MESSAGE NO: 3130111 DATE: 05 10 1993
CATEGORY: ADA TYPE: PRE
REFERENCE: REFERENCE DATE:
CASES: A - 570 - 820 - -
- - - -
- - - -

PERIOD COVERED: TO

LIQ SUSPENSION DATE: 11 20 1992

TO: REGIONAL DIRECTORS, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS
DISTRICT DIRECTORS, AREA AND PORT DIRECTORS

FROM: DIRECTOR, IMPORT SPECIALIST DIVISION

RE: PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CRITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE
ANTIDUMPING DUTY INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN COMPACT DUCTILE
IRON WATERWORKS FITTINGS AND ACCESSORIES FROM THE PRC

1. THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER
ON MAY 6, 1993, ITS PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CRITICAL
CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE ANTIDUMPING DUTY INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN
COMPACT DUCTILE IRON WATERWORKS FITTINGS AND ACCESSORIES FROM THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

2. THE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THIS INVESTIGATION ARE 1) CERTAIN
COMPACT DUCTILE IRON WATERWORKS FITTINGS OF 3 TO 16 INCHES
NOMINAL DIAMETER REGARDLESS OF SHAPE, INCLUDING BENDS, TEES,
CROSSES, WYES, REDUCERS, ADAPTERS, AND OTHER SHAPES, WHETHER OR
NOT CEMENT LINED, AND WHETHER OR NOT COVERED WITH BITUMEN OR
SIMILAR SUBSTANCES, CONFORMING TO AMERICAN WATER WORKS
ASSOCIATION/AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE AWWA/ANSI
SPECIFICATION C153/A21.53, AND RATED FOR WATER WORKING PRESSURE
OF 350 PSI; AND 2) CERTAIN CDIW FITTINGS ACCESORIES WHICH
TYPICALLY CONSIST OF A STANDARD DUCTILE IRON GLAND, A STYRENE
BUTADIENE RUBBER (SBR) GASKET, THE REQUISITE NUMBER OF COR-TEN
STEEL OR DUCTILE IRON T-HEAD BOLTS, AND HEXAGONAL NUTS, FOR
FITTINGS IN SIZES 3 TO 16 INCHES, CONFORMING TO AWWA/ANSI
SPECIFICATION C111/A21.11, AND RATED FOR WATER WORKING PRESSURE
OF 350 PSI. GASKETS, BOLTS AND NUTS ARE ONLY INCLUDED IF THEY
ARE IMPORTED AS AN ACCESSORY PACK WITH A GLAND. HOWEVER, GLANDS
IMPORTED SEPARATELY ARE INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION.

THE TYPES OF CDIW FITTINGS COVERED BY THIS INVESTIGATION ARE
COMPACT DUCTILE IRON MECHANICAL JOINT WATERWORKS FITTINGS AND
COMPACT DUCTILE IRON PUSH-ON JOINT WATERWORKS FITTINGS, BOTH OF
WHICH ARE USED FOR THE SAME APPLICATIONS. CDIW FITTINGS ARE USED
TO JOIN WATER MAIN PRESSURE PIPES, VALVES, OR HYDRANTS IN
STRAIGHT LINES, AND CHANGE, DIVERT, DIVIDE, OR DIRECT THE FLOW OF
RAW AND OR TREATED WATER IN PIPING SYSTEMS. CDIW FITTINGS ATTACH
TO THE PIPE, VALVE, OR HYDRANT AT A JOINT AND ARE USED
PRINCIPALLY FOR MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS.

CDIW FITTINGS ACCESSORIES ARE USED TO JOIN MECHANICAL JOINT CDIW
FITTINGS TO PIPES. THE ACCESSORIES ENSURE THE COMPLETENESS OF
THE SEAL BETWEEN THE CDIW FITTING AND PIPE. MECHANICAL JOINT
FITTINGS MUST BE USED WITH CDIW ACCESSORIES. PUSH-ON FITTINGS DO
NOT REQUIRE CDIW ACCESSORIES OTHER THAN A SBR GASKET.

CDIW FITTINGS WITH NOMINAL DIAMETERS GREATER THAN 16 INCHES, AND
THE ACCESSORIES USED WITH CDIW FITTINGS WITH NOMINAL DIAMETERS
GREATER THAN 16 INCHES, ARE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE SCOPE
OF THE INVESTIGATION. NONMALLEABLE CAST IRON FITTINGS (ALSO
CALLED GRAY IRON FITTINGS) AND FULL-BODIED DUCTILE FITTINGS ARE
ALSO SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE SCOPE OF THIS INVESTIGATION.
NONMALLEABLE CAST IRON FITTINGS HAVE LITTLE DUCTILITY AND ARE
GENERALLY RATED ONLY 150 TO 250 PSI. FULL-BODIED DUCTILE
FITTINGS HAVE A LONGER BODY DESIGN THAN A COMPACT FITTING BECAUSE
IN THE COMPACT DESIGN THE STRAIGHT SECTION OF THE BODY IS OMITTED
TO PROVIDE A MORE COMPACT AND LESS HEAVY FITTING WITHOUT REDUCING
STRENGTH OR FLOW CHARACTERISTICS. IN ADDITION, THE FULL-BODIED
DUCTILE FITTINGS ARE THICKER WALLED THAN THE COMPACT FITTINGS.
FULL-BODIED FITTINGS ARE MADE OF EITHER GRAY IRON OR DUCTILE
IRON, IN SIZES OF 3 TO 48 ICNHES, CONFORM TO AWWA/ANSI
SPECIFICATION C110/C21.10, AND ARE RATED TO A MAXIMUM OF ONLY 250
PSI. IN ADDITION, COMPACT DUCTILE IRON FLANGED FITTINGS ARE
EXCLUDED FROM THE SCOPE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, AS THEY HAVE
SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS AND USES THAN CDIW
FITTINGS.

CDIW FITTINGS ARE CLASSIFIABLE UNDER SUBHEADING 7307.19.30.00, OF
THE HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES (HTSUS).
STANDARD DUCTILE IRON GLANDS ARE CLASSIFIABLE UNDER HTSUS
SUBHEADING 7325.99.10.00, STYRENE BUTADIENE RUBBER GASKETS ARE
CLASSIFIABLE UNDER HTSUS SUBHEADING 4016.93.00.90, T-HEAD BOLTS
OF STEEL OR DUCTILE IRON ARE CLASSIFIABLE UNDER HTSUS SUBHEADING
7318.15.20.90, AND HEXAGONAL NUTS ARE CLASSIFIABLE UNDER HTSUS
SUBHEADING 7318.16.00.00. ALTHOUGH THE HTSUS SUBHEADINGS ARE
PROVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE AND CUSTOMS PURPOSES, OUR WRITTEN
DESCRIPTION OF THE SCOPE OF THIS INVESTIGATION IS DISPOSITIVE.

3. THE DEPARTMENT HAS DETERMINED THAT CRITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
EXIST WITH REGARD TO EXPORTS OF CDIW FITTINGS AND ACCESSORIES
THEREOF FROM THE PRC. THEREFORE, FOR ALL EXPORTS OF CDIW
FITTINGS AND ACCESSORIES THEREOF FROM THE PRC, THE CUSTOMS
SERVICE SHALL SUSPEND LIQUIDATION OF SUCH MERCHANDISE THAT IS
ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER
NOVEMBER 20, 1992, THE DATE WHICH IS 90 DAYS PRIOR TO DATE OF
PUBLICATION OF THE AFFIRMATIVE PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION IN THE
FEDERAL REGISTER AND SHALL REQUIRE A CASH DEPOSIT OR POSTING OF A
BOND EQUAL TO THE ESTIMATED PRELIMINARY MARGIN PERCENTAGE LISTED
BELOW:

ALL MANUFACTURERS/
PRODUCERS/EXPORTERS IDENTIFICATION NO. MARGIN PERCENTAGE

A-570-820-000 127.38

4. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MATTER BY CUSTOMS
OFFICERS, THEY SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE IMPORT SPECAILIST
DIVISION, OTHER AGENCY BRANCH BY E-MAIL ATTRIBUTE "HQ OAB." THE
IMPORTING PUBLIC AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD CONTACT
JAMES TERPSTRA, OR KATE JOHNSON OF THE OFFICE OF ANTIDUMPING
INVESTIGATIONS, IMPORT ADMINISTRATION, INTERNATIONAL TRADE
ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, TELEPHONE (202)
428-3965 AND (202) 482-4929 RESPECTIVELY.

5. THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS ON THE RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION.


NANCY MCTIERNAN