July 10, 2007
News Release 07-070
Inv. Nos. 731-TA-873-875, 877-880, and 882 (Review)
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC or Commission) today determined that revoking the existing antidumping duty orders on steel concrete reinforcing bar from Belarus, China, Indonesia, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time, but that revoking the existing antidumping duty order on this product from Korea would not.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the existing orders on imports of this product from Belarus, China, Indonesia, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine will remain in place. As a result of the Commission's negative determination regarding Korea, the existing order on imports of this product from that country will be revoked.

With respect to China and Indonesia, all six Commissioners voted in the affirmative. With respect to Ukraine, Vice Chairman Shara L. Aranoff and Commissioners Deanna Tanner Okun, Charlotte R. Lane, Irving A. Williamson, and Dean A. Pinkert voted in the affirmative; Chairman Daniel R. Pearson voted in the negative. With respect to Belarus and Moldova, Vice Chairman Aranoff and Commissioners Lane, Williamson, and Pinkert voted in the affirmative; Chairman Pearson and Commissioner Okun voted in the negative. With respect to Latvia and Poland, Commissioners Lane, Williamson, and Pinkert voted in the affirmative; Chairman Pearson, Vice Chairman Aranoff, and Commissioner Okun voted in the negative. With respect to Korea, Chairman Pearson, Vice Chairman Aranoff, and Commissioners Okun and Williamson voted in the negative; Commissioners Lane and Pinkert voted in the affirmative.

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 Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from Belarus, China, Indonesia, Korea, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine (Inv. Nos. 731-TA-873-875, 877-880, and 882 (Review), USITC Publication 3933, July 2007) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.

Copies may be requested after August 3, 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 Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar from Belarus, China, Indonesia, Korea, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine were instituted on August 1, 2006.

On November 6, 2006, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews. With respect to Belarus, Latvia, Moldova, and Ukraine, all six Commissioners concluded that the domestic group response was inadequate and the respondent group response was adequate, but that circumstances warranted full reviews. With respect to China, Indonesia, Korea, and Poland, all six Commissioners concluded that both the domestic 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 November 17, 2006. 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 "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Belarus," "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - China," "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Indonesia," "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Korea," "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Latvia," "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Moldova," "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Poland," and "Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar - Ukraine").

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.