2021-01786. Narrow Woven Ribbons With Woven Selvedge From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2018

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, 2018 through December 31, 2018. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES:

Applicable January 27, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Terre Keaton Stefanova or Ian Hamilton, AD/CVD Operations, Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: [phone] or [phone], respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Commerce published the notice of initiation of this administrative review on November 12, 2019.^[1] Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this administrative review until September 29, 2020.^[2] On April 24, 2020, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative reviews by 50 days.^[3] On July 21, 2020, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative reviews by an additional 60 days.^[4] Therefore, the deadline for the preliminary results of this review is January 19, 2021. For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this administrative review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.^[5]

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 the order, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.^[6]

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.^[7]

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.^[8] 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. 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:

Company	Subsidy rate (percent)
Yama Ribbons and Bows Co., Ltd	42.20

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose the calculations and analysis performed in connection with the preliminary results to interested parties within five days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.^[9]

Public Comment

Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than 30 days after the publication of these preliminary results of review.^[10] Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in case briefs, may be submitted no later than seven days after the deadline for filing case briefs.^[11] 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.^[12] Case and rebuttal briefs must be filed using ACCESS.^[13] An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety by ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the established deadline.^[14] Note that Commerce has temporarily modified certain of its requirements for serving documents containing business proprietary information.^[15]

Interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must do so within 30 days after the date 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.^[16] 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.^[17]

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 case briefs, within 120 days after issuance of these preliminary results of this administrative review.

Assessment Rates

Consistent with section 751(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(2), 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. Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register. If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired (i.e., within 90 days of publication).

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 preliminary results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).

Dated: January 19, 2021.

Jeffrey I. Kessler,

Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix

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, Inputs, and Electricity Benchmarks

VIII. Analysis of Programs

IX. Recommendation

Footnotes

1. See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 84 FR 61011 (November 12, 2019).

2. See Memorandum, “Narrow Woven Ribbons with Woven Selvedge from the People's Republic of China: Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of the 2018 Countervailing Duty Administrative Review,” dated April 21, 2020.

3. 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.

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

5. See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of 2018 Countervailing Duty Administrative Review: Narrow Woven Ribbons with Woven Selvedge from the People's Republic of China,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).

6. Id.

7. See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.

8. A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be found in the appendix to this notice.

9. See 19 CFR 351.224(b).

10. See 19 CFR 351.309(c).

11. See 19 CFR 351.309(d).

12. See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).

13. See 19 CFR 351.303.

14. See 19 CFR 351.303(b).

15. See Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements Due to COVID-19, 85 FR 41363 (July 10, 2020).

16. See 19 CFR 351.310(c).

17. See 19 CFR 351.310.