[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33920-33921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15084]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-900]


Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof From the People's Republic of 
China: Final Determination of Anti-Circumvention Inquiry

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Diamond 
Tools Technology (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Diamond Tools) is circumventing 
the antidumping duty order on diamond sawblades and parts thereof 
(diamond sawblades) from the People's Republic of China (China).

DATES: Applicable July 16, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yang Jin Chun, 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) 482-5760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 15, 2018, Commerce published the preliminary 
affirmative determination of circumvention of the antidumping duty 
order on diamond sawblades from China.\1\ 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.\2\ On April 4, 2019 \3\ and May 31, 
2019,\4\ respectively, we extended the deadline of the final 
determination. The revised deadline for the final determination is July 
10, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof from the People's 
Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of 
Circumvention, 83 FR 57425 (November 15, 2018) (Preliminary 
Determination).
    \2\ 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.
    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof from 
the People's Republic of China: Extension of Deadline for Final 
Determination of Anti-Circumvention Inquiry,'' dated April 4, 2019.
    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof from 
the People's Republic of China: Extension of Deadline for Final 
Determination of Anti-Circumvention Inquiry,'' dated May 31, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We received case and rebuttal briefs with respect to the 
Preliminary Determination. We conducted this anti-circumvention inquiry 
in accordance with section 781(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(the Act), and 19 CFR 351.225(h).

Scope of the Order

    The merchandise subject to the order is diamond sawblades. The 
diamond sawblades subject to the order are currently classifiable under 
subheadings 8202 to 8206 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS), and may also enter under subheading 6804.21.00. 
The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs 
purposes. A full description of the scope of the order is contained in 
the Issues and Decision Memorandum.\5\ The written description is 
dispositive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Memorandum, ``Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof from 
the People's Republic of China: Issues and Decision Memorandum for 
the Final Determination of the Anti-Circumvention Inquiry,'' dated 
concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Issues and 
Decision Memorandum) at 2-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scope of the Anti-Circumvention Inquiry

    The products covered by this anti-circumvention inquiry are diamond 
sawblades made with Chinese cores and/or Chinese segments joined in 
Thailand by Diamond Tools and then subsequently exported from Thailand 
to the United States.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See Preliminary Determination, 83 FR at 57425.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this anti-circumvention inquiry in 
accordance with section 781(b) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.225(h). For a 
full description of the methodology underlying the Commerce's final 
determination, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum. The Issues and 
Decision Memorandum 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 Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly 
at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/.

Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs by parties in 
this inquiry are addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. A 
list of the issues raised is attached to this notice as an Appendix. 
Based on our analysis of the comments received, we made changes to the 
Preliminary Determination.

Final Affirmative Determination

    As detailed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum, we determine 
that diamond sawblades made with Chinese cores and Chinese segments 
joined in Thailand by Diamond Tools and then subsequently exported from 
Thailand to the United States are circumventing the antidumping duty 
order on diamond sawblades from China. Therefore, we determine that it 
is appropriate to include this merchandise within the scope of the 
antidumping duty order and to instruct U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) to continue to suspend any entries of diamond 
sawblades produced in Thailand by Diamond Tools with Chinese cores and 
Chinese segments and then subsequently exported from Thailand to the 
United States.

Final Negative Determination

    As detailed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum, we determine 
that diamond sawblades made with Chinese cores and Thai segments or 
Chinese segments and Thai cores that are joined in Thailand by Diamond 
Tools and subsequently exported from Thailand to the United States are 
not circumventing the antidumping duty order on diamond

[[Page 33921]]

sawblades from China. Therefore, we are not including this merchandise 
within the scope of the antidumping duty order. However, as we explain 
below, we will instruct CBP to continue to suspend any entries of 
diamond sawblades produced in Thailand by Diamond Tools with either 
Chinese cores or Chinese segments and then subsequently exported from 
Thailand to the United States.

Continued Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(l)(3), based on this final 
determination in this anti-circumvention inquiry, Commerce will direct 
CBP to suspend liquidation and to require a cash deposit of estimated 
duties on unliquidated entries of diamond sawblades produced (i.e., 
assembled or completed) using Chinese cores and Chinese segments by 
Diamond Tools in Thailand that were entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after December 1, 2017, the date of 
initiation of this anti-circumvention inquiry. The suspension of 
liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice. As 
we explained in the Preliminary Determination,\7\ Commerce will 
instruct CBP to require antidumping duty cash deposits equal to the 
rate established for the China-wide entity, i.e., 82.05 percent,\8\ for 
entries of such merchandise produced by Diamond Tools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ Id. at 57426.
    \8\ See, e.g., Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof from the 
People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review; 2016-2017, 83 FR 64331, 64332 (December 14, 
2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As we explained above, diamond sawblades assembled or completed in 
Thailand using either Chinese cores and Thai segments or Thai cores and 
Chinese segments are not circumventing the antidumping duty order. 
Diamond sawblades assembled or completed in Thailand using both non-
Chinese origin cores and non-Chinese origin segments are not subject to 
this anti-circumvention inquiry. Because Diamond Tools is not currently 
able to identify diamond sawblades produced with non-Chinese origin 
cores and/or non-Chinese origin segments,\9\ in the Preliminary 
Determination, Commerce decided not to implement a certification 
process at the preliminary stage and required cash deposits on all 
entries of diamond sawblades produced by Diamond Tools in Thailand.\10\ 
We invited parties to comment on this issue in their case briefs but no 
parties submitted comments on this issue. Therefore, for the final 
determination, we will not implement a certification process for 
diamond sawblades already suspended, and will require cash deposits on 
all entries of diamond sawblades produced by Diamond Tools in Thailand, 
consistent with the Preliminary Determination. However, Diamond Tools 
may request reconsideration of our denial of the certification process 
in a future segment of the proceeding, i.e., a changed circumstances 
review or administrative review.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ See Preliminary Determination, 83 FR at 57426.
    \10\ Id.
    \11\ See Carbon Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings from the People's 
Republic of China: Final Affirmative Determination of Circumvention 
of the Antidumping Duty Order, 84 FR 29164 (June 21, 2019), and 
accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at 22.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Administrative Protective Order

    This notice will serve as the only reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the destruction of proprietary information disclosed under 
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written 
notification of return/destruction or APO materials or conversion to 
judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with 
the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
section 781(b) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.225(f).

    Dated: July 10, 2019.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Discussion of the Issues
    Comment 1: Mathematical Error
    Comment 2: Profit
    Comment 3: Qualitative Analysis of the Production Process
    Comment 4: The Significance of Laser Welding in the Final 
Determination
    Comment 5: Weighing Five Statutory Criteria in Section 781(b)(2) 
of the Act
    Comment 6: Production of Cores and Segments in China and 
Thailand
V. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2019-15084 Filed 7-15-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P