# Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results and Rescission, In Part, of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2023
**AGENCY:**
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
**SUMMARY:**
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers and exporters of certain corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE) from the Republic of Korea (Korea). The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. In addition, Commerce is rescinding this review, in part, with respect to two companies. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.
**DATES:**
Applicable January 8, 2026.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Shane Subler, AD/CVD Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-6241.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Background**
On August 14, 2024, based on timely requests for review, Commerce initiated this administrative review of the countervailing duty order on CORE from Korea. [^1] On September 23, 2024, Commerce selected Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai Steel) and KG Dongbu Steel Co., Ltd. (KG Dongbu Steel) as the mandatory respondents in this review. [^2]
[^1]*See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews,* 89 FR 66035, 66047 (August 14, 2024) ( *Initiation Notice* )); *see also Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from India, Italy, Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order,* 81 FR 48387 (July 25, 2016) ( *Order* ).
[^2]*See* Memorandum, “Respondent Selection,” dated September 23, 2024 (Respondent Selection Memorandum).
On December 9, 2024, Commerce tolled the deadline to issue the preliminary results in this administrative review by 90 days. [^3] On May 30, 2025, Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this review by 120 days, in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2). [^4] Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by 47 days. [^5] Additionally, due to a backlog of documents that were electronically filed via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS) during the Federal Government shutdown, on November 24, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by an additional 21 days. [^6] Accordingly, the deadline for these preliminary results is now January 5, 2026.
[^3]*See* Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated December 9, 2024.
[^4]*See* Memorandum, “Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review,” dated May 30, 2025.
[^5]*See* Memorandum, “Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the Federal Government,” dated November 14, 2025.
[^6]*See* Memorandum, “Tolling of all Case Deadlines,” dated November 24, 2025.
For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this review, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. [^7] A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is provided as the appendix to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via ACCESS. ACCESS is available to registered users at *https://access.trade.gov.* In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at *https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.*
[^7]*See* Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of the Administrative Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from the Republic of Korea; 2023,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
**Scope of the Order**
The product covered by the *Order* is CORE from Korea. For a complete description of the scope of the *Order, see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
**Rescission of Administrative Review, In Part**
In accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), Commerce will rescind an administrative review, in whole or in part, if all parties that requested the review withdraw their requests within 90 days of the date of publication of the notice of initiation of the requested review. Commerce received timely-filed withdrawal requests with respect to NS BlueScope Steel Vietnam Ltd. and Dongkuk Coated Metal Co., Ltd. pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1). Because the withdrawal requests were timely filed, and no other parties requested a review of these companies, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), Commerce is rescinding this review of the *Order* with respect to these two companies.
**Methodology**
Commerce is conducting this administrative review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(A) of the Act. For each of the subsidy programs found countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a subsidy, *i.e.,* a financial contribution by an “authority” that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific. [^8] For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
[^8]*See* 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.
**Rate for Non-Selected Companies Under Review**
The Act and Commerce's regulations do not address the establishment of a rate to apply to companies not selected for individual examination when Commerce limits its examination in an administrative review pursuant to section 777A(e)(2) of the Act. However, Commerce normally determines the rates for non-selected companies in reviews in a manner that is consistent with section 705(c)(5) of the Act, which provides instructions for calculating the all-others rate in an investigation. Section 777A(e)(2) of the Act provides that “the individual countervailable subsidy rates determined under subparagraph (A) shall be used to determine the all-others rate under section 705(c)(5) {of the Act}.” Section 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act states that for companies not investigated, in general, we will determine an all-others rate by weight averaging the countervailable subsidy rates established for each of the companies individually investigated, excluding zero and *de minimis* rates or any rates based entirely on facts available. Accordingly, to determine the rate for companies not selected for individual examination, Commerce's practice is to weight average the net subsidy rates for the selected mandatory respondents, excluding rates that are zero, *de minimis,* or based entirely on facts available.
In this review, Commerce calculated preliminary individual countervailable subsidy rates for Hyundai Steel and KG Dongbu Steel that are not zero, *de minimis,* or based entirely on facts otherwise available. Accordingly, Commerce calculated the rate assigned to the companies under review that were not selected for individual examination using a weighted average of the individual subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents, using each company's publicly-ranged values for the merchandise under consideration. [^9]
[^9] With two respondents under examination, Commerce normally calculates: (A) a weighted-average of the estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents; (B) a simple average of the estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents; and (C) a weighted-average of the estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents using each company's publicly-ranged U.S. sale values for the merchandise under consideration. Commerce then compares (B) and (C) to (A) and selects the rate closest to (A) as the most appropriate rate for all other producers and exporters. *See, e.g., Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Reviews, Final Results of Changed-Circumstances Review, and Revocation of an Order in Part,* 75 FR 53661, 53662 (September 1, 2010), and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 1. As complete publicly ranged sales data were available, Commerce based the all-others rate on the publicly ranged sales data of the mandatory respondents. For a complete analysis of the data, *see* Memorandum, “Calculation of the Non-Selected Company Rate for the Preliminary Results,” dated concurrently with this notice.
**Preliminary Results of Review**
As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine the following net countervailable subsidy rates exist for the POR, January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023:
[^10] 10 We treated Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Steel Company, and Hyundai Steel Co., Ltd. as minor variations of the same name at respondent selection. *See* Respondent Selection Memorandum at 4 and Attachment; *see also Initiation Notice,* 88 FR at 62333. Further, as discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce has found the following companies to be cross-owned with Hyundai Steel: Hyundai Green Power and Hyundai ITC. *See* Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 8-9.
[^11] KG Dongbu Steel's official name in English is KG Dongbu Steel Co., Ltd. Its name in Korean is KG Steel Corporation. *See Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from the Republic of Korea: Final Results and Rescission, in Part, of the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2022,* 90 FR 21002-21003 (May 16, 2025); *see also* KG Dongbu Steel's Letter, ” KG Dongbu Steel's Affiliated Companies Response,” dated October 23, 2024, at Exhibit 1.
| Company | Subsidy rate |
| --- | --- |
| Hyundai Steel Company | 1.28 |
| KG Dongbu Steel Co., Ltd.; KG Steel Corporation | 4.11 |
| POSCO | 2.39 |
| POSCO Coated & Color Steel Co., Ltd | 2.39 |
| POSCO International | 2.39 |
| POSCO Steeleon Co., Ltd | 2.39 |
| SeAH Coated Metal | 2.39 |
| SeAH Steel Corporation | 2.39 |
**Disclosure**
Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed to interested parties for these preliminary results within five days 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).
**Verification**
As provided in section 782(i)(3) of the Act, from July 21 through 24, 2025, Commerce conducted a verification of Hyundai Steel's questionnaire responses. [^12] Commerce intends to verify the information in KG Dongbu Steel's questionnaire responses after these preliminary results.
[^12]*See* Memorandum, “Verification of the Questionnaire Responses of Hyundai Steel Company and Its Cross-owned Companies,” dated August 4, 2025.
**Public Comment**
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit case briefs to Commerce no later than seven days after the date of the last verification report issued in this administrative review. [^13] 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. [^14] 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. [^15] All briefs must be filed electronically using ACCESS. An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety in ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the established deadline.
[^13]*See* 19 CFR 351.303 for general filing requirements.
[^14]*See* 19 CFR 351.309(d); *see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,* 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) ( *APO and Service Procedures* ).
[^15]*See* 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2)(iii) and (d)(2)(iii), we request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs. [^16] Further, we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final results in this administrative review. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f). [^17]
[^16] We use the term “issue” here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
[^17]*See APO and Service Procedures.*
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain: (1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues to be discussed. Oral presentations at the hearing will be limited to issues raised in the briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce will inform parties of the scheduled date for the hearing. [^18]
[^18]*See* 19 CFR 351.310(d).
**Assessment Rates**
Consistent with section 751(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(2), upon issuance of the final results, Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, countervailing duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review.
For the companies listed above for which the review is being rescinded, Commerce will instruct CBP to assess countervailing duties on all appropriate entries at a rate equal to the cash deposit of estimated countervailing duties required at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption, during the period January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(c)(1)(i). Commerce intends to issue rescission instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of this notice in the *Federal Register* .
For the companies remaining in the review, Commerce will instruct CBP to assess countervailing duties on all appropriate entries at the subsidy rates calculated in the final results of this review. Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the *Federal Register* .
If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( *i.e.,* within 90 days of publication).
**Cash Deposit Requirements**
Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, Commerce intends to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties in the amounts indicated above with regard to shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this review. For all non-reviewed firms, we will instruct CBP to continue to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties at the most recent company-specific or all-others rate applicable to the company, as appropriate. These cash deposit instructions, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.
**Final Results of Review**
Unless the deadline is extended, we intend to issue the final results of this administrative review, which will include the results of our analysis of the issues raised in the case briefs, within 120 days of publication of these preliminary results in the *Federal Register* , pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.
**Notification to Interested Parties**
We are issuing and publishing these preliminary results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: January 5, 2026.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
**Appendix**
**List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum**
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Partial Rescission of Review
IV. Scope of the *Order*
V. Diversification of Korea's Economy
VI. Subsidies Valuation Information
VII. Analysis of Programs
VIII. Recommendation