[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 164 (Monday, August 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50618-50620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20153]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-475-819]


Certain Pasta From Italy: Preliminary Results and Partial 
Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2012

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an 
administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain 
pasta (pasta) from Italy. The period of review (POR) is January 1, 
2012, through December 31, 2012. This review covers two exporters/
producers of the subject merchandise, DeMatteis Agroalimentare S.p.A. 
(DeMatteis) (also known as, ``DeMatteis Agroalimentare SpA'') and 
Fratelli DeCecco di Filippo Fara San Martino S.p.A. (DeCecco) (also 
known as ``F.lli De Cecco di Filippo Fara San Martino S.p.A.''), as 
mandatory company-respondents. We preliminarily find that DeMatteis 
received countervailable subsidies during the POR, and that DeCecco 
received de minimis countervailable subsidies during the POR. The 
Department is also rescinding the review of one company, Delverde 
Industrie Alimentari S.p.A., which timely withdrew its request for 
review. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary 
results.

DATES: Effective Date: August 25, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sergio Balbontin or Joshua Morris, AD/
CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and 
Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
6478 or (202) 482-1779, respectively.

Scope of the Order

    The scope of the order consists of certain pasta from Italy. The 
merchandise subject to the order is currently classifiable under items 
1901.90.90.95 and 1902.19.20 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the 
merchandise subject to the order is dispositive. A full description of 
the scope of the order is contained in the ``Decision Memorandum for 
Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review: 
Certain Pasta from Italy,'' from Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, to Ronald 
K. Lorentzen, Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and 
Compliance, dated August 18, 2014 (Preliminary Decision Memorandum), 
and hereby adopted by this notice.
    The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on 
file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (IA ACCESS). 
IA ACCESS is available to registered users at http://iaaccess.trade.gov 
and available to all parties in the Central Records Unit, Room 7046 of 
the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete 
version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly 
on the internet at http://trade.gov/enforcement/. The signed and 
electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content. A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum is provided in the Appendix to this notice.

Partial Rescission of the 2012 Administrative Review

    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), the Department will 
rescind an administrative review ``if a party that requested the review 
withdraws the request within 90 days of the date of publication of 
notice of initiation of the requested review.'' The notice of 
initiation of the instant review was published on August 28, 2013.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 78 FR 
53128, 53130-31 (August 28, 2013).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On December 11, 2013, Delverde Industrie Alimentari S.p.A. 
(Delverde) timely withdrew its request for review of itself.\2\ Because 
no other interested party requested a review of Delverde, we are 
rescinding the review with respect to Delverde in accordance with 19 
CFR 351.213(d)(1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ As explained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, all 
deadlines in this administrative review were tolled by 16 days. 
Therefore, the deadline to withdraw review requests was December 12, 
2013.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Methodology

    The Department is conducting this review in accordance with section 
751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). A full 
description of the methodology underlying our conclusions is presented 
in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    In making these findings, we relied, in part, on an adverse 
inference in selecting from among the facts otherwise available because 
the Government of Italy did not act to the best of its ability to 
respond to the Department's requests for information regarding certain 
programs.\3\ For further discussion, see Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum at ``Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse 
Inferences.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ See sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, the Department was not able to make a preliminary 
determination concerning countervailability for certain programs 
because it requires additional

[[Page 50619]]

information. See Preliminary Decision Memorandum at ``Analysis of 
Programs--B. Programs For Which More Information Is Required.'' We 
intend to seek that information prior to our final results and to issue 
post-preliminary analysis once we have an opportunity to review that 
information.

Preliminary Results of the Review

    In accordance with section 751(a) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.221(b)(4)(i), we calculated individual subsidy rates for the 
mandatory respondents, DeCecco and DeMatteis.
    Three respondents were not selected for individual review: Ghigi 
Industria Agroalimentare in San Clemente srl, Pasta Granoro S.r.L. 
(also known as, ``Pastifico Attilio Mastromauro Granoro S.r.L''), and 
Valdigrano di Flavio Pagani S.r.L. For those non-selected respondents, 
we applied a subsidy rate based on an average of the subsidy rates 
calculated for those companies selected for individual review (i.e., 
the mandatory respondents), excluding zero and de minimis rates and 
rates based entirely on facts available.\4\ Therefore, we preliminarily 
assigned to these companies the CVD rate calculated for DeMatteis 
because DeCecco received de minimis countervailable subsidies. 
Consistent with past practice, we did not calculate an individual rate 
for Agritalia S.r.L. (Agritalia) because a review was not requested for 
Agritalia. Thus, Agritalia's most recent export-specific rate remains 
in effect.\5\ Agritalia was only asked to participate in this review 
because of the possible effect of subsidies it received on DeMatteis. 
Consistent with our past practice in this proceeding, we preliminarily 
find that Agritalia did not receive any subsidies which affected 
DeMatteis' rate. However, we intend to reexamine this approach before 
the final determination in this review and, therefore, we invite 
parties to comment on the treatment of subsidies to Agritalia in 
connection with the calculation of DeMatteis' rate in this 
administrative review. Comments regarding this issue are due no later 
than 14 days after the publication of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See, e.g., Certain Pasta From Italy: Preliminary Results of 
the 13th (2008) Countervailing Duty Administrative Review, 75 FR 
18806, 18811 (April 13, 2010), unchanged in Certain Pasta from 
Italy: Final Results of the 13th (2008) Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Review, 75 FR 37386 (June 29, 2010).
    \5\ See, e.g., Certain Pasta from Italy: Preliminary Results of 
the Tenth Countervailing Duty Administrative Review, 72 FR 43616, 
43622 (August 2, 2007), unchanged in Certain Pasta From Italy: Final 
Results of the Tenth (2005) Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Review, 73 FR 7251-7252 (February 7, 2008). Agritalia is a trading 
company through which some of DeMatteis' subject merchandise was 
sold to the United States during the POR. It is not affiliated with 
DeMatteis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We preliminarily find the net subsidy rate for the producers/
exporters under review to be as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Net subsidy
                    Producer/Exporter                          rate
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DeMatteis Agroalimentare S.p.A. (also known as, ``De                0.96
 Matteis Agroalimentare SpA'')..........................
Fratelli DeCecco di Filippo Fara San Martino S.p.A.                *0.18
 (also known as, ``F.lli De Cecco di Filippo Fara San
 Martino S.p.A.'')......................................
Ghigi Industria Agroalimentare in San Clemente srl......            0.96
Pasta Granoro S.r.L. (also known as, ``Pastifico Attilio            0.96
 Mastromauro Granoro S.r.L'')...........................
Valdigrano di Flavio Pagani S.r.L.......................            0.96
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*de minimis.

Disclosure and Public Comment

    The Department will disclose to parties to this proceeding the 
calculations performed in reaching the preliminary results within 10 
days of the date of public announcement of these preliminary 
results.\6\ Due to the anticipated timing of the release of post-
preliminary analysis memoranda, interested parties may submit written 
comments (case briefs) for this administrative review no later than one 
week after the issuance of the last post-preliminary analysis 
memorandum, and rebuttal comments (rebuttal briefs) within five days 
after the time limit for filing case briefs.\7\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.309(d)(2), rebuttal briefs must be limited to issues raised in the 
case briefs. Parties who submit arguments are requested to submit with 
the argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the 
argument; and (3) a table of authorities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See 19 CFR 351.224(b).
    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii) and 351.309(d)(1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Interested parties who wish to request a hearing, or to participate 
if one is requested, must submit a written request to the Assistant 
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce 
within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.\8\ 
Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone 
number, the number of participants, and a list of the issues to be 
discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, we will inform parties 
of the scheduled date for the hearing which will be held at the U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230, at a time and location to be determined.\9\ 
Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the 
hearing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
    \9\ See 19 CFR 351.310.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Parties are reminded that briefs and hearing requests are to be 
filed electronically using IA ACCESS and that electronically filed 
documents must be received successfully in their entirety by 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time on the due date.
    Unless the deadline is extended pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of 
the Act, the Department intends to issue the final results of this 
administrative review, including the results of our analysis of the 
issues raised by the parties in their comments, within 120 days after 
publication of these preliminary results.

Assessment Rates

    For the rescinded company, CVDs shall be assessed at rates equal to 
the cash deposit of estimated CVDs required at the time of entry, or 
withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption, during the period January 
1, 2012, through December 31, 2012, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.212(c)(1)(i). The Department intends to issue appropriate 
assessment instructions directly to U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) 15 days after publication of this notice.
    For the other reviewed companies, consistent with section 751(a)(1) 
of the Act, upon issuance of the final results, the Department shall 
determine, and CBP shall assess, CVDs on all appropriate entries 
covered by this review. We intend to issue instructions to CBP 15 days 
after publication of the final results of this review.

Cash Deposit Requirements

    Also in accordance with section 751(a)(1) of the Act, the 
Department intends to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of 
estimated CVDs in amounts shown above for each of the respective 
companies should the final results

[[Page 50620]]

remain the same as these preliminary results. For all non-reviewed 
firms, we will instruct CBP to continue to collect cash deposits at the 
most recent company-specific or all-others rate applicable to the 
company. These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in 
effect until further notice.
    These preliminary results of administrative review and notice are 
issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) 
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213 and 351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: August 18, 2014.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences
V. Subsidies Valuation Information
VI. Analysis of Programs
VII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2014-20153 Filed 8-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P