[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 160 (Monday, August 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50381-50383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20168]



[[Page 50381]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-557-814]


Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Malaysia: Final Affirmative 
Countervailing Duty Determination

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) determines that 
countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters 
of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Malaysia. For information on 
the estimated subsidy rates, see the ``Suspension of Liquidation'' 
section of this notice.

DATES: Effective Date: August 19, 2013.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Hargett or Kristen 
Johnson, Office 8, Import Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Room CC116, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: 202-482-4161 or 202-482-4793, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The petitioner in this investigation is the Coalition of Gulf 
Shrimp Industries (Petitioner).\1\ This investigation covers 23 
government programs. The mandatory respondent in this investigation is 
Kian Huat Aquaculture Sdn. Bhd. (Kian Huat). The Department has also 
calculated a countervailing duty (CVD) rate for the voluntary 
respondent, Asia Aquaculture (M) Sdn. Bhd., Star Feedmills (M) Sdn. 
Bhd., and Charoen Pokphand Foods (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., (collectively, 
the Asia Aquaculture Companies).
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    \1\ The members of the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries are: 
Bayou Shrimp Processors, Inc.; Bluewater Shrimp Company, Inc.; 
Carson & Co., Inc.; C.F. Gollott & Sons Seafood, Inc.; Dean 
Blanchard Seafood, Inc.; Dominick Seafood; Fisherman's Reef Packing 
Plant; Golden Gulf Coast Pkg. Co., Inc. (and Gollott's Oil Dock & 
Ice House); Graham Fisheries, Inc.; Graham Shrimp, Inc.; Gulf Crown 
Seafood Co., Inc.; Gulf Fish Inc.; Gulf Island Shrimp & Seafood, 
LLC; Gulf Pride Enterprises, Inc.; Hi-Seas of Dulac, Inc.; Indian 
Ridge Shrimp Co.; JBS Packing Co., Inc.; Lafitte Frozen Foods Corp.; 
M&M Shrimp (Biloxi Freezing and Processing); Ocean Springs Seafood 
Market, Inc.; Paul Piazza & Sons, Inc.; R.A. Lesso Brokerage Co., 
Inc.; Sea Pearl Seafood Co., Inc.; Smith and Sons Seafood; Tidelands 
Seafood Co., Inc.; Tommy's Seafood; Vincent Piazza & Sons Seafood, 
Inc.; Wood's Fisheries; Mariah Jade Shrimp Company, LLC; David 
Chauvin's Seafood Company, LLC; and Rountree Enterprises, Inc. (dba 
Leonard & Sons Shrimp Co. and R&R Fisheries).
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Period of Investigation

    The period of investigation for which we are measuring subsidies is 
January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011.

Case History

    The events that have occurred since the Department published the 
Preliminary Determination on June 4, 2013,\2\ are discussed in the 
Memorandum to Paul Piquado, Assistant Secretary for Import 
Administration, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Final 
Determination in the Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Malaysia'' 
(Decision Memorandum), which is hereby adopted by this notice.\3\
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    \2\ See Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Malaysia: 
Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determination, 78 FR 33345 (June 4, 
2013) (Preliminary Determination).
    \3\ Public versions of all business proprietary documents and 
all public documents are on file electronically via Import 
Administration's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized 
Electronic Service System (IA ACCESS). Access to IA ACCESS is 
available to registered users at http://iaaccess.trade.gov and in 
the Central Records Unit (CRU), room 7046 of the main Department of 
Commerce building.
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Scope Comments

    On March 28, 2013, Petitioner asked the Department to clarify that 
the scope of this investigation does not include brine-frozen 
shrimp.\4\ We have addressed this request and comments thereon in the 
Memorandum to Paul Piquado, Assistant Secretary for Import 
Administration, ``Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador, India, 
Indonesia, Malaysia, People's Republic of China, Thailand, and 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam--Final Scope Memorandum Regarding Onboard 
Brine-Frozen Shrimp'' (Scope Memorandum), which is hereby adopted by 
this notice.
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    \4\ See Letter from Petitioner, ``Countervailing Duty 
Investigation on Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Malaysia (C-
557-814)--Request for Scope Clarification'' (March 28, 2013).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are certain frozen 
warmwater shrimp and prawns, whether wild-caught (ocean harvested) or 
farm-raised (produced by aquaculture), head-on or head-off, shell-on or 
peeled, tail-on or tail-off, deveined or not deveined, cooked or raw, 
or otherwise processed in frozen form, regardless of size. For a 
complete description of the scope of the investigation, see Appendix I 
to this notice.

Analysis of Subsidy Programs and Comments Received

    The subsidy programs under investigation and the issues raised in 
the case and rebuttal briefs submitted by parties in this investigation 
are addressed in the Decision Memorandum, dated concurrently with this 
notice. A list of subsidy programs and the issues that parties have 
raised, and to which we responded in the Decision Memorandum, is 
attached to this notice as Appendix II.
    The Decision and Scope Memoranda are public documents and are on 
file electronically via IA ACCESS. IA ACCESS is available to registered 
users at http://iaaccess.trade.gov and in the CRU, room 7046 of the 
main Department of Commerce building. In addition, complete versions of 
the Decision and Scope Memoranda can be accessed directly on the 
Internet at http://www.trade.gov/ia/. The signed and the electronic 
versions of these memoranda are identical in content.

Use of Facts Otherwise Available, Including Adverse Inferences

    For purposes of this final determination, we continue to apply 
adverse facts available (AFA) to Kian Huat in accordance with sections 
776(a) and (b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). A full 
discussion of our decision to rely on AFA is presented in the Decision 
Memorandum under the section ``Use of Facts Otherwise Available and 
Adverse Inferences.''

Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 705(c)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act, we have 
calculated a rate for each company respondent. Section 705(c)(5)(A)(i) 
of the Act states that for companies not individually investigated, we 
will determine an all others rate equal to the weighted average 
countervailable subsidy rates established for exporters and producers 
individually investigated, excluding any zero and de minimis 
countervailable subsidy rates, and any rates determined entirely under 
section 776 of the Act. If the rates established for all exporters and 
producers individually investigated are zero, de minimis, or determined 
entirely under facts available, the Department may use any reasonable 
method to establish an all-others rate.\5\ Kian Huat's rate was 
determined entirely under facts available with an adverse inference. 
The Asia Aquaculture Companies, the only entity that participated in 
the investigation, is a voluntary respondent. We exclude net subsidy 
rates calculated

[[Page 50382]]

for voluntary respondents from the calculation of the all others 
rate.\6\ Thus, in accordance with section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act 
and 19 CFR 351.204(d)(3), we are applying as the all others rate the 
rate calculated for Kian Huat, the non-cooperative mandatory 
respondent.
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    \5\ See section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act.
    \6\ See 19 CFR 351.204(d)(3); and Antidumping Duties; 
Countervailing Duties, 62 FR 27296, 27310 (May 19, 1997).
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    We determine the total estimated net countervailable subsidy rates 
to be:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Net subsidy ad
                    Producer/Exporter                      valorem rate
                                                             (percent)
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Asia Aquaculture (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Asia Aquaculture), Star            10.80
 Feedmills (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Star Feedmills), and Charoen
 Pokphand Foods (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (CPFM),
 (collectively, the Asia Aquaculture Companies).........
Kian Huat Aquaculture Sdn. Bhd. (Kian Huat).............           54.50
All Others..............................................           54.50
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As a result of our Preliminary Determination, and pursuant to 
section 703(d) of the Act, we instructed U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of all entries of certain 
frozen warmwater shrimp from Malaysia that were entered, or withdrawn 
from warehouse, for consumption on or after June 4, 2013, the date of 
publication of the Preliminary Determination in the Federal Register.
    If the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issues a final 
affirmative injury determination, we will issue a CVD order under 
section 706(a) of the Act. If the ITC determines that material injury, 
or threat of material injury, does not exist, this proceeding will be 
terminated and all estimated duties deposited or securities posted as a 
result of the suspension of liquidation will be refunded or canceled.

ITC Notification

    In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, we will notify the 
ITC of our determination. In addition, we are making available to the 
ITC all non-privileged and non-proprietary information related to this 
investigation. We will allow the ITC access to all privileged and 
business proprietary information in our files, provided the ITC 
confirms that it will not disclose such information, either publicly or 
under an administrative protective order (APO), without the written 
consent of the Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Return or Destruction of Proprietary Information

    In the event that the ITC issues a final negative injury 
determination, this notice will serve as the only reminder to parties 
subject to an APO of their responsibility concerning the destruction of 
proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of the return/destruction of 
APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby 
requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO 
is a violation that is subject to sanction.
    This determination is published pursuant to sections 705(d) and 
777(i) of the Act.

    Dated: August 12, 2013.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are certain frozen 
warmwater shrimp and prawns, whether wild-caught (ocean harvested) 
or farm-raised (produced by aquaculture), head-on or head-off, 
shell-on or peeled, tail-on or tail-off,\7\ deveined or not 
deveined, cooked or raw, or otherwise processed in frozen form, 
regardless of size.
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    \7\ ``Tails'' in this context means the tail fan, which includes 
the telson and the uropods.
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    The frozen warmwater shrimp and prawn products included in the 
scope, regardless of definitions in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule 
of the United States (HTSUS), are products which are processed from 
warmwater shrimp and prawns through freezing and which are sold in 
any count size.
    The products described above may be processed from any species 
of warmwater shrimp and prawns. Warmwater shrimp and prawns are 
generally classified in, but are not limited to, the Penaeidae 
family. Some examples of the farmed and wild-caught warmwater 
species include, but are not limited to, whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus 
vannemei), banana prawn (Penaeus merguiensis), fleshy prawn (Penaeus 
chinensis), giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), giant 
tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), redspotted shrimp (Penaeus 
brasiliensis), southern brown shrimp (Penaeus subtilis), southern 
pink shrimp (Penaeus notialis), southern rough shrimp (Trachypenaeus 
curvirostris), southern white shrimp (Penaeus schmitti), blue shrimp 
(Penaeus stylirostris), western white shrimp (Penaeus occidentalis), 
and Indian white prawn (Penaeus indicus).
    Frozen shrimp and prawns that are packed with marinade, spices 
or sauce are included in the scope. In addition, food preparations 
(including dusted shrimp), which are not ``prepared meals,'' that 
contain more than 20 percent by weight of shrimp or prawn are also 
included in the scope.
    Excluded from the scope are: (1) Breaded shrimp and prawns; (2) 
shrimp and prawns generally classified in the Pandalidae family and 
commonly referred to as coldwater shrimp, in any state of 
processing; (3) fresh shrimp and prawns whether shell-on or peeled; 
(4) shrimp and prawns in prepared meals; (5) dried shrimp and 
prawns; (6) canned warmwater shrimp and prawns; and (7) certain 
``battered shrimp'' (see below).
    ``Battered shrimp'' is a shrimp-based product: (1) That is 
produced from fresh (or thawed-from-frozen) and peeled shrimp; (2) 
to which a ``dusting'' layer of rice or wheat flour of at least 95 
percent purity has been applied; (3) with the entire surface of the 
shrimp flesh thoroughly and evenly coated with the flour; (4) with 
the non-shrimp content of the end product constituting between four 
and 10 percent of the product's total weight after being dusted, but 
prior to being frozen; and (5) that is subjected to individually 
quick frozen (IQF) freezing immediately after application of the 
dusting layer. When dusted in accordance with the definition of 
dusting above, the battered shrimp product is also coated with a wet 
viscous layer containing egg and/or milk, and par-fried.
    The products included in the scope of this investigation are 
currently classified under the following HTSUS subheadings: 
0306.17.00.03, 0306.17.00.06, 0306.17.00.09, 0306.17.00.12, 
0306.17.00.15, 0306.17.00.18, 0306.17.00.21, 0306.17.00.24, 
0306.17.00.27, 0306.17.00.40, 1605.21.10.30 and 1605.29.10.10. These 
HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and for customs 
purposes only and are not dispositive, but rather the written 
description of the scope is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Subsidy Programs and Issues in the Decision Memorandum

A. Programs Determined To Be

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Countervailable
    1. Pioneer Status
    2. Provision of Grants under the Economic Transformation Program 
(ETP)--Replicating Integrated Aquaculture Model (IZAQs)
    3. Reinvestment Allowance
B. Program Determined To Be Not Countervailable
    1. Human Resource Development Fund
C. Programs Determined To Not Exist
    1. Provision of Leases and Land for Less Than Adequate 
Remuneration (LTAR) under the ETP--IZAQs
    2. Provision of Infrastructure Under Entry Point Project 
6
D. Program Determined To Be Terminated
    1. 100% Allowance on Capital Expenditure for Approved 
Agricultural Projects
E. Programs Determined To Be Not Used
    1. Investment Tax Allowance
    2. Infrastructure Allowance
    3. Accelerated Capital Allowance
    4. Tax Incentives for Approved Food Production Activities
    5. Double Deduction for the Promotion of Exports
    6. Export Credit Refinancing Program
    7. Supplier Credit Facility
    8. Buyer Credit Facility
    9. Double Deductions for Export Credit Insurance Premiums
    10. Tax Exemptions for Exporters in Free Trade Zones
    11. Duty Exemptions for Exporters in Free Trade Zones
    12. Provision of Seed and Fry for LTAR
    13. Loans Under the Fund for Food Program
    14. Loans Under the Agriculture Entrepreneurs Scheme for 
Graduates
Comment 1: Whether the Pioneer Status Program is Specific as an 
Export Subsidy
Comment 2: Whether the Pioneer Status Program is Specific Because It 
Is Limited to a Particular Industry or Enterprise
Comment 3: Whether 19 CFR 351.526 Applies with Regard to Asia 
Aquaculture Companies' Use of the Pioneer Status Program
Comment 4: Manner in Which the Department Should Calculate the 
Benefit Under the Pioneer Status Program
Comment 5: Whether the Department Should Apply AFA with Respect to 
Asia Aquaculture's Use of the Reinvestment Allowance
Comment 6: Treatment of Subsidy Programs Discovered at Verification
Comment 7: Rely on Government of Malaysia's Response for Kian Huat
Comment 8: Calculation of Rate Based Upon Adverse Inferences
Comment 9: Appropriate Rate to Apply as AFA

[FR Doc. 2013-20168 Filed 8-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P