[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 138 (Friday, July 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43538-43540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15472]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-955]


Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks From the People's Republic of 
China: Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2018

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the 
administrative review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain 
magnesia carbon bricks (magnesia carbon bricks) from the People's 
Republic of China (China) for the period of review January 1, 2018 
through December 31, 2018 (POR).

DATES: Applicable July 17, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene H. Calvert, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office VII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3586.

[[Page 43539]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 3, 2019, Commerce published in the Federal Register a 
notice of opportunity to request an administrative review of the CVD 
order on magnesia carbon bricks from China for the POR.\1\ On September 
30, 2019, the Magnesia Carbon Bricks Fair Trade Committee (MC Bricks 
Committee) timely submitted a request to review multiple companies, in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(b).\2\ No other party submitted a 
request for an administrative review of the CVD order on magnesia 
carbon bricks from China for the POR.
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    \1\ See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or 
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative 
Review, 84 FR 45949 (September 3, 2019).
    \2\ See MC Bricks Committee's Letter, ``Certain Magnesia Carbon 
Bricks from the People's Republic of China: Request for 
Administrative Review,'' dated September 30, 2019. The MC Bricks 
Committee is an ad hoc business association comprised of three U.S. 
producers of magnesia carbon bricks: Resco Products, Inc.; Magnesita 
Refractories Company; and HarbisonWalker International, Inc. The 
companies requested are: Dandong Xinxing Carbon Co., Ltd.; Fedmet 
Resources Corporation (Fedmet); Fengchi Imp. and Exp. Co., Ltd.; 
Fengchi Imp. and Exp. Co., Ltd. of Haicheng City; Fengchi Mining 
Co., Ltd. of Haicheng City; Fengchi Refractories Co., of Haicheng 
City; Haicheng Donghe Taidi Refractory Co., Ltd.; Henan Xintuo 
Refractory Co., Ltd.; Liaoning Fucheng Refractories; Liaoning 
Zhongmei High Temperature Material Co., Ltd.; Liaoning Zhongmei 
Holding Co., Ltd.; RHI Refractories Liaoning Co., Ltd.; Shenglong 
Refractories Co., Ltd.; Tangshan Strong Refractories Co., Ltd; The 
Economic Trading Group of Haicheng Houying Corp., Ltd; Yingkou 
Heping Samwha Minerals, Co., Ltd; and Yingkou Heping Sanhua 
Materials Co., Ltd.
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    On October 4, 2019, Fedmet filed an objection to the MC Bricks 
Committee's request for Commerce to conduct this administrative review 
with respect to Fedmet, arguing that Fedmet is not, nor has it ever 
been, a producer or exporter of magnesia carbon bricks from China.\3\ 
As such, according to Fedmet, the MC Bricks Committee had no grounds to 
request a review of Fedmet and, therefore, Commerce should decline to 
initiate this administrative review with respect to Fedmet.\4\ No party 
commented on Fedmet's Letter of Objection.
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    \3\ See Fedmet's Letter, ``Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks from 
the People's Republic of China, Case No. C-570-955: Response to 
Petitioner's Request for Administrative Review,'' dated October 4, 
2019 (Fedmet's Letter of Objection).
    \4\ Id.
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    On November 12, 2019, Commerce published in the Federal Register a 
notice of initiation of this administrative review for all requested 
companies, including Fedmet.\5\ In the Initiation Notice, Commerce 
stated that in the event it limits the number of respondents for 
individual examination, it intended to select respondents based on U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data for U.S. imports of magnesia 
carbon bricks from China during the POR.\6\ On November 18, 2019, 
Commerce notified interested parties that CBP's database, which is 
comprised of actual U.S. entries of subject merchandise, indicated that 
there were no POR entries of magnesia carbon bricks from China that are 
subject to CVD duties with respect to the requested companies, and 
invited interested parties to comment on the CBP Entry Data.\7\ No 
interested party commented on the CBP Entry Data.
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    \5\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 84 FR 61001 (November 12, 2019) (Initiation 
Notice).
    \6\ Id. at the section, ``Respondent Selection.''
    \7\ See Memorandum, ``Administrative Review of the 
Countervailing Duty Order on Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks from the 
People's Republic of China; 2018: Release of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) Data for Respondent Selection,'' dated November 18, 
2019 (CBP Entry Data).
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    On December 12, 2019, Fedmet timely submitted a certification of no 
shipments, stating that it made no entries, exports, or sales of 
subject merchandise imported from China into the United States during 
the POR, and stated that it is a U.S. importer and distributer of non-
subject merchandise from China.\8\ Fedmet reiterated its argument that 
the MC Bricks Committee had no grounds to request this administrative 
review with respect to Fedmet, and argued that Commerce has no lawful 
basis to conduct this review regarding Fedmet.\9\ Fedmet also requested 
that Commerce terminate this review with respect to Fedmet or, in the 
alternative, rescind this review with respect to Fedmet in accordance 
with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3).\10\ No interested party commented on 
Fedmet's Certification of No Shipments.
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    \8\ See Fedmet's Letter, ``Magnesia Carbon Bricks from the 
People's Republic of China, Case No. C-570-955: No Shipments 
Certification,'' dated December 12, 2019 (Fedmet's Certification of 
No Shipments).
    \9\ Id.
    \10\ Id.
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    On February 14, 2020, Commerce requested that CBP confirm whether 
any shipments of magnesia carbon bricks from China entered the United 
States during the POR regarding any of the requested companies.\11\ On 
March 9, 2020, CBP responded to Commerce's inquiry and confirmed that 
there were no shipments of magnesia carbon bricks from China during the 
POR with respect to the requested companies.\12\ No interested party 
commented on CBP's Confirmation of No Shipments.
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    \11\ See CBP message No. 0045406, dated February 14, 2020.
    \12\ See Memorandum, ``Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks from the 
People's Republic of China (China): Results of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection (CBP) No Shipments Inquiry with Respect to Various 
Companies During the Period January 1, 2018, through December 31, 
2018 (CBP's Confirmation of No Shipments).
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    On April 24, 2020, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative 
reviews by 50 days.\13\ As such, the current deadline for the 
preliminary results in this administrative review is July 21, 2020. On 
June 25, 2020, Commerce issued a memorandum stating that it intended to 
rescind this administrative review based on the lack of suspended 
entries related to the requested companies, and invited comments from 
interested parties.\14\ No interested party commented on Commerce's 
intent to rescind this administrative review.
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    \13\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews in Response to 
Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19,'' dated April 24, 2020.
    \14\ See Memorandum, ``Administrative Review of the 
Countervailing Duty Order on Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks from the 
People's Republic of China: Intent to Rescind the 2018 
Administrative Review,'' dated June 25, 2020 (Intent to Rescind 
Memorandum).
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Rescission of Review

    It is Commerce's practice to rescind an administrative review of a 
CVD order, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3), when there are no 
reviewable entries of subject merchandise during the POR for which 
liquidation is suspended.\15\ Normally, upon completion of an 
administrative review, the suspended entries are liquidated at the 
assessment rate calculated for the review period.\16\ Therefore, for an 
administrative review to be conducted, there must be a reviewable, 
suspended entry for which Commerce can instruct CBP to liquidate at the 
newly calculated assessment rate.\17\ Based on an examination of the 
record, Commerce finds that there is no evidence of reviewable entries,

[[Page 43540]]

shipments, or U.S. sales of subject merchandise (i.e., magnesia carbon 
bricks from China) during the POR.\18\ Accordingly, in the absence of 
suspended entries of subject merchandise during the POR for this 
administrative review, Commerce is rescinding this administrative 
review of the CVD order on magnesia carbon bricks from China, pursuant 
to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3), in its entirety. Commerce intends to issue 
appropriate assessment instructions to CBP 15 days after the 
publication date of this rescission notice in the Federal Register.
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    \15\ See, e.g., Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks from the People's 
Republic of China: Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Review; 2016, 84 FR 22437 (May 17, 2019) (Magnesia Carbon Bricks 
2016 AR) and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum (IDM); see 
also Circular Welded Carbon Quality Steel Pipe from the Republic of 
China: Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 
2017, 84 FR 14650 (April 11, 2019); see also Lightweight Thermal 
Paper from the People's Republic of China: Notice of Rescission of 
Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2015, 82 FR 14349 (March 
20, 2017); and Lightweight Thermal Paper from the People's Republic 
of China: Notice of Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Review, 81 FR 50683 (August 2, 2016).
    \16\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(2).
    \17\ See Magnesia Carbon Bricks 2016 AR and accompanying IDM at 
5-6.
    \18\ See Intent to Rescind Memorandum.
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Administrative Protective Order

    This notice serves as a reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under 
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written 
notification of 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 sanctionable 
violation.
    Commerce is issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 
and 19 CFR 351.213(d)(4).

    Dated: July 9, 2020.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2020-15472 Filed 7-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P