AD: China and Korea Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof

However, the ITA states that it needs additional time to decide whether a certain percentage of the domestic industry (i.e. domestic producers and workers) supports these petitions. The ITA explains that a certain percentage of domestic industry support is required for an AD duty investigation to be initiated. As a result, the ITA has extended the deadline for its determination on whether or not to initiate AD duty investigations to no later than June 13, 2005 (rather than within 20 days of its receipt of the petition).

Request for Information from Domestic Industry

Because the petitions have not established that domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50% of the total production of the domestic like product support the petitions, the ITA must poll or otherwise determine industry support for the petitions. To this end, the ITA is requesting that all domestic producers/manufacturers of diamond sawblades and parts thereof submit via fax to the ITA responses to the questions posted to the ITA's web site (see below) by May 25, 2005.

ITA Notice Outlines Petitions' Scope, Applicable HTS Numbers, & Exclusions

Scope of the Petitions: The ITA states that the following language describes the imported merchandise from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Korea (Korea) that petitioners intend to be included in the scope of the investigations:

The products covered by these petitions are all finished circular sawblades, whether slotted or not, with a working part that is comprised of a diamond segment or segments, and parts thereof, regardless of specification or size, except as specifically excluded

below.

Within the scope of these petitions are semifinished diamond sawblades, including diamond sawblade cores and diamond sawblade segments. Diamond sawblade cores are circular steel plates, whether or not attached to non-steel plates, with slots. Diamond sawblade cores are manufactured principally, but not exclusively, from alloy steel. A diamond sawblade segment consists of a mixture of diamonds (whether natural or synthetic, and regardless of the quantity of diamonds) and metal powders (including, but not limited to, iron, cobalt, nickel, tungsten carbide) that are formed together into a solid shape (from generally, but not limited to, a heating and pressing process).

Petitioners request that the ITA and the International Trade Commission (ITC) treat diamond sawblades, diamond sawblade segments, and diamond sawblade cores as one "domestic like product'' and, similarly, one "class or kind'' of merchandise for purposes of these investigations.

HTS Subheadings: Merchandise subject to this order is typically imported under HTS 8202.39.00.00. When packaged together as a set for retail sale with an item that is separately classified under HTS 8202 to 8205, diamond sawblades or parts thereof may be imported under heading HTS 8206.00.00.00. The tariff classification is provided for convenience and customs purposes; however, the written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.

Excluded from the Scope of the Petitions: Sawblades with diamonds directly attached to the core with a resin or electroplated bond, which thereby do not contain a diamond segment, are not included within the scope of these petitions. Sawblade cores with a thickness of less than 0.025 inches, or with a thickness greater than 1.1 inches, are excluded from the scope of the petitions. Circular steel plates that have a cutting edge of non-diamond material, such as external teeth that protrude from the outer diameter of the plate, whether or not finished, are excluded from the scope of the petitions. Diamond sawblade cores with a Rockwell C hardness of less than 25 are excluded from the scope of the petitions. Diamond segments with diamonds that predominantly have a mesh size number greater than 240 (such as 250 or 260) are excluded from the scope of the petitions.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/20/05 news, 05052040, for BP summary of the ITC's notice of institution of AD injury investigations on diamond sawblades and parts thereof from China and Korea and the scheduling of the preliminary phase of the ITC's investigation.)

ITA Contact - Mark Manning (202) 482-5253

ITA Notice (FR Pub 05/23/05) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-10309.pdf

ITA Amended Industry Polling Questionnaire (dated 05/18/05) available at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/download/diamond-sawblades/final-polling-questionnaire-amended2.pdf

ITA Clarification to Amended Industry Polling Questionnaire (dated 05/23/05) available athttp://ia.ita.doc.gov/download/diamond-sawblades/clarification-ltr-final-polling-questionnaire.pdf