[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12512-12513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04345]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-967; C-570-968]


Aluminum Extrusions From the People's Republic of China: 
Rescission of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Circumvention 
Inquiries

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the anti-
circumvention inquiries on aluminum extrusions from the People's 
Republic of China (China) that were initiated on May 6, 2019.

DATES: Applicable March 3, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Baker, Office VI, Enforcement and 
Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 
(202) 482-2924.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On May 26, 2011, Commerce published antidumping (AD) and 
countervailing duty (CVD) orders on

[[Page 12513]]

aluminum extrusions from China.\1\ On May 6, 2019, in response to a 
request from Air Master Awning LLC (Air Master), Commerce initiated 
anti-circumvention inquiries regarding the Orders with respect to 
aluminum window frame extrusions processed into aluminum jalousie 
shutters (jalousie shutters) in the Dominican Republic, and also self-
initiated a scope inquiry to determine whether the jalousie shutters at 
issue are merchandise covered by the scope of the Orders.\2\ On May 24, 
2019, Commerce invited interested parties to submit comments on whether 
the jalousie shutters are merchandise covered by the scope of the 
Orders.\3\ On June 11, 2019, we received comments from Aluvinsa 
Industrial SRL (Aluvinsa), a Dominican producer and exporter of 
jalousie shutters.\4\ In June 2019, we received comments \5\ and 
rebuttal comments \6\ from Air Master. We also received letters in 
support of Air Master's submission from the Aluminum Extrusions Fair 
Trade Committee (the petitioner).\7\ On October 15, 2019, Commerce 
issued a final scope ruling, in which it determined that the jalousie 
shutters processed in the Dominican Republic from Chinese aluminum 
extrusions are merchandise covered by the scope of the Orders.\8\
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    \1\ See Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: 
Antidumping Duty Order, 76 FR 30650 (May 26, 2011); and Aluminum 
Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty 
Order, 76 FR 30653 (May 26, 2011) (collectively, the Orders).
    \2\ See Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: 
Initiation of Anti-Circumvention and Scope Inquiries on the 
Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Orders, 84 FR 19757 (May 6, 
2019).
    \3\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Aluminum Extrusions from the 
People's Republic of China: Initiation of Scope Inquiries on Window 
Frame Extrusions,'' dated May 24, 2019.
    \4\ See Aluvinsa's Letter, dated June 6, 2019. Due to filing 
deficiencies in Aluvinsa's submission, on September 30, 2019, we 
requested that Aluvinsa revise and resubmit its June 6, 2019, 
submission, consistent with Commerce's filing requirements. Aluvinsa 
resubmitted its comments on October 2, 2019, but we rejected these 
comments from the record because they contained new factual 
information. On October 2, 2019, Commerce again requested that 
Aluvinsa submit a revised version of its June 6, 2019, submission. 
Aluvinsa made that submission on October 8, 2019.
    \5\ See Air Master's Letter, ``Aluminum Extrusions from the 
People's Republic of China, A-570-967 and C-570-968; Scope Inquiries 
on Window Frame Extrusions,'' dated June 13, 2019.
    \6\ See Air Master's Letter, ``Aluminum Extrusions from the 
People's Republic of China, A-570-967 and C-570-968; Scope Inquiries 
on Window Frame Extrusions; Rebuttal Comments of Air master Awning 
LLC,'' dated June 24, 2019.
    \7\ See Petitioner's Letters, ``Aluminum Extrusions from the 
People's Republic of China: Letter in Support of Air Master Awning 
LLC's Comments in Scope Inquiries on Window Frame Extrusions,'' 
dated June 13, 2019, and ``Aluminum Extrusions from the People's 
Republic of China: Letter in Support of Air Master Awning LLC's 
Rebuttal Comments,'' dated June 24, 2019.
    \8\ See Memorandum, ``Final Scope Ruling on the Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Orders on Aluminum Extrusions from the People's 
Republic of China: Aluminum Jalousie Shutters,'' dated October 15, 
2019, at 20.
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Rescission of Circumvention Inquiries

    In its final scope ruling, Commerce indicated that it intended to 
rescind the anti-circumvention inquiries as moot.\9\ This determination 
is consistent with what Commerce has previously stated to be the 
purpose of an anti-circumvention inquiry. Specifically, Commerce has 
stated that ``[t]he purpose of an anti-circumvention inquiry . . . is 
to determine whether a product that is outside the scope should be 
included within the scope because it was altered in form or appearance 
in minor respects.'' \10\ Because we have determined that aluminum 
jalousie shutters processed in the Dominican Republic from aluminum 
extrusions produced in China are merchandise covered by the scope of 
the Orders, we are rescinding the anti-circumvention inquiries.
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    \9\ Id.
    \10\ See Certain Uncoated Paper from Australia, Brazil, the 
People's Republic of China, Indonesia, and Portugal: Affirmative 
Final Determination of Circumvention of the Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Orders, 82 FR 41610 (September 1, 2017), and 
accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 1.
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Notification Regarding Administrative Protective Orders

    This notice will serve as the only reminder to all 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 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 sanctionable violation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice and determinations are issued and published in 
accordance with section 781 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and 
19 CFR 351.225.

    Dated: February 25, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-04345 Filed 3-2-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P