46 FR 31462

                             NOTICES

                     DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

    Cap Screws from Italy; Preliminary Results of Administrative Review of
                     Countervailing Duty Order

                        Tuesday, June 16, 1981

*31462

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of preliminary results of administrative review of
  countervailing duty order.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce has conducted an administrative review
of the countervailing duty order on cap screws from Italy. The review
covers the period January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1980. As a result of this
review, the Department has preliminarily determined the net amount of the subsidy
to be the full value of the rebate for this product under Italian Law 639. Interested parties
are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 16, 1981.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul J. McGarr, Office of Compliance, Room 2803, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230
(202-377- 1167).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Procedural Background

On August 13, 1976, a final countervailing duty determination on cap screws
from Italy, T.D. 76-225, was published in the Federal Register (41 FR 34250).
The notice stated that the Department of the Treasury had determined that exports
of cap screws from Italy benefitted from bounties or grants within the meaning
of section 303 of the Tariff Act of 1980 (19 U.S.C. 1303) ("the Tariff Act").
Accordingly, imports of this merchandise were subject to countervailing duties.

On January 1, 1980, the provisions of title I of the Trade Agreement Act of 1979
("the TAA") became effective. On January 2, 1980, the authority for administering
the countervailing duty law was transferred from the Department of the
Treasury to the Department of Commerce ("the Department"). On April 3, 1980, the
International Trade Commission ("the ITC") notifed the Department that an injury
determination for this order had been requested under section 104(b) of the TAA.
Therefore, following the requirements of that section, liquidation was suspended on
April 3, 1980, on all shipments of such merchandise entered, or withdrawn from
warehouse, for consumption on or after that date. The Department published in the
Federal Register of May 13, 1980 (45 FR 31255) a notice of intent to conduct
administrative reviews of all outstanding countervailing duty orders. As
required by section 751 of the Tariff Act, the Department has conducted an
administrative review of the order on cap screws from Italy.

Scope of the Review

Imports covered by this review are iron or steel cap screws, 1/4 '' in diameter and
over, imported directly or indirectly from Italy. These imports are currently
classifiable under item 646.63, Tariff Schedules of the United States.

The review covers the period January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1980, and is
limited to rebates granted under Italian Law 639 of July 5, 1964, which was the only
program found countervailable in the Final Determination.

Preliminary Results of the Review

Under Italian Law 639, exporters receive rebates of customs duties and certain
indirect taxes on the export of specified products containing iron and steel. The
rates differ for particular types of products. For cap screws the rebate is 15 lire per
kilogram.

The Government of Italy provided no substantive response to our questionnaire
of August 15, 1980, nor were our follow-up requests for information answered. Our
independent investigation has confirmed that the rate legislated in Law 639 still
applies in full for exports of this merchandise to the United States.

Because we have received no information to indicate that any part of the rebate is
not countervailable, we preliminarily determine that the rate of net subsidy
conferred upon producers exporting to the United States is 15 lire per kilogram.
The Department intends to instruct the Customs Service to assess
countervailing duties of 15 lire per kilogram on all unliquidated entries of 
this merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or
after January 1, 1980, and prior to April 3, 1980. The provisions of section
303(a)(5) of the Tariff Act, prior to the enactment of the TAA, apply to all entries
prior to January 1, 1980. Accordingly, the Department also intends to instruct the
Customs Service to assess countervailing duties of 15 lire per kilogram, the
amount set forth in T.D. 76-225, on all unliquidated entries of this merchandise
which were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption prior to
January 1, 1980. In addition, should the ITC find that there is injury or likelihood of
injury to an industry in the United States, the Department intends to instruct the
Customs Service to assess countervailing duties of 15 lire per kilogram on all
unliquidated entries of cap screws entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for
consumption on or after April 3, 1980, and exported on or before December 31,
1980.

Further, a cash deposit of estimated countervailing duties of 15 lire per
kilogram shall be required on all shipments entered, or withdrawn from warehouse,
for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results. This
requirement shall remain in effect until publication of the final results of the next
administrative review.

Pending publication of the final results of the present review, the existing deposit of
estimated duties of 15 lire per 

*31463

kilogram shall continue to be required on each entry, or withdrawal from
warehouse, for consumption of this merchandise, and liquidation shall 

continue to be suspended on entries made on or after April 3, 1980 

until the Department is notified of a determination by the ITC.

Interested parties may submit written comments on these preliminary results
within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice and may request disclosure
and/or a hearing within 15 days of the date of publication. The Department will
publish the final results of this administrative review including the results of its
analysis of any such comments or hearing. This administrative review and notice
are in accordance with section 751(a)(1) of the Tariff Act (19 U.S.C. 1675(a)(1)) and §
355.41 of the Commerce Regulations (19 CFR 355.41).

B. Waring Partridge III,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

June 10, 1981.

[FR Doc. 81-17798 Filed 6-15-81; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-25-M