[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)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jianlong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (formerly, Inner                   0.00
 Mongolia Jianlong Biochemical Co., Ltd)................
Deosen Biochemical (Ordos) Ltd..........................            0.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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