2023-23991. Notice of Scope Ruling Applications Filed in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) received scope ruling applications, requesting that scope inquiries be conducted to determine whether identified products are covered by the scope of antidumping duty (AD) and/or countervailing duty (CVD) orders and that Commerce issue scope rulings pursuant to those inquiries. In accordance with Commerce's regulations, we are notifying the public of the filing of the scope ruling applications listed below in the month of September 2023.

DATES:

Applicable October 31, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Terri Monroe, AD/CVD Operations, Customs Liaison Unit, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of Scope Ruling Applications

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(d)(3), we are notifying the public of the following scope ruling applications related to AD and CVD orders and findings filed in or around the month of September 2023. This notification includes, for each scope application: (1) identification of the AD and/or CVD orders at issue (19 CFR 351.225(c)(1)); (2) concise public descriptions of the products at issue, including the physical characteristics (including chemical, dimensional and technical characteristics) of the products (19 CFR 351.225(c)(2)(ii)); (3) the countries where the products are produced and the countries from where the products are exported (19 CFR 351.225(c)(2)(i)(B)); (4) the full names of the applicants; and (5) the dates that the scope applications were filed with Commerce and the name of the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Electronic Service System (ACCESS) scope segment where the scope applications can be found.^[1] This notice does not include applications which have been rejected and not properly resubmitted. The scope ruling applications listed below are available on Commerce's online e-filing and document management system, ACCESS, at https://access.trade.gov.

Scope Ruling Applications

Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the People's Republic of China (China) (A–570–073/C–570–074); aluminum association series 8011 alloy aluminum sheet products; ^[2] produced in and exported from China; submitted by Century Metals & Supplies, Inc.; September 7, 2023; ACCESS scope segment “Series 8011 Alloy Products.”

Malleable Cast Iron Pipe Fittings from China (A–570–881); Electrical Conduit Fittings; ^[3] produced in and exported from China; submitted by JL International, Inc.; September 11, 2023; ACCESS scope segment “SCO—JLI Conduit Fittings.”

Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules from China (A–570–979/C–570–980); off-grid solar charging module GC4291F; ^[4] produced in and exported from China; submitted by GameChange Solar Corp.; September 14, 2023; ACCESS scope segment “Off-Grid Solar Charging Module GC4291F.”

Certain Steel Wheels from China (A–570–082/C–570–083); steel truck wheels manufactured in Thailand; ^[5] produced in and exported from Thailand; submitted by Asia Wheel Co., Ltd. (Asia Wheel); September 15, 2023; ACCESS scope segment “Asia Wheel II.”

Xanthan Gum from China (A–570–985); GPI Xantech DF40 and GPI Xantech DF40–D; ^[6] produced in and exported from Canada; submitted by Gum Products International, Inc.; September 19, 2023; ACCESS scope segment “GPI Oilfield Lubricants.”

Xanthan Gum from China (A–570–985); GPI PureXan 80AN, GPI PureXan 200AN, and GPI Quickxan; ^[7] produced in and exported from Canada; submitted by Gum Products International, Inc.; September 19, 2023; ACCESS scope segment “GPI Food Ingredients.”

Notification to Interested Parties

This list of scope ruling applications is not an identification of scope inquiries that have been initiated. In accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(d)(1), if Commerce has not rejected a scope ruling application nor initiated the scope inquiry within 30 days after the filing of the application, the application will be deemed accepted and a scope inquiry will be deemed initiated the following day—day 31.^[8] Commerce's practice generally dictates that where a deadline falls on a weekend, Federal holiday, or other non-business day, the appropriate deadline is the next business day.^[9] Accordingly, if the 30th day after the filing of the application falls on a non-business day, the next business day will be considered the “updated” 30th day, and if the application is not rejected or a scope inquiry initiated by or on that particular business day, the application will be deemed accepted and a scope inquiry will be deemed initiated on the next business day which follows the “updated” 30th day.^[10]

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(m)(2), if there are companion AD and CVD orders covering the same merchandise from the same country of origin, the scope inquiry will be conducted on the record of the AD proceeding. Further, please note that pursuant to 19 CFR 351.225(m)(1), Commerce may either apply a scope ruling to all products from the same country with the same relevant physical characteristics, (including chemical, dimensional, and technical characteristics) as the product at issue, on a country-wide basis, regardless of the producer, exporter, or importer of those products, or on a company-specific basis.

For further information on procedures for filing information with Commerce through ACCESS and participating in scope inquiries, please refer to the Filing Instructions section of the Scope Ruling Application Guide, at https://access.trade.gov/​help/​Scope_​Ruling_​Guidance.pdf. Interested parties, apart from the scope ruling applicant, who wish to participate in a scope inquiry and be added to the public service list for that segment of the proceeding must file an entry of appearance in accordance with 19 CFR 351.103(d)(1) and 19 CFR 351.225(n)(4). Interested parties are advised to refer to the case segment in ACCESS as well as 19 CFR 351.225(f) for further information on the scope inquiry procedures, including the timelines for the submission of comments.

Please note that this notice of scope ruling applications filed in AD and CVD proceedings may be published before any potential initiation, or after the initiation, of a given scope inquiry based on a scope ruling application identified in this notice. Therefore, please refer to the case segment on ACCESS to determine whether a scope ruling application has been accepted or rejected and whether a scope inquiry has been initiated.

Interested parties who wish to be served scope ruling applications for a particular AD or CVD order may file a request to be included on the annual inquiry service list during the anniversary month of the publication of the AD or CVD order in accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(n) and Commerce's procedures.^[11]

Interested parties are invited to comment on the completeness of this monthly list of scope ruling applications received by Commerce. Any comments should be submitted to James Maeder, Deputy Assistant Secretary for AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, via email to [e-mail].

This notice of scope ruling applications filed in AD and CVD proceedings is published in accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(d)(3).

Dated: October 26, 2023.

Scot Fullerton,

Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations.

Footnotes

1.   See Regulations to Improve Administration and Enforcement of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws,86 FR 52300, 52316 (September 20, 2021) (“It is our expectation that the Federal Register list will include, where appropriate, for each scope application the following data: (1) identification of the AD and/or CVD orders at issue; (2) a concise public summary of the product's description, including the physical characteristics (including chemical, dimensional and technical characteristics) of the product; (3) the country(ies) where the product is produced and the country from where the product is exported; (4) the full name of the applicant; and (5) the date that the scope application was filed with Commerce.”)

2.  The product is aluminum coil 8011 H14 and H16 having a thickness of 6.3 millimeters or less, but greater than 0.2 millimeters, made from 8011 series aluminum.

3.  The products include the following three categories of electrical conduit fittings: (1) various subtypes of electrical conduit bodies used to provide access to conductors in a conduit line and to conserve space on certain bends and to split conduits in multiple directions; (2) various subtypes of electrical conduit nipples that extend a run of electrical conduits in order to reach fittings, boxes, enclosures, or similar articles; and (3) various subtypes of electrical conduit couplings and connectors that join two pieces of electrical conduits together.

4.  The products are small off-grid solar charging modules that connect to the Genius Tracker solar tracking unit by attaching the wire connector that is permanently attached to the small off-grid solar charging module through a male barrel connector. The products provide a small power output of 60 watts.

5.  The products are steel truck wheels that are produced as follows: (1) using rims manufactured in Thailand using rectangular steel plates from China or a third country; and (2) using discs manufactured in Thailand using circular steel plates from China or a third country. Asia Wheel welds the Thailand-produced rims and discs to assemble steel truck wheels.

6.  The products are GPI Xantech DF40 and GPI Xantech DF40–D, which are dry powders used as equipment lubricants in the oil and gas drilling industries.

7.  The products are food ingredients. PureXan80AN and 200AN impart a creamy consistency to food products. Quickxan 70 is used as a thickening and stabilizing agent in food preparations.

8.  In accordance with 19 CFR 351.225(d)(2), within 30 days after the filing of a scope ruling application, if Commerce determines that it intends to address the scope issue raised in the application in another segment of the proceeding (such as a circumvention inquiry under 19 CFR 351.226 or a covered merchandise inquiry under 19 CFR 351.227), it will notify the applicant that it will not initiate a scope inquiry, but will instead determine if the product is covered by the scope at issue in that alternative segment.

9.   See Notice of Clarification: Application of “Next Business Day” Rule for Administrative Determination Deadlines Pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930, As Amended,70 FR 24533 (May 10, 2005).

10.  This structure maintains the intent of the applicable regulation, 19 CFR 351.225(d)(1), to allow day 30 and day 31 to be separate business days.

11.   See Scope Ruling Application; Annual Inquiry Service List; and Informational Sessions,86 FR 53205 (September 27, 2021).