Notice of initiation of investigation: Wire Rod (WR 2024 IN)

Certain hot‐rolled wire rod of carbon steel and alloy steel of circular or approximately circular cross section, in coils, equal to or less than 25.5 mm in actual solid cross‐sectional diameter, originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, excluding the following products:

• tire cord quality wire rod;
• stainless steel wire rod;
• tool steel wire rod;
• high-nickel steel wire rod;
• ball-bearing steel wire rod; and
• concrete reinforcing bars and rods (also known as rebar).

1. For greater clarity, tire cord quality wire rod is considered to be rod measuring 5.0 mm or more but not more than 6.0 mm in cross-sectional diameter, with an average partial decarburization of no more than 70 micrometers in depth (maximum 200 micrometers); having no non-deformable inclusions with a thickness (measured perpendicular to the rolling direction) greater than 20 micrometers; and, containing by weight the following elements in proportion: 0.68% or more carbon; less than 0.01% of aluminum; 0.04% or less, in aggregate, of phosphorus and sulfur; 0.008% or less of nitrogen, and not more than 0.55% in the aggregate, of copper, nickel and chromium.
2. Stainless steel wire rod is rod containing, by weight, 1.2% or less of carbon and 10.5% or more of chromium, with or without other elements.
3. Tool steel wire rod is considered to be rod containing the following combinations of elements in the quantity by weight respectively indicated: more than 1.2 percent carbon and more than 10.5 percent chromium; or not less than 0.3 percent carbon and 1.25 percent or more but less than 10.5 percent chromium; or not less than 0.85 percent carbon and 1 percent to 1.8 percent, inclusive, manganese; or 0.9 percent to 1.2 percent, inclusive, chromium and 0.9 percent to 1.4 percent, inclusive, molybdenum; or not less than 0.5 percent carbon and not less than 3.5 percent molybdenum; or not less than 0.5 percent carbon and not less than 5.5 percent tungsten.
4. High-nickel steel wire rod is considered to be rod containing by weight 24% or more nickel.
5. Ball-bearing steel wire rod is considered to be rod containing iron as well as each of the following elements by weight in the amount specified: not less than 0.95 nor more than 1.13 percent of carbon; not less than 0.22 nor more than 0.48 percent of manganese; none, or not more than 0.03 percent of sulfur; none, or not more than 0.03 percent of phosphorus; not less than 0.18 nor more than 0.37 percent of silicon; not less than 1.25 nor more than 1.65 percent of chromium; none, or not more than 0.28 percent of nickel; none, or not more than 0.38 percent of copper; and none, or not more than 0.09 percent of molybdenum.
6. Concrete reinforcing bar, commonly known as rebar, means a steel bar produced with deformations. It is covered by the existing measures in force.