[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 109 (Monday, June 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32346-32347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13949]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-938]


Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts: Preliminary Results of 
Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2013

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 citric 
acid and certain citrate salts from the People's Republic of China 
(PRC) for the period of review (POR) covering January 1, 2013, through 
December 31, 2013. These preliminary results cover Laiwu Taihe 
Biochemistry Co. Ltd. (Taihe). We preliminarily determine that Taihe 
received countervailable subsidies during the POR. Interested parties 
are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES: Effective Date: June 8, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Eastwood or Shannon 
Morrison, AD/CVD Operations, Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th 
Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone 
(202) 482-3874 or (202) 482-6274, respectively.

Scope of the Order

    The merchandise subject to the order is citric acid and certain 
citrate salts. The product is currently classified under the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) item numbers 2918.14.0000, 
2918.15.1000, 2918.15.5000, 3824.90.9290, and 3824.90.9290. Although 
the HTSUS numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, 
the written product description remains dispositive.
    A full description of the scope of the order is contained in the 
memorandum from Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations to Ronald K Lorentzen, 
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, ``Decision 
Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of the Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Review: Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts; 2013'' 
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum), dated concurrently with, 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 (ACCESS). 
ACCESS is available to registered users at http://access.trade.gov and 
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://www.trade.gov/enforcement/. The signed Preliminary Decision Memorandum 
and the electronic version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content.

Methodology

    The Department conducted this review in accordance with section 
751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each 
of the subsidy programs found countervailable, we preliminarily 
determine that there is a subsidy (i.e., a financial contribution from 
an authority that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient) and that 
the subsidy is specific.\1\
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    \1\ 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.
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    In making these findings, we relied, in part, on facts otherwise 
available. Because the Government of the PRC did not act to the best of 
its ability to respond to the Department's requests for information, we 
used an adverse inference in selecting from among the facts otherwise 
available.\2\ For further information, see ``Use of Facts

[[Page 32347]]

Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences'' in the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum.
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    \2\ See sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
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    Finally, as discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum under 
``Programs for Which Additional Information is Required,'' we require 
additional information to allow us to analyze whether the following 
programs are countervailable: ``Environmental Tax Offset'' and 
``National Support Fund for 2011 Energy Saving Project, Circulation 
Economy and Resource Conservation Project and Pollution Abatement 
Project.''
    For a full description of the methodology underlying the 
Department's conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Results of the Review

    As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine a net 
countervailable subsidy rate of 33.31 percent ad valorem for Taihe, for 
the period January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013.

Disclosure and Public Comment

    The Department will disclose to parties to this proceeding the 
calculations performed in reaching the preliminary results within five 
days of the date of publication of these preliminary results.\3\ 
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit case 
briefs to the Department no later than 30 days after the day on which 
these preliminary results are published in the Federal Register.\4\ 
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.\5\ Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this 
proceeding are encouraged to submit with each argument: (1) A statement 
of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of 
authorities.\6\ Case and rebuttal briefs should be filed using 
ACCESS.\7\
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    \3\ See 19 CFR 351.224(b).
    \4\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii).
    \5\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d).
    \6\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.303.
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    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, filed electronically via 
ACCESS. An electronically-filed document must be received successfully 
in its entirety by the Department's electronic records system, ACCESS, 
by 5 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of 
this notice.\8\ Requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address, 
and telephone number: (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of 
the issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be 
limited to those raised in the respective case briefs. 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.
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    \8\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
    \9\ See 19 CFR 351.310.
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    Unless the deadline is extended pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of 
the Act, the Department will issue the final results of this 
administrative review, including the results of its analysis of issues 
raised in any written briefs, not later than 120 days after the date of 
publication of this notice, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the 
Act.

Assessment Rates

    Upon issuance of the final results, the Department shall determine, 
and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, 
countervailing duties 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 Instructions

    The Department also intends to instruct CBP to collect cash 
deposits of estimated countervailing duties in the amount shown above. 
For all non-reviewed firms, we will instruct CBP to collect cash 
deposits of estimated countervailing duties 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.
    This administrative review and notice are in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213.

    Dated: June 1, 2015.
Ronald K Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

1. Summary
2. Background
3. Scope of the Order
4. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences
5. Subsidies Valuation Information
6. Analysis of Programs
7. Conclusion

[FR Doc. 2015-13949 Filed 6-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P