Narrow Woven Ribbons With Woven Selvedge From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2017

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies have been provided to producers and exporters of narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge (ribbons) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES:

Effective August 23, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Terre Keaton Stefanova or Maria Tatarska, AD/CVD Operations, Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1280 or (202) 482-1562.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Commerce published the notice of initiation of this administrative review on November 15, 2018. Commerce exercised its discretion to toll all deadlines affected by the partial federal government closure from December 22, 2018 through the resumption of operations on January 28, 2019. In June 2019, Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this administrative review until August 9, 2019. For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this administrative review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Scope of the Order

The products covered by the order are narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge from China. For a complete description of the scope of this administrative review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this countervailing duty (CVD) review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each of the subsidy programs found countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an “authority” that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific.

For a full description of the methodology underlying our preliminary conclusions, including our reliance, in part, on adverse facts available pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. The Preliminary 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 is available to all parties in the Central Records Unit, Room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at https://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/summary/prc/prc-fr.htm. The signed and electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are identical in content.

Preliminary Results of the Review

As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine that the following estimated countervailable subsidy rate exists:

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose the calculations and analysis performed in connection with these preliminary results to interested parties within five days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

Verification

As provided in section 782(i)(3) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify the information relied upon in making its final results.

Public Comment

Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven days after the date on which Commerce issues the verification report in this proceeding. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in case briefs, may be submitted no later than five days after the deadline for filing case briefs. Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this administrative review are encouraged to submit with each argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of authorities.

Interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must do so within 30 days of publication of these preliminary results by submitting a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, using Enforcement and Compliance's ACCESS system. Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, we will inform parties of the scheduled date for the hearing which will be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, at a time and date to be determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing.

Unless the deadline is extended pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act, we intend to issue the final results of this administrative review, including the results of our analysis of the issues raised by the parties in their comments, within 120 days after issuance of these preliminary results.

Assessment Rates

Upon issuance of the final results, Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, countervailing duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review. We intend to issue assessment instructions to CBP 15 days after publication of the final results of this review.

Cash Deposit Requirements

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, Commerce also intends to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties in the amount indicated above for Yama, on shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, on or after the date of publication of the final results of review. For all non-reviewed firms, we will instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties at the most recent company-specific or all-others rate applicable to the company, as appropriate. These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Interested Parties

We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

Appendix I

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Order

IV. Diversification of China's Economy

V. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences

VI. Subsidies Valuation

VII. Interest Rate Benchmarks, Discount Rates, and Inputs

VIII. Analysis of Programs

IX. Conclusion