Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From India: Preliminary Affirmative Determination, 68854-68856 [2015-28447]

Download as PDF 68854 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 215 / Friday, November 6, 2015 / Notices and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c). Dated: November 2, 2015. Paul Piquado, Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Appendix I List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum I. Summary II. Background III. Scope Comments IV. Scope of the Investigation V. Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances VI. Injury Test VII. Subsidies Valuation VIII. Benchmarks and Interest Rates IX. Analysis of Programs X. Disclosure and Public Comment XI. Conclusion mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Appendix II Scope of the Investigation The products covered by this investigation are certain flat-rolled steel products, either clad, plated, or coated with corrosionresistant metals such as zinc, aluminum, or zinc-, aluminum-, nickel- or iron-based alloys, whether or not corrugated or painted, varnished, laminated, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating. The products covered include coils that have a width of 12.7 mm or greater, regardless of form of coil (e.g., in successively superimposed layers, spirally oscillating, etc.). The products covered also include products not in coils (e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness less than 4.75 mm and a width that is 12.7 mm or greater and that measures at least 10 times the thickness. The products covered also include products not in coils (e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness of 4.75 mm or more and a width exceeding 150 mm and measuring at least twice the thickness. The products described above may be rectangular, square, circular, or other shape and include products of either rectangular or non-rectangular cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the rolling process, i.e., products which have been ‘‘worked after rolling’’ (e.g., products which have been beveled or rounded at the edges). For purposes of the width and thickness requirements referenced above: (1) Where the nominal and actual measurements vary, a product is within the scope if application of either the nominal or actual measurement would place it within the scope based on the definitions set forth above, and (2) where the width and thickness vary for a specific product (e.g., the thickness of certain products with non-rectangular crosssection, the width of certain products with non-rectangular shape, etc.), the measurement at its greatest width or thickness applies. Steel products included in the scope of this investigation are products in which: (1) Iron predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; (2) the carbon VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:21 Nov 05, 2015 Jkt 238001 content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and (3) none of the elements listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively indicated: • 2.50 percent of manganese, or • 3.30 percent of silicon, or • 1.50 percent of copper, or • 1.50 percent of aluminum, or • 1.25 percent of chromium, or • 0.30 percent of cobalt, or • 0.40 percent of lead, or • 2.00 percent of nickel, or • 0.30 percent of tungsten (also called wolfram), or • 0.80 percent of molybdenum, or • 0.10 percent of niobium (also called columbium), or • 0.30 percent of vanadium, or • 0.30 percent of zirconium Unless specifically excluded, products are included in this scope regardless of levels of boron and titanium. For example, specifically included in this scope are vacuum degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free (IF)) steels and high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels. IF steels are recognized as low carbon steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium and/or niobium added to stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized as steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, copper, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and molybdenum. Furthermore, this scope also includes Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) and Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS), both of which are considered high tensile strength and high elongation steels. All products that meet the written physical description, and in which the chemistry quantities do not exceed any one of the noted element levels listed above, are within the scope of this investigation unless specifically excluded. The following products are outside of and/or specifically excluded from the scope of this investigation: • Flat-rolled steel products either plated or coated with tin, lead, chromium, chromium oxides, both tin and lead (‘‘terne plate’’), or both chromium and chromium oxides (‘‘tin free steel’’), whether or not painted, varnished or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating; • Clad products in straight lengths of 4.7625 mm or more in composite thickness and of a width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at least twice the thickness; and • Certain clad stainless flat-rolled products, which are three-layered corrosionresistant flat-rolled steel products less than 4.75 mm in composite thickness that consist of a flat-rolled steel product clad on both sides with stainless steel in a 20%– 60%–20% ratio. The products subject to the investigation are currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under item numbers: 7210.30.0030, 7210.30.0060, 7210.41.0000, 7210.49.0030, 7210.49.0091, 7210.49.0095, 7210.61.0000, 7210.69.0000, 7210.70.6030, 7210.70.6060, 7210.70.6090, 7210.90.6000, 7210.90.9000, 7212.20.0000, 7212.30.1030, 7212.30.1090, 7212.30.3000, 7212.30.5000, 7212.40.1000, PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 7212.40.5000, 7212.50.0000, and 7212.60.0000. The products subject to the investigation may also enter under the following HTSUS item numbers: 7210.90.1000, 7215.90.1000, 7215.90.3000, 7215.90.5000, 7217.20.1500, 7217.30.1530, 7217.30.1560, 7217.90.1000, 7217.90.5030, 7217.90.5060, 7217.90.5090, 7225.91.0000, 7225.92.0000, 7225.99.0090, 7226.99.0110, 7226.99.0130, 7226.99.0180, 7228.60.6000, 7228.60.8000, and 7229.90.1000. The HTSUS subheadings above are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive. [FR Doc. 2015–28455 Filed 11–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C–533–864] Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From India: Preliminary Affirmative Determination Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (‘‘Department’’) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of certain corrosion-resistant steel products (‘‘corrosion-resistant steel’’) from India. The period of investigation is January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014. We invite interested parties to comment on this preliminary determination. DATES: Effective November 6, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Huang, Andrew Devine, or Matthew Renkey, AD/CVD Operations, Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone 202.482.4047, 202.482.0238, and 202.482.2312, respectively. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AGENCY: Scope of the Investigation The products covered by this investigation are corrosion-resistant steel products from India. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see Appendix II. Methodology The Department is conducting this countervailing duty (‘‘CVD’’) investigation in accordance with section 701 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (‘‘Act’’). For a full description E:\FR\FM\06NON1.SGM 06NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 215 / Friday, November 6, 2015 / Notices of the methodology underlying our preliminary conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memo.1 The Preliminary Decision Memo is a public document and is on file in the Central Records Unit (‘‘CRU’’), Room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building, as well as electronically via Enforcement and Compliance’s Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (‘‘ACCESS’’). ACCESS is available to registered users at https:// access.trade.gov and it is available to all parties in the CRU. In addition, parties can directly access a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memo on the internet at https:// enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed Preliminary Decision Memo and the electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memo are identical in content. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Preliminary Determination and Suspension of Liquidation In accordance with section 703(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, we calculated an individual rate for each producer/ exporter of the subject merchandise individually investigated. We preliminarily determine the countervailable subsidy rates to be: selected as respondents by those companies’ exports of the subject merchandise to the United States. Under section 705(c)(5)(i) of the Act, the allothers rate should exclude zero and de minimis rates calculated for the exporters and producers individually investigated. Where the rates for the investigated companies are all zero or de minimis, section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act instructs the Department to establish an all-others rate using ‘‘any reasonable method.’’ We have not calculated the ‘‘all-others’’ rate by weight averaging the rates of the two individually investigated respondents, because doing so risks disclosure of proprietary information. Therefore, and consistent with the Department’s practice, for the ‘‘all-others’’ rate, we calculated a simple average of the two responding firms’ rates.2 Verification As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, we intend to verify the information submitted in response to the Department’s questionnaires prior to making our final determination. Disclosure and Public Comment The Department intends to disclose calculations performed for this preliminary determination to the parties Subsidy within five days of the date of public Company rate announcement of this determination in (percent) accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). Case briefs or other written comments JSW Steel Limited and JSW Steel Coated Products Limited 2.85. may be submitted to the Assistant Uttam Galva Steels Limited and Secretary for Enforcement and Uttam Value Steels Limited .... 7.71. Compliance no later than seven days All Others .................................... 5.28. after the date on which the final verification report is issued in this In accordance with sections proceeding, and rebuttal briefs, limited 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, we are to issues raised in case briefs, may be directing U.S. Customs and Border submitted no later than five days after Protection to suspend liquidation of all the deadline date for case briefs.3 A entries of corrosion-resistant steel from table of contents, list of authorities used India that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or and an executive summary of issues should accompany any briefs submitted after the date of the publication of this to the Department. This summary notice in the Federal Register, and to should be limited to five pages total, require a cash deposit for such entries including footnotes. of merchandise in the amounts Interested parties who wish to request indicated above. a hearing, or to participate if one is In accordance with sections 703(d) requested, must submit a written and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act, for request to the Assistant Secretary for companies not investigated, we apply Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. an ‘‘all-others’’ rate, which is normally Department of Commerce, filed calculated by weighting the subsidy electronically using ACCESS. An rates of the individual companies electronically filed document must be 1 See Memorandum from Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, to Paul Piquado, Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, ‘‘Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India: Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Determination,’’ dated concurrently with this notice (‘‘Preliminary Decision Memo’’). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:21 Nov 05, 2015 Jkt 238001 2 See, e.g., Countervailing Duty Investigation of Chlorinated Isocyanurates from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Determination and Alignment of Final Determination With Final Antidumping Determination, 79 FR 10097 (February 24, 2014). 3 See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements). PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 68855 received successfully in its entirety by the Department’s electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.4 Requests should contain the party’s name, address, and telephone number; the number of participants; and a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, the Department intends to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, at a date, time and location to be determined. Parties will be notified of the date, time and location of any hearing. International Trade Commission Notification In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, we will notify the International Trade Commission (‘‘ITC’’) of our determination. In addition, we are making available to the ITC all nonprivileged and non-proprietary information relating to this investigation. We will allow the ITC access to all privileged and business proprietary information in our files, provided the ITC confirms that it will not disclose such information, either publicly or under an administrative protective order, without the written consent of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. In accordance with section 705(b)(2) of the Act, if our final determination is affirmative, the ITC will make its final determination within 45 days after the Department makes its final determination. This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 703(f) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c). Dated: November 2, 2015. Paul Piquado, Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Appendix I—List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memo I. Summary II. Background III. Scope Comments IV. Scope of the Investigation V. Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances VI. Injury Test VII. Subsidies Valuation VIII. Benchmarks and Discount Rates IX. Analysis of Programs X. Calculation of the All Others Rate XI. ITC Notification XII. Disclosure and Public Comment XIII. Verification XIV. Conclusion 4 See E:\FR\FM\06NON1.SGM 19 CFR 351.310(c). 06NON1 68856 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 215 / Friday, November 6, 2015 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Appendix II—Scope of the Investigation The products covered by this investigation are certain flat-rolled steel products, either clad, plated, or coated with corrosion-resistant metals such as zinc, aluminum, or zinc-, aluminum-, nickel- or iron-based alloys, whether or not corrugated or painted, varnished, laminated, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating. The products covered include coils that have a width of 12.7 mm or greater, regardless of form of coil (e.g., in successively superimposed layers, spirally oscillating, etc.). The products covered also include products not in coils (e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness less than 4.75 mm and a width that is 12.7 mm or greater and that measures at least 10 times the thickness. The products covered also include products not in coils (e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness of 4.75 mm or more and a width exceeding 150 mm and measuring at least twice the thickness. The products described above may be rectangular, square, circular, or other shape and include products of either rectangular or non-rectangular cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the rolling process, i.e., products which have been ‘‘worked after rolling’’ (e.g., products which have been beveled or rounded at the edges). For purposes of the width and thickness requirements referenced above: (1) Where the nominal and actual measurements vary, a product is within the scope if application of either the nominal or actual measurement would place it within the scope based on the definitions set forth above, and (2) where the width and thickness vary for a specific product (e.g., the thickness of certain products with nonrectangular cross-section, the width of certain products with non-rectangular shape, etc.), the measurement at its greatest width or thickness applies. Steel products included in the scope of this investigation are products in which: (1) Iron predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; (2) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and (3) none of the elements listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, respectively indicated: • 2.50 percent of manganese, or • 3.30 percent of silicon, or • 1.50 percent of copper, or • 1.50 percent of aluminum, or • 1.25 percent of chromium, or • 0.30 percent of cobalt, or • 0.40 percent of lead, or • 2.00 percent of nickel, or VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:21 Nov 05, 2015 Jkt 238001 • 0.30 percent of tungsten (also called wolfram), or • 0.80 percent of molybdenum, or • 0.10 percent of niobium (also called columbium), or • 0.30 percent of vanadium, or • 0.30 percent of zirconium Unless specifically excluded, products are included in this scope regardless of levels of boron and titanium. For example, specifically included in this scope are vacuum degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free (IF)) steels and high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels. IF steels are recognized as low carbon steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium and/or niobium added to stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized as steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, copper, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and molybdenum. Furthermore, this scope also includes Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS) and Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS), both of which are considered high tensile strength and high elongation steels. All products that meet the written physical description, and in which the chemistry quantities do not exceed any one of the noted element levels listed above, are within the scope of this investigation unless specifically excluded. The following products are outside of and/or specifically excluded from the scope of this investigation: • Flat-rolled steel products either plated or coated with tin, lead, chromium, chromium oxides, both tin and lead (‘‘terne plate’’), or both chromium and chromium oxides (‘‘tin free steel’’), whether or not painted, varnished or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating; • Clad products in straight lengths of 4.7625 mm or more in composite thickness and of a width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at least twice the thickness; and • Certain clad stainless flat-rolled products, which are three-layered corrosion-resistant flat-rolled steel products less than 4.75 mm in composite thickness that consist of a flat-rolled steel product clad on both sides with stainless steel in a 20%– 60%–20% ratio. The products subject to the investigation are currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under item numbers: 7210.30.0030, 7210.30.0060, 7210.41.0000, 7210.49.0030, PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 7210.49.0091, 7210.49.0095, 7210.61.0000, 7210.69.0000, 7210.70.6030, 7210.70.6060, 7210.70.6090, 7210.90.6000, 7210.90.9000, 7212.20.0000, 7212.30.1030, 7212.30.1090, 7212.30.3000, 7212.30.5000, 7212.40.1000, 7212.40.5000, 7212.50.0000, and 7212.60.0000. The products subject to the investigation may also enter under the following HTSUS item numbers: 7210.90.1000, 7215.90.1000, 7215.90.3000, 7215.90.5000, 7217.20.1500, 7217.30.1530, 7217.30.1560, 7217.90.1000, 7217.90.5030, 7217.90.5060, 7217.90.5090, 7225.91.0000, 7225.92.0000, 7225.99.0090, 7226.99.0110, 7226.99.0130, 7226.99.0180, 7228.60.6000, 7228.60.8000, and 7229.90.1000. The HTSUS subheadings above are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive. [FR Doc. 2015–28447 Filed 11–5–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request: Socioeconomics of Ocean Guardian Schools—An Office of the National Marine Sanctuaries Educational Program National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before January 5, 2016. ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at JJessup@doc.gov). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\06NON1.SGM 06NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 215 (Friday, November 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68854-68856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28447]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-533-864]


Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Corrosion-Resistant 
Steel Products From India: Preliminary Affirmative Determination

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (``Department'') preliminarily 
determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to 
producers and exporters of certain corrosion-resistant steel products 
(``corrosion-resistant steel'') from India. The period of investigation 
is January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014. We invite interested 
parties to comment on this preliminary determination.

DATES: Effective November 6, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Huang, Andrew Devine, or Matthew 
Renkey, AD/CVD Operations, Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone 
202.482.4047, 202.482.0238, and 202.482.2312, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are corrosion-resistant 
steel products from India. For a complete description of the scope of 
this investigation, see Appendix II.

Methodology

    The Department is conducting this countervailing duty (``CVD'') 
investigation in accordance with section 701 of the Tariff Act of 1930, 
as amended (``Act''). For a full description

[[Page 68855]]

of the methodology underlying our preliminary conclusions, see the 
Preliminary Decision Memo.\1\ The Preliminary Decision Memo is a public 
document and is on file in the Central Records Unit (``CRU''), Room 
B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building, as well as 
electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (``ACCESS''). 
ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov and 
it is available to all parties in the CRU. In addition, parties can 
directly access a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memo on 
the internet at https://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed 
Preliminary Decision Memo and the electronic versions of the 
Preliminary Decision Memo are identical in content.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Memorandum from Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, to 
Paul Piquado, Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, 
``Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Corrosion-Resistant 
Steel Products from India: Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Determination,'' dated concurrently with this notice (``Preliminary 
Decision Memo'').
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preliminary Determination and Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 703(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Act, we 
calculated an individual rate for each producer/exporter of the subject 
merchandise individually investigated. We preliminarily determine the 
countervailable subsidy rates to be:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Subsidy
                           Company                               rate
                                                               (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JSW Steel Limited and JSW Steel Coated Products Limited.....       2.85.
Uttam Galva Steels Limited and Uttam Value Steels Limited...       7.71.
All Others..................................................       5.28.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In accordance with sections 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, we 
are directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation 
of all entries of corrosion-resistant steel from India that are 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the 
date of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, and to 
require a cash deposit for such entries of merchandise in the amounts 
indicated above.
    In accordance with sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act, for 
companies not investigated, we apply an ``all-others'' rate, which is 
normally calculated by weighting the subsidy rates of the individual 
companies selected as respondents by those companies' exports of the 
subject merchandise to the United States. Under section 705(c)(5)(i) of 
the Act, the all-others rate should exclude zero and de minimis rates 
calculated for the exporters and producers individually investigated. 
Where the rates for the investigated companies are all zero or de 
minimis, section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act instructs the Department 
to establish an all-others rate using ``any reasonable method.'' We 
have not calculated the ``all-others'' rate by weight averaging the 
rates of the two individually investigated respondents, because doing 
so risks disclosure of proprietary information. Therefore, and 
consistent with the Department's practice, for the ``all-others'' rate, 
we calculated a simple average of the two responding firms' rates.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See, e.g., Countervailing Duty Investigation of Chlorinated 
Isocyanurates from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary 
Determination and Alignment of Final Determination With Final 
Antidumping Determination, 79 FR 10097 (February 24, 2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Verification

    As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, we intend to verify 
the information submitted in response to the Department's 
questionnaires prior to making our final determination.

Disclosure and Public Comment

    The Department intends to disclose calculations performed for this 
preliminary determination to the parties within five days of the date 
of public announcement of this determination in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.224(b). Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to 
the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than 
seven days after the date on which the final verification report is 
issued in this proceeding, and rebuttal briefs, limited to issues 
raised in case briefs, may be submitted no later than five days after 
the deadline date for case briefs.\3\ A table of contents, list of 
authorities used and an executive summary of issues should accompany 
any briefs submitted to the Department. This summary should be limited 
to five pages total, including footnotes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general 
filing requirements).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Interested parties who wish to request a hearing, or to participate 
if one is requested, must submit a written request to the Assistant 
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
filed electronically using ACCESS. An electronically filed document 
must be received successfully in its entirety by the Department's 
electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 
within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.\4\ 
Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone 
number; the number of participants; and a list of the issues to be 
discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, the Department intends 
to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, at a date, time and 
location to be determined. Parties will be notified of the date, time 
and location of any hearing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, we will notify the 
International Trade Commission (``ITC'') of our determination. In 
addition, we are making available to the ITC all non-privileged and 
non-proprietary information relating to this investigation. We will 
allow the ITC access to all privileged and business proprietary 
information in our files, provided the ITC confirms that it will not 
disclose such information, either publicly or under an administrative 
protective order, without the written consent of the Assistant 
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
    In accordance with section 705(b)(2) of the Act, if our final 
determination is affirmative, the ITC will make its final determination 
within 45 days after the Department makes its final determination.
    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
703(f) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

    Dated: November 2, 2015.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I--List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memo

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope Comments
IV. Scope of the Investigation
V. Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances
VI. Injury Test
VII. Subsidies Valuation
VIII. Benchmarks and Discount Rates
IX. Analysis of Programs
X. Calculation of the All Others Rate
XI. ITC Notification
XII. Disclosure and Public Comment
XIII. Verification
XIV. Conclusion

[[Page 68856]]

Appendix II--Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are certain flat-rolled 
steel products, either clad, plated, or coated with corrosion-resistant 
metals such as zinc, aluminum, or zinc-, aluminum-, nickel- or iron-
based alloys, whether or not corrugated or painted, varnished, 
laminated, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in 
addition to the metallic coating. The products covered include coils 
that have a width of 12.7 mm or greater, regardless of form of coil 
(e.g., in successively superimposed layers, spirally oscillating, 
etc.). The products covered also include products not in coils (e.g., 
in straight lengths) of a thickness less than 4.75 mm and a width that 
is 12.7 mm or greater and that measures at least 10 times the 
thickness. The products covered also include products not in coils 
(e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness of 4.75 mm or more and a 
width exceeding 150 mm and measuring at least twice the thickness. The 
products described above may be rectangular, square, circular, or other 
shape and include products of either rectangular or non-rectangular 
cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the 
rolling process, i.e., products which have been ``worked after 
rolling'' (e.g., products which have been beveled or rounded at the 
edges). For purposes of the width and thickness requirements referenced 
above:
    (1) Where the nominal and actual measurements vary, a product is 
within the scope if application of either the nominal or actual 
measurement would place it within the scope based on the definitions 
set forth above, and
    (2) where the width and thickness vary for a specific product 
(e.g., the thickness of certain products with non-rectangular cross-
section, the width of certain products with non-rectangular shape, 
etc.), the measurement at its greatest width or thickness applies.
    Steel products included in the scope of this investigation are 
products in which: (1) Iron predominates, by weight, over each of the 
other contained elements; (2) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, 
by weight; and (3) none of the elements listed below exceeds the 
quantity, by weight, respectively indicated:

 2.50 percent of manganese, or
 3.30 percent of silicon, or
 1.50 percent of copper, or
 1.50 percent of aluminum, or
 1.25 percent of chromium, or
 0.30 percent of cobalt, or
 0.40 percent of lead, or
 2.00 percent of nickel, or
 0.30 percent of tungsten (also called wolfram), or
 0.80 percent of molybdenum, or
 0.10 percent of niobium (also called columbium), or
 0.30 percent of vanadium, or
 0.30 percent of zirconium

    Unless specifically excluded, products are included in this scope 
regardless of levels of boron and titanium.
    For example, specifically included in this scope are vacuum 
degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free 
(IF)) steels and high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels. IF steels are 
recognized as low carbon steels with micro-alloying levels of elements 
such as titanium and/or niobium added to stabilize carbon and nitrogen 
elements. HSLA steels are recognized as steels with micro-alloying 
levels of elements such as chromium, copper, niobium, titanium, 
vanadium, and molybdenum.
    Furthermore, this scope also includes Advanced High Strength Steels 
(AHSS) and Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS), both of which are 
considered high tensile strength and high elongation steels.
    All products that meet the written physical description, and in 
which the chemistry quantities do not exceed any one of the noted 
element levels listed above, are within the scope of this investigation 
unless specifically excluded. The following products are outside of 
and/or specifically excluded from the scope of this investigation:
     Flat-rolled steel products either plated or coated with 
tin, lead, chromium, chromium oxides, both tin and lead (``terne 
plate''), or both chromium and chromium oxides (``tin free steel''), 
whether or not painted, varnished or coated with plastics or other non-
metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating;
     Clad products in straight lengths of 4.7625 mm or more in 
composite thickness and of a width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at 
least twice the thickness; and
     Certain clad stainless flat-rolled products, which are 
three-layered corrosion-resistant flat-rolled steel products less than 
4.75 mm in composite thickness that consist of a flat-rolled steel 
product clad on both sides with stainless steel in a 20%-60%-20% ratio.
    The products subject to the investigation are currently classified 
in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under 
item numbers: 7210.30.0030, 7210.30.0060, 7210.41.0000, 7210.49.0030, 
7210.49.0091, 7210.49.0095, 7210.61.0000, 7210.69.0000, 7210.70.6030, 
7210.70.6060, 7210.70.6090, 7210.90.6000, 7210.90.9000, 7212.20.0000, 
7212.30.1030, 7212.30.1090, 7212.30.3000, 7212.30.5000, 7212.40.1000, 
7212.40.5000, 7212.50.0000, and 7212.60.0000.
    The products subject to the investigation may also enter under the 
following HTSUS item numbers: 7210.90.1000, 7215.90.1000, 7215.90.3000, 
7215.90.5000, 7217.20.1500, 7217.30.1530, 7217.30.1560, 7217.90.1000, 
7217.90.5030, 7217.90.5060, 7217.90.5090, 7225.91.0000, 7225.92.0000, 
7225.99.0090, 7226.99.0110, 7226.99.0130, 7226.99.0180, 7228.60.6000, 
7228.60.8000, and 7229.90.1000.
    The HTSUS subheadings above are provided for convenience and 
customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the 
investigation is dispositive.

[FR Doc. 2015-28447 Filed 11-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

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