[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89664-89667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28630]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-971]


Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of China: 
Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Review; 2021

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily

[[Page 89665]]

determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to 
producers and exporters of multilayered wood flooring (wood flooring) 
from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) 
is January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Interested parties are 
invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.

DATES: Applicable December 28, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Matney or Jonathan Schueler, AD/
CVD Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-2429 or (202) 
482-9175, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 8, 2011, Commerce issued a countervailing duty order on 
wood flooring from China.\1\ The American Manufacturers of Multilayered 
Wood Flooring (the petitioner) and other interested parties requested 
that Commerce conduct an administrative review of the Order. On 
February 2, 2023, Commerce published in the Federal Register a notice 
of initiation of an administrative review of the Order.\2\ We initiated 
an administrative review with respect to 86 producers/exporters of wood 
flooring from China for the POR.
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    \1\ See Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of 
China: Countervailing Duty Order, 76 FR 76693 (December 8, 2011); 
and Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of China: 
Amended Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 77 FR 5484 
(February 3, 2012), wherein the scope of the order was modified 
(collectively, Order).
    \2\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Reviews, 88 FR 7060 (February 2, 2023). (Initiation 
Notice).
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    For events that occurred since the Initiation Notice, see the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\3\ The Preliminary 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 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx. A list of topics 
discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included as 
Appendix I to this notice.
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    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Results in the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review of 
Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of China; 
2021,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice 
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Order

    The product covered by the Order is wood flooring from China. For a 
complete description of the scope of the Order, see the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum.

Final Rescission of Review, in Part

    On September 27, 2023, Commerce notified interested parties that we 
intended to rescind this administrative review with respect to the 
companies listed in Appendix II, in the absence of suspended entries 
during the POR.\4\ No party commented on our Intent to Rescind 
Memorandum. As a result, we are rescinding this review, in part, with 
respect to the 70 companies listed in Appendix II, pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.213(d)(3) and (4).
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    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Notice of Intent to Rescind Review, In 
Part,'' dated September 27, 2023 (Intent to Rescind Memorandum).
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    In addition, the following parties submitted no-shipment 
certifications: Anhui Longhua Bamboo Product Co., Ltd.; Benxi Flooring 
Factory (General Partnership); Dalian Jiahong Wood Industry Co., Ltd.; 
Dalian Shengyu Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.; Dongtai 
Fuan Universal Dynamics, LLC; Dunhua City Dexin Wood Industry Co., 
Ltd.; Dunhua Shengda Wood Industry Co., Ltd.; HaiLin LinJing Wooden 
Products Co., Ltd.; Jiangsu Keri Wood Co., Ltd.; Jiangsu Mingle 
Flooring Co., Ltd.; Jiangsu Simba Flooring Co., Ltd.; Jiashan On-Line 
Lumber Co., Ltd.; Kingman Wood Industry Co., Ltd.; Pinge Timber 
Manufacturing (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. (Pinge Timber); Power Dekor Group 
Co. Ltd.; Sino-Maple (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.; Suzhou Dongda Wood Co., Ltd.; 
Tongxiang Jisheng Import and Export Co., Ltd.; Zhejiang Dadongwu Green 
Home Wood Co., Ltd.; and Zhejiang Shiyou Timber Co., Ltd. All of these 
companies were included in the Intent to Rescind Memorandum with the 
exception of Pinge Timber.\5\ Therefore, as explained above, we are 
rescinding the review with regard to all these companies, except for 
Pinge Timber. Our analysis of the U.S. Customs and Border (CBP) 
information placed on the record shows that Pinge Timber made shipments 
of subject merchandise during the POR.\6\ Therefore, we are 
preliminarily treating Pinge Timber as a non-selected company under 
review. For further discussion on the decision not to rescind the 
review with respect to Pinge Timber's entry, see the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum.
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    \5\ See Intent to Rescind Memorandum.
    \6\ See Memorandum, ``U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(``CBP'') Entry Documents,'' dated October 31, 2023.
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 
751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each 
of the subsidy programs found to be countervailable, we preliminarily 
determine that there is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an 
``authority'' that confers a benefit to the recipient, and that the 
subsidy is specific.\7\ For a full description of the methodology 
underlying our preliminary conclusions, including our reliance, in 
part, on adverse facts available pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of 
the Act, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    \7\ 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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Preliminary Rate for Non-Selected Companies Under Review

    As discussed above, Commerce initiated this administrative review 
with respect to 86 producers/exporters. We are rescinding the review 
for 70 companies listed in Appendix II that had no suspended entries 
during the POR. As discussed above, this group includes 19 companies 
that certified no shipments during the POR. In addition, Commerce 
selected two mandatory respondents, Jiangsu Senmao Bamboo and Wood 
Industry Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu Senmao) and Riverside Plywood Corp. 
(Riverside Plywood) for individual examination.\8\ For the remaining 12 
companies subject to this review, but not selected for individual 
examination, because the rates calculated for mandatory respondents 
Jiangsu Senmao and Riverside Plywood were above de minimis and not 
based entirely on facts available, we applied a subsidy rate based on a 
weighted-average of the subsidy rates calculated for these mandatory 
respondents using the publicly ranged sales data they submitted on the 
record. This methodology is consistent with our practice for 
establishing an all-others subsidy rate pursuant to section 
705(c)(5)(A) of the Act. For further information on the calculation of 
the non-selected respondent rate, see the

[[Page 89666]]

section in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum entitled ``Non-Selected 
Companies Under Review.'' For a list of the non-selected companies, see 
Appendix III to this notice.
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    \8\ Riverside Plywood's cross-owned affiliates (i.e., Baroque 
Timber Industries (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd.; Suzhou Times Flooring Co., 
Ltd.; and Zhongshan Lianjia Flooring Co., Ltd. Both Baroque Timber 
Industries (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd. and Suzhou Times Flooring Co., 
Ltd.) were listed separately in the Initiation Notice.
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Preliminary Results of the Review

    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(i), we calculated a 
countervailable subsidy rate for each of the mandatory respondents, 
Jiangsu Senmao and Riverside Plywood, and their cross-owned affiliates, 
where applicable. We preliminarily find the following countervailable 
subsidy rates to exist:
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    \9\ Cross-owned affiliates are: Baroque Timber Industries 
(Zhongshan) Co., Ltd.; Suzhou Times Flooring Co., Ltd.; and 
Zhongshan Lianjia Flooring Co., Ltd.
    \10\ See Appendix III.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Subsidy rate
                    Producer/exporter                       (percent ad
                                                             valorem)
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Jiangsu Senmao Bamboo and Wood Industry Co., Ltd........            5.12
Riverside Plywood Corp. and its Cross-Owned Affiliates             23.65
 \9\....................................................
Non-Selected Companies Under Review \10\................           17.18
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Disclosure and Public Comment

    We intend to disclose the calculations performed to parties within 
five days after the date of publication of this notice.\11\ Pursuant to 
19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii), interested parties may submit case briefs to 
Commerce no later than 30 days after the date of the publication of 
this notice.\12\ Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case 
briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing 
case briefs.\13\ Interested parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal 
briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing 
each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.\14\
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    \11\ See 19 CFR 351.224(b).
    \12\ See 19 CFR 351.309.
    \13\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Administrative Protective 
Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 
2023) (APO and Final Service Rule).
    \14\ See 19 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2)
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    As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior 
proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an 
executive summary of their brief that should be limited to five pages 
total, including footnotes. In this review, we instead request that 
interested parties provide at the beginning of their briefs a public, 
executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs.\15\ Further, 
we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of 
each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We 
intend to use the executive summaries as the basis of the comment 
summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will 
accompany the final results in this administrative review. We request 
that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the 
executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain 
of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 
351.303(f).\16\
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    \15\ We use the term ``issue'' here to describe an argument that 
Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum.
    \16\ See APO and Final Service 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, filed electronically via 
ACCESS. Requests should contain: (1) the party's name, address, and 
telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of 
issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to 
those raised in the respective case briefs. An electronically filed 
hearing request must be received successfully in its entirety by 
Commerce's electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time 
within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.

Final Results

    Unless the deadline is extended, we intend to issue the final 
results of this administrative review, which will include the results 
of our analysis of the issues raised in the case briefs, within 120 
days of publication of these preliminary results in the Federal 
Register, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.213(h).

Assessment Rates

    In accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(i), we are preliminarily 
assigning subsidy rates in the amounts shown above for the producer/
exporters subject to review. Upon completion of the administrative 
review, consistent with section 751(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.212(b)(2), Commerce shall determine, and CBP shall assess, 
countervailing duties on all appropriate entries covered by this 
review.
    For the companies for which this review is rescinded, Commerce will 
instruct CBP to assess countervailing duties on all appropriate entries 
at a rate equal to the cash deposit of estimated countervailing duties 
required at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for 
consumption, during the period January 1, 2021, through December 31, 
2021, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(c)(l)(i). Commerce intends to 
issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the 
date of publication of the preliminary results of this review in the 
Federal Register.
    For the companies for which this review is not rescinded, Commerce 
intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days 
after the date of publication of the final results of this review in 
the Federal Register. If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of 
International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to 
liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request 
for a statutory injunction has expired (i.e., within 90 days of 
publication).

Cash Deposit Requirements

    In accordance with section 751(a)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends, 
upon publication of the final results, to instruct CBP to collect cash 
deposits of estimated countervailing duties in the amounts shown for 
each of the respective companies listed above and in Appendix III on 
shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, 
for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final 
results of this administrative review. For all non-reviewed firms, we 
will instruct CBP to continue to collect cash deposits at the most 
recent company-specific or all-others rate applicable to the company. 
These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect 
until further notice.

Notification to Interested Parties

    These preliminary results are issued and published pursuant to 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: December 20, 2023.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.

Appendix I

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Non-Selected Companies Under Review
IV. Scope of the Order
V. Diversification of China's Economy
VI. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Application of Adverse 
Inferences
VII. Subsidies Valuation
VIII. Interest Rate Benchmarks, Discount Rates, Inputs, Land-Use 
Benchmarks,

[[Page 89667]]

and Electricity Benchmarks
IX. Analysis of Programs
X. Recommendation

Appendix II

Companies with Respect to Which Commerce Is Rescinding Its Review

1. Anhui Boya Bamboo & Wood Products Co., Ltd.
2. Anhui Longhua Bamboo Product Co., Ltd.
3. Anhui Yaolong Bamboo & Wood Products Co. Ltd.
4. Armstrong Wood Products (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.
5. Benxi Flooring Factory (General Partnership)
6. Benxi Wood Company
7. Changzhou Hawd Flooring Co., Ltd.
8. Dalian Guhua Wooden Product Co., Ltd.
9. Dalian Huilong Wooden Products Co., Ltd.
10. Dalian Jaenmaken Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
11. Dalian Jiahong Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
12. Dalian Kemian Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
13. Dalian Qianqiu Wooden Product Co., Ltd.
14. Dalian Shengyu Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.
15. Dalian T-Boom Wood Products Co., Ltd.
16. Dongtai Fuan Universal Dynamics, LLC
17. Dun Hua Sen Tai Wood Co., Ltd.
18. Dunhua City Dexin Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
19. Dunhua City Hongyuan Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
20. Dunhua City Jisen Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
21. Dunhua Shengda Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
22. Fusong Jinqiu Wooden Product Co., Ltd.
23. Guangzhou Homebon Timber Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
24. HaiLin LinJing Wooden Products Co., Ltd.
25. Hangzhou Hanje Tec Company Limited
26. Hangzhou Zhengtian Industrial Co., Ltd.
27. Hong Kong Chuanshi International
28. Hunchun Forest Wolf Wooden Industry Co., Ltd.
29. Hunchun Xingjia Wooden Flooring Inc.
30. Huzhou Chenghang Wood Co., Ltd.
31. Huzhou Sunergy World Trade Co., Ltd.
32. Jiangsu Keri Wood Co., Ltd.
33. Jiangsu Mingle Flooring Co., Ltd.
34. Jiangsu Simba Flooring Co., Ltd.
35. Jiangsu Yuhui International Trade Co., Ltd.
36. Jiashan On-Line Lumber Co., Ltd.
37. Jiaxing Hengtong Wood Co., Ltd.
38. Jilin Xinyuan Wooden Industry Co., Ltd.
39. Karly Wood Product Limited
40. Kember Flooring, Inc. (also known as Kember Hardwood Flooring, 
Inc.)
41. Kemian Wood Industry (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.
42. Kingman Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
43. Kornbest Enterprises Limited
44. Les Planchers Mercier, Inc.
45. Linyi Anying Wood Co., Ltd.
46. Linyi Youyou Wood Co., Ltd. (successor-in-interest to Shanghai 
Lizhong Wood Products Co., Ltd.) (a/k/a TheLizhong Wood Industry 
Limited Company of Shanghai)
47. Logwin Air and Ocean Hong Kong
48. Muchsee Wood (Chuzhou) Co., Ltd.
49. Power Dekor Group Co. Ltd.
50. Power Dekor North America Inc.
51. Samling Elegant Living Trading (Labuan) Ltd.
52. Samling Global USA, Inc.
53. Scholar Home (Shanghai) New Material Co. Ltd.
54. Shanghai Lairunde Wood
55. Shanghaifloor Timber (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
56. Sino-Maple (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.
57. Suzhou Dongda Wood Co., Ltd.
58. Tech Wood International Ltd.
59. Tongxiang Jisheng Import and Export Co., Ltd.
60. Xiamen Yung De Ornament Co., Ltd.
61. Xuzhou Shenghe Wood Co., Ltd.
62. Yekalon Industry, Inc.
63. Yihua Lifestyle Technology Co., Ltd. (successor-in-interest to 
Guangdong Yihua Timber Industry Co., Ltd.)
64. Yingyi-Nature (Kunshan) Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
65. Zhejiang Dadongwu Green Home Wood Co., Ltd.
66. Zhejiang Jiechen Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
67. Zhejiang Longsen Lumbering Co., Ltd.
68. Zhejiang Shiyou Timber Co., Ltd.
69. Zhejiang Shuimojiangnan New Material Technology Co., Ltd.
70. Zhejiang Simite Wooden Co., Ltd.

Appendix III

Non-Selected Companies Under Review

1. Dalian Penghong Floor Products Co., Ltd.
2. Dalian Shumaike Floor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
3. Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Limited \17\
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    \17\ Commerce previously found Great Wood (Tonghua) Ltd. and 
Fine Furniture Plantation (Shishou) Ltd. to be cross-owned with Fine 
Furniture (Shanghai) Limited. See Multilayered Wood Flooring from 
the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing 
Duty Determination,76 FR 64313 (October 18, 2011).
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4. Fusong Jinlong Wooden Group Co., Ltd.
5. Fusong Qianqiu Wooden Product Co., Ltd.
6. Huzhou Fulinmen Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd.
7. Huzhou Jesonwood Co., Ltd.
8. Jiangsu Guyu International Trading Co., Ltd.
9. Jiashan HuiJiaLe Decoration Material Co., Ltd.
10. Metropolitan Hardwood Floors, Inc.
11. Pinge Timber Manufacturing (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd.
12. Zhejiang Fuerjia Wooden Co., Ltd.

[FR Doc. 2023-28630 Filed 12-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P