Initiation of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review: Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada

AGENCY:

Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce

Effective Date:

September 2, 2004.

ACTION:

Notice of initiation of changed circumstances review.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(b) (2002), Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (ACI), Abitibi Consolidated Company of Canada (ACCC), Produits Forestiers Petit Paris Inc. (PFPP), Societe en Commandite Scierie Opitciwan (Opiticwan) (collectively, the Abitibi Group) and Produits Forestiers Saguenay Inc. (PFS), Canadian producers of softwood lumber products and interested parties in this proceeding, filed a request for a changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on certain softwood lumber products from Canada, as described below. In response to this request, the Department of Commerce (the Department) is initiating a changed circumstances review of the antidumping duty order on certain softwood lumber from Canada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Constance Handley or Saliha Loucif, at (202) 482-0631 or (202) 482-1779, respectively; Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

As a result of the antidumping duty order issued following the completion of the less-than-fair-value investigation of certain softwood lumber products from Canada, imports of softwood lumber from the Abitibi Group became subject to a cash deposit rate of 12.44 percent (see Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping Order: Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada 67 FR 36068 (May 22, 2002)). On July 29, 2004, the Abitibi Group notified the Department that effective June 1, 2004, PFS, a previously inactive holding company owned by ACCC, began producing softwood lumber and exporting it to the United States. As a result, the Abitibi Group is requesting that PFS be subject to the Abitibi Group's cash deposit rate of 12.44 percent.

Scope of the Order

The products covered by this order are softwood lumber, flooring and siding (softwood lumber products). Softwood lumber products include all products classified under headings 4407.1000, 4409.1010, 4409.1090, and 4409.1020, respectively, of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), and any softwood lumber, flooring and siding described below. These softwood lumber products include:

(1) Coniferous wood, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or finger-jointed, of a thickness exceeding six millimeters;

(2) coniferous wood siding (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled) continuously shaped (tongued, grooved, rabbeted, chamfered, v-jointed, beaded, molded, rounded or the like) along any of its edges or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or finger-jointed;

(3) other coniferous wood (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled) continuously shaped (tongued, grooved, rabbeted, chamfered, v-jointed, beaded, molded, rounded or the like) along any of its edges or faces (other than wood moldings and wood dowel rods) whether or not planed, sanded or finger-jointed; and

(4) coniferous wood flooring (including strips and friezes for parquet flooring, not assembled) continuously shaped (tongued, grooved, rabbeted, chamfered, v-jointed, beaded, molded, rounded or the like) along any of its edges or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or finger-jointed.

Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise under investigation is dispositive. Preliminary scope exclusions and clarifications were published in three separate federal register notices.

Softwood lumber products excluded from the scope:

• trusses and truss kits, properly classified under HTSUS 4418.90,
• I-joist beams.
• assembled box spring frames.
• pallets and pallet kits, properly classified under HTSUS 4415.20
• garage doors.
• edge-glued wood, properly classified under HTSUS 4421.90.97.40 (formerly HTSUS 4421.90.98.40).
• properly classified complete door frames.
• properly classified complete window frames.
• properly classified furniture.

Softwood lumber products excluded from the scope only if they meet certain requirements:

• Stringers (pallet components used for runners): if they have at least two notches on the side, positioned at equal distance from the center, to properly accommodate forklift blades, properly classified under HTSUS 4421.90.97.40 (formerly HTSUS 4421.90.98.40).
• Box-spring frame kits: if they contain the following wooden pieces—two side rails, two end (or top) rails and varying numbers of slats. The side rails and the end rails should be radius-cut at both ends. The kits should be individually packaged, they should contain the exact number of wooden components needed to make a particular box spring frame, with no further processing required. None of the components exceeds 1″ in actual thickness or 83″ in length.
• Radius-cut box-spring-frame components, not exceeding 1″ in actual thickness or 83″ in length, ready for assembly without further processing. The radius cuts must be present on both ends of the boards and must be substantial cuts so as to completely round one corner.
• Fence pickets requiring no further processing and properly classified under HTSUS 4421.90.70, 1 or less in actual thickness, up to 8″ wide, 6′ or less in length, and have finials or decorative cuttings that clearly identify them as fence pickets. In the case of dog-eared fence pickets, the corners of the boards should be cut off so as to remove pieces of wood in the shape of isosceles right angle triangles with sides measuring 3/4 inch or more.
• U.S. origin lumber shipped to Canada for minor processing and imported into the United States, is excluded from the scope of this order if the following conditions are met: (1) the processing occurring in Canada is limited to kiln-drying, planing to create smooth-to-size board, and sanding, and (2) if the importer establishes to U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) satisfaction that the lumber is of U.S. origin.
• Softwood lumber products contained in single family home packages or kits, regardless of tariff classification, are excluded from the scope of the orders if the following criteria are met:

1. The imported home package or kit constitutes a full package of the number of wooden pieces specified in the plan, design or blueprint necessary to produce a home of at least 700 square feet produced to a specified plan, design or blueprint;

2. The package or kit must contain all necessary internal and external doors and windows, nails, screws, glue, subfloor, sheathing, beams, posts, connectors and if included in purchase contract decking, trim, drywall and roof shingles specified in the plan, design or blueprint;

3. Prior to importation, the package or kit must be sold to a retailer of complete home packages or kits pursuant to a valid purchase contract referencing the particular home design plan or blueprint, and signed by a customer not affiliated with the importer;

4. The whole package must be imported under a single consolidated entry when permitted by CBP, whether or not on a single or multiple trucks, rail cars or other vehicles, which shall be on the same day except when the home is over 2,000 square feet;

5. The following documentation must be included with the entry documents:

• A copy of the appropriate home design, plan, or blueprint matching the entry;
• A purchase contract from a retailer of home kits or packages signed by a customer not affiliated with the importer;
• A listing of inventory of all parts of the package or kit being entered that conforms to the home design package being entered;
• In the case of multiple shipments on the same contract, all items listed immediately above which are included in the present shipment shall be identified as well.

We have determined that the excluded products listed above are outside the scope of this order provided the specified conditions are met. Lumber products that CBP may classify as stringers, radius cut box-spring-frame components, and fence pickets, not conforming to the above requirements, as well as truss components, pallet components, and door and window frame parts, are covered under the scope of this order and may be classified under HTSUS subheadings 4418.90.40.90, 4421.90.70.40, and 4421.90.98.40. Due to changes in the 2002 HTSUS whereby subheading 4418.90.40.90 and 4421.90.98.40 were changed to 4418.90.45.90 and 4421.90.97.40, respectively, we are adding these subheadings as well.

In addition, this scope language has been further clarified to now specify that all softwood lumber products entered from Canada claiming non-subject status based on U.S. country of origin will be treated as non-subject U.S.-origin merchandise under the antidumping and countervailing duty orders, provided that these softwood lumber products meet the following condition: upon entry, the importer, exporter, Canadian processor and/or original U.S. producer establish to CBP's satisfaction that the softwood lumber entered and documented as U.S.-origin softwood lumber was first produced in the United States as a lumber product satisfying the physical parameters of the softwood lumber scope. The presumption of non-subject status can, however, be rebutted by evidence demonstrating that the merchandise was substantially transformed in Canada.

Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review

Pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), the Department will conduct a changed circumstances review upon receipt of information concerning, or a request from an interested party of, an antidumping duty order which shows changed circumstances sufficient to warrant a review of the order. The Abitibi Group contends that PFS, because it is controlled by ACCC, which owns 50 percent or more of PFS' shares, and because it has production facilities similar or identical to other members of the Abitibi Group as well as intertwined sales processes, should be subject to the Abitibi Group cash deposit rate. Based on these circumstances and in accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(b), the Department finds good cause to initiate a changed circumstances review. Therefore, we are initiating a changed circumstances administrative review pursuant to section 751(b)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(b) to determine whether entries naming PFS as manufacturer and exporter should receive the Abitibi Group cash deposit rate of 12.44 percent.

The Department will publish in the Federal Register a notice of preliminary results of changed circumstances antidumping duty administrative review in accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4) and 351.221(c)(3)(i), which will set forth the Department's preliminary factual and legal conclusions. The Department will issue its final results of review in accordance with the time limits set forth in 19 CFR 351.216(e).

This notice is in accordance with section 751(b)(1) of the Act.