[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78631-78632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26951]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. 701-TA-562 and 731-TA-1329 (Final)]


Ammonium Sulfate From China; Scheduling of the Final Phase of 
Countervailing Duty and Antidumping Duty Investigations

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the 
final phase of antidumping and countervailing duty investigation Nos. 
701-TA-562 and 731-TA-1329 (Final) pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 
(``the Act'') to determine whether an industry in the United States is 
materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the 
establishment of an industry in the United States is materially 
retarded, by reason of imports of ammonium sulfate from China, provided 
for in subheading 3102.21.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States. The Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined 
that such imports are subsidized.

DATES: Effective October 24, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jordan Harriman (202-205-2610), Office 
of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20436. Hearing-impaired persons can obtain 
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal 
on 202-205-1810. Persons with mobility impairments who will need 
special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact 
the Office of the Secretary at 202-205-2000. General information 
concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its 
internet server (https://www.usitc.gov). The public record for these 
investigations may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket 
(EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background.--The final phase of these investigations is being 
scheduled pursuant to sections 705(b) and 731(b) of the Tariff Act of 
1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671d(b) and 1673d(b)), as a result of an affirmative 
preliminary determination by the Department of Commerce that certain 
benefits which constitute subsidies within the meaning of section 703 
of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1671b) are being provided to manufacturers, 
producers, or exporters in China of ammonium sulfate.\1\ The 
investigations were requested in petitions filed on May 25, 2016, by 
Pasadena Commodities International, Nitrogen LLC (Pasadena, Texas).
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    \1\ For purposes of these investigations, the Department of 
Commerce has defined the subject merchandise as ammonium sulfate in 
all physical forms, with or without additives such as anti-caking 
agents. Ammonium sulfate, which may also be spelled as ammonium 
sulphate, has the chemical formula 
(NH4)2SO4. The scope includes 
ammonium sulfate that is combined with other products, including by, 
for example, blending (i.e., mixing granules of ammonium sulfate 
with granules of one or more other products), compounding (i.e., 
when ammonium sulfate is compacted with one or more other products 
under high pressure), or granulating (incorporating multiple 
products into granules through, e.g., a slurry process). For such 
combined products, only the ammonium sulfate component is covered by 
the scope of these investigations. Ammonium sulfate that has been 
combined with other products is included within the scope regardless 
of whether the combining occurs in countries other than China. 
Ammonium sulfate that is otherwise subject to these investigations 
is not excluded when commingled (i.e., mixed or combined) with 
ammonium sulfate from sources not subject to these investigations. 
Only the subject component of such commingled products is covered by 
the scope of these investigations. The Chemical Abstracts Service 
(CAS) registry number for ammonium sulfate is 7783-20-2. The 
merchandise covered by these investigations is currently 
classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) subheading 3102.21.0000. Although this HTSUS subheading and 
CAS registry number are provided for convenience and customs 
purposes, the written description of the scope of these 
investigations is dispositive.
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    For further information concerning the conduct of this phase of the 
investigations, hearing procedures, and rules of general application, 
consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, part 201, 
subparts A and B (19 CFR part 201), and part 207, subparts A and C (19 
CFR part 207).
    Participation in the investigations and public service list.--
Persons, including industrial users of the subject merchandise and, if 
the merchandise is sold at the retail level, representative consumer 
organizations, wishing to participate in the final phase of these 
investigations as parties must file an entry of appearance with the 
Secretary to the Commission, as provided in section 201.11 of the 
Commission's rules, no later than 21 days prior to the hearing date 
specified in this notice. A party that filed a notice of appearance 
during the preliminary phase of the investigations need not file an 
additional notice of appearance during this final phase. The Secretary 
will maintain a public service list containing the names and addresses 
of all persons, or their representatives, who are parties to the 
investigations.
    Limited disclosure of business proprietary information (BPI) under 
an administrative protective order (APO) and BPI service list.--
Pursuant to section 207.7(a) of the Commission's rules, the Secretary 
will make BPI gathered in the final phase of these investigations 
available to authorized applicants under the APO issued in the 
investigations, provided that the application is made no later than 21 
days prior to the hearing date specified in this notice. Authorized 
applicants must represent interested parties, as defined by 19 U.S.C. 
1677(9), who are parties to the investigations. A party granted access 
to BPI in the preliminary phase of the investigations need not reapply 
for such access. A separate service list will be maintained by the 
Secretary for those parties authorized to receive BPI under the APO.
    Staff report.--The prehearing staff report in the final phase of 
these investigations will be placed in the nonpublic record on December 
28, 2016, and a public version will be issued thereafter, pursuant to 
section 207.22 of the Commission's rules.
    Hearing.--The Commission will hold a hearing in connection with the 
final phase of these investigations beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 
January 12, 2017, at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building. 
Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed in writing with the 
Secretary to the Commission on or before January 10, 2017. A nonparty 
who has testimony that may aid the Commission's deliberations may 
request permission to present a short statement at the hearing. All 
parties and nonparties desiring to appear at the hearing and make oral 
presentations should participate in a prehearing conference to be held 
on January 10, 2017, at the U.S. International Trade Commission 
Building, if deemed necessary. Oral testimony and written materials to 
be submitted at the public hearing are governed by sections 
201.6(b)(2), 201.13(f), and 207.24 of the Commission's rules. Parties 
must submit

[[Page 78632]]

any request to present a portion of their hearing testimony in camera 
no later than 7 business days prior to the date of the hearing.
    Written submissions.--Each party who is an interested party shall 
submit a prehearing brief to the Commission. Prehearing briefs must 
conform with the provisions of section 207.23 of the Commission's 
rules; the deadline for filing is January 5, 2017. Parties may also 
file written testimony in connection with their presentation at the 
hearing, as provided in section 207.24 of the Commission's rules, and 
posthearing briefs, which must conform with the provisions of section 
207.25 of the Commission's rules. The deadline for filing posthearing 
briefs is January 19, 2017. In addition, any person who has not entered 
an appearance as a party to the investigations may submit a written 
statement of information pertinent to the subject of the 
investigations, including statements of support or opposition to the 
petition, on or before January 19, 2017. On February 1, 2017, the 
Commission will make available to parties all information on which they 
have not had an opportunity to comment. Parties may submit final 
comments on this information on or before February 3, 2017, but such 
final comments must not contain new factual information and must 
otherwise comply with section 207.30 of the Commission's rules. All 
written submissions must conform with the provisions of section 201.8 
of the Commission's rules; any submissions that contain BPI must also 
conform with the requirements of sections 201.6, 207.3, and 207.7 of 
the Commission's rules. The Commission's Handbook on E-Filing, 
available on the Commission's Web site at https://edis.usitc.gov, 
elaborates upon the Commission's rules with respect to electronic 
filing.
    Additional written submissions to the Commission, including 
requests pursuant to section 201.12 of the Commission's rules, shall 
not be accepted unless good cause is shown for accepting such 
submissions, or unless the submission is pursuant to a specific request 
by a Commissioner or Commission staff.
    In accordance with sections 201.16(c) and 207.3 of the Commission's 
rules, each document filed by a party to the investigations must be 
served on all other parties to the investigations (as identified by 
either the public or BPI service list), and a certificate of service 
must be timely filed. The Secretary will not accept a document for 
filing without a certificate of service.

    Authority: These investigations are being conducted under 
authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is 
published pursuant to section 207.21 of the Commission's rules.

     Issued: November 3, 2016.

    By order of the Commission.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2016-26951 Filed 11-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7020-02-P