[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 84 (Thursday, April 30, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23947-23950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09222]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-904]


Certain Activated Carbon From the People's Republic of China: 
Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, Intent 
To Rescind the Review, in Part, and Preliminary Determination of No 
Shipments; 2018-2019

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines 
that Carbon Activated Tianjin Co., Ltd. (Carbon Activated) and Datong 
Juqiang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd. (Datong Juqiang), exporters of 
certain activated carbon from the People's Republic of China (China), 
sold subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal 
value (NV) during the period of review (POR) April 1, 2018 through 
March 31, 2019. Interested parties are invited to comment on these 
preliminary results.

DATES: Applicable April 30, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jinny Ahn or George Ayache, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0339 or (202) 482-2623, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This administrative review is being conducted in accordance with 
section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). 
Commerce published the notice of initiation of this administrative 
review on June 13, 2019.\1\ On November 19, 2019, Commerce extended the 
preliminary results deadline until April 29, 2020.\2\
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    \1\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 84 FR 27587 (June 13, 2019) (Initiation 
Notice).
    \2\ See Memorandum, ``Certain Activated Carbon from the People's 
Republic of China: Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of 
the Twelfth Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,'' dated November 
19, 2019.
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Scope of the Order 3
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    \3\ See Notice of Antidumping Duty Order: Certain Activated 
Carbon from the People's Republic of China, 72 FR 20988 (April 27, 
2007) (Order).
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    The merchandise subject to the order is certain activated carbon. 
The products are currently classifiable under the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 3802.10.00. Although 
the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes, 
the written description of the scope of the order remains 
dispositive.\4\
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    \4\ For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see 
Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of 
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Certain Activated Carbon 
from the People's Republic of China; 2018-2019,'' dated concurrently 
with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum).
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Intent To Rescind Administrative Review, in Part

    In the Initiation Notice, we included Jacobi Carbons, Inc. among 
the companies for which a review was requested. Commerce has previously 
determined that Jacobi Carbons, Inc. is a U.S. shareholder of 
Jacobi,\5\ and the record of this review supports that determination. 
Therefore, we intend to rescind the review with respect to Jacobi 
Carbons, Inc.\6\
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    \5\ Jacobi Carbons AB and its affiliates, Tianjin Jacobi 
International Trading Co. Ltd., and Jacobi Carbons Industry 
(Tianjin) Co. Ltd. (collectively, Jacobi).
    \6\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 8.
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Preliminary Determination of No Shipments

    Based on our analysis of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
information, and the no shipment certifications submitted by Ningxia 
Guanghua Cherishmet Activated Carbon Co., Ltd., Jilin Bright Future 
Chemicals Co., Ltd., Shanxi Dapu International Trade Co., Ltd., and 
Tianjin Channel Filters Co., Ltd., Commerce preliminarily determines 
that these companies had no shipments of subject merchandise during the 
POR. For additional information regarding this determination, see the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    Consistent with our practice in non-market economy (NME) cases, we 
are not rescinding this review but instead intend to complete the 
review with respect to these four companies, for which we have 
preliminarily found no shipments, and issue appropriate instructions to 
CBP based on the final results of the review.\7\
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    \7\ See Non-Market Economy Antidumping Proceedings: Assessment 
of Antidumping Duties, 76 FR 65694, 65694-95 (October 24, 2011) (NME 
Practice).
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 
751(a)(1)(B) of the Act. We calculated export prices and constructed 
export prices in accordance with section 772 of the Act. Because China 
is an NME country within the meaning of section 771(18) of the Act, NV 
has been calculated in accordance with section 773(c) of the Act.
    For a full description of the methodology underlying our 
conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. A list of the 
topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included as 
Appendix I to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a 
public document and is made available to the public via Enforcement and 
Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic 
Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at 
https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum is available at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed and electronic versions of the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Preliminary Results of the Review

    Commerce preliminarily finds that 63 companies for which a review 
was requested \8\ did not establish eligibility for a separate rate 
because they failed to provide either a separate rate application or 
separate rate certification. As such, we preliminarily determine

[[Page 23948]]

that these 63 companies are part of the China-wide entity.\9\
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    \8\ See Appendix II of this notice for a full list of the 63 
companies.
    \9\ Because no interested party requested a review of the China-
wide entity and Commerce no longer considers the China-wide entity 
as an exporter conditionally subject to administrative reviews, we 
did not conduct a review of the China-wide entity. Thus, the rate 
for the China-wide entity is not subject to change as a result of 
this review. See Antidumping Proceedings: Announcement of Change in 
Department Practice for Respondent Selection in Antidumping Duty 
Proceedings and Conditional Review of the Nonmarket Economy Entity 
in NME Antidumping Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 65963, 65969-70 (November 
4, 2013). The China-wide entity rate of 2.42 U.S. dollars per 
kilogram was last reviewed in Certain Activated Carbon from the 
People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review; 2012-2013, 79 FR 70163 (November 25, 2014).
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    For those companies that have established their eligibility for a 
separate rate,\10\ Commerce preliminarily determines that the following 
weighted-average dumping margins exist for the POR:
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    \10\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        Weighted-average
                                                         dumping margin
                       Exporter                        (U.S. dollars per
                                                         kilogram) \11\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beijing Pacific Activated Carbon Products Co., Ltd...               0.49
Carbon Activated Tianjin Co., Ltd....................               1.66
Datong Juqiang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.............               0.22
Jacobi Carbons AB \12\...............................               0.49
Ningxia Huahui Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.............               0.49
Ningxia Mineral & Chemical Limited...................               0.49
Shanxi Sincere Industrial Co., Ltd...................               0.49
Shanxi Tianxi Purification Filter Co., Ltd...........               0.49
Datong Municipal Yunguang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd..               0.49
Shanxi Industry Technology Trading Co., Ltd..........               0.49
Tancarb Activated Carbon Co., Ltd....................               0.49
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For the respondents that were not selected for individual 
examination in this administrative review but qualified for a separate 
rate, we have assigned to them the weighted-average margin calculated 
based on the publicly available ranged U.S. sales quantities of the 
mandatory respondents consistent with section 735(c)(5)(A) of the 
Act.\13\
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    \11\ In the second administrative review of the Order, Commerce 
determined that it would calculate per-unit weighted-average dumping 
margins and assessment rates for all future reviews. See Certain 
Activated Carbon from the People's Republic of China: Final Results 
and Partial Rescission of Second Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review, 75 FR 70208, 70211 (November 17, 2010).
    \12\ In the third administrative review of the Order, Commerce 
found that Jacobi Carbons AB, Tianjin Jacobi International Trading 
Co. Ltd., and Jacobi Carbons Industry (Tianjin) should be treated as 
a single entity, and because there were no facts presented on the 
record of this review which would call into question our prior 
finding, we continue to treat these companies as part of a single 
entity for this administrative review, pursuant to sections 
771(33)(E), (F), and (G) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.401(f). See 
Certain Activated Carbon from the People's Republic of China: Final 
Results and Partial Rescission of Third Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review, 76 FR 67142, 67145, n. 25 (October 31, 2011); 
see also Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    \13\ See Memorandum, ``Certain Activated Carbon from the 
People's Republic of China: Calculation of the Margin for 
Respondents Not Selected for Individual Examination,'' dated 
concurrently with this notice; see also Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.
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Disclosure and Public Comment

    Commerce intends to disclose the calculations performed for these 
preliminary results to the parties no later than five days after the 
date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.224(b). Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(ii), interested parties may 
submit case briefs no later than 30 days after the date of publication 
of these preliminary results of review. Parties who submit case briefs 
or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding 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. Rebuttal briefs, limited to 
issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed no later than seven days 
after the case briefs are filed.\14\ Note that Commerce has temporarily 
modified certain of its requirements for serving documents containing 
business proprietary information, until May 19, 2020, unless 
extended.\15\
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    \14\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Temporary Rule Modifying 
AD/CVD Service Requirements Due to COVID-19, 85 FR 17006 (March 26, 
2020) (Temporary Rule) (``To provide adequate time for release of 
case briefs via ACCESS, E&C intends to schedule the due date for all 
rebuttal briefs to be 7 days after case briefs are filed (while 
these modifications are in effect)'').
    \15\ See Temporary Rule.
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    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to 
request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant 
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance within 30 days of the date of 
publication of this notice. Requests should contain: (1) The party's 
name, address and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and 
(3) a list of issues parties intend to discuss. Issues raised in the 
hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case and 
rebuttal briefs.\16\ If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce 
intends to hold the hearing at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, at a date and time to be 
determined.\17\ Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and 
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.
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    \16\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
    \17\ See 19 CFR 351.310(d).
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    All submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically using 
ACCESS \18\ and must also be served on interested parties.\19\ An 
electronically filed document must be received successfully in its 
entirety by ACCESS, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the date that the 
document is due.
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    \18\ See 19 CFR 351.303.
    \19\ See 19 CFR 351.303(f).
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    Unless otherwise extended, Commerce intends to issue the final 
results of this administrative review, which will include the results 
of its analysis of issues raised in any briefs, within 120 days of 
publication of these preliminary results, pursuant to section 
751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

Assessment Rates

    Upon issuance of the final results, Commerce will determine, and 
CBP shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered 
by this review.\20\ Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions 
to CBP 15 days after the publication date of the final results of this 
review. For any individually examined respondent whose (estimated) ad 
valorem weighted-average dumping margin is not zero or

[[Page 23949]]

de minimis (i.e., less than 0.50 percent) in the final results of this 
review, Commerce will calculate importer-specific assessment rates on 
the basis of the ratio of the total amount of dumping calculated for 
the importer's examined sales and the total quantity of those sales, in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).\21\ Commerce will also calculate 
(estimated) \22\ ad valorem importer-specific assessment rates with 
which to assess whether the per-unit assessment rate is de minimis.\23\ 
We will instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate 
entries covered by this review when the importer-specific ad valorem 
assessment rate calculated in the final results of this review is not 
zero or de minimis. Where either the respondent's ad valorem weighted-
average dumping margin is zero or de minimis, or an importer-specific 
ad valorem assessment rate is zero or de minimis,\24\ we will instruct 
CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping 
duties.
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    \20\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
    \21\ In these preliminary results, Commerce applied the 
assessment rate calculation method adopted in Antidumping 
Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted-Average Dumping Margin and 
Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping Proceedings: Final 
Modification, 77 FR 8101 (February 14, 2012).
    \22\ See Certain Activated Carbon from the People's Republic of 
China: Final Results and Partial Rescission of Second Antidumping 
Duty Administrative Review, 75 FR 70208 (November 17, 2010), and 
accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 3. In the 
second administrative review of this proceeding, we analyzed the 
difference between reported entered values and estimated customs 
values. In that segment, we found substantial differences between 
the estimated customs values for entries of certain activated carbon 
and the entered values reported to CBP. We determined that the 
entered values of constructed export price sales were being 
systematically understated, which we also determined would result in 
the under-collection of antidumping duties by CBP. Accordingly, we 
made a determination to switch to per-unit assessment and cash 
deposit rates in that and subsequent reviews.
    \23\ For calculated (estimated) ad valorem importer-specific 
assessment rates used in determining whether the per-unit assessment 
rate is de minimis, see Memoranda, ``Preliminary Results Margin 
Calculation for Datong Juqiang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.,'' and 
``Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Certain Activated Carbon 
the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results Calculation 
Memorandum for Carbon Activated,'' both dated concurrently with this 
notice, and attached Margin Calculation Program Logs and Outputs.
    \24\ See 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2).
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    For the respondents that were not selected for individual 
examination in this administrative review but qualified for a separate 
rate, the assessment rate will be the margin established for these 
companies in the final results of this review.
    For the final results, if we continue to treat the 63 companies, 
identified at Appendix II to this notice, as part of the China-wide 
entity, we will instruct CBP to apply a per-unit assessment rate of 
$2.42 per kilogram to all entries of subject merchandise during the POR 
which were produced and/or exported by those companies.\25\
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    \25\ See, e.g., Certain Activated Carbon from the People's 
Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative 
Review; 2012-2013, 79 FR 70163, 70165 (November 25, 2014).
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    For entries that were not reported in the U.S. sales data submitted 
by companies individually examined during this review, Commerce will 
instruct CBP to liquidate such entries at the rate for the China-wide 
entity.\26\ Additionally, if Commerce determines that an exporter under 
review had no shipments of the subject merchandise, any suspended 
entries that entered under that exporter's case number (i.e., at that 
exporter's cash deposit rate) will be liquidated at the rate for the 
China-wide entity.\27\
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    \26\ See NME Practice, for a full discussion.
    \27\ Id.
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    In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, the final 
results of this review shall be the basis for the assessment of 
antidumping duties on entries of merchandise covered by the final 
results of this review and for future deposits of estimated antidumping 
duties, as applicable.

Cash Deposit Requirements

    The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon 
publication of the final results of this administrative review for 
shipments of the subject merchandise from China entered, or withdrawn 
from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as 
provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For each specific 
company listed in the final results of this review, the cash deposit 
rate will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established 
in the final results of this review (except that if the ad valorem rate 
is de minimis, then the cash deposit rate will be zero); (2) for 
previously investigated or reviewed Chinese and non-Chinese exporters 
not listed above that have separate rates, the cash deposit rate will 
continue to be the existing exporter-specific cash deposit rate; (3) 
for all Chinese exporters of subject merchandise that have not been 
found to be entitled to a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be 
the rate for the China-wide entity; and (4) for all non-Chinese 
exporters of subject merchandise which have not received their own 
separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to the 
Chinese exporter that supplied that non-Chinese exporter. These cash 
deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until 
further notice.

Notification to Importers

    This notice also serves as a preliminary 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 occurred and the subsequent assessment of double 
antidumping duties.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This administrative review and notice are issued and published in 
accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, 19 CFR 
351.213, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: April 24, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Discussion of the Methodology
V. Recommendation

Appendix II

Companies Preliminarily Not Eligible for a Separate Rate and Treated as 
Part of the China-Wide Entity

1. AM Global Shipping Lines Co., Ltd.
2. Apex Maritime (Tianjin) Co., Ltd.
3. Beijing Kang Jie Kong International Cargo Agent Co Ltd.
4. Bengbu Modern Environmental Co., Ltd.
5. Brilliant Logistics Group Inc.
6. China Combi Works Oy Ltd
7. China International Freight Co., Ltd.
8. Cohesion Freight (HK) Ltd.
9. Datong Municipal Yunguang
10. De Well Container Shipping Corp.
11. Derun Charcoal Carbon Co., Ltd.
12. Endurance Cargo Management Co., Ltd.
13. Envitek (China) Ltd.
14. Excel Shipping Co., Ltd.
15. Fujian Xinsen Carbon Co., Ltd.
16. Fuzhou Yihuan Carbon Co., Ltd.
17. Fuzhou Yuemengfeng Trade Co., Ltd.
18. Gongyi City Bei Shan Kou Water Purification Materials Factory
19. Guangdong Hanyan Activated Carbon Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
20. Guangzhou Four E'S Scientific Co., Ltd.
21. Hangzhou Hengxing Activated Carbon
22. Henan Dailygreen Trading Co., Ltd.
23. Honour Lane Shipping Ltd.
24. Ingevity Corp.
25. Ingevity Performance Materials
26. Jiangsu Kejing Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd.

[[Page 23950]]

27. Jiangxi Yuanli Huaiyushan Active Carbon
28. Jilin Bright Future Chemicals Co.
29. King Freight International Corp.
30. M Chemical Company, Inc.
31. Meadwestvaco Trading (Shanghai)
32. Muk Chi Trade Co., Ltd.
33. Nanping Yuanli Active Carbon Co.
34. Pacific Star Express (China) Company Ltd.
35. Panalpina World Transport (Prc) Ltd.
36. Pingdingshan Green Forest Activated Carbon Factory
37. Pingdingshan Lvlin Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.
38. Pudong Prime International Logistics
39. Safround Logistics Co.
40. Seatrade International Transportation
41. Shanghai Caleb Industrial Co. Ltd.
42. Shanghai Express Global International
43. Shanghai Line Feng Int'l Transportation
44. Shanghai Pudong International Transportation
45. Shanghai Sunson Activated Carbon
46. Shanghai Xinjinhu Activated Carbon
47. Shanxi DMD Corp.
48. Shanxi Industry Technology Trading (ITT)
49. Shanxi Tianxi Purification Filter
50. Shenzhen Calux Purification
51. Shijiazhuang Tangju Trading Co.
52. Sinoacarbon International Trading Co., Ltd.
53. T.H.I. Group (Shanghai) Ltd.
54. Tancarb Activated Carbon Co.
55. The Ultimate Solid Logistics Ltd
56. Tianjin Maijin Industries Co., Ltd
57. Translink Shipping Inc.
58. Trans-Power International Logistics Co., Ltd.
59. Triple Eagle Container Line
60. U.S. United Logistics (Ningbo) Inc.
61. Yusen Logistics Co., Ltd.
62. Zhejiang Topc Chemical Industry
63. Zhengzhou Zhulin Activated Carbon

[FR Doc. 2020-09222 Filed 4-29-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P