[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9091-9092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04621]



[[Page 9091]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-832]


Pure Magnesium From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2017-2018

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines 
that Tianjin Magnesium International, Co., Ltd. (TMI) and Tianjin 
Magnesium Metal, Co., Ltd. (TMM) (collectively TMI/TMM) did not have 
reviewable entries during the period of review (POR). We invite 
interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES: Applicable March 13, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle Clahane or Brendan Quinn, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-5449 or (202) 482-5848, 
respectively.

Background

    On May 1, 2018, Commerce published a notice of opportunity to 
request an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on pure 
magnesium from the People's Republic of China (China) for the POR.\1\ 
On July 12, 2018, in response to a timely request from the 
petitioner,\2\ and in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff Act 
of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.221(c)(1)(i), we 
initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on 
pure magnesium from China with respect to TMI and TMM.\3\
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    \1\ See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or 
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative 
Review, 83 FR 19047 (May 1, 2018).
    \2\ See letter from US Magnesium LLC (the petitioner), ``Pure 
Magnesium from the People's Republic of China: Request for 
Administrative Review,'' dated May 31, 2018.
    \3\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 83 FR 32270 (July 12, 2018) (Initiation 
Notice). In the 2011-2012 administrative review of the order, 
Commerce collapsed TMM and TMI, and treated the companies as a 
single entity for purposes of the proceeding. Because there were no 
changes to the facts which supported that decision since that 
determination was made, we continue to find that these companies are 
part of a single entity for this administrative review. See Pure 
Magnesium from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2011-2012, 79 FR 94 (January 
2, 2014) and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 
5.
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    Commerce exercised its discretion to toll all deadlines affected by 
the partial federal government closure from December 22, 2018, through 
the resumption of operations on January 29, 2019.\4\ If the new 
deadline falls on a non-business day, in accordance with Commerce's 
practice, the deadline will become the next business day. Accordingly, 
the revised deadline for the issuance of these preliminary results is 
now March 12, 2019.
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    \4\ See memorandum to the Record from 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, ``Deadlines 
Affected by the Partial Shutdown of the Federal Government,'' dated 
January 28, 2019. All deadlines in this segment of the proceeding 
have been extended by 40 days.
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Scope of the Order

    Merchandise covered by the order is pure magnesium regardless of 
chemistry, form or size, unless expressly excluded from the scope of 
the order. Pure magnesium is a metal or alloy containing by weight 
primarily the element magnesium and produced by decomposing raw 
materials into magnesium metal. Pure primary magnesium is used 
primarily as a chemical in the aluminum alloying, desulfurization, and 
chemical reduction industries. In addition, pure magnesium is used as 
an input in producing magnesium alloy. Pure magnesium encompasses 
products (including, but not limited to, butt ends, stubs, crowns and 
crystals) with the following primary magnesium contents:
    (1) Products that contain at least 99.95% primary magnesium, by 
weight (generally referred to as ``ultra pure'' magnesium);
    (2) Products that contain less than 99.95% but not less than 99.8% 
primary magnesium, by weight (generally referred to as ``pure'' 
magnesium); and
    (3) Products that contain 50% or greater, but less than 99.8% 
primary magnesium, by weight, and that do not conform to ASTM 
specifications for alloy magnesium (generally referred to as ``off-
specification pure'' magnesium).
    ``Off-specification pure'' magnesium is pure primary magnesium 
containing magnesium scrap, secondary magnesium, oxidized magnesium or 
impurities (whether or not intentionally added) that cause the primary 
magnesium content to fall below 99.8% by weight. It generally does not 
contain, individually or in combination, 1.5% or more, by weight, of 
the following alloying elements: Aluminum, manganese, zinc, silicon, 
thorium, zirconium and rare earths.
    Excluded from the scope of the order are alloy primary magnesium 
(that meets specifications for alloy magnesium), primary magnesium 
anodes, granular primary magnesium (including turnings, chips and 
powder) having a maximum physical dimension (i.e., length or diameter) 
of one inch or less, secondary magnesium (which has pure primary 
magnesium content of less than 50% by weight), and remelted magnesium 
whose pure primary magnesium content is less than 50% by weight.
    Pure magnesium products covered by the order are currently 
classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) subheadings 8104.11.00, 8104.19.00, 8104.20.00, 8104.30.00, 
8104.90.00, 3824.90.11, 3824.90.19 and 9817.00.90. Although the HTSUS 
subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the 
written description of the scope is dispositive.

Preliminary Determination of No Shipments

    We received timely submissions from TMM and TMI certifying that 
they did not have sales, shipments, or exports of subject merchandise 
to the United States during the POR.\5\ On August 13, 2018, we 
requested the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data file of 
entries of subject merchandise imported into the United States during 
the POR, and exported by TMM and/or TMI. This query returned no entries 
during the POR.\6\ Additionally, in order to examine TMM's and TMI's 
claim, we sent an inquiry to CBP requesting that any CBP officer alert 
Commerce if he/she had information contrary to these no-shipments 
claims.\7\ On August 22, 2018, we received notification from CBP of no 
information contrary to the no shipment claims.\8\
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    \5\ See letter from TMM, ``Pure Magnesium from the People's 
Republic of China; A-570-832; Certification of No Sales by Tianjin 
Magnesium Metal Co., Ltd.,'' dated August 1, 2018, at 1. See letter 
from TMI, ``Pure Magnesium from the People's Republic of China; A-
570-832; Certification of No Sales by Tianjin Magnesium 
International, Co., Ltd.,'' dated August 4, 2018.
    \6\ See Memorandum to the file ``2017-2018 Administrative Review 
of Pure Magnesium from the People's Republic of China, U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection Data'' dated August 23, 2018 (No shipment 
Memo) at Attachment 1.
    \7\ Id. at Attachment 2.
    \8\ Id. at Attachment 3.
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    Because we have not received information to the contrary from CBP, 
consistent with our practice, we preliminarily determine that TMI/TMM 
had no shipments and, therefore, no reviewable entries during the POR. 
In addition, we find it is not appropriate to

[[Page 9092]]

rescind the review with respect to these companies but, rather, to 
complete the review with respect to TMI/TMM and issue appropriate 
instructions to CBP based on the final results of the review, 
consistent with our practice in non-market economy (NME) cases.\9\
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    \9\ See Glycine from the People's Republic of China: Final 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review 2014-2015, 81 FR 
72567 (October 20, 2016) and the ``Assessment Rates'' section, 
below.
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Public Comment

    Interested parties may submit case briefs no later than 30 days 
after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.\10\ Rebuttals to case briefs, which must be limited to issues 
raised in the case briefs, must be filed within five days after the 
date for filing case briefs.\11\ Parties who submit arguments are 
requested to submit with each argument (a) a statement of the issue, 
(b) a brief summary of the argument, and (c) a table of 
authorities.\12\ Parties submitting briefs should do so pursuant to 
Commerce's electronic filing system: Enforcement and Compliance's 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service 
System (ACCESS).\13\ ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov, and is available to all parties in the Central 
Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building.
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    \10\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii).
    \11\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d)(1)(2).
    \12\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2), (d)(2).
    \13\ See 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements).
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    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to 
request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant 
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce 
within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice. Hearing 
requests should contain the following information: (1) The party's 
name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; 
and (3) a list of the issues parties intend to discuss. Issues raised 
in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case 
and rebuttal briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, parties will 
be notified of the time and date of the hearing which will be held at 
the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230.
    Unless extended, we intend to issue the final results of this 
administrative review, including our analysis of all issues raised in 
any written brief, within 120 days of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

Assessment Rates

    Upon issuance of the final results, Commerce will determine, and 
CBP shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered 
by this review.\14\ We intend to issue assessment instructions to CBP 
15 days after the publication date of the final results of this review. 
Pursuant to Commerce's practice in NME cases, if Commerce continues to 
determine in the final results that that TMI/TMM had no shipments of 
subject merchandise, any suspended entries during the POR from TMI/TMM 
will be liquidated at the China-wide rate.\15\
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    \14\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
    \15\ For a full discussion of this practice, see Non-Market 
Economy Antidumping Proceedings: Assessment of Antidumping Duties, 
76 FR 65694 (October 24, 2011).
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Cash Deposit Requirements

    The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon 
publication of the final results of this administrative review for all 
shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as 
provided for by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For TMI/TMM, which 
claimed no shipments, the cash deposit rate will remain unchanged from 
the rate assigned to TMI/TMM in the most recently completed review of 
the company; (2) for previously investigated or reviewed Chinese and 
non-Chinese exporters who are not under review in this segment of the 
proceeding but who have separate rates, the cash deposit rate will 
continue to be the exporter-specific rate published for the most recent 
period; (3) for all Chinese exporters of subject merchandise that have 
not been found to be entitled to a separate rate, the cash deposit rate 
will be the China-wide rate of 111.73 percent; and (4) for all non-
Chinese exporters of subject merchandise which have not received their 
own rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to Chinese 
exporter(s) that supplied that non-Chinese exporter. These deposit 
requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further 
notice.

Notification to Importers

    This notice also serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of 
their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate 
regarding the reimbursement off antidumping duties prior to liquidation 
of the relevant entries during this period. Failure to comply with this 
requirement may result in the Secretary's presumption that 
reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent 
assessment of double antidumping duties.
    This notice is issued in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 
777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: March 6, 2019.
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.
[FR Doc. 2019-04621 Filed 3-12-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P