[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53042-53043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13841]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-011]


Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the 
People's Republic of China: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony 
With the Final Results of the Countervailing Duty Administrative 
Review; Notice of Amended Final Results

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

SUMMARY: On March 21, 2024, the U.S. Court of International Trade (the 
Court) issued its final judgment in Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & 
Technology Co., Ltd., et al. v. United States, Court No. 23-00219 (CIT 
March 21, 2024), sustaining the U.S. Department of Commerce's 
(Commerce) final remand results pertaining to the countervailing duty 
administrative review on certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic 
products (solar products) from the People's Republic of China (China), 
covering the period of review (POR) January 1, 2021, through December 
31, 2021. Commerce is notifying the public that the Court's final 
judgment is not in harmony with the final results of the administrative 
review, and that Commerce is amending its final results.

DATES: Applicable March 31, 2024.

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 13, 2023, Commerce published its final results of the 
2021 administrative review of solar products from China.\1\ Commerce 
reached an affirmative determination for Trina Solar (Changzhou) 
Science & Technology Co., Ltd. and its cross-owned affiliates 
(collectively, Trina Solar). In the Final Results, Commerce exclusively 
relied on freight rates published by The Descartes Systems Group Inc. 
(Descartes) when determining ocean freight rates for calculating the 
subsidy rates for several programs pursuant to which the Government of 
China provided goods for less than adequate remuneration (LTAR).\2\ 
Trina Solar filed a complaint concerning this issue.
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    \1\ See Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products from 
the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Countervailing Duty 
Administrative Review; 2021, 88 FR 62770 (Final Results), and 
accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum (IDM).
    \2\ Id. at Comment 5.
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    Subsequently, and considering the Court's holding in Risen Energy I 
and Risen Energy II,\3\ Commerce requested that the issue be remanded 
for further consideration. On December 12, 2023, the Court granted 
Commerce's motion for voluntary remand with additional guidance.\4\ 
Specifically, the Court instructed Commerce to consider its rulings in 
Risen Energy I and Risen Energy II and to use a multiple route database 
in keeping with the statutory preference for relying on a broadly based 
ocean freight rate, in the absence of ``the ability to concretely 
explain a strong reason for a single rate source.'' \5\ Upon 
reconsideration of this issue, Commerce determined not to rely on the 
Descartes database for the base rates for ocean freight in constructing 
world market benchmarks for LTAR programs under 19 CFR 
351.511(a)(2)(ii). Instead, Commerce relied on ocean freight rates 
published by Xeneta AS (Xeneta) exclusively for the base ocean freight 
rates and then made certain adjustments to the Xeneta data to account 
for any missing ocean freight surcharges, relying on the Descartes 
data.\6\ On

[[Page 53043]]

February 22, 2024, Commerce issued its final results of redetermination 
calculating an estimated countervailable subsidy rate of 9.02 percent 
ad valorem for Trina Solar,\7\ and on March 21, 2024, the Court 
sustained Commerce's Final Redetermination.\8\
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    \3\ See Risen Energy Co., v. United States, 570 F. Supp. 3d 
1369, 1372 (CIT 2022) (Risen Energy I); see also Risen Energy Co. v. 
United States, Slip Op. 23-48 (CIT April 11, 2023) (Risen Energy 
II).
    \4\ See Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co., Ltd. 
v. United States, Court No. 23-00219, Slip Op. No. 23-174 (CIT 
December 12, 2023).
    \5\ Id.
    \6\ See Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co., Ltd. 
v. United States, Court No. 23-00219, ``Final Results of 
Redetermination Pursuant to Court Order,'' dated February 22, 2024 
(Final Redetermination).
    \7\ Id.
    \8\ See Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co., Ltd., 
et al., v. United States, Court No. 23-00219 (CIT March 21, 2024).
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Timken Notice

    In its decision in Timken,9 as clarified by Diamond 
Sawblades,10 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal 
Circuit held that, pursuant to section 516A(c) and (e) of the Tariff 
Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), Commerce must publish a notice of a 
court decision that is not ``in harmony'' with a Commerce determination 
and must suspend liquidation of entries pending a ``conclusive'' court 
decision. The Court's March 21, 2024, judgment constitutes a final 
decision of the Court that is not in harmony with Commerce's Final 
Results. This notice is published in fulfillment of the publication 
requirements of Timken.
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    \9\ See Timken Co., v. United States, 893 F.2d 337 (Fed. Cir. 
1990) (Timken).
    \10\ See Diamond Sawblades Mfrs. Coal. v. United States, 626 
F.3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (Diamond Sawblades).
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Amended Final Results

    Because there is now a final court judgment, Commerce is amending 
its Final Results with respect to Trina Solar's countervailable subsidy 
rate for the period January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Subsidy rate
                    Producer/exporter                       (percent ad
                                                             valorem)
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Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co.,                   9.02
 Ltd.\11\...............................................
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Cash Deposit Requirements
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    \11\ Commerce found Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology 
Co., Ltd. to be cross-owned, within the meaning of 19 CFR 
351.525(b)(6)(vi), among and across the following companies: 
Yancheng Trina Solar Guoneng Science & Technology Co., Ltd.; Trina 
Solar (Su Qian) Technology Co., Ltd.; Trina Solar Yiwu Technology 
Co., Ltd.; Trina Solar Co., Ltd.; Trina Solar (Yancheng Dafeng) Co., 
Ltd.; Trina Solar Science & Technology (Yancheng) Co., Ltd.; Trina 
Solar (Suqian) Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.; Trina Solar (Changzhou) 
Optoelectronic Device Co., Ltd.; Changzhou Trina Solar Yabang Energy 
Co., Ltd.; Hubei Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd.; Turpan Trina Solar 
Energy Co., Ltd.; Trina Solar (Hefei) Science and Technology Co., 
Ltd.; Changzhou Hesai PV Ribbon Materials Co., Ltd.; Changzhou Hewei 
New Material Technology Co., Ltd.; Changzhou Trina Hezhong PV Co., 
Ltd.; and Changzhou Trina PV Ribbon Materials Co., Ltd. See Final 
Results.
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    Commerce intends to issue revised cash deposit instructions to U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the entries indicated above. 
The revised cash deposit rate, indicated above, will be effective March 
31, 2024.

Liquidation of Suspended Entries

    Commerce intends to instruct CBP to assess countervailing duties on 
unliquidated entries of subject merchandise produced and/or exported by 
Trina Solar in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b). We will instruct CBP 
to assess countervailing duties on all appropriate entries covered by 
this administrative review where the ad valorem rate is not zero or de 
minimis. Where an ad valorem subsidy rate is zero or de minimis,\12\ we 
will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard 
to countervailing duties.
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    \12\ See 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2).
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Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published in accordance with sections 
516A(c) and (e), and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: June 18, 2024.
Ryan Majerus,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the 
non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-13841 Filed 6-24-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P