[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9736-9737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03368]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-992]


Monosodium Glutamate From the People's Republic of China: Final 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2017-2018

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) has completed the 
administrative review of the antidumping duty order on monosodium 
glutamate (MSG) from the People's Republic of China (China) covering 
the period of review (POR) November 1, 2017 through October 31, 2018. 
We continue to find that none of the exporters of subject merchandise 
demonstrated eligibility for a separate rate; therefore, each is part 
of the China-wide entity. We also continue to find that that the use of 
facts otherwise available is warranted with respect to the China-wide 
entity.

DATES: Applicable February 20, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leo Ayala or Kathryn Wallace, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3945 or (202) 482-6251, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Commerce published the Preliminary Results on August 30, 2019.\1\ 
On September 9, 2019, Commerce amended its initiation to include the 
China-wide entity.\2\ On September 10, 2019, Commerce issued a quantity 
and value (Q&V) questionnaire to the China-wide entity.\3\ The China-
wide entity failed to submit a response to Commerce's Q&V questionnaire 
by the established deadline of September 20, 2019. Accordingly, on 
January 17, 2020, Commerce issued a Post-Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum, in which it preliminarily applied facts available with an 
adverse inference (AFA) to the China-wide entity, pursuant to sections 
776(a) and 776(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), 
because the China-wide entity failed to cooperate to the best of its 
ability by failing to provide necessary information requested by 
Commerce.\4\ On February 3, 2020, the petitioner timely submitted its 
case brief agreeing with the finding and results of Commerce's Post-
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\5\ No other case or rebuttal briefs 
were submitted in this review.
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    \1\ See Monosodium Glutamate from the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review; 2017-2018, 84 FR 45724 (August 30, 2019) (Preliminary 
Results).
    \2\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 84 FR 47242 (September 9, 2019) (citing 
Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Reviews, 84 FR 2159 (February 6, 2019)).
    \3\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review on Monosodium Glutamate from the People's Republic of China: 
Quantity and Value Questionnaire,'' dated September 10, 2019.
    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of 
Monosodium Glutamate from the People's Republic of China (China): 
Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum Concerning the China-Wide 
Entity,'' dated January 17, 2020 (Post-Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum).
    \5\ The petitioner is Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North 
America, Inc. (formerly Ajinomoto North America, Inc.). See 
Petitioner's Letter, ``MSG from China: Petitioner's Case Brief,'' 
dated February 3, 2020 (citing Post-Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum).
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    On December 26, 2019, in accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of 
the Act, Commerce extended the deadline for issuing the final results 
until February 26, 2020.\6\
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    \6\ See Memorandum, ``Monosodium Glutamate from the People's 
Republic of China: Extension of Deadline for Final Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review--2017-2018,'' dated December 
26, 2019.
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Scope of the Order

    The scope of the Order covers MSG, whether or not blended or in 
solution with other products.\7\ For a complete description of the 
scope of the Order, see the Preliminary Results.\8\
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    \7\ See Monosodium Glutamate from the People's Republic of 
China: Second Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value and Amended Antidumping Duty Order, 80 FR 487 (January 6, 
2015) (Order).
    \8\ See Preliminary Results.
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Final Results of the Review

    Commerce preliminarily determined that none of the 28 companies 
subject to this review demonstrated eligibility for separate rate 
status. Thus, they were found to be part of the China-wide entity.\9\ 
After amending the initiation of this review, and as explained in the

[[Page 9737]]

Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce preliminarily applied 
AFA to the China-wide entity, pursuant to sections 776(a) and 776(b) of 
the Act, because the China-wide entity failed to cooperate to the best 
of its ability by failing to provide necessary information requested by 
Commerce.\10\ In the Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce 
determined a weighted-average dumping margin for the China-wide entity 
of 56.54 percent.\11\ As noted above, no interested party disputed 
Commerce's preliminary or post-preliminary findings. As there are no 
changes from the Preliminary Results or Post-Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum, Commerce finds that there is no reason to modify its 
analysis for these final results. Accordingly, no decision memorandum 
accompanies this Federal Register notice. For further details of the 
issues already addressed in this review, see the Preliminary Results or 
the Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\12\
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    \9\ See Preliminary Results; and Appendix for a list of the 28 
companies along with the China-wide entity that are subject to this 
review.
    \10\ See Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    \11\ See Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 7.
    \12\ See Preliminary Results; see also Post-Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.
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    In these final results of review, we continued to treat all 28 
exporters subject to this review as part of the China-wide entity.\13\ 
The weighted-average dumping margin for the China-wide entity is 56.54 
percent.\14\
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    \13\ See Preliminary Results; Post-Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum and Appendix. In fact, there are no companies which are 
currently eligible for a separate rate under this antidumping duty 
order.
    \14\ See Post-Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 7.
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Assessment Rates

    Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b), 
Commerce has determined, and U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by 
this review. We intend to issue assessment instructions to CBP 15 days 
after the publication date of these final results of review.
    For the China-wide entity, as well as the companies identified as 
part of the China-wide entity, we will instruct CBP to assess 
antidumping duties at an ad valorem rate of 56.54 percent to all 
unliquidated entries of subject merchandise during the POR which were 
produced or exported by the China-wide entity, including the companies 
noted in the Appendix.

Cash Deposit Requirements

    For all shipments of subject merchandise from China, entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication 
date of the final results of this administrative review, as provided by 
section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, the cash deposit rate will be equal to 
the weighted-average dumping margin for the China-wide entity (i.e., 
56.54 percent). These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall 
remain in effect until further notice.

Disclosure

    Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations 
performed in connection with final results within five days of its 
public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five 
days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 
CFR 351.224(b). However, because Commerce applied total AFA to the 
China-wide entity in the final results of this administrative review in 
accordance with section 776 of the Act, and the applied AFA rate is 
based solely on a rate applied in an earlier segment of this 
proceeding, there are no calculations to disclose.

Notification to Importers Regarding the Reimbursement of Duties

    This notice also serves as a final 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 POR. Failure to comply with this 
requirement could result in Commerce's presumption that reimbursement 
of antidumping duties has occurred and the subsequent assessment of 
double antidumping duties.

Notification Regarding Administrative Protective Order

    This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information 
disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3), which 
continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of 
the proceeding. Timely written notification of the 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 violation which is subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing and publishing these final results of administrative 
review and notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of 
the Act.

    Dated: February 11, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix--List of Companies/Entities Covered by This Review

1. China-Wide Entity
2. Anhui Fresh Taste International Trade Co., Ltd.
3. Baoji Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.
4. Blu Logistics (China) Co., Ltd.
5. Bonroy Group Limited
6. Forehigh Trade and Industry Co., Ltd.
7. Fujian Province Jianyang Wuyi MSG Co., Ltd.
8. Golden Banyan Foodstuffs Industry Co., Ltd.
9. Henan Lotus Flower Gourmet Powder Co.
10. Hong Kong Sungiven International Food Co., Limited
11. Hulunbeier Northeast Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.
12. K&S Industry Limited
13. King Cheong Hong International
14. Langfang Meihua Bio-Technology Co., Ltd.
15. Liangshan Linghua Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
16. Lotus Health Industry Holding Group
17. Meihua Group International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited
18. Meihua Holdings Group Co., Ltd., Bazhou Branch
19. Neimenggu Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.
20. Pudong Prime Int'l Logistics, Inc.
21. Qinhuangdao Xingtai Trade Co., Ltd.
22. S.D. Linghua M.S.G. Incorporated Co.
23. Shandong Linghua Monosodium Glutamate Incorporated Company
24. Shandong Qilu Biotechnology Group
25. Shanghai Totole Food Ltd.
26. Shijiazhuang Standard Imp & Exp Co., Ltd.
27. Sunrise (HK) International Enterprise Limited
28. Tongliao Meihua Biological Sci-Tech Co., Ltd.
29. Zhejiang Medicines & Health

[FR Doc. 2020-03368 Filed 2-19-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P