Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip from India: Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2014-2015

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (PET Film) from India. The period of review (POR) is July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. The Department selected two respondents for individual review, Jindal Poly Films Limited of India (Jindal) and SRF Limited (SRF). The Department preliminarily determines that both Jindal and SRF made sales of subject merchandise at prices below normal value (NV) during the POR. The preliminary results are listed below in the section titled “Preliminary Results of Review.” If these preliminary results are adopted in the final results, the Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise during the POR. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES:

Effective August 2, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alex Cipolla at (202) 482-4956; AD/CVD Operations, Office VII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Scope of the Order

The merchandise subject to the order is polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip. The PET Film subject to the order is currently classifiable under subheading 3920.62.00.90 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes. The written description is dispositive. A full description of the scope of the order is contained in the memorandum from Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, to Ronald K. Lorentzen, Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, “Decision Memorandum for Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Polyethylene Terephthalate Film, Sheet, and Strip from India; 2014-2015” (Preliminary Decision Memorandum), which is dated concurrently with these preliminary results and hereby adopted by this notice.

Partial Rescission of Administrative Review

On April 1, 2015, the Department published in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to request an administrative review of the AD order on PET Film from India. The Department received multiple timely requests for an administrative review of the AD order on PET Film from India and on September 2, 2015, in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (“the Act”), the Department initiated a review of nine companies in this proceeding. In response to timely filed withdrawal requests, we are rescinding this administrative review with respect to Ester, MTZ, Polyplex, Vacmet, and Uflex pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1). Accordingly, the companies subject to the instant review are: Jindal, SRF, Gaware, and Vacmet India, of which the Department has selected Jindal and SRF as the mandatory respondents.

Methodology

The Department is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(2) of the Act. Export price is calculated in accordance with section 772 of the Act. NV is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act.

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 attached as an Appendix to this notice.

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 https://access.trade.gov/login.aspx and it 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 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.

Companies Not Selected for Individual Review

We preliminarily assign to those companies not selected for individual review the average of the rates calculated for Jindal and SRF in this review, in accordance with section 735(c)(5) of the Act. See the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Results of Review

As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine the following weighted-average dumping margins for the period July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015.

Disclosure and Public Comment

The Department will disclose to interested parties the calculations performed in connection with these preliminary results within five days of the date of publication of this notice. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit cases briefs no later than 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs. Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding 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. Case and rebuttal briefs should be filed using ACCESS. In order to be properly filed, ACCESS must successfully receive an electronically-filed document in its entirety by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS, within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case briefs.

The Department will issue the final results of this administrative review, including the results of its analysis of the issues raised in any written briefs, not later than 120 days after the date of publication of this notice, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act, unless that time is extended.

Assessment Rates

Upon completion of the administrative review, the Department shall determine, and CBP shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1). We will instruct CBP to liquidate entries of merchandise produced and/or exported by respondent companies. We intend to issue instructions to CBP 15 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review.

For the individually examined respondents Jindal and SRF, if the weighted-average dumping margins are not zero or de minimis (i.e., less than 0.5 percent) in the final results of this review, we will calculate importer-specific (or customer-specific) ad valorem assessment rates on the basis of the ratio of the total amount of dumping calculated for the importer's examined sales and the total entered value of the sales in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).

However, where the respondent did not report the entered value for its sales, we will calculate importer-specific (or customer-specific) per-unit duty assessment rates. Where the respondents' weighted-average dumping margin is zero or de minimis, or an importer-specific assessment rate is zero or de minimis, we will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.

For companies Ester, MTZ, Polyplex, Uflex, and Vacmet for which this review is rescinded, we will instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties at rates equal to the cash deposit of estimated antidumping duties required at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(c)(1)(i).

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following deposit requirements will be effective for all shipments of PET Film from India entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this administrative review, as provided for by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate for the company under review will be the rate established in the final results of this review (except, if the rate is zero or de minimis, i.e., less than 0.5 percent, no cash deposit will be required); (2) for previously reviewed or investigated companies not listed above, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the less-than-fair-value investigation, but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and (4) if neither the exporter nor the manufacturer is a firm covered in this or any previous review, the cash deposit rate will be the all others rate for this proceeding, 5.71 percent. These deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Interested Parties

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

We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1) and 351.221(b)(4).

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

1. Summary.

2. Background.

3. Partial Rescission.

4. Scope of the Order.

5. Comparisons to Normal Value.

6. Product Comparisons.

7. Date of Sale.

8. Export Price.

9. Normal Value.

10. Currency Conversion.

11. Companies Not Selected for Individual Review.

12. Recommendation.