Certain Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin From the Sultanate of Oman: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (“the Department”) determines that imports of certain polyethylene terephthalate resin (“PET resin”) from the Sultanate of Oman (“Oman”) are being sold in the United States at less than fair value (“LTFV”), as provided in section 735 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the “Act”). The final weighted-average dumping margins of sales at LTFV are listed below in the section entitled “Final Determination Margins.”

DATES:

Effective Date: March 14, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jonathan Hill, AD/CVD Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3518.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On October 15, 2015, the Department published in the Federal Register the preliminary determination in the LTFV investigation of PET resin from Oman. For a description of the events that have occurred since the Preliminary Determination, see the Issue and Decision Memorandum. The Issues and 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 http://access.trade.gov and to all parties in the Central Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov. The signed and electronic versions of the Issues and Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

As explained in the memorandum from the Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement & Compliance, the Department has exercised its discretion to toll all administrative deadlines due to the recent closure of the Federal Government because of snowstorm “Jonas”. All deadlines in this segment of the proceeding have been extended by four business days. The revised deadline for the final determination of this investigation is now March 4, 2016.

Period of Investigation

The period of investigation (“POI”) is January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014.

Scope of the Investigation

The product covered by this investigation is certain PET resin from Oman. For a full description of the scope of the investigation, see Appendix I to this notice.

Analysis of Comments Received

All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs by parties in this investigation are addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum accompanying this notice, and which is hereby adopted by this notice. A list of the issues addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum is appended to the notice.

Final Determination Margins

The Department determines that the following weighted-average dumping margins exist for the period January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2014:

All-Others Rate

Section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provides that the estimated “all-others” rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero or de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under section 776 of the Act. We based our calculation of the “all-others” rate on the margin calculated for OCTAL, the only mandatory respondent in this investigation.

Disclosure

We will disclose to parties in this proceeding the calculations performed for this final determination within five days of the date of public announcement of our final determination, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

Pursuant to section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, the Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) to continue to suspend liquidation of all entries of certain PET resin from Oman which were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after October 15, 2015, the date of publication of the Preliminary Determination. We also will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the weighted-average amount by which normal value exceeds U.S. price, as follows: (1) The cash deposit rate for OCTAL will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin determined in this final determination; (2) if the exporter is not a firm identified in this investigation but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for the producer of the subject merchandise; and (3) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will be 7.82 percent. The instructions suspending liquidation will remain in effect until further notice.

International Trade Commission Notification

In accordance with section 735(d) of the Act, we will notify the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) of our final determination. As our final determination is affirmative, in accordance with section 735(b)(2) of the Act, the ITC will determine within 45 days whether the domestic industry in the United States is materially injured, or threatened with material injury, by reason of imports or sales (or the likelihood of sales) for importation of the subject merchandise. If the ITC determines that such injury exists, the Department will issue an antidumping duty order directing CBP to assess, upon further instruction by the Department, antidumping duties on all imports of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the effective date of the suspension of liquidation.

Return or Destruction of Proprietary Information

This notice will serve as a reminder to parties subject to 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 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 sanctionable violation.

We are issuing and publishing this determination and notice in accordance with sections 735(d) and 777(i) of the Act.

Appendix I—Scope of the Investigation

The merchandise covered by this investigation is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin having an intrinsic viscosity of at least 0.70, but not more than 0.88, deciliters per gram. The scope includes blends of virgin PET resin and recycled PET resin containing 50 percent or more virgin PET resin content by weight, provided such blends meet the intrinsic viscosity requirements above. The scope includes all PET resin meeting the above specifications regardless of additives introduced in the manufacturing process. The merchandise subject to this investigation is properly classified under subheading 3907.60.00.30 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise under investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II— List of Topics in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Investigation

IV. Discussion of the Issues:

Comment 1: Sale Type Classification Export Price or Constructed Export Price

Comment 2: Indirect Selling Expenses Incurred in the United States

Comment 3: Affiliated Party Expenses

Comment 4: Ministerial Errors

Comment 5: Cost Data Revisions

V. Recommendation