1. On 01/15/2016, Commerce published in the Federal Register (81 FR 2168) its affirmative preliminary determination and alignment of its final determination in the countervailing duty investigation of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil from 03/23/16 until no later than 05/22/2016, unless postponed, thereby aligning it with the due date for the final determination in the antidumping duty investigation of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil.

2. The products covered by this investigation are described in message 5254306, dated 09/11/2015.

3. This investigation has been assigned investigation number C-351-846.

4. Because Commerce separately determined that critical circumstances exist for imports of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil from the producers and/or exporters listed below (80 FR 76444), CBP shall suspend liquidation of all appropriate entries of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after 10/17/2015 which is 90 days before the date of publication of the preliminary determination in the Federal Register. Effective 10/17/2015, for entries of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil from the producer(s) and/or exporter(s) listed below, CBP shall require a cash deposit equal to the subsidy rates for the following companies:

Producer and/or Exporter: Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN)
Case number: C-351-846-001
Subsidy rate: 7.42%

Producer and/or Exporter: Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. (Usiminas)
Case number: C-351-846-002
Subsidy rate: 7.42%

5. Commerce separately found that critical circumstances do not exist for imports of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil from the producers and/or exporters listed below. For imports of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil from the producers and/or exporters listed below CBP shall suspend liquidation of such entries which were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after 01/15/2016. Effective 01/15/2016, for entries of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Brazil from the producers and/or exporters listed below, CBP shall require a cash deposit equal to the subsidy rates for the following companies:

Producer and/or Exporter: All Others
Case number: C-351-846-000
Subsidy rate: 7.42%

6. If there are any questions by the importing public regarding this message, please contact the Call Center for the Office of AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce at (202) 482-0984. CBP ports should submit their inquiries through authorized CBP channels only. (This message was generated by OI:LN.)

7. There are no restrictions on the release of this information.

Alexander Amdur