[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40229-40231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14528]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-552-826]


Utility Scale Wind Towers From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Negative 
Determination of Critical Circumstances

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 exporters 
of utility scale wind towers (wind towers) from the Socialist Republic 
of Vietnam (Vietnam).

DATES: Applicable July 6, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Davina Friedmann, 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) 482-0698.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 13, 2020, Commerce published the Preliminary 
Determination of the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation, which 
aligned the final determination in this CVD investigation with the 
final determination in the companion antidumping duty (AD) 
investigation of utility scale wind towers from Vietnam.\1\ On February 
11, 2020, Commerce published its Preliminary Determination of Critical 
Circumstances in which we found that no critical circumstances exist 
for CS Wind or for all other producers or exporters for imports of wind 
towers from Vietnam.\2\
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    \1\ See Utility Scale Wind Towers from the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination 
and Alignment of Final Determination with Final Antidumping Duty 
Determination, 84 FR 68104 (December 13, 2019) (Preliminary 
Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum 
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
    \2\ See Utility Scale Wind Towers from Canada, Indonesia, and 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Countervailing Duty 
Investigations: Preliminary Determinations of Critical 
Circumstances, 85 FR 7724 (February 11, 2020) (Preliminary 
Determination of Critical Circumstances).
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    A summary of the events that occurred since Commerce published the 
Preliminary Determination, as well as a full discussion of the issues 
raised by parties for this final determination, may be found in the 
Issues and Decision Memorandum, which is hereby adopted by this this 
notice.\3\ The Issues and Decision Memorandum is a public document and 
is on file electronically 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 Issues and Decision Memorandum can 
be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed 
and electronic versions of the Issues and Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content.
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    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the 
Final Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation of 
Utility Scale Wind Towers from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,'' 
dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Issues 
and Decision Memorandum).
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Period of Investigation

    The period of investigation is January 1, 2018 through December 31, 
2018.

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is utility scale wind 
towers from Vietnam. For a complete

[[Page 40230]]

description of the scope of this investigation, see Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    As stated in the Preliminary Determination, no interested parties 
commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the 
Initiation Notice.\4\ Accordingly, the scope of the investigation 
remains the same as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. See Appendix 
I of this notice.
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    \4\ See Utility Scale Wind Towers from Canada, Indonesia, and 
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of Countervailing Duty 
Investigations, 84 FR 38216 (August 6, 2019) (Initiation Notice).
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Analysis of Subsidy Programs and Comments Received

    The subsidy programs under investigation and the issues raised in 
the case and rebuttal briefs by parties in this investigation are 
discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. A list of the issues 
that parties raised is attached to this notice as Appendix II.

Methodology

    Commerce conducted this investigation in accordance with section 
701 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each of the 
subsidy programs found countervailable, Commerce determines that there 
is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an ``authority'' that 
gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is 
specific.\5\ For a full description of the methodology underlying our 
final determination, see the Issues and Decisions Memorandum.
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    \5\ 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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Verification

    As provided in section 782(i) of the Act, in February 2020, we 
conducted verification of the information reported by the mandatory 
respondent, CS Wind Vietnam Co. Ltd. (CS Wind), for use in Commerce's 
final determination. We used standard verification procedures, 
including examination of relevant accounting records, and original 
source documents provided by CS Wind.\6\
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    \6\ See Commerce Letter, ``Countervailing Duty Investigation of 
Utility Scale Wind Towers from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,'' 
dated March 18, 2020.
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Changes Since the Preliminary Determination

    Based on our review and analysis of the comments received from 
parties and the results of verification, we made certain changes to the 
subsidy rate calculations for CS Wind. For a discussion of these 
changes, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Final Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

    In accordance with section 703(e)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, 
Commerce preliminarily determined that critical circumstances did not 
exist with respect to imports of wind towers from Vietnam because 
section 703(e)(1)(B) of the Act was not met (i.e., U.S. imports did not 
increase by 15 percent from the base to the comparison period).\7\ Our 
final determination remains unchanged. Accordingly, pursuant to section 
705(a)(2) of the Act, we find that critical circumstances do not exist 
with respect to imports of wind towers from Vietnam. For a full 
description of the methodology and results of Commerce's critical 
circumstances analysis, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
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    \7\ See Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances.
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All-Others Rate

    We continue to assign the countervailable subsidy rate calculated 
for CS Wind as the all-others rate applicable to all exporters and/or 
producers not individually examined.\8\
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    \8\ See Preliminary Determination.
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Final Determination

    In accordance with section 705(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Act, we 
calculated an individual rate for CS Wind. We determine the total 
estimated net countervailable subsidy rate to be:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Subsidy
                       Producer/exporter                          rate
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CS Wind Vietnam Co., Ltd. (a.k.a. CS Wind Tower Co., Ltd.) \9\      2.84
All Others....................................................      2.84
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Disclosure
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    \9\ See Issues and Decision Memorandum at Section III for 
additional information.
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    We intend to disclose to parties in this proceeding the 
calculations performed for this final determination within five days of 
the date of public announcement of our final determination, in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

    As a result of our Preliminary Determination, and pursuant to 
sections 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, we instructed U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of all entries of 
subject merchandise, as described in the scope of the investigation 
section, that were entered or withdrawn from warehouse, for 
consumption, on or after December 13, 2019, the date of publication of 
the Preliminary Determination in the Federal Register. In accordance 
with section 703(d) of the Act, we will instruct CBP to discontinue the 
suspension of liquidation for countervailing duty (CVD) purposes for 
subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, on or after 
April 11, 2020 but to continue the suspension of liquidation of all 
entries from December 13, 2019 through April 10, 2020.
    If the U.S. International Trade Commission (the ITC) issues a final 
affirmative injury determination, we will issue a CVD order, reinstate 
the suspension of liquidation under section 706(a) of the Act, and 
require a cash deposit of estimated countervailing duties for such 
entries of subject merchandise in the amounts indicated above. If the 
ITC determines that material injury, or threat of material injury, does 
not exist, this proceeding will be terminated and all estimated duties 
deposited or securities posted as a result of the suspension of 
liquidation will be refunded or canceled.

ITC Notification

    In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, we will notify the 
ITC of our determination. Because the final determination in this 
proceeding is affirmative, in accordance with section 705(b) of the 
Act, the ITC will make its final determination as to whether the 
domestic industry in the United States is materially injured, or 
threatened with material injury, by reason of imports of wind towers 
from Vietnam no later than 45 days after our final determination. If 
the ITC determines that material injury or threat of material injury 
does not exist, the proceeding will be terminated and all cash deposits 
will be refunded. If the ITC determines that material injury or threat 
of material injury does exist, Commerce will issue a CVD order 
directing CBP to assess, upon further instruction by Commerce, 
countervailing duties on all imports of the subject merchandise 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the 
effective date of the suspension of liquidation, as discussed above in 
the ``Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation'' section.

Notification Regarding Administrative Protective Orders

    In the event the ITC issues a final negative injury determination, 
this notice serves as the only reminder to parties subject to an APO of 
their responsibility concerning the

[[Page 40231]]

destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). 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 subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 
705(d) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(c).

    Dated: June 29, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix I--Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation consists of 
certain wind towers, whether or not tapered, and sections thereof. 
Certain wind towers support the nacelle and rotor blades in a wind 
turbine with a minimum rated electrical power generation capacity in 
excess of 100 kilowatts and with a minimum height of 50 meters 
measured from the base of the tower to the bottom of the nacelle 
(i.e., where the top of the tower and nacelle are joined) when fully 
assembled.
    A wind tower section consists of, at a minimum, multiple steel 
plates rolled into cylindrical or conical shapes and welded together 
(or otherwise attached) to form a steel shell, regardless of 
coating, end-finish, painting, treatment, or method of manufacture, 
and with or without flanges, doors, or internal or external 
components (e.g., flooring/decking, ladders, lifts, electrical buss 
boxes, electrical cabling, conduit, cable harness for nacelle 
generator, interior lighting, tool and storage lockers) attached to 
the wind tower section. Several wind tower sections are normally 
required to form a completed wind tower.
    Wind towers and sections thereof are included within the scope 
whether or not they are joined with nonsubject merchandise, such as 
nacelles or rotor blades, and whether or not they have internal or 
external components attached to the subject merchandise.
    Specifically excluded from the scope are nacelles and rotor 
blades, regardless of whether they are attached to the wind tower. 
Also excluded are any internal or external components which are not 
attached to the wind towers or sections thereof, unless those 
components are shipped with the tower sections.
    Further, excluded from the scope of the antidumping duty 
investigations are any products covered by the existing antidumping 
duty order on utility scale wind towers from the Socialist Republic 
of Vietnam. See Utility Scale Wind Towers from the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less 
Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty Order, 78 FR 11150 (February 
15, 2013).
    Merchandise covered by this investigation is currently 
classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
(HTSUS) under subheading 7308.20.0020 or 8502.31.0000. Wind towers 
of iron or steel are classified under HTSUS 7308.20.0020 when 
imported separately as a tower or tower section(s). Wind towers may 
be classified under HTSUS 8502.31.0000 when imported as combination 
goods with a wind turbine (i.e., accompanying nacelles and/or rotor 
blades). While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience 
and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the 
investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II--List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision 
Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Clarification of Respondent
IV. Scope of the Investigation
V. Changes from the Preliminary Determination
VI. Final Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances
VII. Discussion of the Issues
    1: Unreported Affiliated Supplier
    2: Import Duty Exemptions on Raw Materials for Exporting Goods 
Program
    3: Provision of Utilities for LTAR
    4: Provision of Electricity for LTAR
    5: Land-Use Rights for LTAR
    6: Entered Value Adjustment
    7: Excessive Indirect Tax Exemptions on Exports
    8: Income Tax Preferences Under Chapter V of Decree 24
    9: Import Duty Exemptions on Imports of Equipment and Machinery 
to Create Fixed Assets
    10: Non-Verification of the Government of Vietnam
VIII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2020-14528 Filed 7-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P