[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3677-3680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01447]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-469-817]


Ripe Olives From Spain: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of 
Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and 
Extension of Provisional Measures

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines 
that ripe olives from Spain are being, or are likely to be, sold in the 
United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of 
investigation (POI) is April 1, 2016, through March 31, 2017. 
Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary 
determination.

DATES: Applicable January 26, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Cartsos, Bryan Hansen, or 
Peter Zukowski, AD/CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and 
Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-1757, (202) 482-3683, or (202) 482-0189, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of this investigation on July 12, 
2017.\1\ On November 16, 2017, Commerce postponed the preliminary 
determination of this investigation and the revised deadline is now 
January 18, 2017.\2\ For a complete description of the events that 
followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum.\3\ A list of topics included in the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum is included at Appendix II to this notice. The 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file 
electronically

[[Page 3678]]

via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to 
registered users at https://access.trade.gov, and to all parties in the 
Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce 
building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum can be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed and the electronic versions of the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum are identical in content.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Ripe Olives from Spain: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-
Value Investigation, 82 FR 33054 (July 19, 2017) (Initiation 
Notice).
    \2\ See Ripe Olives from Spain: Postponement of Preliminary 
Determination in the Less-Than-Fair Value Investigation, 82 FR 53479 
(November 16, 2017).
    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of ripe 
Olives from Spain,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by 
this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is ripe olives from 
Spain. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, 
see Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    In accordance with the preamble to Commerce's regulations,\4\ the 
Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise 
issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope). Both Aceitunas 
Guadalquivir S.L. (AG) and Angel Camacho Alimentacion S.L. (Camacho) 
stated that cocktail mixes are out of the scope. Without any further 
elaboration, the petitioners commented that AG and Camacho cannot 
unilaterally decided what is in or outside the scope. For this 
preliminary determination, Commerce is not modifying the scope and is 
including cocktail mixes in our analysis. We will further evaluate this 
issue for purposes of the final determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with 
section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export prices in 
accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Constructed export prices 
have been calculated in accordance with section 772(b) of the Act. 
Normal value (NV) is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the 
Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying the 
preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

All-Others Rate

    Sections 733(d)(1)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that in 
the preliminary determination Commerce shall determine an estimated 
all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually 
examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of 
the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for 
exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero 
and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under 
section 776 of the Act. In this investigation, Commerce calculated 
estimated weighted-average dumping margins for AG, Agro Sevilla 
Aceitunas S.COOP Anndalusia, and Camacho that are not zero, de minimis, 
or based entirely on facts otherwise available. Commerce calculated the 
all-others rate using a weighted-average of the estimated weighted-
average dumping margins calculated for the examined respondents using 
each company's business proprietary data for the merchandise under 
consideration.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ For a complete analysis of the data, see Memorandum, ``Less-
Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Ripe Olives from Spain: Calculation 
of the All-Others Rate,'' dated concurrently with this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preliminary Determination

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated 
weighted-average dumping margins exist:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Estimated
                                                               weighted-
                                                                average
                      Exporter/producer                         dumping
                                                                margin
                                                               (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aceitunas Guadalquivir S.L..................................       16.80
Agro Sevilla Aceitunas S.COOP Anndalusia....................       14.64
Angel Camacho Alimentacion S.L..............................       19.73
All-Others..................................................       17.13
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 733(d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will 
direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation 
of entries of subject merchandise, as described in Appendix I, entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Further, pursuant 
to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will 
instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the estimated weighted-
average dumping margin or the estimated all-others rate, as follows: 
(1) The cash deposit rate for the respondents listed above will be 
equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-average dumping 
margins determined in this preliminary determination; (2) if the 
exporter is not a respondent identified above, but the producer is, 
then the cash deposit rate will be equal to the company-specific 
estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for that producer 
of the subject merchandise; and (3) the cash deposit rate for all other 
producers and exporters will be equal to the all-others estimated 
weighted-average dumping margin.
    Commerce normally adjusts cash deposits for estimated antidumping 
duties by the amount of export subsidies countervailed in a companion 
countervailing duty (CVD) proceeding, when CVD provisional measures are 
in effect. Because Commerce preliminarily did not make an affirmative 
determination for countervailable export subsidies, Commerce has not 
offset the estimated weighted-average dumping margin by a CVD rate.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See Ripe Olives from Spain: Preliminary Affirmative 
Countervailing Duty Determination, and Alignment of Final 
Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination, 82 FR 56218 
(November 20, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect 
until further notice.

Disclosure

    Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis 
performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination 
within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no public 
announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this 
notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Verification

    As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to 
verify the information relied upon in making its final determination.

Public Comment

    Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven 
days after the date on which the last verification report is issued in 
this investigation. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in case 
briefs, may be submitted no later than five days after the deadline 
date for case briefs.\7\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), 
parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this investigation 
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general 
filing requirements).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to 
request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal 
briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days 
after the date

[[Page 3679]]

of publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party's 
name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants, 
whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the issues 
to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce intends 
to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, at a time and date to be 
determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and 
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.

Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional 
Measures

    Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides that a final determination 
may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the date of the 
publication of the preliminary determination if, in the event of an 
affirmative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement 
is made by exporters who account for a significant proportion of 
exports of the subject merchandise, or in the event of a negative 
preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is made by 
the petitioner. Section 351.210(e)(2) of Commerce's regulations 
requires that a request by exporters for postponement of the final 
determination be accompanied by a request for extension of provisional 
measures from a four-month period to a period not more than six months 
in duration.
    On December 14, 2017, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e), certain 
exporters of subject merchandise requested that Commerce postpone the 
final determination and that provisional measures be extended to a 
period not to exceed six months.\8\ In accordance with section 
735(a)(2)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) The 
preliminary determination is affirmative; (2) the requesting exporters 
account for a significant proportion of exports of the subject 
merchandise; and (3) no compelling reasons for denial exist, Commerce 
is postponing the final determination and extending the provisional 
measures from a four-month period to a period not greater than six 
months. Accordingly, Commerce will make its final determination no 
later than 135 days after the date of publication of this preliminary 
determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ See Letter from Asociaci[oacute]n de Exportadores e 
Industriales de Aceitunas de Mesa (ASEMESA), Industria Aceiyunera 
Marciense, S.A., DCOOP, S. COOP. AND., Agro Sevilla Aceitunas, SOC. 
COOP. AND., Plasoliva, S.L., GOYA en Espana, S.A.U., Aceitunas 
Guadalquivir, S.L., Angel Camacho Alimentaci[oacute]n, S.L., 
Internacional Olivarera S.A., F.J. Sanchez Sucesores, S.A.U., and 
Aceitunas Sevillanas S.A., ``Request to Postpone the Final 
Antidumping Determination: Ripe Olives from Spain,'' dated December 
14, 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify 
the International Trade Commission (ITC) of its preliminary 
determination. If the final determination is affirmative, the ITC will 
determine before the later of 120 days after the date of this 
preliminary determination or 45 days after the final determination 
whether these imports are materially injuring, or threaten material 
injury to, the U.S. industry.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

    Dated: January 18, 2018.
Gary Taverman,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are certain processed 
olives, usually referred to as ``ripe olives.'' The subject 
merchandise includes all colors of olives; all shapes and sizes of 
olives, whether pitted or not pitted, and whether whole, sliced, 
chopped, minced, wedged, broken, or otherwise reduced in size; all 
types of packaging, whether for consumer (retail) or institutional 
(food service) sale, and whether canned or packaged in glass, metal, 
plastic, multi-layered airtight containers (including pouches), or 
otherwise; and all manners of preparation and preservation, whether 
low acid or acidified, stuffed or not stuffed, with or without 
flavoring and/or saline solution, and including in ambient, 
refrigerated, or frozen conditions.
    Included are all ripe olives grown, processed in whole or in 
part, or packaged in Spain. Subject merchandise includes ripe olives 
that have been further processed in Spain or a third country, 
including but not limited to curing, fermenting, rinsing, oxidizing, 
pitting, slicing, chopping, segmenting, wedging, stuffing, 
packaging, or heat treating, or any other processing that would not 
otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation 
if performed in Spain.
    Excluded from the scope are: (1) Specialty olives \9\ (including 
``Spanish-style,'' ``Sicilian-style,'' and other similar olives) 
that have been processed by fermentation only, or by being cured in 
an alkaline solution for not longer than 12 hours and subsequently 
fermented; and (2) provisionally prepared olives unsuitable for 
immediate consumption (currently classifiable in subheading 0711.20 
of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ Some of the major types of specialty olives and their curing 
methods are:
     ``Spanish-style'' green olives. Spanish-style green 
olives have a mildly salty, slightly bitter taste, and are usually 
pitted and stuffed. This style of olive is primarily produced in 
Spain and can be made from various olive varieties. Most are stuffed 
with pimento; other popular stuffings are jalapeno, garlic, and 
cheese. The raw olives that are used to produce Spanish-style green 
olives are picked while they are unripe, after which they are 
submerged in an alkaline solution for typically less than a day to 
partially remove their bitterness, rinsed, and fermented in a strong 
salt brine, giving them their characteristic flavor.
     ``Sicilian-style'' green olives. Sicilian-style olives 
are large, firm green olives with a natural bitter and savory 
flavor. This style of olive is produced in small quantities in the 
United States using a Sevillano variety of olive and harvested green 
with a firm texture. Sicilian-style olives are processed using a 
brine-cured method, and undergo a full fermentation in a salt and 
lactic acid brine for 4 to 9 months. These olives may be sold whole 
unpitted, pitted, or stuffed.
     ``Kalamata'' olives: Kalamata olives are slightly 
curved in shape, tender in texture, and purple in color, and have a 
rich natural tangy and savory flavor. This style of olive is 
produced in Greece using a Kalamata variety olive. The olives are 
harvested after they are fully ripened on the tree, and typically 
use a brine-cured fermentation method over 4 to 9 months in a salt 
brine.
     Other specialty olives in a full range of colors, 
sizes, and origins, typically fermented in a salt brine for 3 months 
or more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The merchandise subject to this investigation is currently 
classifiable under subheadings 2005.70.0230, 2005.70.0260, 
2005.70.0430, 2005.70.0460, 2005.70.5030, 2005.70.5060, 
2005.70.6020, 2005.70.6030, 2005.70.6050, 2005.70.6060, 
2005.70.6070, 2005.70.7000, 2005.70.7510, 2005.70.7515, 
2005.70.7520, and 2005.70.7525 HTSUS. Subject merchandise may also 
be imported under subheadings 2005.70.0600, 2005.70.0800, 
2005.70.1200, 2005.70.1600, 2005.70.1800, 2005.70.2300, 
2005.70.2510, 2005.70.2520, 2005.70.2530, 2005.70.2540, 
2005.70.2550, 2005.70.2560, 2005.70.9100, 2005.70.9300, and 
2005.70.9700. Although HTSUS subheadings are provided for 
convenience and US Customs purposes, they do not define the scope of 
the investigation; rather, the written description of the subject 
merchandise is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Scope Comments
V. Product Characteristics
VI. Discussion of the Methodology
    A. Determination of the Comparison Method
    B. Results of the Differential Pricing Analysis
VII. Date of Sale
VIII. Product Comparisons
IX. Export Price and Constructed Export Price

[[Page 3680]]

X. Normal Value
    A. Comparison Market Viability
    B. Affiliated Party Transactions and Arm's-Length Test
    C. Level of Trade
    D. Cost of Production Analysis
    1. Calculation of COP
    2. Test of Comparison Market Sales Prices
    3. Results of the COP Test
    E. Calculation of NV Based on Comparison Market Prices
    F. Calculation of NV Based on Constructed Value
XI. Currency Conversion
XII. Conclusion

[FR Doc. 2018-01447 Filed 1-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P