12-5-253 Bearings

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

Investigation Nos. 731-TA-344 and 391A-393A (Third Review)
CERTAIN BEARINGS FROM CHINA, FRANCE, GERMANY, AND ITALY
Institution of five-year reviews concerning the antidumping duty orders on certain bearings from China,
France, Germany, and Italy.
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted reviews pursuant to section
751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. ' 1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the
antidumping duty orders on certain bearings from China, France, Germany, and Italy would be likely to
lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury. Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the Act, interested
parties are requested to respond to this notice by submitting the information specified below to the
Commission;1 to be assured of consideration, the deadline for responses is August 31, 2011. Comments
on the adequacy of responses may be filed with the Commission by October 14, 2011. For further
information concerning the conduct of these reviews and rules of general application, consult the
Commission=s Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, subparts A through E (19 CFR part 201), and part
207, subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part 207), as most recently amended at 74 FR 2847 (January 16,
2009).
EFFECTIVE DATE: DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Messer (202-205-3193), Office of Investigations,
U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-impaired
persons can obtain information on this matter by contacting the Commission=s TDD terminal on
202-205-1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to
the Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000. General information
concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its internet server (http://www.usitc.gov).
The public record for these reviews may be viewed on the Commission=s electronic docket (EDIS) at
http://edis.usitc.gov.

1

No response to this request for information is required if a currently valid Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) number is not displayed; the OMB number is 3117-0016/USITC No. 12-5-253, expiration date June 30, 2014.
Public reporting burden for the request is estimated to average 15 hours per response. Please send comments
regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate to the Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission,
500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20436.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background.--On June 15, 1987, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) issued an
antidumping duty order on imports of tapered roller bearings from China (52 FR 22667). On May 15,
1989, Commerce issued antidumping duty orders on imports of ball bearings from France, Germany, and
Italy (54 FR 20900, 20902, and 20903). Following first and second five-year reviews by Commerce and
the Commission, effective July 11, 2000 and September 15, 2006, respectively, Commerce issued
continuations of the antidumping duty orders on imports of certain bearings from China, France, Germany,
and Italy (65 FR 42665 and 71 FR 54469). The Commission is now conducting third reviews to determine
whether revocation of the orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to
the domestic industry within a reasonably foreseeable time. It will assess the adequacy of interested party
responses to this notice of institution to determine whether to conduct full or expedited reviews. The
Commission=s determinations in any expedited reviews will be based on the facts available, which may
include information provided in response to this notice.
Definitions.--The following definitions apply to these reviews:
(1)

Subject Merchandise is the class or kind of merchandise that is within the scope of the
five-year reviews, as defined by the Department of Commerce.

(2)

The Subject Countries in these reviews are China, France, Germany, and Italy.

(3)

The Domestic Like Product is the domestically produced product or products which are
like, or in the absence of like, most similar in characteristics and uses with, the Subject
Merchandise. In its original determination concerning tapered roller bearings from China
(Investigation No. 731-TA-344), the Commission found one Domestic Like Product:
tapered roller bearings and parts thereof--finished or unfinished; flange, take-up cartridge,
and hanger units incorporating tapered roller bearings, and tapered roller housings (except
pillow blocks) incorporating tapered rollers, with or without spindles, and whether or not
for automotive use. In its original determinations concerning ball bearings from France,
Germany, and Italy (Investigation Nos. 731-TA-391A-393A), the Commission found ball
bearings to be a single Domestic Like Product. One Commissioner defined the Domestic
Like Product differently in the original ball bearings final determinations. In its full first
and second five-year review determinations concerning the existing orders on certain
bearings, the Commission defined ball bearings and tapered roller bearings as separate
Domestic Like Products, coextensive with Commerce’s scope definitions for each type of
bearing. For purposes of this notice, you should report information separately on each of
the following two Domestic Like Products: (1) ball bearings and (2) tapered roller
bearings.

(4)

The Domestic Industry is the U.S. producers as a whole of the Domestic Like Product, or
those producers whose collective output of the Domestic Like Product constitutes a major
proportion of the total domestic production of the product. In its original determination
concerning tapered roller bearings from China (Inv. No. 731-TA-344), the Commission
found one Domestic Industry devoted to the production of the Domestic Like Product, as
defined above. In its original determinations concerning ball bearings from France,
Germany, and Italy (Investigation Nos. 731-TA-391A-393A), the Commission found one
Domestic Industry devoted to the production of ball bearings. One Commissioner defined
the Domestic Industry differently in the original ball bearings final determinations. In its
full first and second five-year review determinations concerning the existing orders on
tapered roller bearings and ball bearings, the Commission found two separate Domestic
Industries, each devoted to the production of one of the two Domestic Like Products, as
defined above. For purposes of this notice, you should report information on two

Domestic Industries, each devoted to the production of one of the following two Domestic
Like Products: (1) ball bearings and (2) tapered roller bearings.
(5)

An Importer is any person or firm engaged, either directly or through a parent company or
subsidiary, in importing the Subject Merchandise into the United States from a foreign
manufacturer or through its selling agent.

Participation in the reviews and public service list.--Persons, including industrial users of the
Subject Merchandise and, if the merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer
organizations, wishing to participate in the reviews as parties must file an entry of appearance with the
Secretary to the Commission, as provided in section 201.11(b)(4) of the Commission=s rules, no later than
21 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. The Secretary will maintain a public
service list containing the names and addresses of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to the
reviews.
Former Commission employees who are seeking to appear in Commission five-year reviews are
advised that they may appear in a review even if they participated personally and substantially in the
corresponding underlying original investigation. The Commission=s designated agency ethics official has
advised that a five-year review is not considered the Asame particular matter@ as the corresponding
underlying original investigation for purposes of 18 U.S.C. ' 207, the post employment statute for Federal
employees, and Commission rule 201.15(b)(19 CFR ' 201.15(b)), 73 FR 24609 (May 5, 2008). This
advice was developed in consultation with the Office of Government Ethics. Consequently, former
employees are not required to seek Commission approval to appear in a review under Commission rule 19
CFR ' 201.15, even if the corresponding underlying original investigation was pending when they were
Commission employees. For further ethics advice on this matter, contact Carol McCue Verratti, Deputy
Agency Ethics Official, at 202-205-3088.
Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under an administrative protective
order (APO) and APO service list.--Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission=s rules, the Secretary
will make BPI submitted in these reviews available to authorized applicants under the APO issued in the
reviews, provided that the application is made no later than 21 days after publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. Authorized applicants must represent interested parties, as defined in 19 U.S.C. '
1677(9), who are parties to the reviews. A separate service list will be maintained by the Secretary for
those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
Certification.--Pursuant to section 207.3 of the Commission=s rules, any person submitting
information to the Commission in connection with these reviews must certify that the information is
accurate and complete to the best of the submitter=s knowledge. In making the certification, the submitter
will be deemed to consent, unless otherwise specified, for the Commission, its employees, and contract
personnel to use the information provided in any other reviews or investigations of the same or comparable
products which the Commission conducts under Title VII of the Act, or in internal audits and investigations
relating to the programs and operations of the Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3.
Written submissions.--Pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission=s rules, each interested party
response to this notice must provide the information specified below. The deadline for filing such
responses is August 31, 2011. Pursuant to section 207.62(b) of the Commission=s rules, eligible parties (as
specified in Commission rule 207.62(b)(1)) may also file comments concerning the adequacy of responses
to the notice of institution and whether the Commission should conduct expedited or full reviews. The
deadline for filing such comments is October 25, 2011. All written submissions must conform with the
provisions of sections 201.8 and 207.3 of the Commission=s rules and any submissions that contain BPI
must also conform with the requirements of sections 201.6 and 207.7 of the Commission=s rules. The
3

Commission=s rules do not authorize filing of submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic
means, except to the extent permitted by section 201.8 of the Commission=s rules, as amended, 67 FR 68036
(November 8, 2002). Also, in accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission=s rules,
each document filed by a party to the reviews must be served on all other parties to the reviews (as
identified by either the public or APO service list as appropriate), and a certificate of service must
accompany the document (if you are not a party to the reviews you do not need to serve your response).
Inability to provide requested information.--Pursuant to section 207.61(c) of the Commission=s
rules, any interested party that cannot furnish the information requested by this notice in the requested form
and manner shall notify the Commission at the earliest possible time, provide a full explanation of why it
cannot provide the requested information, and indicate alternative forms in which it can provide equivalent
information. If an interested party does not provide this notification (or the Commission finds the
explanation provided in the notification inadequate) and fails to provide a complete response to this notice,
the Commission may take an adverse inference against the party pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act in
making its determinations in the reviews.
INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE OF INSTITUTION: Please
provide the requested information separately for each Domestic Like Product, as defined by the
Commission in its determinations, and for each of the products identified by Commerce as Subject
Merchandise. If you are a domestic producer, union/worker group, or trade/business association;
import/export Subject Merchandise from more than one Subject Country; or produce Subject Merchandise
in more than one Subject Country, you may file a single response. If you do so, please ensure that your
response to each question includes the information requested for each pertinent Subject Country. As used
below, the term Afirm@ includes any related firms.
(1)

The name and address of your firm or entity (including World Wide Web address) and name,
telephone number, fax number, and E-mail address of the certifying official.

(2)

A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is a U.S. producer of a Domestic Like Product, a
U.S. union or worker group, a U.S. importer of the Subject Merchandise, a foreign producer or
exporter of the Subject Merchandise, a U.S. or foreign trade or business association, or another
interested party (including an explanation). If you are a union/worker group or trade/business
association, identify the firms in which your workers are employed or which are members of your
association.

(3)

A statement indicating whether your firm/entity is willing to participate in these reviews by
providing information requested by the Commission.

(4)

A statement of the likely effects of the revocation of the antidumping duty orders on the Domestic
Industries in general and/or your firm/entity specifically. In your response, please discuss the
various factors specified in section 752(a) of the Act (19 U.S.C. ' 1675a(a)) including the likely
volume of subject imports, likely price effects of subject imports, and likely impact of imports of
Subject Merchandise on the Domestic Industries.

(5)

A list of all known and currently operating U.S. producers of each Domestic Like Product.
Identify any known related parties and the nature of the relationship as defined in section 771(4)(B)
of the Act (19 U.S.C. ' 1677(4)(B)).

(6)

A list of all known and currently operating U.S. importers of the Subject Merchandise and
producers of the Subject Merchandise in each Subject Country that currently export or have
exported Subject Merchandise to the United States or other countries after 2005.
4

(7)

A list of 3-5 leading purchasers in the U.S. market for each Domestic Like Product and the Subject
Merchandise (including street address, World Wide Web address, and the name, telephone
number, fax number, and E-mail address of a responsible official at each firm).

(8)

A list of known sources of information on national or regional prices for each Domestic Like
Product or the Subject Merchandise in the U.S. or other markets.

(9)

If you are a U.S. producer of a Domestic Like Product, provide the following information on your
firm=s operations on that product during calendar year 2010, except as noted (report quantity data in
units and value data in U.S. dollars, f.o.b. plant). If you are a union/worker group or trade/business
association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for the firms in which your workers are
employed/which are members of your association.

(10)

(a)

Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total U.S. production
of each Domestic Like Product accounted for by your firm=s(s=) production;

(b)

Capacity (quantity) of your firm to produce each Domestic Like Product (i.e., the level of
production that your establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during the
year, assuming normal operating conditions (using equipment and machinery in place and
ready to operate), normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year), time for
downtime, maintenance, repair, and cleanup, and a typical or representative product mix);

(c)

the quantity and value of U.S. commercial shipments of each Domestic Like Product
produced in your U.S. plant(s);

(d)

the quantity and value of U.S. internal consumption/company transfers of each Domestic
Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s); and

(e)

the value of (i) net sales, (ii) cost of goods sold (COGS), (iii) gross profit, (iv) selling,
general and administrative (SG&A) expenses, and (v) operating income of each Domestic
Like Product produced in your U.S. plant(s) (include both U.S. and export commercial
sales, internal consumption, and company transfers) for your most recently completed
fiscal year (identify the date on which your fiscal year ends).

If you are a U.S. importer or a trade/business association of U.S. importers of the Subject
Merchandise from the Subject Country(ies), provide the following information on your firm=s(s=)
operations on that product during calendar year 2010 (report quantity data in units and value data in
U.S. dollars). If you are a trade/business association, provide the information, on an aggregate
basis, for the firms which are members of your association.
(a)

The quantity and value (landed, duty-paid but not including antidumping duties) of U.S.
imports and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total U.S. imports of Subject
Merchandise from each Subject Country accounted for by your firm=s(s=) imports;

(b)

the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping duties) of U.S. commercial
shipments of Subject Merchandise imported from each Subject Country; and

(c)

the quantity and value (f.o.b. U.S. port, including antidumping duties) of U.S. internal
consumption/company transfers of Subject Merchandise imported from each Subject
Country.
5

(11)

If you are a producer, an exporter, or a trade/business association of producers or exporters of the
Subject Merchandise in the Subject Country(ies), provide the following information on your
firm=s(s=) operations on that product during calendar year 2010 (report quantity data in units and
value data in U.S. dollars, landed and duty-paid at the U.S. port but not including antidumping
duties). If you are a trade/business association, provide the information, on an aggregate basis, for
the firms which are members of your association.
(a)

Production (quantity) and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total production of
Subject Merchandise in each Subject Country accounted for by your firm=s(s=) production;

(b)

Capacity (quantity) of your firm to produce the Subject Merchandise in each Subject
Country (i.e., the level of production that your establishment(s) could reasonably have
expected to attain during the year, assuming normal operating conditions (using equipment
and machinery in place and ready to operate), normal operating levels (hours per
week/weeks per year), time for downtime, maintenance, repair, and cleanup, and a typical
or representative product mix); and

(c)

the quantity and value of your firm=s(s=) exports to the United States of Subject
Merchandise and, if known, an estimate of the percentage of total exports to the United
States of Subject Merchandise from each Subject Country accounted for by your firm=s(s=)
exports.

(12)

Identify significant changes, if any, in the supply and demand conditions or business cycle for the
Domestic Like Products that have occurred in the United States or in the market for the Subject
Merchandise in the Subject Countries after 2005, and significant changes, if any, that are likely to
occur within a reasonably foreseeable time. Supply conditions to consider include technology;
production methods; development efforts; ability to increase production (including the shift of
production facilities used for other products and the use, cost, or availability of major inputs into
production); and factors related to the ability to shift supply among different national markets
(including barriers to importation in foreign markets or changes in market demand abroad).
Demand conditions to consider include end uses and applications; the existence and availability of
substitute products; and the level of competition among the Domestic Like Products produced in
the United States, Subject Merchandise produced in the Subject Countries, and such merchandise
from other countries.

(13)

(OPTIONAL) A statement of whether you agree with the above definitions of the Domestic Like
Products and Domestic Industries; if you disagree with either or both of these definitions, please
explain why and provide alternative definitions.

6

AUTHORITY: These reviews are being conducted under authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930;
this notice is published pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission=s rules.
By order of the Commission.

James R. Holbein
Secretary to the Commission
Issued:

7