China Steel Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe: Final Affirmative AD Determination

Combination Rates

The ITA has calculated combination rates for respondents that are eligible for a separate rate in this AD investigation. (See ITT's Online Archives or 04/11/05 news, 05041110, for BP summary of 2005 policy bulletin outlining this change in practice with regard to AD combination rates for non-market economies (NMEs).)

AD Suspension of Liquidation Continues

The ITA continues to find that critical circumstances exist for Hengyang and the China-wide entity, and that critical circumstances do not exist for TPCO or the separate rate respondents.

Therefore, the ITA will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to continue to suspend liquidation of all entries of subject merchandise by Hengyang and the PRC-wide entity with a time of entry on or after January 28, 2010 (90 days prior to the publication date of the preliminary determination).

For TPCO and the separate rate companies, the ITA will instruct CBP to continue to suspend liquidation of all entries with a time of entry on or after April 28, 2010 (the publication date of the preliminary determination).

AD Cash Deposit/Bond Requirements (Adjusted for Export Subsidies)

The ITA will also instruct CBP to collect AD duty cash deposits or bonds on all entries of subject merchandise with a time of entry on or after September 21, 2010 at the revised AD duty rates below.

(Note that all companies’ AD duty rates, except the China-wide entity, have been reduced for export subsidies¹.)

(If the International Trade Commission issues a final affirmative injury determination, the ITA will issue an AD duty order. If the ITC determines that material injury or threat of material injury does not exist, this proceeding will be terminated and all estimated duties deposited or securities posted will be refunded or canceled.)

ASTM A-335 Now Excluded from Scope

Pursuant to comments received, the ITA has determined to remove ASTM A-335 from the list of covered specifications included within the scope of this investigation. ASTM A-335 is now a specification listed as excluded from the scope. The amended language for this change is as follows¹:

“Specifically excluded from the scope of these investigations are: (1) all pipes meeting aerospace, hydraulic, and bearing tubing specifications; (2) all pipes meeting the chemical requirements of ASTM A-335, whether finished or unfinished; and (3) unattached couplings. Also excluded from the scope of these investigations are all mechanical, boiler, condenser and heat exchange tubing, except when such products conform to the dimensional requirements, i.e., outside diameter and wall thickness of ASTM A-53, ASTM A-106 or API 5L specifications.”

¹Because the ITA has determined that that TPCO’s and Hengyang’s merchandise benefitted from export subsidies, their AD duty rates, as well as the rates for the separate rate respondents, have been reduced for the export subsidy portion of the rate determined in the final countervailing duty determination.

²In the initiation notice, the scope language stated that ASTM A-335 was specifically included within the scope. The exclusion language stated only that “Specifically excluded from the scope of the investigation are unattached couplings.”

(See ITA notice for additional information, including the complete scope of the order, scope comments, etc.

See today’s ITT, 10092107, for BP summary of the companion final countervailing duty determination.

See ITT’s Online Archives or 09/14/10 news, 10091405, for BP summary of the fact sheet announcing this final determination.

See ITT’s Online Archives or 05/28/10 news, 10052833, for BP summary of the amended preliminary AD duty determination.)

ITA contact -- Magd Zalok (202) 482-4162

(FR Pub 09/21/10, ITA Case No. A-570-956)