[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 121 (Monday, June 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41385-41386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13477]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-084; C-570-085]


Certain Quartz Surface Products From the People's Republic of 
China: Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Changed 
Circumstances Reviews; AM Stone

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

SUMMARY: In response to a request from AM Stone Cabinets, Inc. (AM 
Stone), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating 
changed circumstances reviews (CCR) of the

[[Page 41386]]

antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain 
quartz surface products (quartz surface products) from the People's 
Republic of China (China) to determine whether the quartz surface 
products imported by AM Stone into the United States and exported by 
Universal Quartz and Stone Industrial SDN BHD (Universal Quartz) from 
Malaysia were manufactured in Malaysia with non-Chinese origin quartz 
slab.

DATES: Applicable June 26, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ajay Menon, AD/CVD Operations, Office 
IX, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, 
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 11, 2019, Commerce published in the Federal Register the 
orders on quartz surface products from China.\1\ On October 21, 2022, 
Commerce published in the Federal Register the final results of a scope 
ruling regarding imports of quartz surface products manufactured in 
China and further processed in Malaysia, finding that such imports are 
covered by the scope of the Orders.\2\ Moreover, because exporters of 
quartz surface products from Malaysia export both subject and non-
subject merchandise, Commerce established a scope certification process 
for all imports of quartz surface products from Malaysia. Specifically, 
Commerce set forth certification requirements for importers and 
exporters to permit imports from Malaysia produced from non-Chinese 
origin quartz slab not to be subject to suspension of liquidation and 
cash deposit requirements. In so doing, Commerce also determined that 
certain companies processing Chinese quartz slab in Malaysia, including 
Universal Quartz, were ineligible to participate in this scope 
certification process.\3\ However, Commerce indicated that these 
companies, including Universal Quartz, could request reconsideration of 
their exclusion from the certification process in a future segment of 
the proceeding (e.g., in a CCR).\4\
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    \1\ See Certain Quartz Surface Products from the People's 
Republic of China: Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 84 FR 
33053 (July 11, 2019) (Orders).
    \2\ See Certain Quartz Surface Products from the People's 
Republic of China: Final Scope Ruling on Malaysian Processed Quartz 
Slab and Recission of the Circumvention Inquiry, 87 FR 64009, 64010 
(October 21, 2022).
    \3\ Id.
    \4\ Id., 87 FR at 64010.
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    On May 11, 2023, AM Stone submitted a letter requesting that 
Commerce conduct a CCR to reconsider Universal Quartz's eligibility for 
the certification process, such that Universal Quartz can certify that 
the quartz surface products imported by AM Stone are not produced from 
Chinese-origin quartz slab.\5\ We received no comments from interested 
parties regarding the CCR Request.
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    \5\ See AM Stone's Letter, ``Request for Changed Circumstances 
Review of Universal Quartz,'' dated May 11, 2023 (CCR Request).
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Scope of the Orders

    The products covered by the Orders are quartz surface products from 
China.\6\ The products subject to the scope are currently classified in 
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the 
following subheading: 6810.99.0010. Subject merchandise may also enter 
under subheadings 6810.11.0010, 6810.11.0070, 6810.19.1200, 
6810.19.1400, 6810.19.5000, 6810.91.0000, 6810.99.0080, 2506.10.0010, 
2506.10.0050, 2506.20.0010, 2506.20.0080, and 7016.90.1050. Although 
the HTSUS numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, 
the written product description remains dispositive.
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    \6\ See Orders, 84 FR at 33055-56, for a complete description of 
the scope.
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Initiation of CCR

    Pursuant to section 751(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.216(d), Commerce conducts a CCR upon 
receipt of information concerning, or a request from, an interested 
party for a review of an AD or CVD order which shows changed 
circumstances sufficient to warrant a review of the order. The 
information AM Stone provided regarding Universal Quartz's exports of 
quartz surface products demonstrates changed circumstances sufficient 
to warrant such a review.\7\ Therefore, we are initiating a CCR 
pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(d) based 
upon the information contained in AM Stone's submission to determine 
whether Universal Quartz is eligible to certify that its quartz surface 
products are not produced from Chinese-origin quartz slab.
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    \7\ See, generally, CCR Request.
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    Commerce will issue a questionnaire requesting additional 
information from AM Stone for this CCR regarding its quartz slab and 
will publish in the Federal Register a notice of the preliminary 
results, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4) and (c)(3)(i). All 
information submitted may be subject to verification. Failure to allow 
full and complete verification of any information submitted may affect 
Commerce's consideration of that information. Commerce will set forth 
its preliminary factual and legal conclusions in this notice and a 
description of any action proposed based on those results. Pursuant to 
19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(ii), interested parties will have an opportunity 
to comment on the preliminary results. Unless extended, Commerce will 
issue the final results of this CCR in accordance with the time limits 
set forth in 19 CFR 351.216(e).

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing this notice in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) 
and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(b), and 351.221(b)(1).

    Dated: June 20, 2023.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.
[FR Doc. 2023-13477 Filed 6-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P