2020-24914. Monosodium Glutamate From the Republic of Indonesia: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2017-2018

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that the sole mandatory respondent, PT. Cheil Jedang Indonesia (CJ Indonesia), did not sell subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value during the period of review (POR) November 1, 2017 through October 31, 2018.

DATES:

Applicable November 10, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gene H. Calvert, AD/CVD Operations, Office VII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On January 16, 2020, Commerce published the Preliminary Results of this administrative review in the Federal Register.^[1] Commerce invited interested parties to comment on the Preliminary Results. On June 1, 2020, Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. (the petitioner) and CJ Indonesia each timely submitted case briefs.^[2] CJ Indonesia timely submitted a rebuttal brief on June 8, 2020.^[3] No other party submitted a rebuttal brief, and no party requested a hearing in this administrative review. Based on its analysis of the comments that Commerce received, Commerce made no changes to the weighted-average dumping margin determined for CJ Indonesia with respect to the Preliminary Results.

On April 24, 2020, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative reviews by 50 days.^[4] On June 30, 2020, Commerce extended the deadline for the final results by 60 days.^[5] On July 21, 2020, Commerce tolled all deadlines for preliminary and final results in administrative reviews by an additional 60 days, thereby extending the deadline for the final results to November 2, 2020.^[6]

Scope of the Order

The merchandise covered by the antidumping duty order is monosodium glutamate (MSG), whether or not blended or in solution with other products. For a complete description of the scope of the order, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.^[7]

Analysis of Comments Received

Commerce addressed all issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. These issues are identified in the Appendix to this notice. The Issues and 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. In addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly on the internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/​frn/​index.html. The signed Issues and Decision Memorandum and its electronic version are identical in content.

Changes Since the Preliminary Results

Based on its analysis of the comments that Commerce received, Commerce made changes to its normal value and margin calculations, but these did not change the weighted-average dumping margin determined for CJ Indonesia with respect to the Preliminary Results.^[8]

Final Results of Review

As a result of this administrative review, Commerce is assigning the following weighted-average dumping margin for the period November 1, 2017 through October 31, 2018:

Producer/exporter	Weighted-average dumping margin (percent)
PT. Cheil Jedang Indonesia	0.00 (de minimis).

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose the calculations performed in these final results to interested parties within five days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Assessment

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise in accordance with the final results of this administrative review. Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP 15 days after the date of publication of the final results of this administrative review in the Federal Register.

Where CJ Indonesia reported reliable entered values, Commerce calculated importer- (or customer-) specific ad valorem rates by aggregating the dumping margins calculated for all U.S. sales to each importer (or customer) and dividing this amount by the total entered value of the sales to each importer (or customer).^[9] Where Commerce calculated a weighted-average dumping margin by dividing the total amount of dumping for reviewed sales to that party by the total sales quantity associated with those transactions, Commerce will direct CBP to assess importer- (or customer-) specific assessment rates based on the resulting per-unit rates.^[10] Where an importer- (or customer-) specific ad valorem or per-unit rate is greater than de minimis (i.e., 0.50 percent), Commerce will instruct CBP to collect the appropriate duties at the time of liquidation.^[11] Where an importer- (or customer-) specific ad valorem or per-unit rate is zero or de minimis, Commerce will instruct CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.^[12]

In accordance with Commerce's “automatic assessment” practice, for entries of subject merchandise that entered the United States during the POR that were produced by CJ Indonesia for which CJ Indonesia did not know that its merchandise was destined to the United States, Commerce will instruct CBP to liquidate unreviewed entries at the all-others rate of 6.19 percent,^[13] if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction.^[14]

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the notice of the final results of this administrative review for all shipments of MSG from Indonesia entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results in the Federal Register, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate for CJ Indonesia will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established in the final results of this administrative review; (2) for merchandise exported by producers or exporters not covered in this administrative review but covered in a prior segment of the proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published in a completed segment for the most recent period of review; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review or in the original investigation, but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding for the producer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will continue to be 6.19 percent, the all-others rate established in the investigation.^[15] These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Importers

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

Administrative Protective Order

This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of the return or destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

Notification of Interested Parties

Commerce is issuing and publishing these final results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(5).

Dated: November 2, 2020.

Jeffrey I. Kessler,

Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Order

IV. Changes Since the Preliminary Results

V. Discussion of the Issues

Comment 1: Whether the Application of Adverse Facts Available Is Warranted Regarding Certain of CJ Indonesia's U.S. Sales

Comment 2: Whether CJ Indonesia's General & Administrative Expenses Should Be Revised To Correct a Clerical Error

VI. Recommendation

Footnotes

1.  See Monosodium Glutamate from the Republic of Indonesia: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2017-2018, 85 FR 2717 (January 16, 2020) (Preliminary Results), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

2.  See Petitioner's Letter, “MSG from Indonesia: Petitioner's Case Brief,” dated June 1, 2020; see also CJ Indonesia's Letter, “Monosodium Glutamate (“MSG”) from Indonesia; 4th Administrative Review; CJ Case Brief,” dated June 1, 2020.

3.  See CJ Indonesia's Letter, “Monosodium Glutamate (“MSG”) from Indonesia; 4th Administrative Review; CJ Rebuttal Brief,” dated June 8, 2020.

4.  See Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews in Response to Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19,” dated April 24, 2020.

5.  See Memorandum, “Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Monosodium Glutamate from the Republic of Indonesia: Extension of Deadline for the Final Results,” dated June 30, 2020.

6.  See Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Review,” dated July 21, 2020.

7.  See Memorandum, “Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Final Results of the 2017-2018 Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Monosodium Glutamate from the Republic of Indonesia,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Issues and Decision Memorandum).

8.  See Issues and Decision Memorandum.

9.  See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).

10.  Id.

11.  Id.

12.  See 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2).

13.  See Monosodium Glutamate from the Republic of Indonesia: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 79 FR 58329 (September 29, 2014) (MSG Investigation Final Determination).

14.  For a full discussion of this practice, see Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Assessment of Antidumping Duties, 68 FR 23954 (May 6, 2003).

15.  See MSG Investigation Final Determination.