of less than 4.75 mm and of a width measuring at least 
10 times the thickness. Universal mill plate (i.e., flat-rolled 
products rolled on four faces or in a closed box pass, of a width 
exceeding 150 mm, but not exceeding 1250 mm, and of a thickness of not 
less than 4.0 mm, not in coils and without patterns in relief) of a 
thickness not less than 4.0 mm is not included within the scope of this 
review.
    Specifically included within the scope of this review are vacuum 
degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free 
(IF)) steels, high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, and the substrate 
for motor lamination steels. IF steels are recognized as low carbon 
steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium or 
niobium (also commonly referred to as columbium), or both, added to 
stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized as 
steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, copper, 
niobium, vanadium, and molybdenum. The substrate for motor lamination 
steels contains micro-alloying levels of elements such as silicon and 
aluminum.
    Steel products to be included in the scope of this review, 
regardless of definitions in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS), are products in which: i) iron predominates, by 
weight, over each of the other contained elements; ii) the carbon 
content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and iii) none of the elements 
listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively indicated:
    1.80 percent of manganese, or
    2.25 percent of silicon, or
    1.00 percent of copper, or
    0.50 percent of aluminum, or
    1.25 percent of chromium, or
    0.30 percent of cobalt, or
    0.40 percent of lead, or
    1.25 percent of nickel, or
    0.30 percent of tungsten, or
    0.10 percent of molybdenum, or
    0.10 percent of niobium, or
    0.15 percent of vanadium, or
    0.15 percent of zirconium.
    All products that meet the physical and chemical description 
provided above are within the scope of this review unless otherwise 
excluded. The following products, by way of example, are outside or 
specifically excluded from the scope of this review:
    - Alloy hot-rolled steel products in which at least one of the 
chemical elements exceeds those listed above (including, e.g., American 
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications A543, A387, 
A514, A517, A506).
    - of Automotive Engineers (SAE)/American Iron & Steel Institute 
(AISI) grades of series 2300 and higher.
    - Ball bearing steels, as defined in the HTSUS.
    - Tool steels, as defined in the HTSUS.
    - Silico-manganese (as defined in the HTSUS) or silicon electrical 
steel with a silicon level exceeding 2.25 percent.
    - ASTM specifications A710 and A736.
    - USS abrasion-resistant steels (USS AR 400, USS AR 500).
    - All products (proprietary or otherwise) based on an alloy ASTM 
specification (sample specifications: ASTM A506, A507).
    - Non-rectangular shapes, not in coils, which are the result of 
having been processed by cutting or stamping and which have assumed the 
character of articles or products classified outside chapter 72 of the 
HTSUS.
    The merchandise subject to this review is currently classified in 
the HTSUS at subheadings: 7208.10.15.00, 7208.10.30.00, 7208.10.60.00, 
7208.25.30.00, 7208.25.60.00, 7208.26.00.30, 7208.26.00.60, 
7208.27.00.30, 7208.27.00.60, 7208.36.00.30, 7208.36.00.60, 
7208.37.00.30, 7208.37.00.60, 7208.38.00.15, 7208.38.00.30, 
7208.38.00.90, 7208.39.00.15, 7208.39.00.30, 7208.39.00.90, 
7208.40.60.30, 7208.40.60.60, 7208.53.00.00, 7208.54.00.00, 
7208.90.00.00, 7211.14.00.90, 7211.19.15.00, 7211.19.20.00, 
7211.19.30.00, 7211.19.45.00, 7211.19.60.00, 7211.19.75.30, 
7211.19.75.60, and 7211.19.75.90. Certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat 
products covered by this review, including: vacuum degassed fully 
stabilized; high strength low alloy; and the substrate for motor 
lamination steel may also enter under the following tariff numbers: 
7225.11.00.00, 7225.19.00.00, 7225.30.30.50, 7225.30.70.00, 
7225.40.70.00, 7225.99.00.90, 7226.11.10.00, 7226.11.90.30, 
7226.11.90.60, 7226.19.10.00, 7226.19.90.00, 7226.91.50.00, 
7226.91.70.00, 7226.91.80.00, and 7226.99.00.00. Subject merchandise 
may also enter under 7210.70.30.00, 7210.90.90.00, 7211.14.00.30, 
7212.40.10.00, 7212.40.50.00, and 7212.50.00.00. Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and CBP purposes, the written 
description of the merchandise under review is dispositive.

Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review

    We find petitioner has provided sufficient evidence to initiate a 
changed circumstances review in which we will determine whether SSI has 
resumed dumping sufficient to warrant reinstatement within the order of 
hot-rolled steel from Thailand. See Changed

[[Page 18770]]

Circumstances Review Initiation Checklist, dated March 21, 2008. SSI 
argues that in Asahi the CIT ruled that the Department is not permitted 
by the statute to reinstate a revoked order without a new injury 
finding by the ITC. SSI also contends that the Department has no 
authority to reinstate a revoked order, and has further argued that the 
statutory provision governing changed circumstance reviews does not 
cover an attempt to reinstate a revoked company into an antidumping 
duty order. For the reasons outlined below, we disagree with SSI.
    Pursuant to section 751(b) of the Act, the Department will conduct 
a changed circumstances review upon receipt of a request ``from an 
interested party for review of an antidumping duty order which shows 
changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review of the order.'' 
Petitioner's allegation, with supporting documentation, that SSI has 
resumed dumping hot-rolled steel subsequent to its revocation from the 
order is an appropriate basis for a changed circumstances review.
    The Department's authority to reinstate a revoked company into an 
antidumping duty order derives from sections 751(b) and (d) of the Act 
and 19 CFR 351.222(b) and (e). In particular, the Department's 
authority to partially revoke an order is expressed in section 751(d) 
of the Act. The statute, however, provides no detailed description of 
the criteria, procedures or conditions relating to the Department's 
exercise of this authority. Accordingly, the Department has issued 
regulations setting forth in detail how the Department will exercise 
the authority granted to it under the statute. In particular, the 
Department has reasonably interpreted the authority to partially revoke 
the antidumping duty order with respect to a particular company it 
finds to be no longer dumping to include the authority to impose a 
condition that the partial revocation may be withdrawn (i.e., the 
company may be reinstated) if dumping is resumed during a time in which 
an antidumping order continues to exist. To interpret the statute 
otherwise would permit the Department to abdicate its responsibility to 
ensure that injurious dumping is remedied by imposition of offsetting 
antidumping duties. Therefore, our determination to conduct this 
changed circumstances review to determine whether SSI should be 
reinstated under the Hot-Rolled Steel Order is supported by the statute 
and regulations. Additionally, as noted by the petitioner, conducting a 
changed circumstances review pursuant to section 751(b) of the Act to 
determine whether to reinstate a company previously revoked from an 
antidumping duty order is consistent with the agency's practice. See 
Sebacic Acid from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Reinstatement of the 
Antidumping Order, 70 FR 16218 (March 30, 2005).
    Moreover, we find that SSI's reliance on Asahi, to support its 
assertion that the Department lacks legal authority to reinstate a 
company in an antidumping duty order, is misplaced. The CIT in Asahi 
was reviewing an earlier regulation (19 CFR 353.54(e)(1988)), which 
stated:
    Before the Secretary may tentatively revoke a Finding or an Order 
or terminate a suspended investigation pursuant to paragraph (a) of 
this section, the parties who are subject to the revocation or the 
termination must agree in writing to an immediate suspension of 
liquidation and reinstatement of the Finding or Order or continuation 
of the investigation, as appropriate, if circumstances which indicate 
that the merchandise thereafter imported into the United States is 
being sold at less than fair value. Opportunity for interested parties 
to present views with respect to the tentative revocation will be 
provided.
    19 CFR 353.54(e)(1988).
    The CIT in Asahi acknowledged that the purpose of the 1988 
regulation was to discourage the resumption of dumping after 
revocation, and that there were policy concerns about having to 
undertake an entirely new investigation. See Asahi, 727 F. Supp. at 
628. The CIT found that the old regulation was so ambiguous as to make 
the standard of reinstatement conjectural. Id. However, the CIT did not 
address whether reinstatement could be accomplished through an 
amendment to 19 CFR 353.54, or through a new regulatory provision. Id.
    We find that our current regulation governing reinstatement (as did 
the earlier 1988 regulation) addresses the concerns enumerated by the 
CIT in Asahi. This regulation places exporters and producers which the 
Department has previously found to be dumping on notice that they are 
subject to immediate reinstatement once they are revoked from an order, 
if the Secretary later concludes they have resumed dumping. 19 CFR 
351.222(b)(2)(i)(B) and (e). Indeed, revoked companies agree in writing 
to immediate reinstatement upon a finding of resumed dumping. 19 CFR 
351.222(b)(2)(i)(B) and 351.222(e)(1). The present regulation makes 
clear that reinstatement can only occur as long as any exporter or 
producer is subject to the order. Several other companies remain 
subject to the antidumping duty order on hot-rolled steel from 
Thailand. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 72 FR 73315 (December 27, 2007). Thus, the 
ITC's determination that subject merchandise sold at less than NV is 
injurious to the domestic industry continues to support application of 
antidumping duties to subject merchandise sold at less than NV. See 
Hot-Rolled Steel Order.
    Moreover, any guidance provided by Asahi must be read in light of 
general principles of administrative law. One such basic principle of 
administrative law is that an administering agency must abide by its 
own rules to safeguard expectations. Thus, section 351.222(b)(2)(i)(B) 
of the Department's regulations suggests that a partial revocation 
determination is not a dispositive administrative pronouncement. Such a 
conclusion logically follows from the terms of the regulation, which 
directs the Department to rescind its partial revocation determination 
and to reinstate the revoked company under the existing antidumping 
duty order. In the instant case, the order on hot-rolled steel from 
Thailand has not been revoked. The Department's partial revocation with 
respect to SSI was expressly conditioned upon the possibility of 
reinstatement should dumping resume. The Department's regulation is 
reasonable because it imposes a reasonable condition upon partial 
revocation which is limited to circumstances under which the statute 
authorizes the Department to impose antidumping duties to remedy 
injurious dumping of subject merchandise.
    SSI's claim that the Department's reinstatement regulation has no 
statutory authority is without merit. Specifically, SSI implies that 
the Act requires an injury determination by the ITC prior to the 
imposition of an order, and that, because the order on hot-rolled steel 
from Thailand has been partially revoked as to SSI, a new petition must 
be filed with respect to SSI, and separate affirmative determinations 
must be made by the ITC and the Department concerning injury and 
dumping. We disagree. In the instant case, the Department made its 
final determination of dumping and the ITC made its final injury 
determination. See Hot-Rolled Steel Order. Additionally, the 
antidumping duty order on hot-rolled steel from Thailand remains in 
place. Therefore, the ITC has found that dumping of hot-rolled steel

[[Page 18771]]

from Thailand causes material injury to the domestic industry; that 
finding was undisturbed by the partial revocation of SSI. Further, that 
revocation was premised on the absence of dumping rather than the 
absence of injury and was expressly conditioned on the possibility of 
reinstatement should dumping resume.
    The partial revocation of the order with respect to SSI did not 
nullify the validity of the underlying injury and less than fair value 
determinations that resulted in the issuance of an antidumping duty 
order which remains in force, particularly when the partial revocation 
is the result of behavior subsequent to those earlier determinations. 
The ITC's injury determination, furthermore, does not examine the 
injury caused by discrete companies, but rather the injury caused by 
all dumped exports originating in a particular exporting country. Even 
if one or more exporters in that country may have been revoked from the 
order on the basis of absence of dumping, all dumped exports of subject 
merchandise from that country continue to cause or threaten material 
injury, pursuant to the ITC's affirmative injury determination. Thus, 
unless all exporters are revoked from the order, the order continues to 
exist, as does the potential for reinstatement. SSI itself agreed to 
such a reinstatement as a condition of its partial revocation, if the 
Department were to conclude that it has sold the merchandise at below 
NV. Specifically, SSI filed a certification from a company official 
pursuant to the Department's regulations that it agreed to the 
immediate reinstatement in the order, so long as any exporter or 
producer is subject to the order, if the Secretary concludes that, 
subsequent to the revocation, it sold hot-rolled steel at less than NV. 
Thus, a new injury finding specific to SSI is neither necessary nor 
appropriate for reinstatement pursuant to 19 CFR 351.222(h)(2)(i)(B).
    The standard for initiation of a changed circumstances review under 
751(b) of the Act is whether a request from an interested party for a 
review of a final affirmative determination that resulted in an 
antidumping duty order, a suspension agreement, or a final affirmative 
determination shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a 
review of such determination or agreement. The information submitted by 
petitioner in its letters of November 8, 2006, December 5, 2006, 
January 12, 2007, and February 26, 2007, September 27, 2007, and 
January 29, 2008, concerning SSI's COP and U.S. sales activity, suggest 
SSI may have resumed dumping subsequent to SSI's revocation from the 
order. Depending on the source of data used to value SSI's steel slab 
prices, petitioner alleges underselling of hot-rolled steel by SSI in 
the United States at prices between 2.00 and 23.89 percent below NV 
during the 05-06 period, and 0.60 percent and 28.22 percent below NV 
during the 06-07 period. The Department finds that the petitioner's 
changed circumstances request, which suggests a resumption of dumping, 
satisfies that standard for initiating.
    Based on the foregoing, we find that petitioner has provided 
sufficient evidence to initiate a changed circumstances review to 
examine SSI's pricing and determine whether SSI has resumed dumping 
sufficient to reinstate the company within the order of hot-rolled 
steel from Thailand.
    For purposes of this initiation, the evidence provided by 
petitioner indicates that SSI may have resumed dumping in not just one, 
but two periods. This evidence further supports the Department's 
determination to initiate a review to determine whether in fact SSI has 
resumed dumping.

Period of Changed Circumstances Review

    The Department expects to request data from SSI for the July 1, 
2006, through June 30, 2007 period in order to determine whether SSI 
has resumed dumping sufficient to warrant reinstatement within the 
order of hot-rolled steel from Thailand.

Public Comment

    The Department will publish in the Federal Register a notice of 
preliminary results of changed circumstances review in accordance with 
19 CFR 351.221(b)(4) and 351.221(c)(3)(i), which will set forth the 
Department's preliminary factual and legal conclusions. Pursuant to 19 
CFR 351.221(b)(4)(ii), interested parties will have an opportunity to 
comment on the preliminary results. The Department will issue its final 
results of review in accordance with the time limits set forth in 19 
CFR 351.216(e).
    This notice is published in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 
777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.221(b) of the Department's 
regulations.

    Dated: March 28, 2008.
David M. Spooner,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-7204 Filed 4-4-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S