MESSAGE NO: 9209116 DATE: 07 28 1999
CATEGORY: CVD TYPE: PRE
REFERENCE: REFERENCE DATE:
CASES: C - 427 - 817 - -
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PERIOD COVERED: 07 26 1999 TO

LIQ SUSPENSION DATE:

TO: DIRECTORS OF FIELD OPERATIONS
PORT DIRECTORS

FROM: DIRECTOR, TRADE ENFORCEMENT & CONTROL

RE: NOTICE OF PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION IN THE COUNTERVAILING
DUTY INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN CUT TO LENGTH CARBON QUALITY
STEEL PLATE FROM FRANCE (C-427-817)

1. ON JULY 26, 1999, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PUBLISHED IN THE
FEDERAL REGISTER ITS PRELIMINARY AFFIRMATIVE DETERMINATION AND
ALIGNMENT OF ITS FINAL COUNTERVAILING DUTY DETERMINATION OF
CERTAIN CUT-TO-LENGTH CARBON QUALITY STEEL PLATE FROM FRANCE.
THIS DUE DATE FOR THE FINAL DETERMINATION IS EXTENDED FROM
SEPTEMBER 29, 1999 UNTIL NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 19, 1999, THEREBY
ALIGNING IT WITH THE DUE DATE FOR THE FINAL DETERMINATION IN THE
ANTIDUMPING DUTY INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN CUT-TO-LENGTH CARBON
QUALITY STEEL PLATE FROM FRANCE (A-427-816).

2. THE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THIS SCOPE ARE CERTAIN HOT-ROLLED
CARBON-QUALITY STEEL: (1) UNIVERSAL MILL PLATES (I.E., FLAT-
ROLLED PRODUCTS ROLLED ON FOUR FACES OR IN A CLOSED BOX PASS, OF
A WIDTH EXCEEDING 150 MM BUT NOT EXCEEDING 1250 MM, AND OF A
NOMINAL OR ACTUAL THICKNESS OF NOT LESS THAN 4 MM, WHICH ARE CUT-
TO-LENGTH (NOT IN COILS) AND WITHOUT PATTERNS IN RELIEF), OF IRON
OR NON-ALLOY-QUALITY STEEL; AND (2) FLAT-ROLLED PRODUCTS, HOT-
ROLLED, OF A NOMINAL OR ACTUAL THICKNESS OF 4.75 MM OR MORE AND
OF A WIDTH WHICH EXCEEDS 150 MM AND MEASURES AT LEAST TWICE THE
THICKNESS, AND WHICH ARE CUT-TO-LENGTH (NOT IN COILS).

STEEL PRODUCTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS SCOPE ARE OF RECTANGULAR,
SQUARE, CIRCULAR OR OTHER SHAPE AND OF RECTANGULAR OR NON-
RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION WHERE SUCH NON-RECTANGULAR 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. STEEL
PRODUCTS THAT MEET THE NOTED PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE
PAINTED, VARNISHED OR COATED WITH PLASTIC OR OTHER NON-METALLIC
SUBSTANCES ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THIS SCOPE. ALSO, SPECIFICALLY
INCLUDED IN THIS SCOPE ARE HIGH STRENGTH, LOW ALLOY (HSLA)
STEELS. HSLA STEELS ARE RECOGNIZED AS STEELS WITH MICRO-ALLOYING
LEVELS OF ELEMENTS SUCH AS CHROMIUM, COPPER, NIOBIUM, TITANIUM,
VANADIUM, AND MOLYBDENUM. STEEL PRODUCTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS
SCOPE, REGARDLESS OF HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED
STATES (HTSUS) DEFINITIONS, ARE PRODUCTS IN WHICH: (1) IRON
PREDOMINATES, BY WEIGHT, OVER EACH OF THE OTHER CONTAINED
ELEMENTS, (2) THE CARBON CONTENT IS TWO PERCENT OR LESS, BY
WEIGHT, AND (3) NONE OF THE ELEMENTS LISTED BELOW IS EQUAL TO OR
EXCEEDS THE QUANTITY, BY WEIGHT, RESPECTIVELY INDICATED:

1.80 PERCENT OF MANGANESE, OR
1.50 PERCENT OF SILICON, OR
1.00 PERCENT OF COPPER, OR
0.50 PERCENT OF ALUMINUM, OR
1.25 PERCENT OF CHROMIUM, OR
0.30 PERCENT OF COBALT, OR
0.40 PERCENT OF LEAD, OR
1.25 PERCENT OF NICKEL, OR
0.30 PERCENT OF TUNGSTEN, OR
0.10 PERCENT OF MOLYBDENUM, OR
0.10 PERCENT OF NIOBIUM, OR
0.41 PERCENT OF TITANIUM, OR
0.15 PERCENT OF VANADIUM, OR
0.15 PERCENT ZIRCONIUM.

ALL PRODUCTS THAT MEET THE WRITTEN PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION, AND IN
WHICH THE CHEMISTRY QUANTITIES DO NOT EQUAL OR EXCEED ANY ONE OF
THE LEVELS LISTED ABOVE, ARE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED. THE
FOLLOWING PRODUCTS ARE SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THESE
INVESTIGATIONS: (1) PRODUCTS CLAD, PLATED, OR COATED WITH METAL,
WHETHER OR NOT PAINTED, VARNISHED OR COATED WITH PLASTIC OR OTHER
NON-METALLIC SUBSTANCES; (2) SAE GRADES (FORMERLY AISI GRADES)
OF SERIES 2300 AND ABOVE; (3) PRODUCTS MADE TO ASTM A710 AND A736
OR THEIR PROPRIETARY EQUIVALENTS; (4) ABRASION-RESISTANT STEELS (
I.E., USS AR 400, USS AR 500); (5) PRODUCTS MADE TO ASTM A202,
A225, A514 GRADE S, A517 GRADE S, OR THEIR PROPRIETARY
EQUIVALENTS; (6) BALL BEARING STEELS; (7) TOOL STEELS; AND (8)
SILICON MANGANESE STEEL OR SILICON ELECTRIC STEEL.

THE MERCHANDISE SUBJECT TO THESE INVESTIGATIONS IS CLASSIFIED IN
THE HTSUS UNDER SUBHEADINGS: 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, 7212.50.0000, 7225.40.3050,
7225.40.7000, 7225.50.6000, 7225.99.0090, 7226.91.5000,
7226.91.7000, 7226.91.8000, 7226.99.0000.

3. FOR FURTHER REPORTING PURPOSES THIS CASE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED
INVESTIGATION NUMBER C-427-817.

4. FOR IMPORTS OF CERTAIN CUT-TO-LENGTH CARBON QUALITY PLATE
FROM FRANCE, THE CUSTOMS SERVICE SHALL SUSPEND LIQUIDATION OF
SUCH SHIPMENTS ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR
CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER JULY 26, 1999, THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OF
THE PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION. EFFECTIVE JULY 26, 1999, FOR SUCH
ENTRIES, CUSTOMS SHALL REQUIRE A CASH DEPOSIT OR POSTING OF A
BOND EQUAL TO THE MARGINS BELOW.

SUBSIDY RATES:

MFR/PRODUCER CUSTOMS ID AD VALOREM
EXPORTER NUMBER SUBSIDY RATE

USINOR (INCLUDING SOLLAC
S.A. AND CREUSOT LOIRE
INDUSTRIE S.A. ("CLI") C-427-817-002 5.42%

GTS INDUSTRIES S.A. C-427-817-001 3.77%

ALL OTHERS C-427-817-000 3.84%

5. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MATTER BY CUSTOMS
OFFICERS, PLEASE CONTACT, VIA E-MAIL, THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE
SUPERVISORY CHANNELS, OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY LIAISON, USING THE
ATTRIBUTE "HQ OAB." THE IMPORTING PUBLIC AND OTHER INTERESTED
PARTIES SHOULD CONTACT ALYSIA WILSON OR CYNTHIA THIRUMALAI,
OFFICE OF AD/CVD ENFORCEMENT, IMPORT ADMINISTRATION,
INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE,
AT (202) 482-0108 OR (202) 482-4087, RESPECTIVELY.

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

PAUL SCHWARTZ