MESSAGE NO: 9210115 DATE: 07 29 1999
CATEGORY: ADA TYPE: PRE
REFERENCE: REFERENCE DATE:
CASES: A - 475 - 826 - -
- - - -
- - - -

PERIOD COVERED: 07 29 1999 TO

LIQ SUSPENSION DATE:

TO: DIRECTORS OF FIELD OPERATIONS
PORT DIRECTORS

FROM: DIRECTOR, TRADE ENFORCEMENT & CONTROL

RE: NOTICE OF A PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION IN AN ANTIDUMPING
DUTY INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN CUT TO LENGTH CARBON QUALITY
STEEL PLATE FROM ITALY (A-475-826)

1. ON 07/29/1999, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WILL PUBLISH IN
THE FEDERAL REGISTER ITS PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF SALES
AT LESS THAN FAIR VALUE IN THE ANTIDUMPING DUTY
INVESTIGATION OF CERTAIN CUT-TO-LENGTH CARBON-QUALITY STEEL
PLATE FROM ITALY - A-475-826

SCOPE LANGUAGE

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.

ALTHOUGH THE HTSUS SUBHEADINGS ARE PROVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE
AND CUSTOMS PURPOSES, THE WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF THE
MERCHANDISE UNDER INVESTIGATION IS DISPOSITIVE.

3. FOR FURTHER REPORTING PURPOSES THIS CASE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED
INVESTIGATION NUMBER

ITALY A-475-826

4. FOR IMPORTS OF CERTAIN CUT-TO-LENGTH CARBON-QUALITY STEEL
PLATE , THE CUSTOMS SERVICE SHALL SUSPEND LIQUIDATIONS OF
SUCH SHIPMENTS ENTERED OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR
CONSUMPTION ON OR AFTER 07/29/1999. EFFECTIVE 07/29/1999
CUSTOMS SHALL REQUIRE, FOR SUCH ENTRIES, A CASH DEPOSIT
OR THE POSTING OF A BOND EQUAL TO THE MARGINS SHOWN BELOW.

MFG/EXPORTER COMPANY NUMBER RATE

ILVA LAMINATI PIANNI SPA A-475-826-001 3.67%
PALINI & BERTOLI SPA A-475-826-002 6.35%
ALL OTHERS A-475-826-000 5.78%

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 THE CASE ANALYST
IN CHARGE, WENDY FRANKEL, OFFICE OF AD/CVD ENFORCEMENT,
IMPORT ADMINISTRATION, INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AT (202) 482-5849.

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

PAUL SCHWARTZ