[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 220 (Monday, November 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70756-70757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29199]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-970]


Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of China: 
Final Results of Changed Circumstances Review

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

SUMMARY: On September 24, 2015, the Department of Commerce (the 
``Department'') published its preliminary results of a changed 
circumstances review \1\ of the antidumping duty (``AD'') order on 
multilayered wood flooring (``MLWF'') from the People's Republic of 
China (``PRC'').\2\ The Department preliminarily determined that Sino-
Maple (JiangSu) Co., Ltd. (``Sino-Maple'') is the successor-in-interest 
to Jiafeng Wood (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (``Jiafeng'') for purposes of the AD 
order on MLWF from the PRC and, as such, is entitled to Jiafeng's cash 
deposit rate with respect to entries of subject merchandise. We invited 
interested parties to comment on the Preliminary Results. As no parties 
submitted comments, and there is no other information or evidence on 
the record calling into question our Preliminary Results, the 
Department is making no changes to the Preliminary Results.
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    \1\ See Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Results of the Changed Circumstances Review of 
Sino-Maple (JiangSu) Co., Ltd., 80 FR 57576 (September 24, 2015) 
(``Preliminary Results''), and accompanying Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.
    \2\ See Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of 
China: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value 
and Antidumping Duty Order, 76 FR 76690 (December 8, 2011).

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DATES: Effective Date: November 16, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krisha Hill, AD/CVD Operations, Office 
IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4037.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 13, 2015, the Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') 
initiated a changed circumstance review to determine whether Sino-
Maple, an exporter of subject merchandise to the United States, is the 
successor-in-interest to Jiafeng for purposes of the AD order on MLWF 
from the PRC.\3\ On September 24, 2015, the Department made a 
preliminary finding that Sino-Maple is the successor-in-interest to 
Jiafeng, and is entitled to Jiafeng's cash deposit rate with respect to 
entries of merchandise subject to the AD order on MLWF from the PRC.\4\ 
We also provided interested parties 30 days from the date of 
publication of the Preliminary Results to submit case briefs in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii). No interested parties 
submitted case briefs or requested a hearing. On October 19, 2015, the 
Department issued to interested parties draft customs instructions and 
solicited comments.\5\ No comments were received.
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    \3\ See Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances 
Review: Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of 
China, 80 FR 13328 (March 13, 2015) (``Initiation Notice'').
    \4\ See Preliminary Results, 80 FR at 57576.
    \5\ See Memorandum to the File from Krisha Hill, International 
Trade Compliance Analyst, regarding ``Changed Circumstances Review 
of Sino-Maple (JiangSu) Co., Ltd: Multilayered Wood Flooring from 
the People's Republic of China: Draft Customs Instructions,'' dated 
October 19, 2015.
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Scope of the Order

    Multilayered wood flooring is composed of an assembly of two or

[[Page 70757]]

more layers or plies of wood veneer(s) in combination with a core. The 
several layers, along with the core, are glued or otherwise bonded 
together to form a final assembled product. Multilayered wood flooring 
is often referred to by other terms, e.g., ``engineered wood flooring'' 
or ``plywood flooring.'' Regardless of the particular terminology, all 
products that meet the description set forth herein are intended for 
inclusion within the definition of subject merchandise.
    All multilayered wood flooring is included within the definition of 
subject merchandise, without regard to: Dimension (overall thickness, 
thickness of face ply, thickness of back ply, thickness of core, and 
thickness of inner plies; width; and length); wood species used for the 
face, back and inner veneers; core composition; and face grade. 
Multilayered wood flooring included within the definition of subject 
merchandise may be unfinished (i.e., without a finally finished surface 
to protect the face veneer from wear and tear) or ``prefinished'' 
(i.e., a coating applied to the face veneer, including, but not 
exclusively, oil or oil-modified or water-based polyurethanes, ultra-
violet light cured polyurethanes, wax, epoxy-ester finishes, moisture-
cured urethanes and acid-curing formaldehyde finishes). The veneers may 
be also soaked in an acrylic-impregnated finish. All multilayered wood 
flooring is included within the definition of subject merchandise 
regardless of whether the face (or back) of the product is smooth, wire 
brushed, distressed by any method or multiple methods, or hand-scraped. 
In addition, all multilayered wood flooring is included within the 
definition of subject merchandise regardless of whether or not it is 
manufactured with any interlocking or connecting mechanism (for 
example, tongue-and-groove construction or locking joints). All 
multilayered wood flooring is included within the definition of the 
subject merchandise regardless of whether the product meets a 
particular industry or similar standard.
    The core of multilayered wood flooring may be composed of a range 
of materials, including but not limited to hardwood or softwood veneer, 
particleboard, medium-density fiberboard, high-density fiberboard 
(``HDF''), stone and/or plastic composite, or strips of lumber placed 
edge-to-edge.
    Multilayered wood flooring products generally, but not exclusively, 
may be in the form of a strip, plank, or other geometrical patterns 
(e.g., circular, hexagonal). All multilayered wood flooring products 
are included within this definition regardless of the actual or nominal 
dimensions or form of the product. Specifically excluded from the scope 
are cork flooring and bamboo flooring, regardless of whether any of the 
sub-surface layers of either flooring are made from wood. Also excluded 
is laminate flooring. Laminate flooring consists of a top wear layer 
sheet not made of wood, a decorative paper layer, a core-layer of HDF, 
and a stabilizing bottom layer.
    Imports of the subject merchandise are provided for under the 
following subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (``HTSUS''): 4412.31.0520; 4412.31.0540; 4412.31.0560; 
4412.31.2510; 4412.31.2520; 4412.31.3175; 4412.31.4040; 4412.31.4050; 
4412.31.4060; 4412.31.4070; 4412.31.4075; 4412.31.4080; 4412.31.5125; 
4412.31.5135; 4412.31.5155; 4412.31.5165; 4412.31.5175; 4412.31.6000; 
4412.31.9100; 4412.32.0520; 4412.32.0540; 4412.32.0560; 4412.32.0565; 
4412.32.0570; 4412.32.2510; 4412.32.2520; 4412.32.2525; 4412.32.2530; 
4412.32.3125; 4412.32.3135; 4412.32.3155; 4412.32.3165; 4412.32.3175; 
4412.32.3185; 4412.32.5600; 4412.39.1000; 4412.39.3000; 4412.39.4011; 
4412.39.4012; 4412.39.4019; 4412.39.4031; 4412.39.4032; 4412.39.4039; 
4412.39.4051; 4412.39.4052; 4412.39.4059; 4412.39.4061; 4412.39.4062; 
4412.39.4069; 4412.39.5010; 4412.39.5030; 4412.39.5050; 4412.94.1030; 
4412.94.1050; 4412.94.3105; 4412.94.3111; 4412.94.3121; 4412.94.3131; 
4412.94.3141; 4412.94.3160; 4412.94.3171; 4412.94.4100; 4412.94.5100; 
4412.94.6000; 4412.94.7000; 4412.94.8000; 4412.94.9000; 4412.94.9500; 
4412.99.0600; 4412.99.1020; 4412.99.1030; 4412.99.1040; 4412.99.3110; 
4412.99.3120; 4412.99.3130; 4412.99.3140; 4412.99.3150; 4412.99.3160; 
4412.99.3170; 4412.99.4100; 4412.99.5100; 4412.99.5105; 4412.99.5115; 
4412.99.5710; 4412.99.6000; 4412.99.7000; 4412.99.8000; 4412.99.9000; 
4412.99.9500; 4418.71.2000; 4418.71.9000; 4418.72.2000; 4418.72.9500; 
and 9801.00.2500.
    While HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs 
purposes, the written description of the subject merchandise is 
dispositive.

Final Results of Changed Circumstances Review

    Because no party submitted a case brief in response to the 
Department's Preliminary Results, and because the record contains no 
other information or evidence that calls into question the Preliminary 
Results, the Department continues to find that Sino-Maple is the 
successor-in-interest to Jiafeng, and is entitled to Jiafeng's cash 
deposit rate with respect to entries of merchandise subject to the AD 
order on MLWF from the PRC.\6\
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    \6\ For a complete discussion of the Department's findings, 
which remain unchanged in these final results and which are herein 
incorporated by reference and adopted by this notice, see generally 
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum accompanying the Preliminary 
Results.
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Instructions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Based on these final results, we will instruct U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection to collect estimated ADs for all shipments of subject 
merchandise exported by Sino-Maple and entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of this 
notice in the Federal Register at the current AD cash deposit rate for 
Jiafeng (i.e., 13.74 percent). This cash deposit requirement shall 
remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice serves as a final reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (``APO'') of their responsibility 
concerning the disposition 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 sanctionable violation.
    We are issuing and publishing this final results notice in 
accordance with sections 751(b) and 777(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, 
as amended, and 19 CFR 351.216.

    Dated: November 9, 2015.
Paul Piquado,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2015-29199 Filed 11-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P