Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2023

<NOTICE> DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE <SUBAGY>International Trade Administration</SUBAGY> <DEPDOC>[C-580-837]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2023</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that certain exporters/producers of certain cut-to-length plate (CTL plate) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Commerce is also rescinding this review, in part, with respect to six companies. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results. </SUM> <DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Applicable June 12, 2025. </DATES> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Kristen Johnson or Elizabeth Talbot Russ, AD/CVD Operations, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4793 or (202) 482-5516, respectively. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Background</HD> On February 10, 2000, Commerce published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> the countervailing duty (CVD) order on CTL plate from Korea. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> On April 9, 2024, Commerce published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> the initiation of the CVD administrative review of the <E T="03">Order</E> for the period of January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> On June 12, 2024, Commerce selected Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. (DSM) and Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai Steel), as the mandatory respondents in this administrative review. <SU>3</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>   <E T="03">See Notice of Amended Final Determinations: Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate from India and the Republic of Korea; and Notice of Countervailing Duty Orders: Certain Cut-To-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate from France, India, Indonesia, Italy, and the Republic of Korea,</E> 65 FR 6587 (February 10, 2000) ( <E T="03">Order</E> ). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>   <E T="03">See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews,</E> 89 FR 24780 (April 9, 2024). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>3</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Respondent Selection,” dated June 12, 2024. </FTNT> On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this administrative proceeding by seven days. <SU>4</SU> <FTREF/> On October 15, 2024, Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this administrative review from November 7, 2024, <SU>5</SU> <FTREF/> to March 7, 2025, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2). <SU>6</SU> <FTREF/> Additionally, on December 9, 2024, Commerce tolled the deadline to issue the preliminary results of this administrative review by 90 days. <SU>7</SU> <FTREF/> Accordingly, the deadline for these preliminary results is now June 5, 2025. <FTNT> <SU>4</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated July 22, 2024. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>5</SU>  Inclusive of the 7-day deadline toll. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>6</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review, 2023,” dated October 15, 2024. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>7</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated December 9, 2024. </FTNT> For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this review, <E T="03">see</E> the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. <SU>8</SU> <FTREF/> A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included in the appendix 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 <E T="03">https://access.trade.gov.</E> In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at <E T="03">https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.</E> <FTNT> <SU>8</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on Certain Cut-To-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate from the Republic of Korea; 2023,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum). </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Scope of the Order</HD> The product covered by this <E T="03">Order</E> is certain cut-to-length carbon-quality steel plate. For a complete description of the scope of the <E T="03">Order, see</E> the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Rescission of Administrative Review, in Part</HD> On July 8, 2024, the domestic interested parties  <SU>9</SU> <FTREF/> timely withdrew their request for an administrative review of: (1) Ajin Industrial Co., Ltd.; (2) BDP International; (3) Daeik Eng Co., Ltd.; (4) Ohsung Co., Ltd.; (5) Samjin Lnd Co., Ltd.; and (6) and Sung Jin Steel Co., Ltd. <SU>10</SU> <FTREF/> No other party requested a review of these companies. Accordingly, we are rescinding this review, in part, with respect to these six companies, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1). <FTNT> <SU>9</SU>  The domestic interested parties are Nucor Corporation (Nucor), SSAB Enterprises, LLC, and Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>10</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Domestic Interested Parties' Letter, “Partial Withdrawal of Request for Administrative Review,” dated July 8, 2024. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Methodology</HD> Commerce is conducting this CVD administrative review in accordance with section 751(a)(l)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each of the subsidy programs found countervailable, we preliminarily determine that there is a subsidy, <E T="03">i.e.,</E> a financial contribution by an “authority” that confers a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific. <SU>11</SU> <FTREF/> For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, <E T="03">see</E> the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. <FTNT> <SU>11</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> 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. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Preliminary Results of Review</HD> As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine the following net countervailable subsidy rates exist for the period January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023: <GPOTABLE COLS="2" OPTS="L2,tp0,i1" CDEF="s50,12"> <TTITLE> </TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Company</CHED> <CHED H="1"> Net countervailable Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. <SU>12</SU> </ENT> <ENT>2.21</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01"> Hyundai Steel Company  <ENT>1.31</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> <HD SOURCE="HD1">  Commerce preliminarily finds the following company to be cross-owned with DSM: Dongkuk Holdings Co., Ltd. <SU>13</SU>  Commerce preliminarily finds the following companies to be cross-owned with Hyundai Steel: Hyundai Green Power Co., Ltd., Hyundai IFC Co., Ltd., and Hyundai ITC Co., Ltd. </FTNT> Commerce intends to disclose its calculations performed to interested parties for these preliminary results within five days of the date of any public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). <HD SOURCE="HD1">Verification</HD> On July 18, 2024, Nucor requested that Commerce conduct verification of Hyundai Steel in this review. <SU>14</SU> <FTREF/> Accordingly, as provided in section 782(i)(3) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify certain information relied upon in making its final results of review. <FTNT> <SU>14</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Nucor's Letter, “Request for Verification,” dated July 18, 2024. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Public Comment</HD> Interested parties will be notified of the timeline for the submission of case briefs and written comments at a later date. 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. <SU>15</SU> <FTREF/> 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. <SU>16</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>15</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> 19 CFR 351.309(d); <E T="03">see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,</E> 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) ( <E T="03">APO, Service, and Other Procedures</E> ). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>16</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2). </FTNT> 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. <SU>17</SU> <FTREF/> Further, we request that interested parties lim ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 15k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━