The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today announced its determinations in its five-year (sunset) reviews concerning the countervailing duty and antidumping duty orders on certain carbon steel products from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

With respect to cut-to-length plate from Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom, all six Commissioners made negative determinations.

With respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Germany and Korea, all six Commissioners made affirmative determinations. With respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Australia, Canada, France, and Japan, Chairman Daniel R. Pearson, Vice Chairman Shara L. Aranoff, and Commissioners Jennifer A. Hillman and Deanna Tanner Okun made negative determinations; Commissioners Stephen Koplan and Charlotte R. Lane made affirmative determinations.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations and the Department of Commerce's recent affirmative findings, the existing orders on imports of corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Germany and Korea will remain in place.

As a result of the Commission's negative determinations, the existing orders on imports of cut-to-length plate from Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom and the orders on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Australia, Canada, France, and Japan will be revoked.

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 Carbon Steel Products from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom (Inv. Nos. AA1921-197; 701-TA-319, 320, 325-327, 348, and 350; and 731- TA-573, 574, 576, 578, 582-587, 612, and 614-618 (Second Review)), USITC Publication 3899, January 2007) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.

Copies may be requested after February 7, 2007, 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) reviews concerning Certain Carbon Steel Products from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom were instituted effective November 1, 2005.

On February 6, 2006, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews. With respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Korea, and cut-to-length carbon steel plate from Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, and the United Kingdom, all six Commissioners concluded that both the domestic group response and the respondent group responses were adequate and voted for full reviews. With respect to carbon steel plate from Taiwan and cut-to-length carbon steel plate from Romania, Spain, and Sweden, all six Commissioners concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group responses were inadequate, but that circumstances warranted full reviews.

Information concerning the reasons for the Commission's vote to conduct full reviews was published in the Federal Register on February 21, 2006. That notice and a record of the Commission's votes is posted on the ITC's Internet site at http://info.usitc.gov/oinv/sunset.NSF (under "Carbon Steel Plate-Taiwan (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Belgium (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Belgium (AD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Brazil (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Brazil (AD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Mexico (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Mexico (AD) (2nd Review)," Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Spain (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Spain (AD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Sweden (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Sweden (AD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - United Kingdom (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - United Kingdom (AD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Finland (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Germany (AD) (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Poland (2nd Review)," "Cut-to-length Carbon Steel Plate - Romania (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - France (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - France (AD) (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - Korea (CVD) (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - Korea (AD) (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - Australia (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - Canada (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - Germany (AD) (2nd Review)," "Corrosion-resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products - Japan (2nd Review)").

In addition, a record of the Commission's votes 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.

Cut-to-Length Plate

Product Description:

Hot-rolled carbon steel universal mill plates (i.e., flat-rolled products rolled on four faces or in a carbon steel cut-to-length plate ("cut-to-length plate") closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 millimeters but not exceeding 1,250 millimeters and of a thickness of not less than 4 millimeters, not in coils and without patterns in relief), of rectangular shape, neither clad, plated nor coated with metal, whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other nonmetallic substances. Certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat-rolled products in straight lengths, of rectangular shape, hot rolled, neither clad, plated, nor coated with metal, whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other nonmetallic substances, 4.75 millimeters or more in thickness and of a width which exceeds 150 millimeters and measures at least twice the thickness. Included in these orders are flat-rolled products of non-rectangular cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the rolling process (i.e., products which have been "worked after rolling")--for example, products which have been beveled or rounded at the edges. Additionally, as a result of a scope ruling, profile slabs have been determined to be within the scope of the order. The merchandise subject to these reviews is provided for in statistical reporting numbers 7208.40.3030, 7208.40.3060, 7208.51.0030, 7208.51.0045, 7208.51.0060, 7208.52.0000, 7208.53.0000, 7208.90.0000, 7210.70.3000, 7210.90.9000, 7211.13.0000, 7211.14.0030, 7211.14.0045, 7211.90.0000, 7212.40.1000, 7212.40.5000, and 7212.50.0000 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).

Status of Proceedings:
1.  Type of proceeding:  Second Review.
2.  Notice of initiation by USITC:  November 1, 2005 (effective date).
3.  Hearing:  October 19, 2006.
4.  USITC vote:  December 14, 2006.
5.  USITC notification of Department of Commerce:  January 17, 2007 (expected).  

U.S. Industry Producing Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate:
1.  Number of U.S. producers in 2005:  23.   
2.  U.S. production of cut-to-length plate in 2005:  7,119,199 short tons. 
3.  Employment of production and related workers in 2005:  3,928.
4.  U.S. producers' U.S. shipments in 2005:  6,618,088 short tons.  
5.  Apparent U.S. consumption in 2005:  7,281,971 short tons.  
6.  Ratio of quantity of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption in 2005:  0.9 percent.

U.S. Imports:
1.  Quantity of subject imports in 2005:  65,439 short tons.
2.  Value of subject imports in 2005:  $45 million. 

Corrosion-Resistant Steel

Product Description:

The products covered by this investigation are flat-rolled carbon steel products, of rectangular shape, 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 or coated with plastics or other nonmetallic substances in addition to the metallic coating, in coils (whether or not in successively superimposed layers) and of a width of 0.5 inch or greater, or in straight lengths which, if of a thickness less than 4.75 millimeters, are of a width of 0.5 inch or greater and which measures at least 10 times the thickness or if of a thickness of 4.75 millimeters or more are of a width which exceeds 150 millimeters and measures at least twice the thickness. Included in these orders are flat-rolled products of nonrectangular cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the rolling process (i.e., products which have been "worked after rolling")--for example, products which have been beveled or rounded at the edges. The merchandise subject to these reviews is provided for in statistical reporting numbers 7210.30.0030, 7210.30.0060, 7210.41.0000, 7210.49.0030, 7210.49.0090, 7210.61.0000, 7210.69.0000, 7210.70.6030, 7210.70.6060, 7210.70.6090, 7210.90.1000, 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, 7212.60.0000, 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 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).

Status of Proceedings:
1.  Type of proceeding:  Second Review.
2.  Notice of initiation by USITC:  November 1, 2005 (effective date).
3.  Hearing:  October 17, 2006.
4.  USITC vote:  December 14, 2006.
5.  USITC notification of Department of Commerce:  January 17, 2007 (expected).  

U.S. Industry Producing Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel:
1.  Number of U.S. producers in 2005:  28.   
2.  U.S. production of corrosion-resistant steel in 2005:  20,889,145 short tons. 
3.  Employment of production and related workers in 2005:  13,348.
4.  U.S. producers' U.S. shipments in 2005:  20,065,663 short tons.  
5.  Apparent U.S. consumption in 2005:  22,686,343 short tons. 
6.  Ratio of quantity of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption in 2005:  4.3 percent.

U.S. Imports:
1.  Quantity of subject imports in 2005:  972,681 short tons.
2.  Value of subject imports in 2005:  $753 million.