The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC or Commission) today announced its determinations in its five-year (sunset) reviews concerning the existing antidumping duty orders on certain bearings from China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

The Commission determined that revoking the existing orders on tapered roller bearings from China and ball bearings from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time, but that revoking the existing orders on spherical plain bearings from France and ball bearings from Singapore would not.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations and the Department of Commerce's recent affirmative findings, the existing orders on imports of tapered roller bearings from China and ball bearings from France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom will remain in place. As a result of the Commission's negative determinations, the existing orders on imports of spherical plain bearings from France and ball bearings from Singapore will be revoked.

With respect to ball bearings from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, Chairman Daniel R. Pearson, Vice Chairman Shara L. Aranoff, and Commissioners Jennifer A. Hillman, Stephen Koplan, and Charlotte R. Lane voted in the affirmative. With respect to ball bearings from Singapore, Chairman Pearson, Vice Chairman Aranoff, and Commissioners Hillman and Koplan voted in the negative; Commissioner Lane voted in the affirmative. With respect to tapered roller bearings from China, Vice Chairman Aranoff and Commissioners Hillman, Koplan and Lane voted in the affirmative; Chairman Pearson voted in the negative. With respect to spherical plain bearings from France, Chairman Pearson, Vice Chairman Aranoff, and Commissioner Hillman voted in the negative; Commissioners Koplan and Lane voted in the affirmative. Commissioner Deanna Tanner Okun did not participate in these reviews.

Today's action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. See the attached page for background on these five-year (sunset) reviews.

The Commission's public report Certain Bearings from China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom (Inv. Nos. 731-TA-344, 391-A, 392-A and C, 393-A, 394-A, 396, and 399-A (Second Review), USITC Publication 3876, August 2006) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.

Copies may be requested after September 15, 2006, by calling 202-205-2000 or by contacting the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by fax at 202-205-2104.

BACKGROUND

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act requires the Department of Commerce to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the Department of Commerce and the ITC determine that revoking the order or terminating the suspension agreement would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or subsidies (Commerce) and of material injury (ITC) within a reasonably foreseeable time.

The Commission's institution notice in five-year reviews requests that interested parties file responses with the Commission concerning the likely effects of revoking the order under review as well as other information. Generally within 95 days from institution, the Commission will determine whether the responses it has received reflect an adequate or inadequate level of interest in a full review. If responses to the ITC's notice of institution are adequate, or if other circumstances warrant a full review, the Commission conducts a full review, which includes a public hearing and issuance of questionnaires.

The Commission generally does not hold a hearing or conduct further investigative activities in expedited reviews. Commissioners base their injury determination in expedited reviews on the facts available, including the Commission's prior injury and review determinations, responses received to its notice of institution, data collected by staff in connection with the review, and information provided by the Department of Commerce.

The five-year (sunset) review concerning Certain Bearings from China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom was instituted on June 1, 2005.

On September 7, 2005, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews. With respect to tapered roller bearings from China and ball bearings from France, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, then-Chairman Stephen Koplan and Commissioners Jennifer A. Hillman, Charlotte R. Lane, and Daniel R. Pearson concluded that both the domestic and the respondent group responses were adequate and voted for full reviews. With respect to ball bearings from Germany, then-Chairman Koplan and Commissioners Lane and Pearson concluded that both the domestic and the respondent group responses were adequate and voted for a full review; Commissioner Hillman concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group response was inadequate, but that circumstances warranted a full review. With respect to spherical plain bearings from France, then- Chairman Koplan and Commissioner Lane concluded that both the domestic and the respondent group responses were adequate and voted for a full review; Commissioners Hillman and Pearson concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group response was inadequate, but that circumstances warranted a full review. Then-Vice Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun did not participate in these reviews; Commissioner Shara L. Aranoff did not participate in the decisions regarding whether to conduct expedited or full reviews.

Information concerning the reasons for the Commission's vote to conduct an expedited review was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2005. That notice and a record of the Commission's vote is posted on the ITC's Internet site at http://info.usitc.gov/oinv/sunset.NSF (under "Tapered Roller Bearing - China (Second Review)," "Ball Bearings - Germany (2nd Review)," "Ball Bearings - France (2nd Review)," "Spherical Plain Bearings - France (2nd Review)," "Ball Bearings - Italy (2nd Review)," "Ball Bearings - Japan (2nd Review)," "Ball Bearings - Singapore (2nd Review)," and "Ball Bearings - United Kingdom (2nd Review)").

In addition, a record of the Commission's vote to conduct full reviews is available from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by telephone by calling 202-205-1802.