International Trade Administration 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Departments of Commerce and the Interior (the Departments) amend their regulations governing watch duty-exemption allocations and watch and jewelry duty-refund benefits for producers in the United States insular possessions (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The rule amends the regulations by updating the formula that is used to calculate the combined amount of individual and family health and life insurance per year that is creditable towards the duty refund benefit.

The Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') preliminarily determines that 1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-diphosphonic acid (``HEDP'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (``LTFV''), as provided in section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the ``Act''). The estimated dumping margins are shown in the ``Preliminary Determination Margins'' section of this notice.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') determines that imports of uncovered innerspring units from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (``Vietnam'') are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value, as provided in section 735 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). The final weighted- average dumping margins are listed below in the section entitled ``Final Determination of Investigation.''

On April 17, 2008, the Department of Commerce published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain polyester staple fiber from Taiwan. The period of review is May 1, 2006, through April 30, 2007. We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the preliminary results. Based on our analysis of the comments received and an examination of our calculations, we have made certain changes for the final results. The final weighted-average dumping margin for Far Eastern Textile Limited is listed below in the ``Final Results of the Review'' section of this notice.

In response to a request from Nucor Corporation, SSAB N.A.D., Evraz Claymont Steel, and Evraz Oregon Steel Mills, domestic interested parties in the above-mentioned proceeding (collectively ``certain domestic producers''), the Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating an antidumping circumvention inquiry pursuant to section 781(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). This inquiry will determine whether the inclusion of 0.0008 percent or more, by weight, of boron in certain steel plates results in those steel plates having been ``altered in form or appearance in minor respects'' from the subject merchandise such that the plates can be considered subject to the antidumping duty order on certain cut-to-length carbon steel plate from the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the minor alterations provision. See Suspension Agreement on Certain Cut-to- Length Carbon Steel Plate From the People's Republic of China; Termination of Suspension Agreement and Notice of Antidumping Duty Order, 68 FR 60081 (October 21, 2003).

The Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA) is seeking U.S. academic institutions, training centers, and other interested parties who would like to organize joint activities with their counterparts in Vietnam in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In 2007, the ITA launched the U.S.-Vietnam ICT Commercial Dialogue with the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) in Vietnam to discuss various ICT issues that have an impact on trade between our two countries. The U.S. and Vietnamese companies that participated in the meeting recommended the establishment of a ``public/private partnership for the development of human resources through technical training programs.'' Therefore MIC has proposed that an Academic Advisory Group be created in addition to a Business Advisory Group under the Dialogue. The objective of the Academic Advisory Group would be to facilitate an exchange of ideas on the best curriculum to meet the needs of ICT growth, and to increase opportunities for Vietnamese citizens to study in the ICT field in Vietnam through distance learning mechanisms, or at United States institutions. The initial meeting of the Academic Advisory Group, to be held via videoconference, is tentatively scheduled for November 12, 2008. A representative of the group would make a brief report at the ICT Dialogue Working Group meeting on November 13 in Washington, DC. A follow-up meeting is anticipated in January 2009 in Hanoi.

5 CFR 430.310 requires agencies to publish notice of Performance Review Board appointees in the Federal Register before their service begins. This notice announces the names of new and existing members of the International Trade Administration's Performance Review Board.

On September 12, 2008, the United States Court of International Trade (CIT) sustained the Department of Commerce's (the Department) results of redetermination pursuant to the CIT's remand in China Kingdom Import & Export Co., Ltd.; Yancheng Yaou Seafood Co., Ltd.; and Qingdao Zhengri Seafood Co., Ltd. v. United States, Consol. Ct. No. 03-00302, Slip Op. 08-96 (CIT September 12, 2008) (China Kingdom v. United States II). See Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Remand, dated March 3, 2008 (available at https://ia.ita.doc.gov/ remands). Consistent with the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) in Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (Timken), the Department is notifying the public that the final judgment in this case is not in harmony with the Department's final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (PRC) covering the period of review (POR) of September 1, 2000, through August 31, 2001. See Freshwater Crawfish Tail Meat from the People's Republic of China; Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 68 FR 19504 (April 21, 2003) (Final Results).

On July 1, 2008, we published the notice of initiation of this antidumping duty administrative review with respect to the Borusan Group (and affiliates, Borusan Mannesmann, Boru Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. and Borusan Istikbal Ticaret T.A.S.) and Toscelik Profil ve Sac Endustrisi A.S. (``Toscelik''). See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 73 FR 37409 (July 1, 2008). We have preliminarily determined that the review of Toscelik should be rescinded.

On June 5, 2008, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated a sunset review of the antidumping duty order on saccharin from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). On the basis of a notice of intent to participate, and an adequate substantive response filed on behalf of domestic interested parties, as well as a lack of response from respondent interested parties, the Department conducted an expedited (120-day) sunset review. As a result of the sunset review, the Department finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping. The dumping margins are identified in the Final Results of Review section of this notice.

We preliminarily determine that certain steel threaded rod (``CSTR'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (``LTFV''), as provided in section 733 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). The estimated margins of sales at LTFV are shown in the ``Preliminary Determination'' section of this notice. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The Department of Commerce (``the Department'') is conducting the first administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain lined paper products (``CLPP'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC'') with respect to four producers/exporters for the period April 17, 2006, through August 31, 2007. We have preliminarily determined that sales have been made below normal value (``NV'') by Shanghai Lian Li Paper Products Co., Ltd. (``Lian Li''). If these preliminary results are adopted in our final results of this review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise during the period of review. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. We intend to issue the final results no later than 120 days from the date of publication of this notice, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act'').

Based on an affirmative final determination by the Department of Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Department is issuing the antidumping duty order on electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) from Australia.

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.

In response to timely requests from one exporter and the petitioner,\1\ the Department of Commerce (Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The period of review (POR) is September 1, 2006, through August 31, 2007.

The Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC) was established pursuant to provisions under Title IV of the Jobs Through Trade Expansion Act, 22. U.S.C. 2151, and under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2. ETTAC was first chartered on May 31, 1994. ETTAC serves as an advisory body to the Environmental Trade Working Group of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), reporting directly to the Secretary of Commerce in his capacity as Chairman of the TPCC. ETTAC advises on the development and administration of policies and programs to expand United States exports of environmental technologies, goods, and services and products that comply with United States environmental, safety, and related requirements. Membership in a committee operating under the Federal Advisory Committee Act must be balanced in terms of economic subsector, geographic location, and company size. Committee members serve in a representative capacity, and must be able to generally represent the views and interests of a certain subsector of the U.S. environmental industry. We are seeking senior executive-level company or environmental technologies association candidates. Members of the ETTAC have experience in exporting the full range of environmental technologies products and services including: (1) Air Pollution Control/Monitoring Equipment. (2) Analytic Services. (3) Environmental Energy Sources. (4) Environmental Engineering and Consulting Services. (5) Financial Services. (6) Process and Prevention Technologies. (7) Solid and Hazardous Waste Equipment and Management. (8) Water and Wastewater Equipment and Services. The Secretary of Commerce invites nominations to ETTAC of U.S. citizens who will represent U.S. environmental goods and services companies that trade internationally, or trade associations whose members include U.S. companies that trade internationally. Companies must be at least 51 percent beneficially-owned by U.S. persons. U.S.- based subsidiaries of foreign companies in general do not qualify for representation on the committee. Nominees will be considered based upon their ability to carry out the goals of ETTAC's enabling legislation as further articulated in its charter. ETTAC's Charter is available on the Internet at https:// www.environment.ita.doc.gov. Priority will be given to a balanced representation in terms of point of view represented by various sectors, product lines, firm sizes, and geographic areas. Appointments are made without regard to political affiliation. Nominees must be U.S. citizens, representing U.S. environmental goods and services firms that trade internationally or provide services in direct support of the international trading activities of other entities. Self-nominations are accepted. If you are interested in nominating someone to become a member of ETTAC, please provide the following information (2 pages maximum): (1) Name. (2) Title. (3) Work Phone; Fax; and, E-mail Address. (4) Company or Trade Association Name and Address including Web site Address. (5) Short Bio of nominee including credentials and proof of U.S. citizenship, and a list of citizenships to countries other than the U.S. (6) Brief description of the company or trade association and its business activities; company size (number of employees and annual sales); and export markets served. Please, do not send company or trade association brochures or any other information. This information may be e-mailed to marc.lemmond@mail.doc.gov or faxed to the attention of Marc Lemmond at 202-482-5665, and must be received before the deadline. Nominees selected to ETTAC will be notified. Deadline: This request will be open until October 24, from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

On July 1, 2008, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published in the Federal Register the notice of initiation of the five-year sunset review of the countervailing duty order on dynamic random access memory semiconductors (``DRAMS'') from the Republic of Korea (``ROK''), pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (``the Act''). Because the domestic interested party did not file a substantive response by the applicable deadline and has withdrawn its notice of intent to participate in this sunset review, the Department is revoking this countervailing duty order.

In response to a request from petitioner Five Rivers Electronic Innovations, LLC, (``Five Rivers'' or ``petitioner''), the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain color television receivers (``CTVs'') from the People's Republic of China (``PRC''). See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 73 FR 44220 (July 30, 2008). This administrative review covers the June 1, 2007, through May 31, 2008 period of review (``POR''). Due to the withdrawal of the request for the administrative review by Five Rivers for all companies for which it requested a review, we are now rescinding this review, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1).