[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 241 (Monday, December 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64597-64598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27196]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation Nos. 701-TA-606 and 731-TA-1416 (Final)]


Quartz Surface Products 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-606 and 731-TA-1416 (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 quartz surface products from China, 
provided for in subheading 6810.99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States, preliminarily determined by the Department of 
Commerce (``Commerce'') to be subsidized and sold at less-than-fair-
value.

DATES: November 20, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence Jones (202-205-3358), 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: 
    Scope.-- For purposes of these investigations, Commerce has defined 
the subject merchandise as certain quartz surface products.\1\ Quartz 
surface products consist of slabs and other surfaces created from a 
mixture of materials that includes predominately silica (e.g., quartz, 
quartz powder, cristobalite) as well as a resin binder (e.g., an 
unsaturated polyester). The incorporation of other materials, 
including, but not limited to, pigments, cement, or other additives 
does not remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigations. 
However, the scope of the investigations only includes products where 
the silica content is greater than any other single material, by actual 
weight. Quartz surface products are typically sold as rectangular slabs 
with a total surface area of approximately 45 to 60 square feet and a 
nominal thickness of one, two, or three centimeters. However, the scope 
of these investigations includes surface products of all other sizes, 
thicknesses, and shapes.
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    \1\ Quartz surface products may also generally be referred to as 
engineered stone or quartz, artificial stone or quartz, agglomerated 
stone or quartz, synthetic stone or quartz, processed stone or 
quartz, manufactured stone or quartz, and Bretonstone.
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    In addition to slabs, the scope of these investigations includes, 
but is not limited to, other surfaces such as countertops, 
backsplashes, vanity tops, bar tops, work tops, tabletops, flooring, 
wall facing, shower surrounds, fire place surrounds, mantels, and 
tiles. Certain quartz surface products are covered by the 
investigations whether polished or unpolished, cut or uncut, fabricated 
or not fabricated, cured or uncured, edged or not edged, finished or 
unfinished, thermoformed or not thermoformed, packaged or unpackaged, 
and regardless of the type of surface finish. In addition, quartz 
surface products are covered by the investigations whether or not they 
are imported attached to, or in conjunction with, non-subject 
merchandise such as sinks, sink bowls, vanities, cabinets, and 
furniture. If quartz surface products are imported attached to, or in 
conjunction with, such non-subject merchandise, only the quartz surface 
product is covered by the scope.
    Subject merchandise includes material matching the above 
description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise fabricated 
in a third country, including by cutting, polishing, curing, edging, 
thermoforming, attaching to, or packaging with another product, or any 
other finishing, packaging, or fabrication that would not otherwise 
remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigations if 
performed in the country of manufacture of the quartz surface products.
    The scope of the investigations does not cover quarried stone 
surface products, such as granite, marble, soapstone, or quartzite. 
Specifically excluded from the scope of the investigations are crushed 
glass surface products. Crushed glass surface products are surface 
products in which the crushed glass content is greater than any other 
single material, by actual weight.
    The products subject to the scope are currently classified in the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the 
following statistical reporting numbers: 6810.99.0010. Subject 
merchandise may also enter under subheadings 6810.11.0010, 
6810.11.0070, 6810.19.1200, 6810.19.1400, 6810.19.5000, 6810.91.0000, 
6810.99.0080, 6815.99.4070, 2506.10.0010, 2506.10.0050, 2506.20.0010, 
2506.20.0080. The HTSUS subheadings set forth above are provided for 
convenience and U.S. Customs purposes only. The written description of 
the scope is dispositive.

[[Page 64598]]

    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 affirmative 
preliminary determinations by 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 quartz surface products, and that such products 
are being sold in the United States at less than fair value within the 
meaning of section 733 of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673b). The investigations 
were requested in petitions filed on April 17, 2018 by Cambria Company 
LLC, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
    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 March 
14, 2019, 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 April 4, 
2019, 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 March 29, 2019. 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 April 1, 2019, 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 
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 March 21, 2019. 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 April 11, 2019. 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 April 11, 2019. On May 1, 2019, 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 May 3, 2019, 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 website 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.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: December 11, 2018.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2018-27196 Filed 12-14-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P