[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48909-48911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20082]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-053, A-570-073, C-570-054, C-570-074]


Certain Aluminum Foil and Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet From the 
People's Republic of China: Notice of Initiation and Preliminary 
Determination of Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Changed 
Circumstances Reviews

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating changed 
circumstances reviews (CCRs) and preliminarily determines that Shanghai 
Huafon Aluminium Corporation (Shanghai Huafon) is the successor-in-
interest to Huafon Nikkei Aluminium Corporation (Huafon Nikkei) and, 
accordingly, that Shanghai Huafon should be assigned the cash deposit 
rates established for Huafon Nikkei for purposes of the antidumping 
duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain aluminum foil 
(aluminum foil) and common alloy aluminum sheet

[[Page 48910]]

(aluminum sheet) from the People's Republic of China (China).

DATES: Applicable September 17, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joshua A. DeMoss, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office VI, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3362.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 19, 2018, Commerce published in the Federal Register the 
AD and CVD orders on aluminum foil from China, which included Huafon 
Nikkei.\1\ Pursuant to the Aluminum Foil Orders, Commerce assigned 
Huafon Nikkei an AD cash deposit rate, adjusted for subsidy offset, of 
73.66 percent, based on the non-selected respondent rate,\2\ and the 
all-others subsidy rate of 18.62 percent.\3\
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    \1\ See Certain Aluminum Foil from the People's Republic of 
China: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value 
and Antidumping Duty Order, 83 FR 17362 (April 19, 2018) (Aluminum 
Foil AD Order); see also Certain Aluminum Foil from the People's 
Republic of China: Amended Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty 
Determination and Countervailing Duty Order, 83 FR 17360 (April 19, 
2018) (Aluminum Foil CVD Order) (collectively, Aluminum Foil 
Orders).
    \2\ See Aluminum Foil AD Order, 83 FR at 17363.
    \3\ See Aluminum Foil CVD Order, 83 FR at 17361.
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    Commerce published in the Federal Register the AD and CVD orders on 
aluminum sheet from China on February 8, 2019 and February 6, 2019, 
respectively.\4\ Pursuant to the Aluminum Sheet Orders, Commerce 
assigned Huafon Nikkei an AD cash deposit rate, adjusted for a subsidy 
offset, of 49.85 percent, based on the non-selected respondent rate,\5\ 
and the all-others subsidy rate of 50.75 percent.\6\
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    \4\ See Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic 
of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 84 FR 2813 (February 8, 2019) 
(Aluminum Sheet AD Order); see also Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from 
the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 84 FR 
2157 (February 6, 2019) (Aluminum Sheet CVD Order) (collectively, 
Aluminum Sheet Orders).
    \5\ See Aluminum Sheet AD Order, 84 FR at 2814.
    \6\ See Aluminum Sheet CVD Order, 84 FR at 2158.
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    On June 12, 2019, Shanghai Huafon informed Commerce that, as of 
September 25, 2018, Huafon Nikkei changed its name to ``Shanghai Huafon 
Aluminium Corporation.'' \7\ Shanghai Huafon stated the change was in 
name only; all other former business operations remain unchanged.\8\ 
Shanghai Huafon requested that Commerce conduct CCRs and find that 
Shanghai Huafon is the successor-in-interest to Huafon Nikkei, and that 
it be subject to Huafon Nikkei's AD margins and CVD subsidy rates for 
aluminum foil and aluminum sheet, pursuant to section 751(b) of the 
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.216(b).\9\ 
After finding Shanghai Huafon did not address the good cause 
requirement in its initial request pursuant to 19 CFR 351.216(c), 
Commerce issued a letter to Shanghai Huafon requesting it demonstrate 
good cause.\10\ On July 8, 2019, Shanghai Huafon filed its response 
demonstrating good cause.\11\ On July 17, 2019, Commerce extended the 
time period for determining whether to initiate and/or issue 
simultaneous preliminary determinations by 45 days, until September 10, 
2019.\12\ We did not receive comments from other interested parties 
concerning these requests.
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    \7\ See Shanghai Huafon's Letter, ``Aluminum Foil from the 
People's Republic of China: Request for Changed Circumstances 
Review,'' dated June 12, 2019; see also Shanghai Huafon's Letter, 
``Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic of China: 
Request for Changed Circumstances Review,'' dated June 12, 2019.
    \8\ See CCRs Requests at 2-3.
    \9\ Id.
    \10\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Antidumping/Countervailing Duty 
Investigations of Aluminum Foil and Sheet from China: Request for 
Changed Circumstances Review,'' dated July 1, 2019.
    \11\ See Shanghai Huafon's Letter, ``Aluminum Foil from the 
People's Republic of China and Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the 
People's Republic of China: Response to Request for Additional 
Information--Good Cause,'' dated July 8, 2019.
    \12\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Changed Circumstances Reviews: 
Extension of Initiation Deadline,'' dated July 17, 2019.
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Scope of the Orders

Aluminum Foil Orders

    The merchandise covered by these orders is aluminum foil having a 
thickness of 0.2 mm or less, in reels exceeding 25 pounds, regardless 
of width. For a complete description of the scope, see the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum.\13\
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    \13\ See Memorandum, ``Initiation and Preliminary Determination 
of the Changed Circumstances Reviews Regarding Successor-In-Interest 
Analysis: Aluminum Foil/Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the 
People's Republic of China'' dated concurrently with this notice 
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Aluminum Sheet Orders

    The merchandise covered by these orders is aluminum common alloy 
sheet (common alloy sheet), which is a flat-rolled aluminum product 
having a thickness of 6.3 mm or less, but greater than 0.2 mm, in coils 
or cut-to-length, regardless of width. or a complete description of the 
scope, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Initiation and Preliminary Determination of Changed Circumstances 
Reviews
    Pursuant to section 751(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(d), 
Commerce will conduct a CCR upon receipt of a request from an 
interested party for a review of an AD or CVD order which shows changed 
circumstances sufficient to warrant a review of the order. In the past, 
Commerce has used CCRs to address the applicability of cash deposit 
rates after there have been changes in the name or structure of a 
respondent, such as a merger or spinoff (successor-in-interest or 
successorship determinations).\14\ The information submitted by 
Shanghai Huafon supporting its claim that it is the successor-in-
interest to Huafon Nikkei demonstrates changed circumstances sufficient 
to warrant such a review.\15\ Therefore, in accordance with 
751(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(d) and (e), we are 
initiating CCRs based on the information contained in Shanghai Huafon's 
submission.
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    \14\ See, e.g., Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof from the 
People's Republic of China: Initiation and Preliminary Results of 
Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review, 82 FR 51605, 51606 
(November 7, 2017), unchanged in Diamond Sawblades and Parts Thereof 
from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping 
Duty Changed Circumstances Review, 82 FR 60177 (December 19, 2017).
    \15\ See 19 CFR 351.216(d).
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    Section 351.221(c)(3)(ii) of Commerce's regulations permits 
Commerce to combine the notice of initiation of a CCR and the notice of 
preliminary determination if Commerce concludes that expedited action 
is warranted.\16\ In the instant case, because the record contains 
information necessary to make a preliminary finding, we find that 
expedited action is warranted and have combined the notice of 
initiation and notice of preliminary determination. For a full 
description of the methodology underlying our analysis, see the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    \16\ See 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii); see also Certain Pasta from 
Italy: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty 
Changed Circumstances Review, 80 FR 33480-41 (June 12, 2015), 
unchanged in Certain Pasta from Italy: Final Results of Changed 
Circumstances Review, 80 FR 48807 (August 14, 2015).
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    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.216, we preliminarily determine that 
Shanghai Huafon is the successor-in-interest to Huafon Nikkei. Record 
evidence, as submitted by Shanghai Huafon, indicates that, based on the 
totality of the circumstances under Commerce's successor-in-interest 
criteria, Shanghai Huafon's management

[[Page 48911]]

and business relations are virtually identical to those of Huafon 
Nikkei before the name change with respect to the merchandise under 
review. Moreover, we preliminarily find that Shanghai Huafon's 
production facilities, supplier relationships, and customer base, with 
regard to the merchandise under review, are substantially the same as 
Huafon Nikkei before the name change. For the complete successor-in-
interest analysis, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    Therefore, based on record evidence, we preliminarily determine 
that Shanghai Huafon is the successor-in-interest to Huafon Nikkei and 
the AD margins and CVD subsidy rates assigned to Huafon Nikkei should 
be the rates for Shanghai Huafon as a result of our successor-in-
interest finding.
Public Comment
    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), any interested party may request a 
hearing within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. In accordance with 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii), interested 
parties may submit case briefs not later than 30 days after the date of 
publication of this notice. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised 
in the case briefs, may be filed no later than five days after the case 
briefs, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.309(d). Parties who submit case 
or rebuttal briefs 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. All comments are to be filed electronically via 
Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS) and must also be served 
on interested parties. 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 Commerce building. An 
electronically filed document must be received successfully in its 
entirety by ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the day on which it is 
due.\17\
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    \17\ See 19 CFR 351.303(b).
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    Consistent with 19 CFR 351.216(e), we intend to issue the final 
determination of this changed circumstances review no later than 270 
days after the date on which this review was initiated, or within 45 
days if all parties agree to our preliminary finding.
Notification to Interested Parties
    This notice is published in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) and 
777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(b), 351.221(b) and 
351.221(c)(3).

    Dated: September 10, 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 Orders
IV. Good Cause
V. Successor-In-Interest Determination
VI. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2019-20082 Filed 9-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P