[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 70 (Thursday, April 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14651-14653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07198]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-552-823]


Laminated Woven Sacks From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports 
of laminated woven sacks (LWS) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 
(Vietnam) are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at 
less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation is July 1, 
2017, through December 31, 2017.

DATES: Applicable April 11, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Drew Jackson or Celeste Chen, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4406 or (202) 482-0890, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 11, 2018, Commerce published in the Federal Register the 
Preliminary Determination and invited interested parties to comment.\1\ 
On October 23, 2018, Commerce postponed the final determination of this 
investigation until February 25, 2019.\2\ 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.\3\ 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 
final determination is now April 4, 2019. A summary of the events that 
occurred since Commerce published the Preliminary Determination may be 
found in the Issues and Decision Memorandum that is dated concurrently 
with this determination and hereby adopted by this notice.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 
83 FR 51436 (October 11, 2018) (Preliminary Determination) and 
accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum (PDM).
    \2\ See Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Postponement of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than 
Fair Value Investigation, 83 FR 53452 (October 23, 2018).
    \3\ 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.
    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the 
Final Affirmative Determination in the Laminated Woven Sacks from 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,'' (Issues and Decision 
Memorandum).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Period of Investigation

    The period of investigation is July 1, 2017, through December 31, 
2017.

Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are laminated woven 
sacks from Vietnam. For a full description of the scope of this 
investigation, see the ``Scope of the Investigation,'' at Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    During the course of this investigation and the concurrent 
countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of LWS from Vietnam, Commerce 
received scope comments from interested parties. Commerce issued a 
Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum to address these comments.\5\ In 
response to Commerce's invitation to comment on its preliminary scope 
determination, Commerce received scope comments from Halsted 
Corporation (Halsted),\6\ and rebuttal comments from the 
petitioners.\7\ However, Commerce rejected Halsted's scope comments 
because they contained untimely filed new factual information.\8\ 
Because Halsted's scope comments have been removed from the record of 
these investigations and Halsted did not file a redacted version of its 
scope comments within the deadline allotted by Commerce, Halsted's 
comments have not been considered in these investigations.\9\ 
Furthermore, because

[[Page 14652]]

the petitioners' rebuttal comments respond to Halsted's comments, which 
have been removed from the record of these investigations, Commerce has 
not considered the petitioners' comments. Therefore, Commerce has made 
no changes to the scope of these investigations since the Preliminary 
Determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Memorandum, ``Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Investigations of Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist Republic 
of Vietnam: Preliminary Scope Determination,'' dated October 3, 2018 
(Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum).
    \6\ See Letter, ``Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Investigations of Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist Republic 
of Vietnam: Rejection of Untimely Filed Factual Information,'' dated 
December 12, 2018 (rejecting Halsted Corporation's November 13, 2018 
scope brief).
    \7\ See Petitioners' Letter, ``Investigation of Laminated Woven 
Sacks from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Petitioners' Rebuttal 
Scope Brief,'' dated November 19, 2018.
    \8\ See Letter, ``Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Investigations of Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist Republic 
of Vietnam: Rejection of Untimely Filed Factual Information,'' dated 
December 12, 2018. See also Letter, ``Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Investigations of Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam: Request for Withdrawal of Scope Comments,'' 
dated February 8, 2019.
    \9\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Verification

    As provided in section 782(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(the Act), Commerce verified the sales and factors of production data 
reported by Duong Vinh Hoa Packaging Company Limited (DVH Packaging) 
for use in our final determination. We used standard verification 
procedures, including an examination of relevant accounting and 
production records, and original source documents provided by the 
respondent.

Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs that were 
submitted by parties in this investigation are addressed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum accompanying this notice. A list of the issues 
addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum is attached to this 
notice at Appendix II.
    For the final determination Commerce continues to rely upon facts 
otherwise available, with adverse inferences (AFA), for the Vietnam-
wide entity, which includes Xinsheng Plastic Industry Co., Ltd. 
(Xinsheng Plastic) a mandatory respondent, pursuant to sections 776(a) 
and (b) of the Act.

Changes Since the Preliminary Determination

    Based on our analysis of the comments received and our findings at 
verification, we made certain changes to the margin calculations for 
DVH Packaging since the Preliminary Determination. For a discussion of 
these changes, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Separate Rates

    For the final determination, we continue to find that four 
exporters are entitled to a separate rate, as noted below. In the 
Preliminary Determination, we assigned, as the separate rate, the 
margin calculated for DVH Packaging, the sole mandatory respondent for 
which we preliminarily calculated an estimated weighted-average dumping 
margin, consistent with our practice.\10\ For the final determination, 
we continue to assign the estimated weighted-average dumping margin 
calculated for DVH Packaging to the exporters that are entitled to a 
separate rate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ See Preliminary Determination, 83 FR 51436 and accompanying 
PDM at 11-18.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vietnam-Wide Entity

    For the final determination, we continue to find that the Vietnam-
wide entity, which includes certain Vietnamese exporters and/or 
producers that did not respond to Commerce's requests for information, 
failed to provide necessary information, failed to provide information 
in a timely manner, and significantly impeded this proceeding by not 
submitting the requested information. We also continue to find that the 
Vietnam-wide entity failed to cooperate. As a result, we continue to 
determine for the Vietnam-wide entity an estimated weighted-average 
dumping margin on the basis of AFA pursuant to section 776(b) of the 
Act. In the Preliminary Determination, Commerce based the AFA rate for 
the Vietnam-wide entity on the petition margin of 292.61 percent.\11\ 
For this final determination, we continue to rely on AFA in determining 
the rate for the Vietnam-wide entity and, as AFA, we continue to select 
the petition margin of 292.61 percent as the estimated weighted-average 
dumping margin for the Vietnam-wide entity (including Xinsheng 
Plastic), as corroborated in the Preliminary Determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ Id. at 51437 and accompanying PDM at 17-18.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Combination Rates

    In the Initiation Notice,\12\ Commerce stated that it would 
calculate producer/exporter combination rates for the respondents that 
are eligible for a separate rate in this investigation. Policy Bulletin 
05.1 describes this practice.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ See Laminated Woven Sacks from the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation, 83 FR 
14257 (April 3, 2018) (Initiation Notice).
    \13\ See Enforcement and Compliance's Policy Bulletin No. 05.1, 
regarding, ``Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination 
Rates in Antidumping Investigations involving Non-Market Economy 
Countries,'' (April 5, 2005) (Policy Bulletin 05.1), available on 
Commerce's website at http://enforcement.trade.gov/policy/bull05-1.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Determination

    The final estimated weighted-average dumping margins are as 
follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ The Vietnam-wide entity includes Xinsheng Plastic Industry 
Co., Ltd.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Estimated     Cash deposit
                                                                                     weighted-         rate
                                                                                      average      (adjusted for
                   Exporter                                 Producer                  dumping         subsidy
                                                                                      margin         offsets)
                                                                                     (percent)       (percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duong Vinh Hoa Packaging Company Limited......  Duong Vinh Hoa Packaging Company          109.46          108.33
                                                 Limited.
C.P. Packaging (Vietnam) Industry Co., Ltd....  C.P. Packaging (Vietnam)                  109.46          108.33
                                                 Industry Co., Ltd.
Tan Dai Hung d.b.a. Tan Dai Hung Joint Stock    Tan Dai Hung d.b.a. Tan Dai Hung          109.46          108.33
 Co. and Tan Dai Hung Plastic Joint Stock        Joint Stock Co. and Tan Dai
 Company.                                        Hung Plastic Joint Stock
                                                 Company.
TKMB Joint Stock Company......................  TKMB Joint Stock Company........          109.46          108.33
Trung Dong Corporation........................  Trung Dong Corporation..........          109.46          108.33
Vietnam-wide entity \14\......................  ................................          292.61          291.48
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, for this final 
determination, we will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
to continue to suspend liquidation of all entries of LWS from Vietnam, 
as described in Appendix I of this notice, which are entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after October 11, 2018, 
the date of publication in the Federal Register of the affirmative 
Preliminary Determination. 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 weighted average amount by which normal value 
exceeds U.S. price, as indicated in the chart above as follows: (1) For 
the producer/exporter combinations listed in the table above, the cash 
deposit rate is equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin 
listed for that combination in the table; (2) for all combinations of

[[Page 14653]]

Vietnamese producers/exporters of merchandise under consideration that 
have not established eligibility for their own separate rates, the cash 
deposit rate will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping 
margin established for the Vietnam-wide entity; and (3) for all third-
county exporters of merchandise under consideration not listed in the 
table above, the cash deposit rate is the cash deposit rate applicable 
to the Vietnamese producer/exporter combination (or the Vietnam-wide 
entity) that supplied that third-country exporter. Commerce normally 
adjusts the estimated weighted-average dumping margin by the amount of 
export subsidies countervailed in a companion countervailing duty (CVD) 
proceeding when the CVD measures are in effect. Accordingly, where 
Commerce made an affirmative determination for countervailable 
subsidies that are export contingent,\15\ Commerce has offset the 
estimated weighted-average dumping margin by the appropriate CVD 
rate(s). Any such adjusted cash deposit rates may be found in the 
``Final Determination Margin'' section, above. These suspension of 
liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ In the CVD final determination, we found the ``Import duty 
exemptions on imports of raw materials for exporting goods'' program 
to be an export subsidy. See Laminated Woven Sacks from the 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determination, and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum, 
dated concurrently with this AD final determination. The rate 
applied to that program was 1.13 percent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclosure

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

International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 735(d) of the Act, we will notify the 
International Trade Commission (ITC) of the final affirmative 
determination of sales at LTFV. Because Commerce's final determination 
is affirmative, in accordance with section 735(b)(2) of the Act, the 
ITC will make its final determination as to whether the domestic 
industry in the United States is materially injured, or threatened with 
material injury, by reason of imports or sales (or the likelihood of 
sales) for importation of LWS, no later than 45 days after this final 
determination. If the ITC determines that such injury does not exist, 
this proceeding will be terminated and all cash deposits posted will be 
refunded. If the ITC determines that such injury does exist, Commerce 
will issue an antidumping duty order directing CBP to assess, upon 
further instruction by Commerce, antidumping duties on all imports of 
the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for 
consumption on or after the effective date of the suspension of 
liquidation, as discussed above in the ``Continuation of Suspension of 
Liquidation'' section.

Notification Regarding Administrative Protective Orders

    This notice will serve as a reminder to the parties subject to 
administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the disposition of propriety information disclosed under APO 
in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. Timely written notification of 
return or 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.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 735(d) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(c).

    Dated: April 4, 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.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is laminated woven 
sacks. Laminated woven sacks are bags consisting of one or more 
plies of fabric consisting of woven polypropylene strip and/or woven 
polyethylene strip, regardless of the width of the strip; with or 
without an extrusion coating of polypropylene and/or polyethylene on 
one or both sides of the fabric; laminated by any method either to 
an exterior ply of plastic film such as biaxially-oriented 
polypropylene (BOPP), polyester (PET), polyethylene (PE), nylon, or 
any film suitable for printing, or to an exterior ply of paper; 
printed; displaying, containing, or comprising three or more visible 
colors (e.g., laminated woven sacks printed with three different 
shades of blue would be covered by the scope), not including the 
color of the woven fabric; regardless of the type of printing 
process used; with or without lining; with or without handles; with 
or without special closing features (including, but not limited to, 
closures that are sewn, glued, easy-open (e.g., tape or thread), re-
closable (e.g., slider, hook and loop, zipper), hot-welded, 
adhesive-welded, or press- to-close); whether finished or unfinished 
(e.g., whether or not closed on one end and whether or not in roll 
form, including, but not limited to, sheets, lay-flat, or formed in 
tubes); not exceeding one kilogram in actual weight. Laminated woven 
sacks produced in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are subject to 
the scope regardless of the country of origin of the fabric used to 
make the sack.
    The scope of this investigation excludes laminated woven sacks 
having each of the following physical characteristics: (1) No side 
greater than 24 inches, (2) weight less than 100 grams, (3) an open 
top that is neither sealable nor closable, the rim of which is 
hemmed or sewn around the entire circumference, (4) carry handles 
sewn on the open end, (5) side gussets, and (6) either a bottom 
gusset or a square or rectangular bottom. The excluded items with 
the above-mentioned physical characteristics may be referred to as 
reusable shopping bags.
    Subject laminated woven sacks are currently classifiable under 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheadings 
6305.33.0040 and 6305.33.0080. If entered with plastic coating on 
both sides of the fabric consisting of woven polypropylene strip 
and/or woven polyethylene strip, laminated woven sacks may be 
classifiable under HTSUS subheadings 3923.21.0080, 3923.21.0095, and 
3923.29.0000. If entered not closed on one end or in roll form 
(including, but not limited to, sheets, lay-flat tubing, and 
sleeves), laminated woven sacks may be classifiable under other 
HTSUS subheadings, including 3917.39.0050, 3921.90.1100, 
3921.90.1500, and 5903.90.2500. If the polypropylene strips and/or 
polyethylene strips making up the fabric measure more than 5 
millimeters in width, laminated woven sacks may be classifiable 
under other HTSUS subheadings including 4601.99.0500,4601.99.9000, 
and 4602.90.0000. Although HTSUS subheadings are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the 
scope is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Changes from the Preliminary Determination
IV. Discussion of the Issues
    Comment 1: Surrogate Value for Colored Ink
    Comment 2: Financial Statements Used to Value Overhead; Selling, 
General and Administrative Expenses; and Profit
V. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2019-07198 Filed 4-10-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P