AUSTRIA

SUBSIDY PROGRAMS AIMED AT INDUSTRIAL SECTORS
Last Reviewed December 31, 2000

Effective February 15, 2000, Import Administration began publishing "Decision Memos" to reduce the size of antidumping and countervailing duty Federal Register notices. In cases in which a decision memo was published, you will find a link to the memo listed below.

In addition, in the following programs, in instances below in which a proceeding was a Sunset Review, you will see the letters SR before "prelim" or "final".

COUNTERVAILABLE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS

The subsidy programs listed below have been investigated by the Department and have been found to be "countervailable" in the cases listed and during the periods reviewed based on the criteria established in the Tariff and Trade Act of 1930, as amended. Please refer to this Act for further detail of the criteria applied. In addition, you may click on the cases listed below the subsidy program title for a full explanation of the Department's analysis in those cases.

Assumption of Losses at Restructuring by VAAG on Behalf of VA Linz

Certain Steel Products (1991) 57 FR 57784 (12/7/92-prelim);   58 FR 37221 (7/9/93-final)

Voest-Alpine AG (VAAG), a holding company that includes the steel division Voest-Alpine Stahl Linz (VA Linz), retained a loss carried forward on its balance sheet which was not assigned to any of its newly created subsidiaries, including VA Linz. For VAAG, this loss carried forward nearly created a situation of negative equity. If VAAG had assigned these losses to its new companies, then each of the new companies would have been in a similar precarious financial position. However, equity was established in each company, including Linz, and VAAG retained all the losses carried forward. VAAG later received funds from the Government of Austria under law 298/1987 to offset these losses. We found that VA Linz received a countervailable benefit by not assuming any losses.

Assumption of Losses at Restructuring by Voest-Alpine (VAAG) on Behalf of Kindberg

Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4602 (1/24/95-prelim);   60 FR 33536 (6/28/95-final)

Voest-Alpine AG (VAAG), a holding company, retained all the losses carried forward on its balance sheet and no losses were assigned to its newly created subsidiaries, including Voest-Alpine Stahlrohr Kindberg ("Kindberg"). VAAG later received funds from the Government of Austria under Law 298/1987 to offset these losses. The assumption of losses provided a benefit to Kindberg and was found to be a countervailable subsidy.

Equity Infusion to Kindberg: 1987

Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4603 (1/24/95-prelim);   60 FR 33536 (6/28/95-final)

A direct equity infusion from Osterreichische Industrieholding-Aktiengesellschaft (OIAG), a state-owned industry holding company, to Voest-Alpine Stahlrohr Kindberg ("Kindberg"), a producer of Oil Country Tubular Goods, was made on January 1, 1987, pursuant to Law 298/1987. As under Law 589/1983, funds under Law 298/1987 were provided solely to the steel industry. Therefore, this infusion is specific. Furthermore, because Kindberg was found to be unequityworthy in 1987, these infusions were made on terms inconsistent with commercial considerations. Thus, this infusion is countervailable.

Equity Infusion to VA Linz from OIAG

Certain Steel Products (1991) 57 FR 57784 (12/7/92-prelim);   58 FR 37221 (7/9/93-final)

A direct equity infusion was made by Osterreichische Industrieholding-Aktiengesellschaft (OIAG), a state-owned holding company, to Voest-Alpine Stahl Linz (VA Linz) on December 28, 1987, pursuant to Law 298/1987. Because we determined VA Linz to be unequityworthy in 1987, the OIAG infusion was given on terms inconsistent with commercial considerations.

Equity Infusions to Voest-Alpine AG (VAAG)

Certain Steel Products (1991) 57 FR 57783 (12/7/92-prelim);   58 FR 37220 (7/9/93-final)
Certain Carbon Steel Products (1984) 50 FR 11221 (3/20/85-prelim);   50 FR 33370 (8/19/85-final)
Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4602 (1/24/95-prelim);   60 FR 33535 (6/28/95-final)
Oil Country Tubular Goods (1984) 50 FR 23336 (6/3/85-prelim);   Investigation Terminated 51 FR 664 (1/7/86)

Osterreichische Industrieverwaltungs-Akteiengesellshaft (OIAG), the holding company for state-owned enterprises, provided certain companies with equity infusions. We found that the government equity infusions provided between 1978 and 1984 were on terms inconsistent with commercial considerations.

Grants to the Austrian Steel Industry

Certain Steel Products (1991) 57 FR 57784 (12/7/92-prelim);   58 FR 37221 (7/9/93-final)
Certain Carbon Steel Products (1984) 50 FR 11222 (3/20/85-prelim);   50 FR 33370 (8/19/85-final)
Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4602 (1/24/95-prelim);   60 FR 33536 (6/28/95-final)
Oil Country Tubular Goods (1984) 50 FR 23336 (6/3/85-prelim);   Investigation Terminated 51 FR 664 (1/7/86)

Under Law 602/1981, the Austrian government authorized a grant of 2 billion Austrian schillings for the structural improvement of Voest-Alpine AG. These funds were disbursed through Osterreichische Industrieverwaltungs-Aktiengesellshaft (OIAG), the government-owned holding company for nationalized enterprises, to Voest-Alpine AG in 1981 and 1982. Law 589/1983 further permitted OIAG to raise new funds beginning in 1983. These funds were to be used for improving the economic structure of nationalized industrial enterprises. Of the funds raised by OIAG pursuant to the 1983 law, a portion went to Voest-Alpine AG in the form of equity infusions. Another portion was made available to Voest-Alpine AG in the form of grants, disbursed in 1983 through 1986. Because these grants were limited to a specific enterprise or industry, the grants are countervailable.

SUBSIDY PROGRAMS FOUND TO BE NOT COUNTERVAILABLE

The subsidy programs listed below have been investigated by the Department and have been found to be "not countervailable" in the cases listed and during the periods reviewed based on the criteria established in the Tariff and Trade Act of 1930, as amended. Please refer to this Act for further detail of the criteria applied. In addition, you may click on the cases listed under the subsidy program title for a full explanation of the Department's analysis in each case where the subsidy program has been examined.

Equity Infusion to VA Linz

Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4603 (1/24/95-prelim;   60 FR 33536 (6/28/95-final)
Certain Steel Products (1991) 57 FR 57784 (12/7/92-prelim);   58 FR 37222 (7/9/93-final)

The Government of Austria provided infusions to Voest-Alpine Stahl Linz (VA Linz) through Voest-Alpine AG (VAAG), a holding company, pursuant to Law 298/1987. When VAAG restructured in 1987 and formed separate, incorporated subsidiaries, the start-up equity was merely a result of the distribution of its pre-existing assets and liabilities to VA Linz. Because VA Linz was equityworthy, we determine that the infusions were not made on terms inconsistent with commercial considerations.

Post-Restructuring Equity Infusions to VAAG

Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4603 (1/24/95-prelim);   60 FR 33536 (6/28/95-final)

No program description available.

Post-Restructuring Grants to VAS

Oil Country Tubular Goods (1993) 60 FR 4603 (1/24/95-prelim);   60 FR 33536 (6/28/95-final)

No program description available.

SUBSIDY PROGRAMS DETERMINED NOT TO EXIST

The following subsidy programs were alleged by the petitioning industries and were investigated by the Department. However, during the investigation we found no evidence that such programs actually existed. If you click on the cases listed under the subsidy program title, you will be linked to each case in which the subsidy program was referenced. It is possible that, while the program named did not exist, a similar program having a different name actually was investigated. If this is the case, you will find that program listed elsewhere in this library.

No programs listed.

SUBSIDY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN TERMINATED

The subsidy programs listed below have been investigated by the Department and have been found to have been terminated based on the criteria established in the Tariff and Trade Act of 1930, as amended. Please refer to this Act for further detail of the criteria applied. In addition, you may click on the cases listed below the subsidy program title for a full explanation of the Department's analysis in each of these cases.

No programs listed.

SUBSIDY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN USED

When potential subsidy programs are investigated and found not to be used by the companies being investigated, the Department makes no determination as to their countervailability. If you click on the cases listed under the subsidy program title, you will be linked to each case in which the subsidy program was referenced.

Grants to VEW: 1981-1987

Certain Steel Products (1991) 57 FR 57784 (12/7/92-prelim);   58 FR 37222 (7/9/93-final) not used

No program description available.