2019-09451. Ceramic Tile From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation  

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    AGENCY:

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

    DATES:

    Applicable April 30, 2019.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Michael J. Heaney, Heather Lui, and William Thompson II, at (202) 482-4475, (202) 482-0016, and (202) 482-7459, respectively, AD/CVD Operations, Office VI, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    The Petition

    On April 10, 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) received an antidumping duty (AD) petition concerning imports of ceramic tile from the People's Republic of China (China), filed in proper form on behalf of the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile (the petitioner).[1] The Start Printed Page 20094Petition was accompanied by a countervailing duty (CVD) petition concerning imports of ceramic tile from China.

    Between April 15 and April 24, 2019, Commerce requested supplemental information pertaining to certain aspects of the Petition.[2] The petitioner filed responses to these requests between April 17 and April 25, 2019.[3]

    In accordance with section 732(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), the petitioner alleges that imports of ceramic tile from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) within the meaning of section 731 of the Act, and that such imports are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, the domestic industry producing ceramic tile in the United States. Consistent with section 732(b)(1) of the Act, the Petition is accompanied by information reasonably available to the petitioner supporting its allegations.

    Commerce finds that the petitioner filed the Petition on behalf of the domestic industry because the petitioner is an interested party as defined in section 771(9)(E) of the Act. Commerce also finds that the petitioner demonstrated sufficient industry support with respect to the initiation of the requested AD investigation.[4]

    Period of Investigation

    Because the Petition was filed on April 10, 2019, the period of investigation (POI) is October 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019.[5]

    Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is ceramic tile from China. For a full description of the scope of this investigation, see the Appendix to this notice.

    Comments on Scope of the Investigation

    During our review of the Petition, we contacted the petitioner regarding the proposed scope to ensure that the scope language in the Petition is an accurate reflection of the products for which the domestic industry is seeking relief.[6] As a result, the scope of the Petition was modified to clarify the description of the merchandise covered by the Petition. The description of the merchandise covered by this investigation, as described in the Appendix to this notice, reflects these clarifications.

    As discussed in the Preamble to Commerce's regulations, we are setting aside a period for interested parties to raise issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).[7] Commerce will consider all comments received from interested parties and, if necessary, will consult with interested parties prior to the issuance of the preliminary determination. If scope comments include factual information,[8] all such factual information should be limited to public information. To facilitate preparation of its questionnaires, Commerce requests that all interested parties submit scope comments by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on May 20, 2019, which is 20 calendar days from the signature date of this notice. Any rebuttal comments, which may include factual information, must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 30, 2019, which is 10 calendar days from the initial comment deadline.[9]

    Commerce requests that any factual information the parties consider relevant to the scope of the investigation be submitted during this time period. However, if a party subsequently finds that additional factual information pertaining to the scope of the investigation may be relevant, the party may contact Commerce and request permission to submit the additional information. All such comments must also be filed on the record of the concurrent CVD investigation.

    Filing Requirements

    All submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically via ACCESS.[10] An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety by the time and date it is due. Documents exempted from the electronic submission requirements must be filed manually (i.e., in paper form) with Enforcement and Compliance's APO/Dockets Unit, Room 18022, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, and stamped with the date and time of receipt by the applicable deadlines.

    Comments on Product Characteristics for AD Questionnaires

    Commerce is providing interested parties an opportunity to comment on the appropriate physical characteristics of ceramic tile to be reported in response to Commerce's AD questionnaires. This information will be used to identify the key physical characteristics of the subject merchandise in order to report the relevant factors of production (FOPs) accurately, as well as to develop appropriate product-comparison criteria.Start Printed Page 20095

    Interested parties may provide any information or comments that they feel are relevant to the development of an accurate list of physical characteristics. In order to consider the suggestions of interested parties in developing and issuing the AD questionnaire, all comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 20, 2019, which is 20 calendar days from the signature date of this notice.[11] Any rebuttal comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 30, 2019. All comments and submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically via ACCESS, as explained above, on the record of this AD investigation.

    Determination of Industry Support for the Petition

    Section 732(b)(1) of the Act requires that a petition be filed on behalf of the domestic industry. Section 732(c)(4)(A) of the Act provides that a petition meets this requirement if the domestic producers or workers who support the petition account for: (i) At least 25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product; and (ii) more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. Moreover, section 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act provides that, if the petition does not establish support of domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of the total production of the domestic like product, Commerce shall: (i) Poll the industry or rely on other information in order to determine if there is support for the petition, as required by subparagraph (A); or (ii) determine industry support using a statistically valid sampling method to poll the “industry.”

    Section 771(4)(A) of the Act defines the “industry” as the producers as a whole of a domestic like product. Thus, to determine whether a petition has the requisite industry support, the statute directs Commerce to look to producers and workers who produce the domestic like product. The International Trade Commission (ITC), which is responsible for determining whether “the domestic industry” has been injured, must also determine what constitutes a domestic like product in order to define the industry. While both Commerce and the ITC must apply the same statutory definition regarding the domestic like product,[12] they do so for different purposes and pursuant to a separate and distinct authority. In addition, Commerce's determination is subject to limitations of time and information. Although this may result in different definitions of the like product, such differences do not render the decision of either agency contrary to law.[13]

    Section 771(10) of the Act defines the domestic like product as “a product which is like, or in the absence of like, most similar in characteristics and uses with, the article subject to an investigation under this title.” Thus, the reference point from which the domestic like product analysis begins is “the article subject to an investigation” (i.e., the class or kind of merchandise to be investigated, which normally will be the scope as defined in the petition).

    With regard to the domestic like product, the petitioner does not offer a definition of the domestic like product distinct from the scope of the Petition.[14] Based on our analysis of the information submitted on the record, we have determined that ceramic tile, as defined in the scope, constitutes a single domestic like product, and we have analyzed industry support in terms of that domestic like product.[15]

    In determining whether the petitioner has standing under section 732(c)(4)(A) of the Act, we considered the industry support data contained in the Petition with reference to the domestic like product as defined in the “Scope of the Investigation,” in the Appendix to this notice. To establish industry support, the petitioner provided its own 2018 shipments of the domestic like product and compared this to the estimated total shipments of the domestic like product for the entire domestic industry.[16] The petitioner estimated the production of the domestic like product for the entire domestic industry based on shipment data, because production data for the entire domestic industry are not available for 2018, and the petitioner has established that shipments are a reasonable proxy for data on production of ceramic tile.[17] We relied on data provided by the petitioner for purposes of measuring industry support.[18]

    Our review of the data provided in the Petition, the General Issues Supplement, the Second General Issues Supplement, and other information readily available to Commerce indicates that the petitioner has established industry support for the Petition.[19] First, the Petition established support from domestic producers (or workers) accounting for more than 50 percent of the total production of the domestic like product and, as such, Commerce is not required to take further action in order to evaluate industry support (e.g., polling).[20] Second, the domestic producers (or workers) have met the statutory criteria for industry support under section 732(c)(4)(A)(i) of the Act because the domestic producers (or workers) who support the Petition account for at least 25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product.[21] Finally, the domestic producers (or workers) have met the statutory criteria for industry support under section 732(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Act because the domestic producers (or workers) who support the Petition account for more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the Petition.[22] Accordingly, Commerce determines that the Petition was filed on behalf of the domestic industry within the meaning of section 732(b)(1) of the Act.

    Allegations and Evidence of Material Injury and Causation

    The petitioner alleges that the U.S. industry producing the domestic like product is being materially injured, or is threatened with material injury, by reason of the imports of the subject merchandise sold at LTFV. In addition, the petitioner alleges that subject imports exceed the negligibility threshold provided for under section 771(24)(A) of the Act.[23]

    The petitioner contends that the industry's injured condition is illustrated by a significant and increasing volume of subject imports; reduced market share; adverse impact on the domestic industry's production, capacity utilization, U.S. shipments, employment variables, and financial Start Printed Page 20096performance; underselling and price depression or suppression; lost sales and revenues; negative impact on the domestic industry's return on investments; the cancellation or postponement of expansion projects for U.S. production facilities; reduced spending on research and development; and an increase in end-of-year production inventories.[24] We have assessed the allegations and supporting evidence regarding material injury, threat of material injury, causation, as well as negligibility, and we have determined that these allegations are properly supported by adequate evidence, and meet the statutory requirements for initiation.[25]

    Allegations of Sales at Less Than Fair Value

    The following is a description of the allegation of sales at LTFV upon which Commerce based its decision to initiate an AD investigation on imports of ceramic tile from China. The sources of data for the deductions and adjustments relating to U.S. price and normal value (NV) are discussed in greater detail in the AD Initiation Checklist.

    Export Price

    The petitioner based the U.S. price on export price (EP) using average unit values (AUVs) of publicly available import data.[26] Where applicable, the petitioner made deductions from U.S. price for foreign inland freight and foreign brokerage and handling charges.[27]

    Normal Value

    With respect to China, Commerce considers China to be a non-market economy (NME) country.[28] In accordance with section 771(18)(C)(i) of the Act, any determination that a foreign country is an NME country shall remain in effect until revoked by Commerce. Therefore, we continue to treat China as an NME country for purposes of the initiation of this investigation. Accordingly, NV in China is appropriately based on FOPs valued in a surrogate market economy country, in accordance with section 773(c) of the Act.[29]

    The petitioner contends that Mexico is an appropriate surrogate country for China because it is a market economy country that is at a level of economic development comparable to that of China, it is a significant producer of comparable merchandise, and public information from Mexico is available to value all material input factors.[30] Based on the information provided by the petitioner, we determine that it is appropriate to use Mexico as a surrogate country for initiation purposes.

    Interested parties will have the opportunity to submit comments regarding surrogate country selection and, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.301(c)(3)(i), will be provided an opportunity to submit publicly available information to value FOPs within 30 days before the scheduled date of the preliminary determination.

    Factors of Production

    Because information regarding the volume of inputs consumed by the Chinese producers/exporters was not reasonably available, the petitioner relied on the production experience for one of the members of the petitioning coalition as a surrogate to estimate the Chinese manufacturers' FOPs.[31] The petitioner valued the estimated FOPs using surrogate values from Mexico and used the average POI exchange rate to convert the data to U.S. dollars.[32] The petitioner calculated factory overhead, selling, general and administrative expenses, and profit based on the experience of a Mexican producer of ceramic tile.[33]

    Fair Value Comparisons

    Based on the data provided in the Petition, there is reason to believe that imports of ceramic tile from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at LTFV. Based on comparisons of EP to NV in accordance with sections 772 and 773 of the Act, the estimated dumping margin for ceramic tile from China range from 127.33 to 356.02 percent.[34]

    Initiation of LTFV Investigation

    Based upon the examination of the Petition on ceramic tile from China, we find that the Petition meets the requirements of section 732 of the Act. Therefore, we are initiating an AD investigation to determine whether imports of ceramic tile from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at LTFV. In accordance with section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(b)(1), unless postponed, we will make our preliminary determination no later than 140 days after the date of this initiation.

    Respondent Selection

    The petitioner named 197 producers/exporters of ceramic tile in China.[35] After considering our resources, Commerce has determined that we do not have sufficient administrative resources to issue quantity and value (Q&V) questionnaires to all 197 identified producers and exporters. Therefore, Commerce has determined to limit the number of Q&V questionnaires it will send out to exporters and producers identified in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data for U.S. imports of ceramic tile during the POI under the appropriate Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States numbers listed in the “Scope of the Investigation,” in the Appendix. Accordingly, Commerce will send Q&V questionnaires to the largest producers and exporters that are identified in the CBP data for which there is address information on the record.

    On April 30, 2019, Commerce released CBP data under Administrative Protection Order (APO) to all parties with access to information protected by APO and indicated that interested parties wishing to comment on the CBP data must do so within three business days of the publication date of the notice of initiation of this investigation.[36] We further stated that we will not accept rebuttal comments.

    In addition, Commerce will post the Q&V questionnaire along with filing instructions on the Enforcement and Compliance website at http://www.trade.gov/​enforcement/​news.asp. In accordance with our standard practice for respondent selection in AD cases involving NME countries, we intend to base respondent selection on the responses to the Q&V questionnaire that we receive.Start Printed Page 20097

    Producers/exporters of ceramic tile from China that do not receive Q&V questionnaires by mail may still submit a response to the Q&V questionnaire and can obtain a copy from the Enforcement & Compliance website. The Q&V response must be submitted by the relevant China exporters/producers no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on May 20, 2019. All Q&V responses must be filed electronically via ACCESS.

    Separate Rates

    In order to obtain separate-rate status in an NME investigation, exporters and producers must submit a separate-rate application.[37] The specific requirements for submitting a separate-rate application in the China investigation are outlined in detail in the application itself, which is available on Commerce's website at http://enforcement.trade.gov/​nme/​nme-sep-rate.html. The separate-rate application will be due 30 days after publication of this initiation notice.[38] Exporters and producers who submit a separate-rate application and have been selected as mandatory respondents will be eligible for consideration for separate-rate status only if they respond to all parts of Commerce's AD questionnaire as mandatory respondents. Commerce requires that companies from China submit a response to both the Q&V questionnaire and the separate-rate application by the respective deadlines in order to receive consideration for separate-rate status. Companies not filing a timely Q&V response will not receive separate-rate consideration.

    Use of Combination Rates

    Commerce will calculate combination rates for certain respondents that are eligible for a separate rate in an NME investigation. The Separate Rates and Combination Rates Bulletin states:

    {w}hile continuing the practice of assigning separate rates only to exporters, all separate rates that the Department will now assign in its NME Investigation will be specific to those producers that supplied the exporter during the period of investigation. Note, however, that one rate is calculated for the exporter and all of the producers which supplied subject merchandise to it during the period of investigation. This practice applies both to mandatory respondents receiving an individually calculated separate rate as well as the pool of non-investigated firms receiving the weighted-average of the individually calculated rates. This practice is referred to as the application of “combination rates” because such rates apply to specific combinations of exporters and one or more producers. The cash-deposit rate assigned to an exporter will apply only to merchandise both exported by the firm in question and produced by a firm that supplied the exporter during the period of investigation.[39]

    Distribution of Copies of the Petition

    In accordance with section 732(b)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.202(f), a copy of the public version of the Petition has been provided to China via ACCESS. To the extent practicable, we will attempt to provide a copy of the public version of the Petition to each exporter named in the Petition, as provided under 19 CFR 351.203(c)(2).

    ITC Notification

    We will notify the ITC of our initiation, as required by section 732(d) of the Act.

    Preliminary Determination by the ITC

    The ITC will preliminarily determine, within 45 days after the date on which the Petition was filed, whether there is a reasonable indication that imports of ceramic tile from China are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, a U.S. industry.[40] A negative ITC determination will result in the investigation being terminated.[41] Otherwise, this investigation will proceed according to statutory and regulatory time limits.

    Submission of Factual Information

    Factual information is defined in 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) as: (i) Evidence submitted in response to questionnaires; (ii) evidence submitted in support of allegations; (iii) publicly available information to value factors under 19 CFR 351.408(c) or to measure the adequacy of remuneration under 19 CFR 351.511(a)(2); (iv) evidence placed on the record by Commerce; and (v) evidence other than factual information described in (i)-(iv). Any party, when submitting factual information, must specify under which subsection of 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) the information is being submitted [42] and, if the information is submitted to rebut, clarify, or correct factual information already on the record, to provide an explanation identifying the information already on the record that the factual information seeks to rebut, clarify, or correct.[43] Time limits for the submission of factual information are addressed in 19 CFR 351.301, which provides specific time limits based on the type of factual information being submitted. Interested parties should review the regulations prior to submitting factual information in this investigation.

    Extensions of Time Limits

    Parties may request an extension of time limits before the expiration of a time limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, or as otherwise specified by the Secretary. In general, an extension request will be considered untimely if it is filed after the expiration of the time limit established under 19 CFR 351.301. For submissions that are due from multiple parties simultaneously, an extension request will be considered untimely if it is filed after 10:00 a.m. ET on the due date. Under certain circumstances, we may elect to specify a different time limit by which extension requests will be considered untimely for submissions which are due from multiple parties simultaneously. In such a case, we will inform parties in a letter or memorandum of the deadline (including a specified time) by which extension requests must be filed to be considered timely. An extension request must be made in a separate, stand-alone submission; under limited circumstances we will grant untimely-filed requests for the extension of time limits. Parties should review Extension of Time Limits; Final Rule, 78 FR 57790 (September 20, 2013), available at http://www.gpo.gov/​fdsys/​pkg/​FR-2013-09-20/​html/​2013-22853.htm,, prior to submitting factual information in this investigation.

    Certification Requirements

    Any party submitting factual information in an AD or CVD proceeding must certify to the accuracy and completeness of that information.[44] Parties must use the certification formats provided in 19 CFR 351.303(g).[45] Commerce intends to reject factual submissions if the submitting party does not comply with the applicable certification requirements.

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    Notification to Interested Parties

    Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. On January 22, 2008, Commerce published Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Documents Submission Procedures; APO Procedures, 73 FR 3634 (January 22, 2008). Parties wishing to participate in this investigation should ensure that they meet the requirements of these procedures (e.g., the filing of letters of appearance as discussed at 19 CFR 351.103(d)).

    This notice is issued and published pursuant to sections 732(c)(2) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.203(c).

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    Dated: April 30, 2019.

    Jeffrey I. Kessler,

    Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

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    Appendix—Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by this investigation is ceramic flooring tile, wall tile, paving tile, hearth tile, porcelain tile, mosaic tile, flags, finishing tile, and the like (hereinafter ceramic tile). Ceramic tiles are articles containing a mixture of minerals including clay (generally hydrous silicates of alumina or magnesium) that are fired so the raw materials are fused to produce a finished good that is less than 3.2 cm in actual thickness. All ceramic tile is subject to the scope regardless of end use, surface area, and weight, regardless of whether the tile is glazed or unglazed, regardless of the water absorption coefficient by weight, regardless of the extent of vitrification, and regardless of whether or not the tile is on a backing. Subject merchandise includes ceramic tile with decorative features that may in spots exceed 3.2 cm in thickness and includes ceramic tile “slabs” or “panels” (tiles that are larger than 1 meter2 (11 ft.2)).

    Subject merchandise includes ceramic tile that undergoes minor processing in a third country prior to importation into the United States. Similarly, subject merchandise includes ceramic tile produced that undergoes minor processing after importation into the United States. Such minor processing includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: Beveling, cutting, trimming, staining, painting, polishing, finishing, additional firing, or any other processing that would otherwise not remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope product.

    Subject merchandise is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the following subheadings of heading 6907: 6907.21.1005, 6907.21.1011, 6907.21.1051, 6907.21.2000, 6907.21.3000, 6907.21.4000, 6907.21.9011, 6907.21.9051, 6907.22.1005, 6907.22.1011, 6907.22.1051, 6907.22.2000, 6907.22.3000, 6907.22.4000, 6907.22.9011, 6907.22.9051, 6907.23.1005, 6907.23.1011, 6907.23.1051, 6907.23.2000, 6907.23.3000, 6907.23.4000, 6907.23.9011, 6907.23.9051, 6907.30.1005, 6907.30.1011, 6907.30.1051, 6907.30.2000, 6907.30.3000, 6907.30.4000, 6907.30.9011, 6907.30.9051, 6907.40.1005, 6907.40.1011, 6907.40.1051, 6907.40.2000, 6907.40.3000, 6907.40.4000, 6907.40.9011, and 6907.40.9051. Subject merchandise may also enter under subheadings of headings 6914 and 6905: 6914.10.8000, 6914.90.8000, 6905.10.0000, and 6905.90.0050. The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of this investigation is dispositive.

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    Footnotes

    1.  See Petitioner's Letter, “Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China,” dated April 10, 2019 (the Petition); see also Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum Concerning the Filing Date of the Petitions,” dated April 16, 2019.

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    2.  See Commerce's Letters, “Petition for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: Supplemental Questions,” dated April 15, 2019 (General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire); “Petition for the Imposition of Antidumping Duties on Imports of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: Supplemental Questions, U.S. Price & Normal Value,” dated April 15, 2019 (AD Supplemental Questionnaire); see also Memoranda, “Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: Phone Call with Counsel to the Petitioner,” dated April 16, 2019 (April 16, 2019 Memorandum); “Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: Phone Call with Counsel to the Petitioner,” dated April 19, 2019 (April 19, 2019 Memorandum); “Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: Phone Call with Counsel to the Petitioner,” dated April 24, 2019 (April 24, 2019 Memorandum).

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    3.  See the Petitioner's Letters, “Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigation of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: FTCT's Response to the Department's Supplemental Questions on the Petition,” dated April 17, 2019 (General Issues Supplement); “Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigation of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: FTCT's Response to the Department's Supplemental Questions on the Petition,” dated April 17, 2019 (AD Supplemental Response); “Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigation of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: FTCT's Response to the Department's Second Supplemental Questions on General Issues of Petition pertaining to DOC Case Nos. A-570-108 & C-570-109,” dated April 22, 2019 (Second General Issues Supplement); “Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigation of Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China: FTCT's Response to the Department's Third Supplemental Questions on General Issues of Petition pertaining to DOC Case Nos. A-570-108 & C-570-109,” dated April 25, 2019 (Third General Issues Supplement).

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    4.  See “Antidumping Duty Investigation Initiation Checklist: Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China,” (AD Initiation Checklist). This checklist is dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice and on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Services System (ACCESS). Access to documents filed via ACCESS is also available in the Central Records Unit, Room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building.

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    6.  See General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire; see also April 19, 2019 Memorandum; see also April 24, 2019 Memorandum.

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    7.  See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).

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    8.  See 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) (defining “factual information”).

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    10.  See Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Electronic Filing Procedures; Administrative Protective Order Procedures, 76 FR 39263 (July 6, 2011); see also Enforcement and Compliance; Change of Electronic Filing System Name, 79 FR 69046 (November 20, 2014) for details of Commerce's electronic filing requirements, effective August 5, 2011. Information on help using ACCESS can be found at https://access.trade.gov/​help.aspx and a handbook can be found at https://access.trade.gov/​help/​Handbook%20on%20Electronic%20Filling%20Procedures.pdf.

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    12.  See section 771(10) of the Act.

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    13.  See USEC, Inc. v. United States, 132 F. Supp. 2d 1, 8 (CIT 2001) (citing Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. v. United States, 688 F. Supp. 639, 644 (CIT 1988), aff'd 865 F.2d 240 (Fed. Cir. 1989)).

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    14.  See Volume I of the Petition, at 12-15 and Exhibit I-2-A; see also General Issues Supplement at 7; Second General Issues Supplement at 3-6 and Supplemental Exhibits I-31 and I-32.

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    15.  For a discussion of the domestic like product analysis as applied to this case and information regarding industry support, see AD Initiation Checklist at Attachment II, Analysis of Industry Support for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions Covering Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China (Attachment II).

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    16.  See Volume I of the Petition at 2-5 and Exhibits I-1-A through I-1-F; see also General Issues Supplement at 8-11 and Supplemental Exhibits I-1-E, I-27, and I-28; and Second General Issues Supplement at 6 and Supplemental Exhibit I-1-E.

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    18.  Id.; see also AD Initiation Checklist at Attachment II.

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    19.  See AD Initiation Checklist at Attachment II.

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    20.  See section 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act; see also China AD Initiation Checklist at Attachment II.

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    21.  See AD Initiation Checklist at Attachment II.

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    23.  See Volume I of the Petition at 22-23 and Exhibit I-9.

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    24.  See Volume I of the Petition at 17-50 and Exhibits I-6, I-8 through I-22 and I-24 through I-26; see also General Issues Supplement at 11 and Exhibit I-29.

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    25.  See AD Initiation Checklist at Attachment III, Analysis of Allegations and Evidence of Material Injury and Causation for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions Covering Ceramic Tile from the People's Republic of China (Attachment III).

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    26.  See AD Initiation Checklist.

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    28.  See Antidumping Duty Investigation of Certain Aluminum Foil from the People's Republic of China: Affirmative Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less-Than-Fair Value and Postponement of Final Determination, 82 FR 50858, 50861 (November 2, 2017), and accompanying decision memorandum, China's Status as a Non-Market Economy, unchanged in Certain Aluminum Foil from the People's Republic of China: Final Determination of Sales at Less-Than-Fair-Value, 83 FR 9282 (March 5, 2018).

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    29.  See AD Initiation Checklist.

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    30.  See Volume II of the Petition at 2-4.

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    31.  See AD Initiation Checklist.

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    35.  See Volume I of the Petition at Exhibit I-5.

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    36.  See Memorandum, “Ceramic Tile from China: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Data for Respondent Selection Purposes,” dated April 30, 2019.

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    37.  See Policy Bulletin 05.1: Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination Rates in Antidumping Investigation involving Non-Market Economy Countries (April 5, 2005), available at http://enforcement.trade.gov/​policy/​bull05-1.pdf (Policy Bulletin 05.1).

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    38.  Although in past investigations this deadline was 60 days, consistent with 19 CFR 351.301(a), which states that “the Secretary may request any person to submit factual information at any time during a proceeding,” this deadline is now 30 days.

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    39.  See Policy Bulletin 05.1 at 6 (emphasis added).

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    40.  See section 733(a)(2) of the Act.

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    41.  See section 733(a)(1) of the Act.

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    44.  See section 782(b) of the Act.

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    45.  See also Certification of Factual Information to Import Administration During Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 17, 2013) (Final Rule). Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the Final Rule are available at http://enforcement.trade.gov/​tlei/​notices/​factual_​info_​final_​rule_​FAQ_​07172013.pdf.

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    [FR Doc. 2019-09451 Filed 5-7-19; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

Document Information

Published:
05/08/2019
Department:
International Trade Administration
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
2019-09451
Dates:
Applicable April 30, 2019.
Pages:
20093-20098 (6 pages)
Docket Numbers:
A-570-108
PDF File:
2019-09451.Pdf