Certain Cased Pencils From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty New Shipper Review; 2014-2015

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is a conducting a new shipper review (NSR) of the antidumping duty order on certain cased pencils from the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NSR covers the exporter Wah Yuen Stationery Co., Ltd. and its affiliated producer, Shandong Wah Yuen Stationery Co., Ltd. (collectively, Wah Yuen). The period of review (POR) is December 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015. The Department preliminarily finds that Wah Yuen made a sale of subject merchandise at below normal value. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES:

Effective Date: June 10, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Kolberg, AD/CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1785.

Scope of the Order

Imports covered by this order are shipments of certain cased pencils of any shape or dimension which are writing and/or drawing instruments that feature cores of graphite or other materials, encased in wood and/or man-made materials, whether or not decorated and whether or not tipped (e.g., with erasers, etc.) in any fashion, and either sharpened or unsharpened. The pencils subject to the order are currently classifiable under subheading 9609.10.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). A full description of the scope of the order is contained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written product description is dispositive.

Methodology

The Department is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(2)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), and 19 CFR 351.214. For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is in the attached Appendix to this notice.

The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's centralized electronic service system (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at http://access.trade.gov,, and it is available to all parties in the Department's Central Records Unit, B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly on the Internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed Preliminary Decision Memorandum and the electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Preliminary Results of New Shipper Review

The Department preliminarily determines that the following weighted-average dumping margin exists for the POR December 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015:

Disclosure and Public Comment

The Department will disclose the analysis performed for these preliminary results to the parties within five days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). Interested parties may submit case briefs by no later than 30 days after the date of publication of these preliminary results of review. Rebuttals, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed by no later than five days after the case briefs are filed.

Any interested party may request a hearing within 30 days of publication of this notice. Hearing requests should contain the following information: (1) The party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of the issues to be discussed. Oral presentations will be limited to issues raised in the briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, parties will be notified of the time and date for the hearing to be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230.

Unless the deadline is extended pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(B)(iii), the Department intends to issue the final results of this new shipper review, which will include the results of its analysis of all issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, within 90 days of publication of these preliminary results, pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(B)(iv) of the Act.

Assessment Rates

Upon issuance of the final results, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.212(b), the Department will determine, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries. The Department intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP 15 days after the date of publication of the final results of this new shipper review.

If the respondent's weighted average dumping margin is not zero or de minimis (i.e., less than 0.50 percent) in the final results, the Department will calculate importer-specific assessment rates on the basis of the ratio of the total amount of dumping calculated for each importer's examined sales to the total entered value of those sales, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1). Where an importer-specific ad valorem rate is not zero or de minimis, the Department will instruct CBP to collect the appropriate antidumping duties at the time of liquidation. Where either a respondent's weighted average dumping margin is zero or de minimis, or an importer-specific ad valorem rate is zero or de minimis, the Department will instruct CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.

For entries that were not reported in the U.S. sales data submitted by Wah Yuen, the Department will instruct CBP to liquidate such entries at the rate for the PRC-wide entity. The final results of this review shall be the basis for the assessment of antidumping duties on entries of merchandise covered by the final results of this review and for future cash deposits of estimated antidumping duties, where applicable.

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the final results of this new shipper review for shipments of the subject merchandise from the PRC entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: For merchandise produced by Shandong Wah Yuen Stationery Co., Ltd. and exported by Wah Yuen Stationery Co., Ltd., the cash deposit rates will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established in the final results of this review (except, if the rate is zero or de minimis, then zero cash deposit will be required). These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Importers

This notice also serves as a reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during the POR. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Department's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

Notification Regarding Administrative Protective Orders

This notice serves as a reminder to parties subject to an administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of the return or destruction of APO materials, or conversion to judicial protective order, is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a violation subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

These preliminary results are issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.214 and 351.221(b)(4).

Appendix—List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Order

IV. Discussion of the Methodology

V. Date of Sale

VI. Comparisons to Normal Value

VII. Results of Differential Pricing Analysis

VIII. U.S. Price

IX. Normal Value

X. Factor Valuations

XI. Currency Conversion

XII. Recommendation