[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67589-67591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18719]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-570-985]
Xanthan Gum From the People's Republic of China: Notice of Court
Decision Not in Harmony With the Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review; Notice of Amended Final Results
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On July 29, 2024, the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT)
issued its final judgment in Meihua Group International Trading (Hong
Kong) Limited v. United States, Consol.
[[Page 67590]]
Court no. 22-00069, sustaining the U.S. Department of Commerce's
(Commerce) second remand results pertaining to the administrative
review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on xanthan gum from the
People's Republic of China covering the period of review (POR) July 1,
2019, through June 30, 2020. Commerce is notifying the public that the
CIT's final judgment is not in harmony with Commerce's final results of
the administrative review, and that Commerce is amending the final
results with respect to the dumping margins assigned to Meihua Group
International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited/Langfang Meihua Biotechnology
Co., Ltd./Xinjiang Meihua Amino Acid Co., Ltd (collectively, Meihua),
Jianlong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (formerly, Inner Mongolia Jianlong
Biochemical Co., Ltd) (Jianlong), and Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd.
DATES: Applicable July 29, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reginald Anadio or Benjamin Blythe,
AD/CVD Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3166 and (202)
482-3457, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On February 8, 2022, Commerce published its final results in the
2019-2020 AD review of xanthan gum from the People's Republic of China.
Commerce calculated a weighted-average dumping margin of 154.07 percent
for Meihua, a weighted-average dumping margin of 0.00 percent for
Neimenggu Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. (aka Inner Mongolia Fufeng
Biotechnologies Co., Ltd.)/Shandong Fufeng Fermentation Co., Ltd./
Xinjiang Fufeng Biotechnologies Co., Ltd (collectively, Fufeng), and
review-specific average rates of 77.04 percent for Jianlong and Deosen
Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd./Deosen Biochemical Ltd (collectively,
Deosen).\1\
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\1\ See Xanthan Gum From the People's Republic of China: Final
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Final
Determination of No Shipments; 2019-2020, 87 FR 7104 (February 8,
2022) (Final Results).
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Meihua, Deosen, and Jianlong appealed Commerce's Final Results. On
April 19, 2023, the CIT remanded the Final Results to Commerce,
ordering Commerce to reconsider: (1) the application of adverse facts
available (AFA) to Meihua; (2) the calculation of the separate rate;
and (3) whether Deosen Biochemical Ltd. and Deosen Biochemical (Ordos)
Ltd. should be collapsed into a single entity.\2\
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\2\ See Meihua Group Int'l Trading (Hong Kong) Ltd. v. United
States, 633 F. Supp. 3d 1203 (CIT 2023).
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In its first remand redetermination, issued in June 2023, Commerce
found that: (1) its application of AFA to Meihua was appropriate; (2)
Commerce's decision to not rescind its review of Deosen Biochemical
Ltd. was proper because it continued to find it to be collapsed with
Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd.; and (3) Commerce did not need to
recalculate the separate rate.\3\ The CIT remanded for a second time,
ordering Commerce to reconsider: (1) the application of facts otherwise
available and total AFA to Meihua; (2) the calculation of the separate
rate; (3) whether Deosen Biochemical Ltd. and Deosen Biochemical
(Ordos), Ltd. should be collapsed into a single entity; and (4) whether
the review of Deosen Biochemical Ltd. should be rescinded.\4\
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\3\ See Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Court
Remand, Meihua Group International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited v.
United States, Consol. Court No. 22-00069 (CIT April 19, 2023),
dated June 27, 2023, available at https://access.trade.gov/resources/remands/23-53.pdf.
\4\ See Meihua Group International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited
v. United States, 686 F. Supp. 3d 1359 (CIT 2024).
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In its final remand redetermination, issued in May 2024, Commerce
found that: (1) a rate of zero percent is applicable for Meihua for the
POR; (2) the separate rate is now calculated at zero percent for the
POR; (3) Deosen Biochemical Ltd. and Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd.
did not comprise a single entity during the POR; and (4) the 2019-2020
administrative review for Deosen Biochemical Ltd. should be
rescinded.\5\ The CIT sustained Commerce's final redetermination.\6\
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\5\ See Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Court
Remand, Meihua Group International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited v.
United States, Consol. Court No. 22-00069 (CIT April 19, 2023),
dated May 22, 2024, available at https://access.trade.gov/Resources/
remands/23-53.pdf.
\6\ See Meihua Group International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited
v. United States, Consol. Court No. 22-00069, Slip Op. 24-86 (CIT
July 29, 2024).
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Timken Notice
In its decision in Timken,\7\ as clarified by Diamond Sawblades,\8\
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 court decision that is not ``in
harmony'' with a Commerce determination and must suspend liquidation of
entries pending a ``conclusive'' court decision. The CIT's July 29,
2024, judgment constitutes a final decision of the CIT that is not in
harmony with Commerce's Final Results. Thus, this notice is published
in fulfillment of the publication requirements of Timken.
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\7\ See Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337 (Fed. Cir.
1990) (Timken).
\8\ See Diamond Sawblades Manufacturers Coalition 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 Meihua, Jianlong, and Deosen
Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd. as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted-
average
Exporter dumping margin
(percent)
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Meihua Group International Trading (Hong Kong) Limited/ 0.00
Langfang Meihua Biotechnology Co., Ltd./Xinjiang Meihua
Amino Acid Co., Ltd....................................
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Review-Specific Average Rate Applicable to the Following Companies:
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Jianlong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (formerly, Inner 0.00
Mongolia Jianlong Biochemical Co., Ltd)................
Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd.......................... 0.00
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We note that Fufeng's rate of zero percent remains unchanged from
the Final Results as its rate was not subject to litigation. In
addition, the review for Deosen Biochemical Ltd. is now rescinded.
[[Page 67591]]
Cash Deposit Requirements
Because Meihua, Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd., and Jianlong have
a superseding cash deposit rate, i.e., there have been final results
published in a subsequent administrative review, we will not issue
revised cash deposit instructions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(CBP). This notice will not affect the current cash deposit rate.
Liquidation of Suspended Entries
At this time, Commerce remains enjoined by CIT order from
liquidating entries that: were produced and/or exported by Meihua,
Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd., and Jianlong and were entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption during the period July 1,
2019, through June 30, 2020. These entries will remain enjoined
pursuant to the terms of the injunction during the pendency of any
appeals process.
In the event the CIT's ruling is not appealed, or, if appealed,
upheld by a final and conclusive court decision, Commerce intends to
instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on unliquidated entries of
subject merchandise produced and/or exported by Meihua, Deosen
Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd., and Jianlong in accordance with 19 CFR
351.212(b). We will instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on all
appropriate entries covered by this review when the importer-specific
ad valorem assessment rate is not zero or de minimis. Where an import-
specific ad valorem assessment rate is zero or de minimis,\9\ we will
instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to
antidumping duties.
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\9\ 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: August 15, 2024.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-18719 Filed 8-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P