Notice of preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Pipe from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (A-552-820)

1. On 06/08/2016, Commerce published in the Federal Register (81 FR 36884) its preliminary determination of sales at less than fair value and the postponement of the final determination in the antidumping duty investigation of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam). 2. This investigation covers welded carbon-quality steel pipes and tube, of circular cross-section, with an outside diameter (O.D.) not more than nominal 16 inches (406.4 mm), regardless of wall thickness, surface finish (e.g., black, galvanized, or painted), end finish (plain end, beveled end, grooved, threaded, or threaded and coupled), or industry specification (e.g., American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM), proprietary, or other), generally known as standard pipe, fence pipe and tube, sprinkler pipe, and structural pipe (although subject product may also be referred to as mechanical tubing). Specifically, the term “carbon quality” includes products in which: (a) iron predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; (b) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by weight; and (c) none of the elements listed below exceeds the quantity, by weight, as indicated: (i) 1.80 percent of manganese; (ii) 2.25 percent of silicon; (iii) 1.00 percent of copper; (iv) 0.50 percent of aluminum; (v) 1.25 percent of chromium; (vi) 0.30 percent of cobalt; (vii) 0.40 percent of lead; (viii) 1.25 percent of nickel; (ix) 0.30 percent of tungsten; (x) 0.15 percent of molybdenum; (xi) 0.10 percent of niobium; (xii) 0.41 percent of titanium; (xiii) 0.15 percent of vanadium; or (xiv) 0.15 percent of zirconium. Covered products are generally made to standard O.D. and wall thickness combinations. Pipe multi-stenciled to a standard and/or structural specification and to other specifications, such as American Petroleum Institute (API) API-5L specification, may also be covered by the scope of these investigations. In particular, such multi-stenciled merchandise is covered when it meets the physical description set forth above, and also has one or more of the following characteristics: is 32 feet in length or less; is less than 2.0 inches (50 mm) in outside diameter; has a galvanized and/or painted (e.g., polyester coated) surface finish; or has a threaded and/or coupled end finish. Standard pipe is ordinarily made to ASTM specifications A53, A135, and A795, but can also be made to other specifications. Structural pipe is made primarily to ASTM specifications A252 and A500. Standard and structural pipe may also be produced to proprietary specifications rather than to industry specifications. Sprinkler pipe is designed for sprinkler fire suppression systems and may be made to industry specifications such as ASTM A53 or to proprietary specifications. Fence tubing is included in the scope regardless of certification to a specification listed in the exclusions below, and can also be made to the ASTM A513 specification. Products that meet the physical description set forth above but are made to the following nominal outside diameter and wall thickness combinations, which are recognized by the industry as typical for fence tubing, are included despite being certified to ASTM mechanical tubing specifications: O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.035 Gage: 20 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.047 Gage: 18 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.055 Gage: 17 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.065 Gage: 16 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.072 Gage: 15 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.083 Gage: 14 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.315 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.095 Gage: 13 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.660 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.055 Gage: 17 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.660 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.065 Gage: 16 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.660 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.083 Gage: 14 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.660 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.095 Gage: 13 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.660 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.109 Gage: 12 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.900 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.047 Gage: 18 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.900 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.055 Gage: 17 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.900 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.065 Gage: 16 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.900 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.072 Gage: 15 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.900 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.095 Gage: 13 O.D. in inches (nominal): 1.900 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.109 Gage: 12 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.047 Gage: 18 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.055 Gage: 17 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.065 Gage: 16 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.072 Gage: 15 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.095 Gage: 13 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.109 Gage: 12 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.375 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.120 Gage: 11 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.875 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.109 Gage: 12 O.D. in inches (nominal): 2.875 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.165 Gage: 8 O.D. in inches (nominal): 3.500 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.109 Gage: 12 O.D. in inches (nominal): 3.500 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.165 Gage: 8 O.D. in inches (nominal): 4.000 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.148 Gage: 9 O.D. in inches (nominal): 4.000 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.165 Gage: 8 O.D. in inches (nominal): 4.500 Wall thickness in inches (nominal): 0.203 Gage: 7 The scope of this investigation does not include: (a) pipe suitable for use in boilers, superheaters, heat exchangers, refining furnaces and feedwater heaters, whether or not cold drawn, which are defined by standards such as ASTM A178 or ASTM A192; (b) finished electrical conduit, i.e., Electrical Rigid Steel Conduit (also known as Electrical Rigid Metal Conduit and Electrical Rigid Metal Steel Conduit), Finished Electrical Metallic Tubing, and Electrical Intermediate Metal Conduit, which are defined by specifications such as American National Standard (ANSI) C80.1-2005, ANSI C80.3-2005, or ANSI C80.6-2005, and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) UL-6, UL-797, or UL-1242; (c) finished scaffolding, i.e., component parts of final, finished scaffolding that enter the United States unassembled as a “kit.” A kit is understood to mean a packaged combination of component parts that contains, at the time of importation, all of the necessary component parts to fully assemble final, finished scaffolding; (d) tube and pipe hollows for redrawing; (e) oil country tubular goods produced to API specifications; (f) line pipe produced to only API specifications, such as API 5L, and not multi-stenciled; and (g) mechanical tubing, whether or not cold-drawn, other than what is included in the above paragraphs. The products subject to this investigation are currently classifiable in Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) statistical reporting numbers 7306.19.1010, 7306.19.1050, 7306.19.5110, 7306.19.5150, 7306.30.1000, 7306.30.5015, 7306.30.5020, 7306.30.5025, 7306.30.5032, 7306.30.5040, 7306.30.5055, 7306.30.5085, 7306.30.5090, 7306.50.1000, 7306.50.5030, 7306.50.5050, and 7306.50.5070. The HTSUS subheadings above are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive. 3. This investigation has been assigned investigation number A-552-820. 4. Commerce found that zero or de minimis margins exist for imports of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Vietnam from the following exporter/producer combinations. Therefore, CBP shall not suspend liquidation of such shipments entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after 06/08/2016. Producer: SeAH Steel VINA Corporation Exporter: SeAH Steel VINA Corporation Case Number: A-552-820-001 Producer: Vietnam Haiphong Hongyuan Machinery Manufactory Co., Ltd. Exporter: Vietnam Haiphong Hongyuan Machinery Manufactory Co., Ltd. Case Number: A-552-820-002 Producer: Hoa Phat Steel Pipe Co. Exporter: Hoa Phat Steel Pipe Co. Case Number: A-552-820-003 5. For imports of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Vietnam, other than those described in paragraph 4, CBP shall suspend liquidation of such shipments entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after 06/08/2016. Effective 06/08/2016, CBP shall require, for entries of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Vietnam from the exporter/producer combinations listed below, a cash deposit equal to the antidumping duty cash deposit shown below: Exporter: Vietnam-Wide Entity Case number: A-552-820-000 Cash deposit rate: 113.18% 6. For all other entries of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Vietnam, the following cash deposit instructions apply: A. For all Vietnam exporters of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Vietnam which have not received their own rate, the cash deposit rate will be the Vietnam-wide rate. B. For all non-Vietnam exporters of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Vietnam which have not received their own rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to the exporter/producer combinations that supplied that non-Vietnam exporter. 7. If there are any questions by the importing public regarding this message, please contact the Call Center for the Office of AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce at (202) 482-0984. CBP ports should submit their inquiries through authorized CBP channels only. (This message was generated by OVII:NMD.) 8. There are no restrictions on the release of this information. Alexander Amdur