90 FR 87 pgs. 19275-19277 - Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks From Italy: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2023
Type: NOTICEVolume: 90Number: 87Pages: 19275 - 19277
Pages: 19275, 19276, 19277Docket number: [C-475-841]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2025-07927 Filed 5-6-25; 8:45 am]
Agency: Commerce Department
Sub Agency: International Trade Administration
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[C-475-841]
Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks From Italy: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2023
AGENCY:
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily finds that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers and exporters of forged steel fluid end blocks (fluid end blocks) from Italy, during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.
DATES:
Applicable May 7, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stefan Smith or Theodore Pearson, AD/CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4342 or (202) 482-2631, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On January 21, 2021, Commerce published in the Federal Register the countervailing duty order on fluid end blocks from Italy. 1 On March 5, 2024, Commerce published in the Federal Register the notice of initiation of an administrative review of the Order. 2 On April 23, 2024, Commerce selected Lucchini Mame Forge S.p.A. (Lucchini), and Metalcam S.p.A. (Metalcam) for individual examination as the mandatory respondents in this administrative review. 3 On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this administrative proceeding by seven days. 4 On September 30, 2024, Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this review until February 6, 2025. 5 On December 9, 2024, Commerce tolled the certain administrative deadlines by an additional 90 days. 6 The deadline for the preliminary results is now May 7, 2025.
Footnotes:
1 ? See Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks from the People's Republic of China, the Federal Republic of Germany, India, and Italy: Countervailing Duty Orders, and Amended Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination for the People's Republic of China, 86 FR 7535 (January 29, 2021) ( Order ); see also Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks from the People's Republic of China, the Federal Republic of Germany, India, and Italy: Correction to Countervailing Duty Orders, 86 FR 10244 (February 19, 2021).
2 ? See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 89 FR 15827 (March 5, 2024).
3 ? See Memorandum, "Respondent Selection Memorandum," dated April 23, 2024.
4 ? See Memorandum, "Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings," dated July 22, 2024.
5 ? See Memorandum, "Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review," dated September 30, 2024.
6 ? See Memorandum, "Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings," dated December 9, 2024.
[top] For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this administrative review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. 7 A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included in the Appendix to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum
Footnotes:
7 ? See Memorandum, "Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks from Italy; 2023," dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
Scope of the Order
The merchandise covered by the Order is fluid end blocks from Italy. For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. 8
Footnotes:
8 ? Id.
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this administrative review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each subsidy program found countervailable, we preliminarily find 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. 9 For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, including our reliance, in part, on adverse facts available (AFA) pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, see the Preliminary Determination Memorandum.
Footnotes:
9 ? 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.
Rate for Non-Selected Companies Under Review
There are two companies, Cogne Acciai Speciali S.p.A. (CAS) and Forge Monchieri S.p.A. (Forge Monchieri) for which a review was requested, which had reviewable entries, and which were not selected as mandatory respondents or found to be cross-owned with a mandatory respondent. For these companies, because the rates calculated for the mandatory respondents, Lucchini and Metalcam, were above de minimis and not based entirely on facts available, we are applying to the non-selected companies the weighted average of the subsidy rates calculated for Lucchini and Metalcam, based on the publicly-ranged sales data submitted by Lucchini and Metalcam. This methodology is consistent with our practice for establishing an all-others rate pursuant to section 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act. 10
Footnotes:
10 ? See Memorandum, "Calculation of Non-Selected Companies Rate," dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice; see also Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Preliminary Results of Review
Commerce preliminary determines that the following net countervailable subsidy rates exist for the period January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023:
| Company | Subsidy rate (percent ad valorem ) |
|---|---|
| Lucchini Mame Forge S.p.A. 11 | 15.33 |
| Metalcam S.p.A. 12 | 8.22 |
| Review-Specific Average Rate Applicable to the Following Companies | |
| Cogne Acciai Speciali S.p.A | 14.05 |
| Forge Monchieri S.p.A | 14.05 |
Disclosure
Footnotes:
11 ?Commerce preliminary finds the following companies to be cross-owned with Lucchini: Lucchini RS S.p.A.; Lucchini Industries Srl; and Bicomet S.p.A.
12 ?Commerce preliminary finds the following companies to be cross-owned with Metalcam: Adamello Meccanica S.r.l.; and B.S. S.r.l.
We intend to disclose the calculations performed for these preliminary results to interested parties within five days of the public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five days after publication of this notice. 13
Footnotes:
13 ? See 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Public Comment
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit case briefs to Commerce no later than 21 days after the date of publication of these preliminary results of review. 14 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. 15 Interested parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities. 16
Footnotes:
14 ? See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii).
15 ? 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 ).
16 ? See 19 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
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 review, we instead request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs. 17 Further, we request that interested parties limit their public executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the public executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final results in this administrative review. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the public 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). 18
Footnotes:
17 ?We use the term "issue" here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
18 ? See APO and Service Final Rule.
[top] Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS. Requests should contain: (1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case briefs. An electronically filed hearing request must be received successfully in its entirety by Commerce's electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.
Final Results of Review
Unless extended, we intend to issue the final results of this administrative review, which will include the results of our analysis of the issues raised in the case briefs, within 120 days of publication of these preliminary results in the Federal Register , pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).
Assessment Rates
In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(i), we preliminarily determined subsidy rates in the amounts shown above for the producers/exporters shown above. Upon completion of the administrative review, consistent with section 751(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(2), Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, countervailing duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review.
For Lucchini, Metalcam, and the non-selected companies under review, we intend to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register . If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( i.e., within 90 days of publication).
Cash Deposit Requirements
In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, Commerce also intends upon publication of the final results, to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of the estimated countervailing duties in the amounts calculated in the final results of this review for the respective companies listed above with regard to shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this review. If the rate calculated in the final results is zero or de minimis, no cash deposit will be required on shipments of the subject merchandise entered or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this review.
For all non-reviewed firms, CBP will continue to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties at the all-others rate or the most recent company-specific rate applicable to the company, as appropriate. These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.
Notification to Interested Parties
These preliminary results of review are issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: April 29, 2025.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Non-Selected Companies Under Review
V. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences
VI. Subsidies Valuation
VII. Analysis of Programs
VIII. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2025-07927 Filed 5-6-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P