Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from Brazil

Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From Brazil: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination, and Alignment of Final Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination

DATES:

Applicable February 10, 2025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 703(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). On October 2, 2024, Commerce published the notice of initiation of this countervailing duty (CVD) investigation. ⁽¹⁾ On November 14, 2024, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination until February 3, 2025. ⁽²⁾

For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. ⁽³⁾ A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

Scope of the Investigation

The products covered by this investigation are CORE from Brazil. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see Appendix I.

Scope Comments

In accordance with the Preamble to Commerce's regulations, ⁽⁴⁾ the Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage ( i.e., scope). ⁽⁵⁾ Certain interested parties commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the Initiation Notice . Commerce intends to issue its preliminary decision regarding comments concerning the scope of the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) and CVD investigations in the preliminary determination of the companion LTFV investigations. We will incorporate the scope decisions from the LTFV investigations into the scope of the final CVD determination for this investigation after considering any relevant comments submitted in scope case and rebuttal briefs. ⁽⁶⁾

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 701 of the Act. For each of the subsidy programs found countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an "authority" that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific. ⁽⁷⁾ For a full description of the methodology underlying our preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Alignment

In accordance with section 705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(4), Commerce is aligning the final CVD determination in this investigation with the final determination in the concurrent LTFV investigation of CORE from Brazil, based on a request made by the petitioners. ⁽⁸⁾ Consequently, the final CVD determination will be issued on the same date as the final LTFV determination, which is currently scheduled to be issued no later than June 17, 2025, unless postponed. ⁽⁹⁾

All-Others Rate

Sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that, in the preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated all-others rate for companies not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated subsidy rates established for those companies individually examined, excluding any rates that are zero, de minimis, or based entirely under section 776 of the Act.

In this investigation, Commerce preliminarily found a de minimis rate for Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. (Usiminas)  ⁽¹⁰⁾ and its cross-owned companies. Therefore, the only rate that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts otherwise available is the rate calculated for Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) and its cross-owned companies. Consequently, the rate calculated for CSN is also assigned as the rate for all other producers and exporters.

Preliminary Determination

Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated countervailable subsidy rates exist:

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination within five days of its public announcement, or if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will analyze and, if appropriate, correct any timely allegations of significant ministerial errors by amending the preliminary determination. However, consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(d), Commerce will not consider incomplete allegations that do not address the significance standard under 19 CFR 351.224(g) following the preliminary determination. Instead, Commerce will address such allegations in the final determination together with issues raised in the case briefs or other written comments.

Suspension of Liquidation

In accordance with sections 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise as described in the scope of the investigation section entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register . Further, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the rates indicated above. Because the subsidy rate for Usiminas and its cross-owned companies is de minimis, Commerce is directing CBP not to suspend liquidation of entries of the merchandise from these companies.

Verification

As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify the information relied upon in making its final determination.

Public Comment

All interested parties will have the opportunity to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs on the preliminary decision regarding the scope of the LTFV and CVD investigations. The deadlines to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs will be provided in the preliminary scope decision memorandum. For all scope case and rebuttal briefs, parties must file identical documents simultaneously on the records of the ongoing LTFV and CVD CORE investigations. No new factual information or business proprietary information may be included in either scope case or rebuttal briefs.

Case briefs or other written comments, excluding scope comments, may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven days after the date on which the last verification report is issued in this investigation. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs. ⁽¹³⁾ Interested parties who submit case or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities. ⁽¹⁴⁾

As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an executive summary of their brief that should be limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this investigation, we instead request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs. ⁽¹⁵⁾ Further, we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f). ⁽¹⁶⁾

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants and whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify the ITC of its determination. If the final determination is affirmative, the ITC will determine before the later of 120 days after the date of this preliminary determination or 45 days after the final determination whether imports of CORE from Brazil are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry.

Notification to Interested Parties

This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 703(f) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

The products covered by this investigation are certain flat-rolled steel products, either clad, plated, or coated with corrosion-resistant metals such as zinc, aluminum, or zinc-, aluminum-, nickel- or iron-based alloys, whether or not corrugated or painted, varnished, laminated, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating. The products covered include coils that have a width of 12.7 mm or greater, regardless of form of coil ( e.g., in successively superimposed layers, spirally oscillating, etc.). The products covered also include products not in coils ( e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness less than 4.75 mm and a width that is 12.7 mm or greater and that measures at least 10 times the thickness. The products covered also include products not in coils ( e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness of 4.75 mm or more and a width exceeding 150 mm and measuring at least twice the thickness. The products described above may be rectangular, square, circular, or other shape and include products of either rectangular or non-rectangular cross-section where such cross-section is achieved subsequent to the rolling process, i.e., products which have been "worked after rolling" ( e.g., products which have been beveled or rounded at the edges).

For purposes of the width and thickness requirements referenced above:

(1) Where the nominal and actual measurements vary, a product is within the scope if application of either the nominal or actual measurement would place it within the scope based on the definitions set forth above, and

(2) where the width and thickness vary for a specific product ( e.g., the thickness of certain products with non-rectangular cross-section, the width of certain products with non-rectangular shape, etc.), the measurement at its greatest width or thickness applies.

Steel products included in the scope of this investigation are products in which: (1) iron predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained elements; and (2) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by weight.

Subject merchandise also includes corrosion-resistant steel that has been further processed in a third country, including but not limited to annealing, tempering, painting, varnishing, trimming, cutting, punching and/or slitting or any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope corrosion resistant steel.

All products that meet the written physical description are within the scope of this investigation unless specifically excluded. The following products are outside of and/or specifically excluded from the scope of this investigation:

• Flat-rolled steel products either plated or coated with tin, lead, chromium, chromium oxides, both tin and lead ("terne plate") or both chromium and chromium oxides ("tin free steel"), whether or not painted, varnished or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances in addition to the metallic coating;
• Clad products in straight lengths of 4.7625 mm or more in composite thickness and of a width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at least twice the thickness;
• Certain clad stainless flat-rolled products, which are three-layered corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat-rolled products less than 4.75 mm in composite thickness that consist of a carbon steel flat-rolled product clad on both sides with stainless steel in a 20%-60%-20% ratio; and

Also excluded from the scope of the antidumping duty investigation on corrosion resistant steel from Taiwan are any products covered by the existing antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant steel from Taiwan. See Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, Italy, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan: Amended Final Affirmative Antidumping Determination for India and Taiwan, and Antidumping Duty Orders, 81 FR 48390 (July 25, 2016); Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from Taiwan: Notice of Third Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value Pursuant to Court Decision and Partial Exclusion from Antidumping Duty Order, 88 FR 58245 (August 25, 2023).

Also excluded from the scope of the antidumping duty investigation on corrosion-resistant steel from the United Arab Emirates and the antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations on corrosion-resistant steel from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are any products covered by the existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel from the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea and the antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant steel from Taiwan. See Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, Italy, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan: Amended Final Affirmative Antidumping Determination for India and Taiwan, and Antidumping Duty Orders, 81 FR 48390 (July 25, 2016); see also Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, Italy, Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 81 FR 48387 (July 25, 2016). This exclusion does not apply to imports of corrosion-resistant steel that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption in the United States for which the relevant importer and exporter certifications have been completed and maintained and all other applicable certification requirements have been met such that the entry is entered into the United States as not subject to the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel from the People's Republic of China, the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel from the Republic of Korea, or the antidumping duty order on corrosion-resistant steel from Taiwan.

The products subject to the investigation are currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under item numbers: 7210.30.0030, 7210.30.0060, 7210.41.0000, 7210.49.0030, 7210.49.0040, 7210.49.0045, 7210.49.0091, 7210.49.0095, 7210.61.0000, 7210.69.0000, 7210.70.6030, 7210.70.6060, 7210.70.6090, 7210.90.6000, 7210.90.9000, 7212.20.0000, 7212.30.1030, 7212.30.1090, 7212.30.3000, 7212.30.5000, 7212.40.1000, 7212.40.5000, 7212.50.0000, 7212.60.0000, 7225.91.0000, 7225.92.0000, 7226.99.0110, and 7226.99.0130.

The products subject to the investigation may also enter under the following HTSUS item numbers: 7210.90.1000, 7215.90.1000, 7215.90.3000, 7215.90.5000, 7217.20.1500, 7217.30.1530, 7217.30.1560, 7217.90.1000, 7217.90.5030, 7217.90.5060, 7217.90.5090, 7225.99.0090, 7226.99.0180, 7228.60.6000, 7228.60.8000, and 7229.90.1000.

The HTSUS subheadings above are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Injury Test

IV. Subsidies Valuation Information

V. New Subsidy Allegations

VI. Analysis of Programs

VII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2025-02378 Filed 2-7-25; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

⁽¹⁾ See Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from Brail, Canada, Mexico, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigations, 89 FR 80204 (October 2, 2024) ( Initiation Notice ).

⁽²⁾ See Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Countervailing Duty Investigations, 89 FR 89955 (November 14, 2024).

⁽³⁾ See Memorandum, "Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Determination of the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from Brazil," dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).

⁽⁴⁾ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) ( Preamble ).

⁽⁵⁾ See Initiation Notice, 89 FR at 80205.

⁽⁶⁾  The deadline for interested parties to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs will be established in the preliminary scope decision memorandum.

⁽⁷⁾ See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.

⁽⁸⁾ See Petitioners' Letter, "Request to Align Countervailing Duty Investigation Final Determination with Antidumping Duty Investigation Final Determination," dated January 14, 2025. The petitioners are Steel Dynamics Inc., Nucor Corporation, United States Steel Corporation, Wheeling Nippon Steel, Inc., and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC.

⁽⁹⁾ See Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, the Republic of Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 90 FR 8260 (January 28, 2025).

⁽¹⁰⁾  Commerce's Clarification Memorandum inadvertently misspelled Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. as Usiminas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais S.A.. In this notice, we have correctly identified the respondent as Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais S.A.

⁽¹¹⁾  As discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce has found the following companies to be cross owned with CSN: CSN Mineração S.A.; Companhia Energetica Chapeco; and Companhia Estadual de Geração de Energia Elétrica. See Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 6.

⁽¹²⁾  As discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce has found the following companies to be cross owned with Usiminas: Mineração Usiminas S.A.; Usiminas Mecânica S.A; Unigal Ltda.; Ternium Brasil Ltda. See Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 6-7.

⁽¹³⁾ See 19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) ( APO and Service Final Rule ).

⁽¹⁴⁾ See 19 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).

⁽¹⁵⁾  We use the term "issue" here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

⁽¹⁶⁾ See APO and Service Final Rule.