[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 115 (Friday, June 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27756-27757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12607]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-886]


Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review 
and Rescission of Review in Part; 2017-2018

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines 
that High Den Enterprises Ltd. (High Den) is not eligible for a 
separate rate and is a part of the China-wide entity. Interested 
parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES: Applicable June 14, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Hollander or Minoo Hatten, 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) 482-2805 or (202) 
482-1690, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On August 9, 2004, Commerce published in the Federal Register an 
antidumping duty (AD) order on polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs) 
from the People's Republic of China (China).\1\ On August 7, 2018, 
Commerce published a notice of opportunity to request an administrative 
review of the AD order on PRCBs from China for the period of review 
(POR) August 1, 2017, through July 31, 2018.\2\ Commerce received 
timely requests from the Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bag Committee and 
its individual members, Hilex Poly Co., LLC and Superbag Corporation 
(the petitioners), to conduct an administrative review of certain 
exporters. On October 4, 2018, Commerce published in the Federal 
Register a notice initiating an administrative review of the AD order 
on PRCBs from China covering Dongguan Nozawa Plastics Products Co., 
Ltd. and United Power Packaging, Ltd. (collectively, Nozawa); Crown 
Polyethylene Products (International) Ltd. (Crown) and High Den for the 
POR.\3\
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    \1\ See Antidumping Duty Order: Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags 
From the People's Republic of China, 69 FR 48201 (August 9, 2004).
    \2\ See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or 
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative 
Review, 83 FR 38682 (August 7, 2018).
    \3\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 83 FR 50077 (October 4, 2018) (Initiation 
Notice).
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    We issued the AD questionnaire to the three respondents on October 
18, 2018. On December 21, 2018, the petitioners timely withdrew their 
requests for review of Nozawa and Crown, pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.213(d)(1).\4\ We confirmed that the questionnaire to High Den was 
delivered and received on October 22, 2018.\5\ High Den did not respond 
to the questionnaire and has filed no submissions on the record of this 
administrative review.
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    \4\ See the petitioners' Letter, ``Polyethylene Retail Carrier 
Bags from the People's Republic of China: Partial Withdrawal of 
Request for Administrative Review,'' dated December 21, 2018.
    \5\ See Memorandum, ``High Den Enterprises, Ltd., Receipt of 
Questionnaire,'' dated December 13, 2018.
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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.\6\ The revised 
deadline for the preliminary results in this review is now June 12, 
2019.
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    \6\ 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 
affected by the partial federal government closure have been 
extended by 40 days. If the new deadline falls on a non-business 
day, in accordance with Commerce's practice, the deadline will 
become the next business day.
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Partial Rescission of Administrative Review

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), Commerce will rescind an 
administrative review, ``in whole or in part, if a party that requested 
a review withdraws the request within 90 days of the date of 
publication of notice of initiation of the requested review.'' The 
petitioners withdrew their request for review within the 90-day time 
limit with respect to Nozawa and Crown. Because we received no other 
requests for review of Nozawa and Crown, we are rescinding the 
administrative review, in part, with respect to Nozawa and Crown, 
pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1).

Scope of the Order

    The products subject to the AD order on PRCBs from China, are 
PRCBs, which may be referred to as t-shirt sacks, merchandise bags, 
grocery bags, or checkout bag. Imports of the subject merchandise are 
currently classifiable under statistical category 3923.21.0085 of the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). This 
subheading also covers products that are outside the scope of the 
order. Furthermore, although the HTSUS subheading is provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, our written description of the scope 
of the order is dispositive. For a complete description of the scope of 
the Order, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

China-Wide Entity

    Under Commerce's current policy regarding the conditional review of 
the China-wide entity, the China-wide entity will not be under review 
unless a party specifically requests, or Commerce self-initiates, a 
review of the entity.\7\ Because no party requested a

[[Page 27757]]

review of the China-wide entity in this review, the entity is not under 
review and the entity's rate is not subject to change (i.e., 77.57 
percent).\8\ Because High Den did not respond to the questionnaire, 
Commerce preliminarily determines that High Den is not eligible for a 
separate rate and is a part of the China-wide entity.
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    \7\ See Antidumping Proceedings: Announcement of Change in 
Department Practice for Respondent Selection in Antidumping Duty 
Proceedings and Conditional Review of the Nonmarket Economy Entity 
in NME Antidumping Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 65963 (November 4, 2013).
    \8\ See Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less 
than Fair Value: Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From the People's 
Republic of China, 69 FR 42419 (July 15, 2004).
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 
751(a)(1)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For a 
full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, see the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum. The Preliminary 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 to all parties in the Central Records Unit, 
Room B8024 of the main Commerce building. In addition, a complete 
version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly 
on the internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html.

Preliminary Results of Review

    Because High Den is not eligible for a separate rate and is a part 
of the China-wide entity, the pre-existing China-wide rate of 77.57 
percent will apply to entries of High Den's subject merchandise into 
the United states during the POR.

Disclosure

    Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations 
performed in connection with a preliminary results of review within 
five days after public announcement of the preliminary results of 
review in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). Because Commerce 
preliminarily denied the separate rate eligibility for the sole 
mandatory respondent in this review and treated it as part of the 
China-wide entity, there are no calculations to disclose.

Public Comment

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit case 
briefs no later than 30 days after the date of publication of these 
preliminary results of review.\9\ Parties who submit case briefs or 
rebuttal briefs in this proceeding 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.\10\ Rebuttal briefs, limited 
to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed no later than five 
days after the case briefs are filed.\11\
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    \9\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2).
    \10\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2).
    \11\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d).
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    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, filed electronically using 
ACCESS. An electronically filed document must be received successfully 
in its entirety by Commerce's ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time within 
30 days after the date of publication of this notice.\12\ Hearing 
requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address, and telephone 
number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues to be 
discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised 
in the respective case briefs. Unless extended, Commerce intends to 
issue the final results of this review, including the results of its 
analysis of issues raised by parties in their comments, within 120 days 
after the publication of these preliminary results, pursuant to section 
751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).
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    \12\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
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Assessment Rates

    Upon issuing the final results of review, Commerce will determine, 
and CBP shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries 
covered by this review.\13\ If the preliminary results are unchanged 
for the final results, we will instruct CBP to apply an ad valorem 
assessment rate of 77.57 percent to all entries of subject merchandise 
during the POR which were exported by High Den. Commerce intends to 
issue appropriate assessment instructions directly to CBP 15 days after 
publication of the final results of review.
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    \13\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
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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 
shipments of the subject merchandise from China entered, or withdrawn 
from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of 
this notice, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For 
previously investigated or reviewed Chinese and non-Chinese exporters 
of subject merchandise that received a separate rate in a prior segment 
of this proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the 
existing exporter specific rate published for the most recently 
completed period; (2) for all Chinese exporters of subject merchandise 
that have not been found to be entitled to a separate rate, i.e., High 
Den, the cash deposit rate will be the China-wide rate of 77.57 
percent; and (3) 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 the Chinese exporter that supplied that non-
Chinese exporter. These deposit requirements, when imposed, shall 
remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Importers

    This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their 
responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate 
regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation 
of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply 
with this requirement could result in Commerce's presumption that 
reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent 
assessment of double antidumping duties.
    We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).

Notification to Interested Parties

    These preliminary results and partial rescission of administrative 
review are issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) 
and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).

    Dated: June 6, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Rescission of Administrative Review in Part
V. Discussion of the Methodology
    A. Non-Market Economy Country Status
    B. Separate Rates
VI. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2019-12607 Filed 6-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P