[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11050-11051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03786]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-052]


Certain Hardwood Plywood Products From the People's Republic of 
China: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 
2017-2018

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that 
countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and/or 
exporters of certain hardwood plywood products (hardwood plywood) from 
the People's Republic of China (China) during the period of review 
(POR) April 25, 2017 through December 31, 2018.

DATES: Applicable February 26, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Annathea Cook, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On October 11, 2019, Commerce published the Preliminary Results of 
this administrative review.\1\ No party commented on the Preliminary 
Results. Accordingly, Commerce has not modified its analysis from the 
Preliminary Results, and no decision memorandum accompanies this 
Federal Register notice. Commerce conducted this review in accordance 
with section

[[Page 11051]]

751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).
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    \1\ See Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's 
Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Review and Rescission of Review, in Part; 2017-2018, 
84 FR 54844 (October 11, 2019) (Preliminary Results).
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Scope of the Order

    The merchandise subject to this order is hardwood and decorative 
plywood, and certain veneered panels.\2\ For the purposes of this 
proceeding, hardwood and decorative plywood are described as a 
generally flat, multilayered plywood or other veneered panel, 
consisting of two or more layers of plies of wood veneers and a core, 
with the face and/or back veneer made of nonconiferous wood (hardwood) 
or bamboo. For a complete description of the scope of the order, see 
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\3\
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    \2\ See Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's 
Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 83 FR 513 (January 4, 
2018).
    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Results of the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review: Certain 
Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of China; 2017-
2018,'' dated October 3, 2019 (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Methodology

    For each of the subsidy programs we found to be countervailable, we 
determined that there is a subsidy, i.e., a government-provided 
financial contribution that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, 
and that the subsidy is specific.\4\
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    \4\ See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding 
financial contribution, section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding 
benefit, and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.
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    In making these findings, Commerce relied on facts available and, 
because we found that two companies selected as mandatory respondents 
for individual examination (Jiangsu High Hope Arser Co., Ltd. (High 
Hope) and Zhejiang Dehua TB Import & Export Co., Ltd (Zhejiang Dehua)), 
as well as the Government of China, did not act to the best of their 
abilities to respond to Commerce's requests for information, we drew an 
adverse inference, where appropriate, in selecting from among the facts 
otherwise available.
    As no party submitted comments on the methodology used in 
calculating the adverse facts available subsidy rates assigned in the 
Preliminary Results, Commerce has made no adjustments to its 
determination that High Hope and Zhejiang Dehua did not cooperate to 
the best of their abilities to comply with Commerce's request for 
information. Accordingly, we continue to determine that it is 
appropriate to apply facts otherwise available with adverse inferences, 
in accordance with sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act. For details 
regarding the issues raised in this proceeding, including Commerce's 
determination to apply adverse facts available to High Hope and 
Zhejiang Dehua, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\5\
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    \5\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    Additionally, due to the absence of reviewable entries, in our 
Preliminary Determination, we preliminarily rescinded this review with 
respect to the following companies: Happy Wood Industrial Group Co., 
Ltd; Jiangsu Sunwell Cabinetry Co., Ltd.; Linyi Bomei Furniture Co., 
Ltd.; Pingyi Jinniu Wood Co., Ltd.; Qingdao Top P&Q International 
Corp.; SAICG International Trading Co., Ltd.; Shandong Huaxin Jiasheng 
Wood Co., Ltd.; Shandong Jinhua International Trading Co., Ltd.; and 
Xuzhou Amish Import & Export Co., Ltd.\6\ There is no additional record 
evidence that calls into question the preliminary decision to rescind 
this review for the above-referenced companies. Accordingly, we 
continue to find that it is appropriate to rescind this review with 
respect to each of these companies.
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    \6\ Id.
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Final Results

    The final net countervailable subsidy rates are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Net subsidy
                                                             rate  ad
                    Exporter/producer                         valorem
                                                             (percent)
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Zhejiang Dehua TB Import & Export Co., Ltd..............          194.90
Jiangsu High Hope Arser Co., Ltd........................          194.90
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Disclosure

    We described the subsidy rate calculations, which were based on 
adverse facts available, in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\7\ As 
noted above, there are no changes to our calculations. Thus, no 
additional disclosure is necessary for this final determination.
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    \7\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 13-17.
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Assessment Rates

    Consistent with section 751(a)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 
351.212(b)(2), Commerce will determine, and U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) shall assess, countervailing duties on all appropriate 
entries. Commerce intends to issue appropriate assessment instructions 
to CBP 15 days after publication of the final results of this review.

Cash Deposit Requirements

    Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, Commerce also intends 
to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing 
duties in the amount indicated above on shipments of subject 
merchandise from the above-named companies entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the 
final results of this administrative review. For all non-reviewed 
firms, we will instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated 
countervailing duties at the most recent company-specific or all-others 
rate applicable to the company, as appropriate. These cash deposit 
requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further 
notice.

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 the 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 the 
terms of an APO is a violation subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    These final results are issued and published in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: February 10, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-03786 Filed 2-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P