Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador: Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 10698-10707 [E7-4295]
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10698
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 46 / Friday, March 9, 2007 / Notices
publication date, as provided by section
751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For subject
merchandise produced and exported by
Grobest, the cash-deposit rate will be
that established in these final results of
reviews and (2) for subject merchandise
exported by Grobest, but manufactured
by any other party, the cash deposit rate
will be Vietnam-wide rate (i.e., 25.76
percent).
Further, the following cash deposit
requirements will be effective upon
publication of the final results of the
administrative review for shipments of
the subject merchandise entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for
consumption on or after the publication
date of the final results, as provided by
section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For
subject merchandise exported by Fish
One, the cash-deposit rate will be that
established in these final results of
review; (2) for previously reviewed or
investigated companies not listed above
that have separate rates, the cashdeposit rate will continue to be the
company-specific rate published for the
most recent period; (3) for all other
Vietnam exporters of subject
merchandise, which have not been
found to be entitled to a separate rate,
the cash-deposit rate will be Vietnamwide rate of 25.76 percent; (4) for all
non-Vietnam exporters of subject
merchandise, the cash-deposit rate will
be the rate applicable to the Vietnam
exporter that supplied that exporter.
These deposit requirements, when
imposed, shall remain in effect until
publication of the final results of the
next administrative review.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Notification to Importers
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 prior to liquidation
of the relevant entries during this
review period. Failure to comply with
this requirement could result in the
Secretary’s presumption that
reimbursement of antidumping duties
occurred and the subsequent assessment
of double antidumping duties.
This administrative review, the new
shipper reviews and this notice are in
accordance with sections 751(a)(1),
751(a)(2)(B), and 777(i) of the Act, and
19 CFR 351.213(g), 351.214(h) and
352.221(b)(4).
Dated: February 28, 2007.
David M. Spooner,
Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–4281 Filed 3–8–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A–331–802
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp
from Ecuador: Preliminary Results and
Partial Rescission of Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(the Department) is conducting an
administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on certain
frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador
with respect to 23 companies.1 The
respondents which the Department
selected for individual review are
OceanInvest, S.A. (OceanInvest) and
Promarisco, S.A. (Promarisco). The
respondents which were not selected for
individual review are listed in the
‘‘Preliminary Results of Review’’ section
of this notice. This is the first
administrative review of this order. The
period of review (POR) covers August 4,
2004, through January 31, 2006.
We preliminarily determine that sales
made by OceanInvest and Promarisco
have been made below normal value
(NV). In addition, based on the
preliminary results for the respondents
selected for individual review, we have
preliminarily determined a weighted–
average margin for those companies that
were not selected for individual review
but were responsive to the Department’s
requests for information. For those
companies which were not responsive
to the Department’s requests for
information, we have preliminarily
assigned to them a margin based on
adverse facts available (AFA).
If the preliminary results are adopted
in our final results of administrative
review, we will instruct U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) to assess
antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries. Interested parties are invited to
comment on the preliminary results.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 9, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Goldberger or Gemal Brangman,
AD/CVD Operations, Office 2, Import
Administration–Room B099,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202)
482–4136 or (202) 482–3773,
respectively.
AGENCY:
1 This figure does not include the company for
which the Department is rescinding the
administrative review. See ‘‘Partial Rescission of
Review’’ section for further discussion.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In February 2005, the Department
published in the Federal Register an
antidumping duty order on certain
frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador.
See Notice of Amended Final
Determination and Antidumping Duty
Order: Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Ecuador, 70 FR 5156
(February 1, 2005) (Shrimp Order). On
February 1, 2006, the Department
published in the Federal Register a
notice of opportunity to request an
administrative review of the
antidumping duty order of certain
frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador
for the period August 4, 2004, through
January 31, 2006. See Antidumping or
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity
to Request Administrative Review, 71
FR 5239 (February 1, 2006). On
February 28, 2006, the petitioner2
submitted a letter timely requesting that
the Department conduct an
administrative review of the sales of
certain frozen warmwater shrimp made
by numerous companies during the
POR, pursuant to section 751(a) of the
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act),
and in accordance with 19 CFR
351.213(b)(1). Also, on February 28,
2006, the Department received timely
requests under 19 CFR 351.213(b)(2) to
conduct an administrative review of the
sales of certain frozen warmwater
shrimp from the following producers/
exporters of subject merchandise:
Empacadora del Pacifico S.A.,
Empacadora Dufer Cia. Ltda.,
Exporklore, S.A., Promarisco, and
Sociedad Nacional de Galapagos C.A.
On April 7, 2006, the Department
published a notice of initiation of
administrative review for 71 companies
and requested that each provide data on
the quantity and value of its exports of
subject merchandise to the United
States during the POR for mandatory
respondent selection purposes. These
companies are listed in the
Department’s notice of initiation. See
Notice of Initiation of Administrative
Reviews of the Antidumping Duty
Orders on Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Brazil, Ecuador, India and
Thailand, 71 FR 17819 (April 7, 2006)
(Notice of Initiation).
During the period April 27, 2006,
through June 13, 2006, we received
responses to the Department’s quantity
and value questionnaire from 59
companies. A number of these
companies reported that their names
2 The petitioner is the Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade
Action Committee.
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were duplicated in the Notice of
Initiation.
Subsequently, the Department
received withdrawal requests with
respect to many of the companies.
However, based upon our consideration
of the responses to the quantity and
value questionnaire and the resources
available to the Department, we
determined that it was not practicable to
examine all exporters/producers of
subject merchandise for which a review
request remained. As a result, on July
11, 2006, we selected the two largest
remaining producers/exporters by
export volume of certain frozen
warmwater shrimp from Ecuador during
the POR, OceanInvest and Promarisco,
as the mandatory respondents in this
review. See Memorandum to Stephen J.
Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Import Administration, from Irene
Darzenta Tzafolias, Acting Director,
Office 2, AD/CVD Operations, entitled
‘‘Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review of Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Ecuador: Selection of
Respondents,’’ dated July 11, 2006. On
this same date, we issued the
antidumping questionnaire to
OceanInvest and Promarisco.
On July 20, 2006, we published a
notice rescinding the administrative
review with respect to 47 companies for
which the requests for an administrative
review were withdrawn in a timely
manner,3 in accordance with 19 CFR
351.213(d)(1). See Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador;
Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 71 FR 41198
(July 20, 2006).
We received responses to section A of
the questionnaire from Promarisco and
OceanInvest on August 8 and August
15, 2006, respectively.
On August 11, 2006, the petitioner
submitted comments regarding third
country market selection with respect to
Promarisco.
On August 25, 2006, the Department
postponed the preliminary results in
this review until no later than February
28, 2007. See Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Brazil,
Ecuador, India, the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam, the People’s Republic of
China, and Thailand: Notice of
Extension of Time Limits for the
Preliminary Results of the First
Administrative Reviews and New
Shipper Reviews, 71 FR 50387 (August
25, 2006).
We received responses to sections B
and C of the questionnaire from
3 Among the 47 companies referenced in the
rescission notice is one company we determined
was a duplicate name for another company
included in the review.
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OceanInvest and Promarisco on
September 6, 2006. In addition, on this
date Promarisco submitted a response to
section D of the questionnaire.
On September 19, 2006, we published
a notice amending the initiation and
partial rescission of the administrative
review to include an additional
company which was inadvertently
omitted. See Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp From Ecuador; Notice of
Amended Initiation and Amended
Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 71 FR 54797
(September 19, 2006).
On September 20, 2006, the petitioner
requested that the Department initiate a
sales–below-cost investigation of
OceanInvest. On October 20, 2006, we
initiated this investigation. See
Memorandum to James Maeder,
Director, Office 2, AD/CVD Operations,
from The Team entitled ‘‘Petitioner’s
Allegation of Sales Below the Cost of
Production for OceanInvest S.A.,’’ dated
October 20, 2006 (OceanInvest COP
Initiation Memo). On that date, we
instructed OceanInvest to respond to the
Department’s section D questionnaire.
We issued a supplemental section A,
B, and C questionnaire to OceanInvest
on September 21, 2006, and received
responses on October 13 and 17, 2006.
We issued a supplemental section A, B,
and C questionnaire to Promarisco on
October 3, 2006, along with an
additional information request on
October 16, 2006, and received
responses on October 11, 23, and 27,
2006.
On October 17, 2006, the petitioner
submitted additional comments on the
appropriate comparison market to be
used for Promarisco. Promarisco
responded to these comments in its
October 23, 2006, submission.
On November 6, 2006, we determined
that Spain constitutes the appropriate
comparison market with respect to
Promarisco. See Memorandum to James
Maeder, Director Office 2, AD/CVD
Operations, from The Team entitled
‘‘Selection of the Appropriate Third
Country Market for Promarisco,’’ dated
November 6, 2006.
OceanInvest submitted its response to
section D of the questionnaire on
November 16, 2006. In response to
Department requests, OceanInvest also
submitted additional information
concerning its section B and C
questionnaire responses on November 9,
20, and 28, 2006.
We issued a section D supplemental
questionnaire to Promarisco on
November 21, 2006, and to OceanInvest
on December 19, 2006. On December 22,
2006, and January 18, 2007,
respectively, we received responses to
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these supplemental questionnaires. We
issued additional supplemental section
D questionnaires to OceanInvest on
January 24 and February 5, 2007, and to
Promarisco on February 9, 2007.
OceanInvest submitted its responses on
February 2 and 12, 2007, and
Promarisco submitted its response on
February 21, 2007.
We conducted a verification of
OceanInvest’s reported sales data in
December 2007, and issued our
verification report on January 18, 2007.
In response to our January 22, 2007,
request, OceanInvest submitted revised
third–country and U.S. sales data bases
reflecting certain verification findings
on January 30, 2007.
On January 23, 2007, we published a
correction to the scope of the order in
which we clarified that the scope does
not cover warmwater shrimp in non–
frozen form. See Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Brazil,
Ecuador, India, Thailand, the People’s
Republic of China and the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam; Amended Orders,
72 FR 2857 (January 23, 2007).
We conducted a verification of
OceanInvest’s reported cost data in
February 2007. Our cost verification
report will be issued following the
preliminary results.
Scope of the Order
The scope of this order includes
certain frozen warmwater shrimp and
prawns, whether wild–caught (ocean
harvested) or farm–raised (produced by
aquaculture), head–on or head–off,
shell–on or peeled, tail–on or tail–off,4
deveined or not deveined, cooked or
raw, or otherwise processed in frozen
form.
The frozen warmwater shrimp and
prawn products included in the scope of
this order, regardless of definitions in
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (HTSUS), are products
which are processed from warmwater
shrimp and prawns through freezing
and which are sold in any count size.
The products described above may be
processed from any species of
warmwater shrimp and prawns.
Warmwater shrimp and prawns are
generally classified in, but are not
limited to, the Penaeidae family. Some
examples of the farmed and wild–
caught warmwater species include, but
are not limited to, whiteleg shrimp
(Penaeus vannemei), banana prawn
(Penaeus merguiensis), fleshy prawn
(Penaeus chinensis), giant river prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii), giant tiger
prawn (Penaeus monodon), redspotted
4 ‘‘Tails’’ in this context means the tail fan, which
includes the telson and the uropods.
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shrimp (Penaeus brasiliensis), southern
brown shrimp (Penaeus subtilis),
southern pink shrimp (Penaeus
notialis), southern rough shrimp
(Trachypenaeus curvirostris), southern
white shrimp (Penaeus schmitti), blue
shrimp (Penaeus stylirostris), western
white shrimp (Penaeus occidentalis),
and Indian white prawn (Penaeus
indicus).
Frozen shrimp and prawns that are
packed with marinade, spices or sauce
are included in the scope of this order.
In addition, food preparations, which
are not ‘‘prepared meals,’’ that contain
more than 20 percent by weight of
shrimp or prawn are also included in
the scope of this order.
Excluded from the scope are: 1)
breaded shrimp and prawns (HTS
subheading 1605.20.10.20); 2) shrimp
and prawns generally classified in the
Pandalidae family and commonly
referred to as coldwater shrimp, in any
state of processing; 3) fresh shrimp and
prawns whether shell–on or peeled
(HTS subheadings 0306.23.00.20 and
0306.23.00.40); 4) shrimp and prawns in
prepared meals (HTS subheading
1605.20.05.10); 5) dried shrimp and
prawns; 6) canned warmwater shrimp
and prawns (HTS subheading
1605.20.10.40); 7) certain dusted
shrimp; and 8) certain battered shrimp.
Dusted shrimp is a shrimp–based
product: 1) that is produced from fresh
(or thawed–from-frozen) and peeled
shrimp; 2) to which a ‘‘dusting’’ layer of
rice or wheat flour of at least 95 percent
purity has been applied; 3) with the
entire surface of the shrimp flesh
thoroughly and evenly coated with the
flour; 4) with the non–shrimp content of
the end product constituting between
four and 10 percent of the product’s
total weight after being dusted, but prior
to being frozen; and 5) that is subjected
to IQF freezing immediately after
application of the dusting layer.
Battered shrimp is a shrimp–based
product that, when dusted in
accordance with the definition of
dusting above, is coated with a wet
viscous layer containing egg and/or
milk, and par–fried.
The products covered by this order
are currently classified under the
following HTSUS subheadings:
0306.13.00.03, 0306.13.00.06,
0306.13.00.09, 0306.13.00.12,
0306.13.00.15, 0306.13.00.18,
0306.13.00.21, 0306.13.00.24,
0306.13.00.27, 0306.13.00.40,
1605.20.10.10, and 1605.20.10.30. These
HTSUS subheadings are provided for
convenience and for customs purposes
only and are not dispositive, but rather
the written description of the scope of
this order is dispositive.
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Partial Rescission of Review
In response to our quantity and value
data solicitation, Studmark, S.A.
claimed that the only shipment of
subject merchandise it made during the
POR was being reviewed in the context
of a new shipper review that was
initiated prior to the initiation of this
administrative review.5 Having
confirmed the accuracy of this claim
with CBP, and having issued final
results in the new shipper review
covering Studmark’s single shipment,
we are rescinding this review with
respect to Studmark, S.A.
Application of Facts Available
Section 776(a) of the Act provides that
the Department will apply ‘‘facts
otherwise available’’ if, inter alia,
necessary information is not available
on the record or an interested party: 1)
withholds information that has been
requested by the Department; 2) fails to
provide such information within the
deadlines established, or in the form or
manner requested by the Department,
subject to subsections (c)(1) and (e) of
section 782 of the Act; 3) significantly
impedes a proceeding; or 4) provides
such information, but the information
cannot be verified.
Doblertel, S.A., Pacfish, S.A.
(Pacfish), and Sociedad Atlantico
Pacifico, S.A. claimed that they made no
shipments of subject merchandise to the
United States during the POR. However,
because we were unable to confirm the
accuracy of these companies’ claims
with CBP, we requested further
information/clarification from them.
Pacfish responded to our request,6 but
Doblertel, S.A. and Sociedad Atlantico
Pacifico, S.A. failed to provide the
requested information/clarification. By
doing so, these companies withheld
requested information and significantly
impeded the proceeding. Therefore,
pursuant to sections 776(a)(2)(A) and (C)
of the Act, the Department preliminarily
finds that the use of total facts available
is appropriate.
5 The final results of this new shipper review
were published on September 20, 2006. See Notice
of Final Results of New Shipper Review of the
Antidumping Duty Order on Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador, 71 FR 54977
(September 20, 2006) (NSR).
6 Pacfish’s response states that it erred in initially
reporting that it made no shipments during the POR
and acknowledges that it made a small quantity of
sales during the POR. See ‘‘Pacfish Response
Submission to Department’s September 19, 2006,
Letter,’’ and Memorandum to the File dated October
31, 2006. This information was generally consistent
with the data obtained from CBP. Accordingly, we
have determined that Pacfish was responsive to the
Department’s request for information, and therefore,
are assigning to Pacfish the rate applied to other
non-mandatory respondents in this review.
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According to section 776(b) of the
Act, if the Department finds that an
interested party fails to cooperate by not
acting to the best of its ability to comply
with requests for information, the
Department may use an inference that is
adverse to the interests of that party in
selecting from the facts otherwise
available. See also Notice of Final
Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review: Stainless Steel
Bar from India, 70 FR 54023, 54025–26
(September 13, 2005); and Notice of
Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value and Final Negative
Critical Circumstances: Carbon and
Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from
Brazil, 67 FR 55792, 55794–96 (August
30, 2002). Adverse inferences are
appropriate ‘‘to ensure that the party
does not obtain a more favorable result
by failing to cooperate than if it had
cooperated fully.’’ See Statement of
Administrative Action accompanying
the Uruguay Round Agreements Act,
H.R. Rep. No. 103–316, Vol. 1, at 870
(1994) (SAA), reprinted in 1994
U.S.C.C.A.N. 4040, 4198–99.
Furthermore, ‘‘affirmative evidence of
bad faith on the part of a respondent is
not required before the Department may
make an adverse inference.’’ See
Antidumping Duties; Countervailing
Duties; Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27340
(May 19, 1997); see also Nippon Steel
Corp. v. United States, 337 F.3d 1373,
1382–83 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (Nippon). We
preliminarily find that Doblertel, S.A.
and Sociedad Atlantico Pacifico, S.A.
did not act to the best of their abilities
in this proceeding, within the meaning
of section 776(b) of the Act, because
they failed to respond to the
Department’s requests for information.
Therefore, an adverse inference is
warranted in selecting from the facts
otherwise available with respect to these
companies. See Nippon, 337 F.3d at
1382–83.
Section 776(b) of the Act provides
that the Department may use as AFA,
information derived from: 1) the
petition; 2) the final determination in
the investigation; 3) any previous
review; or 4) any other information
placed on the record. The Department’s
practice, when selecting an AFA rate
from among the possible sources of
information, has been to ensure that the
margin is sufficiently adverse ‘‘as to
effectuate the statutory purposes of the
adverse facts available rule to induce
respondents to provide the Department
with complete and accurate information
in a timely manner.’’ See, e.g., Certain
Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bars from
Turkey; Final Results and Rescission of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
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Review in Part, 71 FR 65082, 65084
(November 7, 2006).
In selecting an appropriate AFA rate,
the Department considered: 1) the rates
alleged in the petition (see Notice of
Initiation of Antidumping Duty
Investigations: Certain Frozen and
Canned Warmwater Shrimp From
Brazil, Ecuador, India, Thailand, the
People’s Republic of China and the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 69 FR
3876, 3879 (January 27, 2004)); 2) the
rates calculated in the final
determination of the investigation,
which ranged from 2.48 to 4.42 percent
(see Notice of Amended Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value and Antidumping Duty
Order: Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Ecuador, 70 FR 5156, 5157
(February 1, 2005) (LTFV Amended
Final Determination and Order)); and 3)
the rate calculated in the NSR, 9.20
percent. As discussed further below, we
do not find that the rates alleged in the
petition have probative value for
purposes of this review. In addition, we
find that the weighted–average rates
calculated for respondents in previous
segments of this proceeding, as well as
in the instant review, are not
sufficiently high as to effectuate the
purpose of the facts available rule (i.e.,
we do not find that any of these rates
are high enough to encourage
participation in future segments of this
proceeding in accordance with section
776(b) of the Act). Therefore, we have
preliminarily assigned a rate of 48.61
percent as AFA, which is the highest
transaction–specific rate calculated for a
respondent in this review. The
Department has applied this
methodology in previous proceedings,
such as Notice of Final Determination of
Sales at Less Than Fair Value, and
Negative Determination of Critical
Circumstances: Certain Lined Paper
Products from India, 71 FR 45012 (
August 8, 2006), and the accompanying
Issues and Decision Memorandum at
Comment 15; and Certain Cut–to-Length
Carbon–Quality Steel Plate Products
From Italy: Final Results and Partial
Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 71 FR 39299
(July 12, 2006), and the accompanying
Issues and Decision Memorandum at
Comment 3. We consider the 48.61
percent rate to be sufficiently high so as
to encourage participation in future
segments of this proceeding.
Section 776(c) of the Act provides that
the Department shall, to the extent
practicable, corroborate that secondary
information from independent sources
reasonably at its disposal. The
Department’s regulations provide that
‘‘corroborate’’ means that the
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Department will satisfy itself that the
secondary information to be used has
probative value. See 19 CFR 351.308(d);
see also SAA at 870. With respect to
consideration of the rates alleged in the
petition, information from prior
segments of the proceeding constitutes
secondary information and to the extent
practicable, the Department will
examine the reliability and relevance of
the information to be used.
Because the companies did not
submit information to the Department or
participate in a previous segment of this
proceeding, we do not have such
information to consider in determining
whether the petition rate is relevant to
each of them. To determine whether the
margin is reliable and relevant in this
administrative review, we examined the
transaction–specific rates of the
respondents in this administrative
review compared to the petition rates
and found that they were not relevant
for use in this administrative review.
The highest transaction–specific rate
calculated for a respondent in this
review was 48.61 percent, which is
substantially lower than the lowest
margin alleged in the petition. We then
examined the elements of the export
price (EP) and NV calculations on
which the margins in the petition were
based. The petitioner based EP on the
average unit values (AUVs) for
Ecuadorian shrimp of various count
sizes as calculated from CBP data and
reported on a headless, shell–on (HLSO)
basis. The petitioner based NV on an
Italian price list for head–on, shell–on
(HOSO) shrimp of various count sizes
and made several adjustments to those
prices, including conversion from an
HOSO to an HLSO basis. We compared
the EPs and NVs in the petition to
entered values in the U.S. sales listings
for both respondents, and gross unit
prices for HLSO shrimp in the Italian
market from OceanInvest’s sales listing,
respectively. Although we found the
U.S. entered values reported in this
review to be comparable to the AUVs in
the petition, OceanInvest’s POR sales
prices in the Italian market were
substantially different from the NVs in
the petition. See Memorandum to the
File entitled ‘‘Procedures Conducted to
Corroborate Data Contained in Petition
for Assignment of Appropriate Adverse
Facts Available Rate,’’ dated February
28, 2007, for further discussion.
Therefore, we cannot conclude that the
petition rates have probative value for
AFA assignment purposes in this
review.
As noted above, we do not find the
weighted–average rates calculated for
respondents in this and previous
segments of this proceeding to be
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sufficiently adverse. Therefore, we are
applying the highest transaction–
specific rate calculated for the
mandatory respondents in this review.
With respect to corroboration of a rate
calculated in a segment of a proceeding,
we note that, unlike other types of
information, such as input costs or
selling expenses, there are no
independent sources from which the
Department can derive dumping
margins. The only source for calculated
dumping margins is administrative
determinations. Thus, in an
administrative review, if the Department
chooses as total AFA a calculated
dumping margin from the current or a
prior segment of the proceeding, it is not
necessary to question the reliability of
the margin for that time period. See,
e.g., Anhydrous Sodium Metasilicate
from France: Preliminary Results of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 68 FR 44283, 44284 (July 28,
2003) (unchanged in final). Therefore,
given that we are using the highest of
the transaction–specific rates calculated
for the mandatory respondents in this
administrative review, it is not
necessary to question the reliability of
this rate.
The Department will, however,
consider information reasonably at its
disposal as to whether there are
circumstances that would render a
margin inappropriate. Where
circumstances indicate that the selected
margin is not appropriate as AFA, the
Department may disregard the margin
and determine an appropriate margin.
See, e.g., Fresh Cut Flowers from
Mexico; Final Results of Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review, 61 FR
6812, 6814 (February 22, 1996) (where
the Department disregarded the highest
calculated margin as AFA because the
margin was based on a company’s
uncharacteristic business expense
resulting in an unusually high margin).
Therefore, we examined whether any
information on the record would
discredit the selected rate as reasonable
facts available and have found none.
Because we did not find evidence
indicating that the margin used as facts
available in this proceeding is not
appropriate, we have determined that
the the highest transaction–specific rate
calculated for any mandatory
respondent in this administrative
review is appropriate as AFA and are
assigning this rate to Doblertel, S.A. and
Sociedad Atlantico Pacifico, S.A.
Comparisons to Normal Value
To determine whether sales of certain
frozen warmwater shrimp by
OceanInvest and Promarisco to the
United States were made at less than
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NV, we compared EP to the NV, as
described in the ‘‘Export Price’’ and
‘‘Normal Value’’ sections of this notice.
Pursuant to section 777A(d)(2) of the
Act, we compared the EPs of individual
U.S. transactions to the weighted–
average NV of the foreign like product
where there were sales made in the
ordinary course of trade, as discussed in
the ‘‘Cost of Production Analysis’’
section below.
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Product Comparisons
In accordance with section 771(16) of
the Act, we considered all products
produced by OceanInvest and
Promarisco covered by the description
in the ‘‘Scope of the Order’’ section,
above, to be foreign like products for
purposes of determining appropriate
product comparisons to U.S. sales.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.414(e)(2), we
compared U.S. sales to sales made in
Italy for OceanInvest and Spain for
Promarisco within the contemporaneous
window period, which extends from
three months prior to the month of the
U.S. sale until two months after the sale.
Where there were no sales of identical
merchandise in the comparison market
made in the ordinary course of trade to
compare to U.S. sales, we compared
U.S. sales to sales of the most similar
foreign like product made in the
ordinary course of trade. In making the
product comparisons, we matched
foreign like products based on the
physical characteristics reported by
OceanInvest and Promarisco in the
following order: cooked form, head
status, count size, organic certification,
shell status, vein status, tail status, other
shrimp preparation, frozen form,
flavoring, container weight,
presentation, species, and preservative.
With respect to Promarisco’s U.S.
sales of broken shrimp, we compared
them to constructed value (CV), as
Promarisco did not make any sales of
broken shrimp in its comparison
market.
Export Price
For all U.S. sales made by
OceanInvest and Promarisco, we
applied the EP methodology, in
accordance with section 772(a) of the
Act, because the subject merchandise
was sold directly to the first unaffiliated
purchaser in the United States prior to
importation and constructed export
price (CEP) methodology was not
otherwise warranted based on the facts
of record.
A. OceanInvest
We based EP on FOB or delivered,
duty–paid (DDP) prices to the first
unaffiliated purchaser in the United
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States. Where appropriate, we made
adjustments to the starting price for
billing adjustments. We also made
deductions to the starting price for
demurrage expenses, foreign inland
freight expenses, Ecuadorian brokerage
and handling expenses, ocean freight
expenses, U.S. customs duties
(including merchandise processing and
harbor maintenance fees), and U.S.
brokerage and handling expenses, where
appropriate, in accordance with section
772(c)(2)(A) of the Act.
OceanInvest reported certain price
adjustments and demurrage expenses as
direct selling expenses. We reclassified
these items as billing adjustments and
movement expenses, respectively.
As noted in the sales verification
report (see ‘‘Verification of the Sales
Response of OceanInvest S.A. in the
2004–2006 Antidumping
Administrative Review of Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador,’’
Memorandum to the File dated January
18, 2007 (OceanInvest SVR)) at page 18,
OceanInvest inadvertently reported
many adjustments for glazed sales on a
glaze–inclusive basis rather than glaze–
exclusive basis. We recalculated the
per–unit amounts to reflect a glaze–
exclusive basis using the methodology
outlined in the verification report.
Based on our sales verification
findings, we made minor revisions to
the movement expenses reported for a
small number of U.S. sales. See
Memorandum to the File entitled
‘‘OceanInvest S.A., Preliminary Results
Notes and Margin Calculation,’’ dated
February 28, 2007 (OceanInvest
Preliminary Results Memo).
B. Promarisco
We based EP on CIF or DDP prices to
the first unaffiliated purchaser in the
United States. We made deductions to
the starting price for foreign inland
freight expenses, ocean freight expenses,
marine insurance expenses, U.S.
customs duties (including merchandise
processing and harbor maintenance
fees), U.S. brokerage and handling
expenses, and U.S. warehousing
expenses, where appropriate, in
accordance with section 772(c)(2)(A) of
the Act.
Normal Value
A. Home Market Viability and Selection
of Comparison Markets
In order to determine whether there
was a sufficient volume of sales in the
home market to serve as a viable basis
for calculating NV, we compared the
volume of home market sales of the
foreign like product to the volume of
U.S. sales of the subject merchandise, in
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accordance with section 773(a)(1)(C) of
the Act.
In the less–than-fair–value (LTFV)
investigation segment of this
proceeding, the Department determined
that a particular market situation existed
which rendered the Ecuadorian market
inappropriate for purposes of
determining NV for the three
respondents in the LTFV investigation,
including Promarisco. See
Memorandum dated June 7, 2004,
entitled ‘‘Home Market as Appropriate
Comparison Market,’’ as included at
Exhibit A–2 of Promarisco’s August 8,
2006, section A Questionnaire response.
Promarisco reported that the particular
market situation still applies to its home
market sales and there is no information
on the record to suggest otherwise.
Accordingly, although the aggregate
volume of Promarisco’s home market
sales of the foreign like product was
greater than five percent of its aggregate
volume of U.S. sales for the subject
merchandise, because of the particular
market situation, we could not rely on
Promarisco’s home market sales for
determining NV. Therefore, we used
Promarisco’s sales to Spain,
Promarisco’s largest third country
market, as the basis for comparison–
market sales. See Memorandum to
James Maeder, Director, Office 2, AD/
CVD Operations, from The Team
entitled ‘‘Selection of the Appropriate
Third Country Market for Promarisco,’’
dated November 8, 2006, for a more
detailed discussion of this issue.
Furthermore, based on our analysis of
OceanInvest’s questionnaire responses,
we determined that OceanInvest’s
aggregate volume of home market sales
of the foreign like product was
insufficient to permit a proper
comparison with U.S. sales of the
subject merchandise.7 Therefore, with
respect to OceanInvest, we used sales to
Italy, which is OceanInvest’s largest
third country market, as the basis for
comparison–market sales in accordance
with section 773(a)(1)(C) of the Act and
19 CFR 351.404.
B. Level of Trade
Section 773(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Act
states that, to the extent practicable, the
Department will calculate NV based on
sales at the same level of trade (LOT) as
the EP or CEP. Sales are made at
different LOTs if they are made at
different marketing stages (or their
equivalent). See 19 CFR 351.412(c)(2).
Substantial differences in selling
7 Because OceanInvest’s sales in the home market
did not meet the viability threshold, it was
unnecessary to address whether a particular market
situation existed with respect to such sales.
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activities are a necessary, but not
sufficient, condition for determining
that there is a difference in the stages of
marketing. See, id. See also Notice of
Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value: Certain Cut–to-Length
Carbon Steel Plate From South Africa,
62 FR 61731, 61732 (November 19,
1997) (Plate from South Africa). In order
to determine whether the comparison
sales were at different stages in the
marketing process than the U.S. sales,
we reviewed the distribution system in
each market (i.e., the chain of
distribution), including selling
functions, class of customer (customer
category), and the level of selling
expenses for each type of sale.
Pursuant to section 773(a)(1)(B)(i) of
the Act, in identifying LOTs for EP and
comparison market sales (i.e., NV based
on either home market or third country
prices),8 we consider the starting prices
before any adjustments. For CEP sales,
we consider only the selling activities
reflected in the price after the deduction
of expenses and profit under section
772(d) of the Act. See Micron
Technology, Inc. v. United States, 243 F.
3d 1301, 1314 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
When the Department is unable to
match U.S. sales of the foreign like
product in the comparison market at the
same LOT as the EP or CEP, the
Department may compare the U.S. sale
to sales at a different LOT in the
comparison market. In comparing EP or
CEP sales at a different LOT in the
comparison market, where available
data make it practicable, we make an
LOT adjustment under section
773(a)(7)(A) of the Act. Finally, for CEP
sales only, if the NV LOT is more
remote from the factory than the CEP
LOT and there is no basis for
determining whether the difference in
LOTs between NV and CEP affects price
comparability (i.e., no LOT adjustment
was practicable), the Department shall
grant a CEP offset, as provided in
section 773(a)(7)(B) of the Act. See Plate
from South Africa, 62 FR at 61732–33.
In this administrative review, we
obtained information from each
respondent regarding the marketing
stages involved in making the reported
foreign market and U.S. sales, including
a description of the selling activities
performed by each respondent for each
channel of distribution. Company–
specific LOT findings are summarized
below.
8 Where NV is based on CV, we determine the NV
LOT based on the LOT of the sales from which we
derive selling expenses, general and administrative
(SG&A) expenses, and profit for CV, where possible.
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1. OceanInvest
OceanInvest sold frozen warmwater
shrimp to distributors and traders in the
U.S. market, and distributors in the
Italian market. OceanInvest reported
that it made EP sales in the U.S. market
through two channels of distribution:
FOB sales, and DDP. We examined the
selling activities performed for these
channels, and found that OceanInvest
performed the following selling
functions for both channels: packing,
order input/processing, direct sales
personnel services, and claim services
(i.e., billing adjustments). In addition,
for DDP sales, OceanInvest made freight
and delivery arrangements. These
selling activities can be generally
grouped into two core selling function
categories for analysis: 1) sales and
marketing (e.g., order input/processing,
direct sales personnel services, claim
services); and 2) freight and delivery.
Accordingly, based on the core selling
functions, we find that OceanInvest
performed sales and marketing for all
U.S. sales, and freight and delivery
services as well for certain U.S. sales.
We do not find that the provision of
freight and delivery services for one
channel of distribution is sufficient to
distinguish it as a separate LOT.
Accordingly, we preliminarily
determine that there is one LOT in the
U.S. market.
With respect to the Italian market,
OceanInvest reported one channel of
distribution, FOB sales. We examined
the selling activities performed for this
channel, and found that OceanInvest
performed the following selling
functions: packing, order input/
processing, direct sales personnel
services, payment of commissions, and
claim services (i.e., billing adjustments).
These selling activities can be generally
grouped into one core selling function
for analysis: sales and marketing.
Accordingly, we find that OceanInvest
performed the core selling function of
sales and marketing for all customers in
the Italian market. Because all sales in
the Italian market are made through a
single distribution channel, we
preliminarily determine that there is
one LOT in the Italian market.
Finally, we compared the EP LOT to
the comparison market LOT and found
that, with the exception of freight and
delivery services performed on some
U.S. sales, and the payment of
commissions on Italian sales, the core
selling functions performed for U.S. and
Italian market customers are virtually
identical. Therefore, we determined that
sales to the U.S. and Italian markets
during the POR were made at the same
LOT, and as a result, no LOT adjustment
was warranted.
2. Promarisco
Promarisco made direct sales of
frozen warmwater shrimp to retailers,
food processors, restaurant chains, and
distributors in the U.S. market, and food
processors and distributors in the
Spanish market. Promarisco reported
that it made EP sales in the U.S. market
on a CIF or DDP basis through one
channel of distribution. We examined
the selling activities performed for this
channel, and found that Promarisco
performed the following selling
functions: sales forecasting, sales
promotion, order input/processing,
technical assistance, pay commissions,
freight and delivery, and claim services.
These selling activities can be generally
grouped into two core selling function
categories for analysis: 1) sales and
marketing (e.g., order input/processing,
sales promotion, claim services); and 2)
freight and delivery. Accordingly, we
find that Promarisco performed the core
selling functions of sales and marketing,
and freight and delivery for all
customers in the U.S. market. Because
all sales in the U.S. market are made
through a single distribution channel,
we preliminarily determine that there is
one LOT in the U.S. market.
With respect to the Spanish market,
Promarisco reported that it made sales
on an FOB, C&F, or CIF basis through
one channel of distribution. We
examined the selling activities
performed for this channel, and found
that Promarisco performed the following
selling functions: sales forecasting, sales
promotion, order input/processing,
technical assistance, pay commissions,
freight and delivery, and claim services.
These selling activities can be generally
grouped into two core selling function
categories for analysis: 1) sales and
marketing (e.g., order input/processing,
sales promotion, claim services); and 2)
freight and delivery. Accordingly, based
on the core selling functions, we find
that Promarisco performed sales and
marketing for all Spanish sales, and
freight and delivery services as well for
certain Spanish sales. We do not find
that the provision of freight and delivery
services for some sales is sufficient to
distinguish it as a separate LOT.
Accordingly, we preliminarily
determine that there is one LOT in the
Spanish market.
Finally, we compared the EP LOT to
the comparison–market LOT and found
that the core selling functions
performed for U.S. and Spanish market
customers are virtually identical.
Therefore, we determined that sales to
the U.S. and Spanish markets during the
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POR were made at the same LOT, and
as a result, no LOT adjustment was
warranted.
C. Cost of Production Analysis
Based on our analysis of the
petitioner’s allegations, we found that
there were reasonable grounds to
believe or suspect that OceanInvest’s
sales of frozen warmwater shrimp in the
third–country market were made at
prices below their cost of production
(COP). Accordingly, pursuant to section
773(b) of the Act, we initiated a sales–
below-cost investigation to determine
whether OceanInvest’s sales were made
at prices below their respective COPs.
See OceanInvest
COP Initiation Memo.
In the LTFV investigation, the most
recently completed segment of this
proceeding as of April 7, 2006, the
publication date of the initiation of this
review, we found that Promarisco had
made sales below the cost of
production. See Notice of Preliminary
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value and Postponement of Final
Determination: Certain Frozen and
Canned Warmwater Shrimp From
Ecuador, 69 FR 47091 (August 4, 2004);
unchanged in Notice of Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value: Certain Frozen and Canned
Warmwater Shrimp From Ecuador, 69
FR 76913,(December 23, 2004), and
LTFV Amended Final Determination
and Order. Thus, in accordance with
section 773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, there
are reasonable grounds to believe or
suspect that Promarisco made sales in
the third–country market at prices
below the cost of producing the
merchandise in the current review
period. Accordingly, we instructed
Promarisco to respond to the section D
(Cost of Production) questionnaire.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
1. Calculation of Cost of Production
In accordance with section 773(b)(3)
of the Act, we calculated the
respondents’ COP based on the sum of
their costs of materials and conversion
for the foreign like product, plus
amounts for general and administrative
(G&A) expenses and interest expenses
(see ‘‘Test of Comparison Market Sales
Prices’’ section below for treatment of
third country selling expenses). The
Department relied on the COP data
submitted by each respondent in its
most recent supplemental section D
questionnaire response for the COP
calculation, except for the following
instances where the information was not
appropriately quantified or valued.
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Jkt 211001
a. OceanInvest
We made an adjustment to
OceanInvest’s reported costs of
manufacture to account for
unreconciled costs. Our revision to
OceanInvest’s COP data is discussed in
the Memorandum from Laurens van
Houten, Accountant, to Neal Halper,
Director, Office of Accounting, entitled
‘‘Cost of Production and Constructed
Value Calculation Adjustments for the
Preliminary Results - OceanInvest,
S.A.,’’ dated February 28, 2007.
b. Promarisco
We recalculated Promarisco’s G0z7 A
expense ratio to include research and
development expenses. Our revision to
Promarisco’s COP data are discussed in
the Memorandum from Frederick W.
Mines, Accountant, to Neal Halper,
Director, Office of Accounting, entitled
‘‘Cost of Production and Constructed
Value Calculation Adjustments for the
Preliminary Results - Promarisco S.A.,’’
dated February 28, 2007.
2. Test of Comparison Market Sales
Prices
On a product–specific basis, we
compared the adjusted weighted–
average COP to the third country sales
of the foreign like product, as required
under section 773(b) of the Act, in order
to determine whether the sale prices
were below the COP. For purposes of
this comparison, we used COP exclusive
of selling and packing expenses. The
prices (inclusive of billing adjustments,
where appropriate) were exclusive of
any applicable movement charges, and
direct and indirect selling expenses and
packing expenses, revised where
appropriate, as discussed below under
the ‘‘Price–to-Price Comparisons’’
section.
3. Results of the COP Test
In determining whether to disregard
third country sales made at prices below
the COP, we examined, in accordance
with sections 773(b)(1)(A) and (B) or the
Act: 1) whether, within an extended
period of time, such sales were made in
substantial quantities; and 2) whether
such sales were made at prices which
permitted the recovery of all costs
within a reasonable period of time in
the normal course of trade. Where less
than 20 percent of the respondent’s
third country sales of a given product
are at prices less than the COP, we do
not disregard any below–cost sales of
that product because we determine that
in such instances the below–cost sales
were not made within an extended
period of time and in ‘‘substantial
quantities.’’ Where 20 percent or more
of a respondent’s sales of a given
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product are at prices less than the COP,
we disregard the below–cost sales
because: 1) they were made within an
extended period of time in ‘‘substantial
quantities,’’ in accordance with sections
773(b)(2)(B) and (C) of the Act, and 2)
based on our comparison of prices to the
weighted–average COPs for the POR,
they were at prices which would not
permit the recovery of all costs within
a reasonable period of time, in
accordance with section 773(b)(2)(D) of
the Act.
We found that, for certain specific
products, more than 20 percent of
OceanInvest’s and Promarisco’s third
country sales were at prices less than
the COP and, in addition, such sales did
not provide for the recovery of costs
within a reasonable period of time. We
therefore excluded these sales and used
the remaining sales as the basis for
determining NV, in accordance with
section 773(b)(1) of the Act.
For those U.S. sales of subject
merchandise for which there were no
useable third country sales in the
ordinary course of trade, we compared
EPs to the CV in accordance with
section 773(a)(4) of the Act. See
‘‘Calculation of Normal Value Based on
Constructed Value’’ section below.
D. Calculation of Normal Value Based
on Comparison Market Prices
1. OceanInvest
We based NV for OceanInvest on FOB
prices to unaffiliated customers in Italy.
We made adjustments, where
appropriate, to the starting price for
billing adjustments. We made
deductions, where appropriate, from the
starting price for foreign inland freight
and Ecuadorian brokerage and handling
expenses, under section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii)
of the Act.
We made adjustments for differences
in costs attributable to differences in the
physical characteristics of the
merchandise in accordance with section
773(a)(6)(C)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.411. In addition, we made
adjustments under section
773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.410 for differences in circumstances
of sale (COS) for imputed credit
expenses, bank fees, testing fees, bill of
lading fees, and international courier
fees. As discussed above under ‘‘Export
Price,’’ we recalculated the per–unit
amounts for these expenses to reflect a
glaze–exclusive basis. We also made
adjustments in accordance with 19 CFR
351.410(e) for indirect selling expenses
incurred on comparison–market or U.S.
sales where commissions were granted
on sales in one market but not the other.
Specifically, as commissions were
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jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
granted in the Italian market but not in
the U.S. market, we made an upward
adjustment to NV for the lesser of 1) the
amount of commission paid in the
Italian market, or 2) the amount of
indirect selling expenses incurred in the
U.S. market.
We also deducted comparison–market
packing costs and added U.S. packing
costs, in accordance with sections
773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
OceanInvest reported certain price
adjustments relevant to Italian sales as
direct selling expenses. We reclassified
these items as billing adjustments. We
also recalculated the imputed credit
expense for both U.S. and Italian sales
to account for these items.
We recalculated the reported per–unit
commission expenses applicable to
Italian sales based on our verification
findings. See OceanInvest SVR at page
23 and OceanInvest Preliminary Results
Memo.
We recalculated indirect selling
expenses to include the cost of a
product sample. See OceanInvest
Preliminary Results Memo.
2. Promarisco
We calculated NV based on CIF, C&F
or FOB prices to unaffiliated customers
in the Spanish market. We made
adjustments, where appropriate, to the
starting price for billing adjustments.
We made deductions from the starting
price for movement expenses, including
inland freight, marine insurance, and
international freight, under section
773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
We made adjustments for differences
in costs attributable to differences in the
physical characteristics of the
merchandise in accordance with section
773(a)(6)(C)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.411. In addition, we made
adjustments under section
773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.410 for differences in COS for
imputed credit expenses. We also made
adjustments in accordance with 19 CFR
351.410(e) for indirect selling expenses
incurred on comparison–market or U.S.
sales where commissions were granted
on sales in one market but not the other.
Specifically, where commissions were
granted in the U.S. market but not in the
comparison market, we made a
downward adjustment to NV for the
lesser of 1) the amount of commission
paid in the U.S. market, or 2) the
amount of indirect selling expenses
incurred in the comparison market. If
commissions were granted in the
comparison market but not in the U.S.
market, we made an upward adjustment
to NV following the same methodology.
We also deducted comparison market
packing costs and added U.S. packing
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costs, in accordance with section
773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
In response to the Department’s
inquiry, Promarisco submitted a letter
on February 14, 2007, explaining that
three transactions reported in the
Spanish sales data base with missing
payment dates were actually free
product samples. As this information
was received too late for consideration
in the preliminary results and did not
include any supporting documentation,
we have included these transactions in
our calculation of NV and set the
payment date equal to February 28,
2007, the date of the preliminary results,
for purposes of calculating imputed
credit expenses.
Promarisco reported in its December
22, 2006, questionnaire response that it
did not recalculate the imputed credit
expense after revisions were made to the
Spanish market sales file to include
certain missing payment dates in its
October 27, 2006, questionnaire
response. Accordingly, we recalculated
the imputed credit expense for the
Spanish market sales to account for the
revised payment dates, based on
Promarisco’s methodology described in
its response.
Promarisco reported certain
movement–related insurance expenses
incurred on sales to Spain as direct
selling expenses. We reclassified these
expenses as movement expenses. In
addition, we have corrected and
recalculated these expenses and marine
insurance expenses incurred on certain
Spanish sales, in accordance with the
information provided in Promarisco’s
February 12, 2007, submission.
We recalculated indirect selling
expenses to include certain expenses
Promarisco excluded from its indirect
selling expense calculation. See
Memorandum to the File entitled
‘‘Promarisco, S.A. Preliminary Results
Notes and Margin Calculation,’’ dated
February 28, 2007.
F. Calculation of Normal Value Based
on Constructed Value
Section 773(a)(4) of the Act provides
that where NV cannot be based on
comparison–market sales, NV may be
based on CV. Accordingly, for those
frozen warmwater shrimp products for
which we could not determine the NV
based on comparison–market sales
because there were no useable sales of
a comparable product, we based NV on
the CV.
Section 773(e) of the Act provides that
the CV shall be based on the sum of the
cost of materials and fabrication for the
imported merchandise, plus amounts
for SG&]A expenses, profit, and U.S.
packing costs. For each respondent, we
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calculated the cost of materials and
fabrication based on the methodology
described in the ‘‘Cost of Production
Analysis’’ section, above. We based
SG&A and profit for each respondent on
the actual amounts incurred and
realized by the respondents in
connection with the production and sale
of the foreign like product in the
ordinary course of trade for
consumption in the comparison market,
in accordance with section 773(e)(2)(A)
of the Act.
We made adjustments to CV for
differences in COS in accordance with
section 773(a)(8) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.410. For comparisons to EP, we
made COS adjustments by deducting
direct selling expenses incurred on
comparison–market sales from, and
adding U.S. direct selling expenses to,
CV.
Currency Conversion
We did not make any currency
conversions pursuant to section 773A of
the Act and 19 CFR 351.415 because all
sales and cost data for both respondents
were reported in U.S. dollars.
Preliminary Results of the Review
We preliminarily determine that
weighted–average dumping margins
exist for the respondents for the period
August 4, 2004, through January 31,
2006, as follows:
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
OceanInvest, S.A. .........
Promarisco, S.A. ...........
4.54
1.02
Review–Specific Average Rate
Applicable to the Following
Companies:9
Manufacturer/Exporter
Agrol S.A. .....................
Camarones
(Camarones Del Mar
COBUS S.A.) ............
Comercializadora del
Mar COMAR Cia.
Ltda. ..........................
Empacadora y
Exportadora Calvi
Cia. Ltda. ...................
Emprede S.A. ...............
Exportadora del Oceano
Oceanexa C. A. ........
Fortumar Ecuador S.A.
Gambas del Pacifico ....
Hectorosa S.A. .............
Inepexa S.A. .................
Jorge Luis Benitez
Lopez ........................
Percent Margin
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
9 This rate is based on the weighted-average of the
margins calculated for those companies selected for
individual review, excluding de minimis margins or
margins based entirely on AFA.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 46 / Friday, March 9, 2007 / Notices
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
Luis Loaiza Alvarez ......
Mardex Cia. Ltda. .........
Marines C.A. .................
Pacfish, S.A. .................
PCC Congelados &
Frescos SA ...............
Pescazul S.A. ...............
Productos Cultivados
del Mar ‘‘Proculmar’’
Cia. Ltda. ...................
Promarosa S.A. ............
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
AFA Rate Applicable to the Following
Companies:
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
Doblertel S.A. ...............
Sociedad Atlantico
Pacifico, S.A. .............
48.61
48.61
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Disclosure and Public Hearing
The Department will disclose to
parties the calculations performed in
connection with these preliminary
results within five days of the date of
publication of this notice. See 19 CFR
351.224(b). Interested parties may
submit case briefs not later than 30 days
after the date of issuance of the last
verification report in this case. Rebuttal
briefs, limited to issues raised in the
case briefs, may be filed not later than
35 days after the date of issuance of the
last verification report in this case.
Parties who submit case briefs or
rebuttal briefs in this proceeding are
requested to submit with each
argument: 1) a statement of the issue; 2)
a brief summary of the argument; and 3)
a table of authorities.
Interested parties who wish to request
a hearing or to participate if one is
requested, must submit a written
request to the Assistant Secretary for
Import Administration, Room B–099,
within 30 days of 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. See 19 CFR 351.310(c). 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
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.
Assessment Rates
Upon completion of the
administrative review, the Department
shall determine, and CBP shall assess,
antidumping duties on all appropriate
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:24 Mar 08, 2007
Jkt 211001
entries, in accordance with 19 CFR
351.212. The Department will issue
appropriate appraisement instructions
for the companies subject to this review
directly to CBP 15 days after the date of
publication of the final results of this
review.
Regarding OceanInvest, for those sales
where it reported the entered value of
its U.S. sales, we will calculate
importer–specific ad valorem duty
assessment rates based on the ratio of
the total amount of antidumping duties
calculated for the examined sales to the
total entered value of the examined
sales for that importer. For those sales
where OceanInvest did not report the
entered value of its U.S. sales, we will
calculate importer–specific per–unit
duty assessment rates by aggregating the
total amount of antidumping duties
calculated for the examined sales and
dividing this amount by the total
quantity of those sales. To determine
whether the duty assessment rates are
de minimis, in accordance with the
requirement set forth in 19 CFR
351.106(c)(2), we will calculate
importer–specific ad valorem ratios
based on the estimated entered value.
Regarding Promarisco, because it
reported the entered value of all of its
U.S. sales, we will calculate importer–
specific ad valorem duty assessment
rates based on the ratio of the total
amount of antidumping duties
calculated for the examined sales to the
total entered value of the examined
sales for that importer.
For the responsive companies which
were not selected for individual review,
we will calculate an assessment rate
based on the weighted–average of the
cash deposit rates calculated for the
companies selected for individual
review excluding any which are de
minimis or determined entirely on AFA.
We will instruct CBP to assess
antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries covered by this review if any
importer–specific assessment rate
calculated in the final results of this
review is above de minimis (i.e., at or
above 0.50 percent). Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.106(c)(2), we will instruct CBP to
liquidate without regard to antidumping
duties any entries for which the
assessment rate is de minimis (i.e., less
than 0.50 percent). See 19 CFR
351.106(c)(1). The final results of this
review shall be the basis for the
assessment of antidumping duties on
entries of merchandise covered by the
final results of this review and for future
deposits of estimated duties, where
applicable.
The Department clarified its
‘‘automatic assessment’’ regulation on
May 6, 2003. See Antidumping and
PO 00000
Frm 00077
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Countervailing Duty Proceedings:
Assessment of Antidumping Duties, 68
FR 23954 (May 6, 2003) (Assessment
Policy Notice). This clarification will
apply to entries of subject merchandise
during the POR produced by companies
included in these final results of review
for which the reviewed companies did
not know that the merchandise they
sold to the intermediary (e.g., a reseller,
trading company, or exporter) was
destined for the United States. In such
instances, we will instruct CBP to
liquidate unreviewed entries at the ‘‘All
Others’’ rate if there is no rate for the
intermediary involved in the
transaction. See Assessment Policy
Notice for a full discussion of this
clarification.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following cash deposit
requirements will be effective for all
shipments of the subject merchandise
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse,
for consumption on or after the
publication date of the final results of
this administrative review, as provided
by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: 1) the
cash deposit rate for each specific
company listed above will be that
established in the final results of this
review, except if the rate is less than
0.50 percent, and therefore, de minimis
within the meaning of 19 CFR
351.106(c)(1), in which case the cash
deposit rate will be zero; 2) for
previously reviewed or investigated
companies not participating in this
review, 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 original LTFV 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) the cash
deposit rate for all other manufacturers
or exporters will continue to be 3.58
percent, the ‘‘All Others’’ rate made
effective by the LTFV investigation. See
Shrimp Order. These requirements,
when imposed, shall remain in effect
until further notice.
Notification to Importers
This notice also serves as a
preliminary reminder to importers of
their responsibility under 19 CFR
351.402(f) to file a certificate regarding
the reimbursement of antidumping
duties prior to liquidation of the
relevant entries during this review
period. Failure to comply with this
requirement could result in the
Secretary’s presumption that
reimbursement of antidumping duties
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 46 / Friday, March 9, 2007 / Notices
occurred and the subsequent assessment
of double antidumping duties.
This administrative review and notice
are published in accordance with
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the
Act and 19 CFR 351.221.
Dated: February 28, 2007.
David M. Spooner,
Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–4295 Filed 3–8–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A–337–806
Certain Individually Quick Frozen Red
Raspberries from Chile: Notice of
Extension of Time Limit for 2005–2006
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 9, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Yasmin Nair or Nancy Decker, AD/CVD
Operations, Office 1, Import
Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230;
telephone (202) 482–3813 or (202) 482–
0196, respectively.
AGENCY:
Statutory Time Limits
Section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act
of 1930, as amended (‘‘the Act’’),
requires the Department of Commerce
(‘‘Department’’) to issue the preliminary
results of an administrative review
within 245 days after the last day of the
anniversary month of an order for which
a review is requested and a final
determination within 120 days after the
date on which the preliminary results
are published. If it is not practicable to
complete the review within the time
period, section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act
allows the Department to extend these
deadlines to a maximum of 365 days
and 180 days, respectively.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Background
On August 30, 2006, the Department
published in the Federal Register a
notice of initiation of administrative
review of the antidumping duty order
on individually quick frozen red
raspberries from Chile, covering the
period July 1, 2005, through June 30,
2006. See Initiation of Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Administrative
Reviews and Requests for Revocation in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
21:24 Mar 08, 2007
Jkt 211001
Part, 71 FR 51573 (August 30, 2006).
The preliminary results for this
administrative review are currently due
no later than April 2, 2007.
Extension of Time Limits for
Preliminary Results
The Department requires additional
time to review, analyze, and verify the
sales and cost information submitted by
the parties in this administrative review.
Moreover, the Department requires
additional time to issue supplemental
questionnaires and fully analyze the
responses. Thus, it is not practicable to
complete this review within the original
time limit (i.e., April 2, 2007).
Therefore, the Department is extending
the time limit for completion of the
preliminary results to not later than July
31, 2007, in accordance with section
751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.
We are issuing and publishing this
notice in accordance with sections
751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.
Dated: March 05, 2007.
Stephen J. Claeys,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E7–4318 Filed 3–8–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–357–809]
Small Diameter Seamless Carbon and
Alloy Steel Standard, Line and
Pressure Pipe from Argentina: Notice
of Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: On September 29, 2006, the
U.S. Department of Commerce (‘‘the
Department’’) published a notice of
initiation of an administrative review of
the antidumping duty order on small
diameter seamless carbon and alloy
steel standard, line and pressure pipe
(‘‘seamless line and pressure pipe’’)
from Argentina. The review covers one
manufacturer/exporter, Siderca S.A.I.C.
(‘‘Siderca’’). The period of review
(‘‘POR’’) is August 1, 2005, through July
31, 2006. Following the receipt of a
certification of no shipments by Siderca,
we notified the domestic interested
party of the Department’s intent to
rescind this review and provided an
opportunity to comment on the
rescission. We received no comments.
Therefore, we are rescinding this
administrative review.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 9, 2007.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00078
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10707
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Helen Kramer or Angelica Mendoza,
AD/CVD Operations, Office 7, Import
Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230;
telephone: (202) 482–0405 and (202)
482–3019, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On August 1, 2006, the Department
published a notice of opportunity to
request an administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on seamless
line and pressure pipe from Argentina
for the period August 1, 2005, through
July 31, 2006. See Antidumping or
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity
to Request Administrative Review, 71
FR 43441 (August 1, 2006). On August
31, 2006, United States Steel
Corporation (‘‘U.S. Steel’’), a domestic
producer of the subject merchandise,
made a timely request that the
Department conduct an administrative
review of Siderca. On September 29,
2006, in accordance with section 751(a)
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended
(‘‘the Act’’), the Department published
in the Federal Register a notice of
initiation of this antidumping duty
administrative review. See Notice of
Initiation of Antidumping Duty and
Countervailing Duty Administrative
Reviews, 71 FR 57465 (September 29,
2006). On October 4, 2006, the
Department issued its antidumping duty
questionnaire to Siderca. On October 18,
2006, Siderca submitted a letter to the
Department, certifying that the company
made no shipments or entries for
consumption in the United States of the
subject merchandise during the POR.
Siderca also certified that the company’s
U.S. affiliate, Tenaris Global Services
U.S.A. Corporation, also did not sell,
enter, or import subject merchandise for
consumption into the United States
during the POR.
Scope of the Order
The antidumping duty order on
imports from Argentina covers small
diameter seamless carbon and alloy
standard, line, and pressure pipes
(‘‘seamless pipes’’) produced to the
American Standard for Testing and
Materials (‘‘ASTM’’) standards A–335,
A–106, A–53, and American Petroleum
Institute (‘‘API’’) standard API 5L
specifications and meeting the physical
parameters described below, regardless
of application. The scope of this order
also includes all products used in
standard, line, or pressure pipe
applications and meeting the physical
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 46 (Friday, March 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10698-10707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4295]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A-331-802
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador: Preliminary Results
and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review
AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (the Department) is conducting an
administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen
warmwater shrimp from Ecuador with respect to 23 companies.\1\ The
respondents which the Department selected for individual review are
OceanInvest, S.A. (OceanInvest) and Promarisco, S.A. (Promarisco). The
respondents which were not selected for individual review are listed in
the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice. This is
the first administrative review of this order. The period of review
(POR) covers August 4, 2004, through January 31, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This figure does not include the company for which the
Department is rescinding the administrative review. See ``Partial
Rescission of Review'' section for further discussion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We preliminarily determine that sales made by OceanInvest and
Promarisco have been made below normal value (NV). In addition, based
on the preliminary results for the respondents selected for individual
review, we have preliminarily determined a weighted-average margin for
those companies that were not selected for individual review but were
responsive to the Department's requests for information. For those
companies which were not responsive to the Department's requests for
information, we have preliminarily assigned to them a margin based on
adverse facts available (AFA).
If the preliminary results are adopted in our final results of
administrative review, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) to assess antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries. Interested parties are invited to comment on the preliminary
results.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 9, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Goldberger or Gemal Brangman,
AD/CVD Operations, Office 2, Import Administration-Room B099,
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone:
(202) 482-4136 or (202) 482-3773, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In February 2005, the Department published in the Federal Register
an antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from
Ecuador. See Notice of Amended Final Determination and Antidumping Duty
Order: Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador, 70 FR 5156
(February 1, 2005) (Shrimp Order). On February 1, 2006, the Department
published in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to request an
administrative review of the antidumping duty order of certain frozen
warmwater shrimp from Ecuador for the period August 4, 2004, through
January 31, 2006. See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order,
Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request
Administrative Review, 71 FR 5239 (February 1, 2006). On February 28,
2006, the petitioner\2\ submitted a letter timely requesting that the
Department conduct an administrative review of the sales of certain
frozen warmwater shrimp made by numerous companies during the POR,
pursuant to section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the
Act), and in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(b)(1). Also, on February
28, 2006, the Department received timely requests under 19 CFR
351.213(b)(2) to conduct an administrative review of the sales of
certain frozen warmwater shrimp from the following producers/exporters
of subject merchandise: Empacadora del Pacifico S.A., Empacadora Dufer
Cia. Ltda., Exporklore, S.A., Promarisco, and Sociedad Nacional de
Galapagos C.A.
On April 7, 2006, the Department published a notice of initiation
of administrative review for 71 companies and requested that each
provide data on the quantity and value of its exports of subject
merchandise to the United States during the POR for mandatory
respondent selection purposes. These companies are listed in the
Department's notice of initiation. See Notice of Initiation of
Administrative Reviews of the Antidumping Duty Orders on Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Brazil, Ecuador, India and Thailand, 71 FR 17819
(April 7, 2006) (Notice of Initiation).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The petitioner is the Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Action Committee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
During the period April 27, 2006, through June 13, 2006, we
received responses to the Department's quantity and value questionnaire
from 59 companies. A number of these companies reported that their
names
[[Page 10699]]
were duplicated in the Notice of Initiation.
Subsequently, the Department received withdrawal requests with
respect to many of the companies. However, based upon our consideration
of the responses to the quantity and value questionnaire and the
resources available to the Department, we determined that it was not
practicable to examine all exporters/producers of subject merchandise
for which a review request remained. As a result, on July 11, 2006, we
selected the two largest remaining producers/exporters by export volume
of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador during the POR,
OceanInvest and Promarisco, as the mandatory respondents in this
review. See Memorandum to Stephen J. Claeys, Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Import Administration, from Irene Darzenta Tzafolias, Acting
Director, Office 2, AD/CVD Operations, entitled ``Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review of Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador:
Selection of Respondents,'' dated July 11, 2006. On this same date, we
issued the antidumping questionnaire to OceanInvest and Promarisco.
On July 20, 2006, we published a notice rescinding the
administrative review with respect to 47 companies for which the
requests for an administrative review were withdrawn in a timely
manner,\3\ in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1). See Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador; Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 71 FR 41198 (July 20, 2006).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Among the 47 companies referenced in the rescission notice
is one company we determined was a duplicate name for another
company included in the review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We received responses to section A of the questionnaire from
Promarisco and OceanInvest on August 8 and August 15, 2006,
respectively.
On August 11, 2006, the petitioner submitted comments regarding
third country market selection with respect to Promarisco.
On August 25, 2006, the Department postponed the preliminary
results in this review until no later than February 28, 2007. See
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Brazil, Ecuador, India, the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the People's Republic of China, and
Thailand: Notice of Extension of Time Limits for the Preliminary
Results of the First Administrative Reviews and New Shipper Reviews, 71
FR 50387 (August 25, 2006).
We received responses to sections B and C of the questionnaire from
OceanInvest and Promarisco on September 6, 2006. In addition, on this
date Promarisco submitted a response to section D of the questionnaire.
On September 19, 2006, we published a notice amending the
initiation and partial rescission of the administrative review to
include an additional company which was inadvertently omitted. See
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Ecuador; Notice of Amended
Initiation and Amended Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 71 FR 54797 (September 19, 2006).
On September 20, 2006, the petitioner requested that the Department
initiate a sales-below-cost investigation of OceanInvest. On October
20, 2006, we initiated this investigation. See Memorandum to James
Maeder, Director, Office 2, AD/CVD Operations, from The Team entitled
``Petitioner's Allegation of Sales Below the Cost of Production for
OceanInvest S.A.,'' dated October 20, 2006 (OceanInvest COP Initiation
Memo). On that date, we instructed OceanInvest to respond to the
Department's section D questionnaire.
We issued a supplemental section A, B, and C questionnaire to
OceanInvest on September 21, 2006, and received responses on October 13
and 17, 2006. We issued a supplemental section A, B, and C
questionnaire to Promarisco on October 3, 2006, along with an
additional information request on October 16, 2006, and received
responses on October 11, 23, and 27, 2006.
On October 17, 2006, the petitioner submitted additional comments
on the appropriate comparison market to be used for Promarisco.
Promarisco responded to these comments in its October 23, 2006,
submission.
On November 6, 2006, we determined that Spain constitutes the
appropriate comparison market with respect to Promarisco. See
Memorandum to James Maeder, Director Office 2, AD/CVD Operations, from
The Team entitled ``Selection of the Appropriate Third Country Market
for Promarisco,'' dated November 6, 2006.
OceanInvest submitted its response to section D of the
questionnaire on November 16, 2006. In response to Department requests,
OceanInvest also submitted additional information concerning its
section B and C questionnaire responses on November 9, 20, and 28,
2006.
We issued a section D supplemental questionnaire to Promarisco on
November 21, 2006, and to OceanInvest on December 19, 2006. On December
22, 2006, and January 18, 2007, respectively, we received responses to
these supplemental questionnaires. We issued additional supplemental
section D questionnaires to OceanInvest on January 24 and February 5,
2007, and to Promarisco on February 9, 2007. OceanInvest submitted its
responses on February 2 and 12, 2007, and Promarisco submitted its
response on February 21, 2007.
We conducted a verification of OceanInvest's reported sales data in
December 2007, and issued our verification report on January 18, 2007.
In response to our January 22, 2007, request, OceanInvest submitted
revised third-country and U.S. sales data bases reflecting certain
verification findings on January 30, 2007.
On January 23, 2007, we published a correction to the scope of the
order in which we clarified that the scope does not cover warmwater
shrimp in non-frozen form. See Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Brazil, Ecuador, India, Thailand, the People's Republic of China and
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Amended Orders, 72 FR 2857 (January
23, 2007).
We conducted a verification of OceanInvest's reported cost data in
February 2007. Our cost verification report will be issued following
the preliminary results.
Scope of the Order
The scope of this order includes certain frozen warmwater shrimp
and prawns, whether wild-caught (ocean harvested) or farm-raised
(produced by aquaculture), head-on or head-off, shell-on or peeled,
tail-on or tail-off,\4\ deveined or not deveined, cooked or raw, or
otherwise processed in frozen form.
The frozen warmwater shrimp and prawn products included in the
scope of this order, regardless of definitions in the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), are products which are processed
from warmwater shrimp and prawns through freezing and which are sold in
any count size.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ ``Tails'' in this context means the tail fan, which includes
the telson and the uropods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The products described above may be processed from any species of
warmwater shrimp and prawns. Warmwater shrimp and prawns are generally
classified in, but are not limited to, the Penaeidae family. Some
examples of the farmed and wild-caught warmwater species include, but
are not limited to, whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannemei), banana prawn
(Penaeus merguiensis), fleshy prawn (Penaeus chinensis), giant river
prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon),
redspotted
[[Page 10700]]
shrimp (Penaeus brasiliensis), southern brown shrimp (Penaeus
subtilis), southern pink shrimp (Penaeus notialis), southern rough
shrimp (Trachypenaeus curvirostris), southern white shrimp (Penaeus
schmitti), blue shrimp (Penaeus stylirostris), western white shrimp
(Penaeus occidentalis), and Indian white prawn (Penaeus indicus).
Frozen shrimp and prawns that are packed with marinade, spices or
sauce are included in the scope of this order. In addition, food
preparations, which are not ``prepared meals,'' that contain more than
20 percent by weight of shrimp or prawn are also included in the scope
of this order.
Excluded from the scope are: 1) breaded shrimp and prawns (HTS
subheading 1605.20.10.20); 2) shrimp and prawns generally classified in
the Pandalidae family and commonly referred to as coldwater shrimp, in
any state of processing; 3) fresh shrimp and prawns whether shell-on or
peeled (HTS subheadings 0306.23.00.20 and 0306.23.00.40); 4) shrimp and
prawns in prepared meals (HTS subheading 1605.20.05.10); 5) dried
shrimp and prawns; 6) canned warmwater shrimp and prawns (HTS
subheading 1605.20.10.40); 7) certain dusted shrimp; and 8) certain
battered shrimp. Dusted shrimp is a shrimp-based product: 1) that is
produced from fresh (or thawed-from-frozen) and peeled shrimp; 2) to
which a ``dusting'' layer of rice or wheat flour of at least 95 percent
purity has been applied; 3) with the entire surface of the shrimp flesh
thoroughly and evenly coated with the flour; 4) with the non-shrimp
content of the end product constituting between four and 10 percent of
the product's total weight after being dusted, but prior to being
frozen; and 5) that is subjected to IQF freezing immediately after
application of the dusting layer. Battered shrimp is a shrimp-based
product that, when dusted in accordance with the definition of dusting
above, is coated with a wet viscous layer containing egg and/or milk,
and par-fried.
The products covered by this order are currently classified under
the following HTSUS subheadings: 0306.13.00.03, 0306.13.00.06,
0306.13.00.09, 0306.13.00.12, 0306.13.00.15, 0306.13.00.18,
0306.13.00.21, 0306.13.00.24, 0306.13.00.27, 0306.13.00.40,
1605.20.10.10, and 1605.20.10.30. These HTSUS subheadings are provided
for convenience and for customs purposes only and are not dispositive,
but rather the written description of the scope of this order is
dispositive.
Partial Rescission of Review
In response to our quantity and value data solicitation, Studmark,
S.A. claimed that the only shipment of subject merchandise it made
during the POR was being reviewed in the context of a new shipper
review that was initiated prior to the initiation of this
administrative review.\5\ Having confirmed the accuracy of this claim
with CBP, and having issued final results in the new shipper review
covering Studmark's single shipment, we are rescinding this review with
respect to Studmark, S.A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The final results of this new shipper review were published
on September 20, 2006. See Notice of Final Results of New Shipper
Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Ecuador, 71 FR 54977 (September 20, 2006) (NSR).
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Application of Facts Available
Section 776(a) of the Act provides that the Department will apply
``facts otherwise available'' if, inter alia, necessary information is
not available on the record or an interested party: 1) withholds
information that has been requested by the Department; 2) fails to
provide such information within the deadlines established, or in the
form or manner requested by the Department, subject to subsections
(c)(1) and (e) of section 782 of the Act; 3) significantly impedes a
proceeding; or 4) provides such information, but the information cannot
be verified.
Doblertel, S.A., Pacfish, S.A. (Pacfish), and Sociedad Atlantico
Pacifico, S.A. claimed that they made no shipments of subject
merchandise to the United States during the POR. However, because we
were unable to confirm the accuracy of these companies' claims with
CBP, we requested further information/clarification from them. Pacfish
responded to our request,\6\ but Doblertel, S.A. and Sociedad Atlantico
Pacifico, S.A. failed to provide the requested information/
clarification. By doing so, these companies withheld requested
information and significantly impeded the proceeding. Therefore,
pursuant to sections 776(a)(2)(A) and (C) of the Act, the Department
preliminarily finds that the use of total facts available is
appropriate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Pacfish's response states that it erred in initially
reporting that it made no shipments during the POR and acknowledges
that it made a small quantity of sales during the POR. See ``Pacfish
Response Submission to Department's September 19, 2006, Letter,''
and Memorandum to the File dated October 31, 2006. This information
was generally consistent with the data obtained from CBP.
Accordingly, we have determined that Pacfish was responsive to the
Department's request for information, and therefore, are assigning
to Pacfish the rate applied to other non-mandatory respondents in
this review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to section 776(b) of the Act, if the Department finds
that an interested party fails to cooperate by not acting to the best
of its ability to comply with requests for information, the Department
may use an inference that is adverse to the interests of that party in
selecting from the facts otherwise available. See also Notice of Final
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Stainless Steel Bar
from India, 70 FR 54023, 54025-26 (September 13, 2005); and Notice of
Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Final Negative
Critical Circumstances: Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from
Brazil, 67 FR 55792, 55794-96 (August 30, 2002). Adverse inferences are
appropriate ``to ensure that the party does not obtain a more favorable
result by failing to cooperate than if it had cooperated fully.'' See
Statement of Administrative Action accompanying the Uruguay Round
Agreements Act, H.R. Rep. No. 103-316, Vol. 1, at 870 (1994) (SAA),
reprinted in 1994 U.S.C.C.A.N. 4040, 4198-99. Furthermore,
``affirmative evidence of bad faith on the part of a respondent is not
required before the Department may make an adverse inference.'' See
Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties; Final Rule, 62 FR 27296,
27340 (May 19, 1997); see also Nippon Steel Corp. v. United States, 337
F.3d 1373, 1382-83 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (Nippon). We preliminarily find
that Doblertel, S.A. and Sociedad Atlantico Pacifico, S.A. did not act
to the best of their abilities in this proceeding, within the meaning
of section 776(b) of the Act, because they failed to respond to the
Department's requests for information. Therefore, an adverse inference
is warranted in selecting from the facts otherwise available with
respect to these companies. See Nippon, 337 F.3d at 1382-83.
Section 776(b) of the Act provides that the Department may use as
AFA, information derived from: 1) the petition; 2) the final
determination in the investigation; 3) any previous review; or 4) any
other information placed on the record. The Department's practice, when
selecting an AFA rate from among the possible sources of information,
has been to ensure that the margin is sufficiently adverse ``as to
effectuate the statutory purposes of the adverse facts available rule
to induce respondents to provide the Department with complete and
accurate information in a timely manner.'' See, e.g., Certain Steel
Concrete Reinforcing Bars from Turkey; Final Results and Rescission of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
[[Page 10701]]
Review in Part, 71 FR 65082, 65084 (November 7, 2006).
In selecting an appropriate AFA rate, the Department considered: 1)
the rates alleged in the petition (see Notice of Initiation of
Antidumping Duty Investigations: Certain Frozen and Canned Warmwater
Shrimp From Brazil, Ecuador, India, Thailand, the People's Republic of
China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 69 FR 3876, 3879 (January
27, 2004)); 2) the rates calculated in the final determination of the
investigation, which ranged from 2.48 to 4.42 percent (see Notice of
Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and
Antidumping Duty Order: Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador,
70 FR 5156, 5157 (February 1, 2005) (LTFV Amended Final Determination
and Order)); and 3) the rate calculated in the NSR, 9.20 percent. As
discussed further below, we do not find that the rates alleged in the
petition have probative value for purposes of this review. In addition,
we find that the weighted-average rates calculated for respondents in
previous segments of this proceeding, as well as in the instant review,
are not sufficiently high as to effectuate the purpose of the facts
available rule (i.e., we do not find that any of these rates are high
enough to encourage participation in future segments of this proceeding
in accordance with section 776(b) of the Act). Therefore, we have
preliminarily assigned a rate of 48.61 percent as AFA, which is the
highest transaction-specific rate calculated for a respondent in this
review. The Department has applied this methodology in previous
proceedings, such as Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value, and Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances:
Certain Lined Paper Products from India, 71 FR 45012 ( August 8, 2006),
and the accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 15; and
Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate Products From Italy:
Final Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 71 FR 39299 (July 12, 2006), and the accompanying Issues and
Decision Memorandum at Comment 3. We consider the 48.61 percent rate to
be sufficiently high so as to encourage participation in future
segments of this proceeding.
Section 776(c) of the Act provides that the Department shall, to
the extent practicable, corroborate that secondary information from
independent sources reasonably at its disposal. The Department's
regulations provide that ``corroborate'' means that the Department will
satisfy itself that the secondary information to be used has probative
value. See 19 CFR 351.308(d); see also SAA at 870. With respect to
consideration of the rates alleged in the petition, information from
prior segments of the proceeding constitutes secondary information and
to the extent practicable, the Department will examine the reliability
and relevance of the information to be used.
Because the companies did not submit information to the Department
or participate in a previous segment of this proceeding, we do not have
such information to consider in determining whether the petition rate
is relevant to each of them. To determine whether the margin is
reliable and relevant in this administrative review, we examined the
transaction-specific rates of the respondents in this administrative
review compared to the petition rates and found that they were not
relevant for use in this administrative review. The highest
transaction-specific rate calculated for a respondent in this review
was 48.61 percent, which is substantially lower than the lowest margin
alleged in the petition. We then examined the elements of the export
price (EP) and NV calculations on which the margins in the petition
were based. The petitioner based EP on the average unit values (AUVs)
for Ecuadorian shrimp of various count sizes as calculated from CBP
data and reported on a headless, shell-on (HLSO) basis. The petitioner
based NV on an Italian price list for head-on, shell-on (HOSO) shrimp
of various count sizes and made several adjustments to those prices,
including conversion from an HOSO to an HLSO basis. We compared the EPs
and NVs in the petition to entered values in the U.S. sales listings
for both respondents, and gross unit prices for HLSO shrimp in the
Italian market from OceanInvest's sales listing, respectively. Although
we found the U.S. entered values reported in this review to be
comparable to the AUVs in the petition, OceanInvest's POR sales prices
in the Italian market were substantially different from the NVs in the
petition. See Memorandum to the File entitled ``Procedures Conducted to
Corroborate Data Contained in Petition for Assignment of Appropriate
Adverse Facts Available Rate,'' dated February 28, 2007, for further
discussion. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the petition rates have
probative value for AFA assignment purposes in this review.
As noted above, we do not find the weighted-average rates
calculated for respondents in this and previous segments of this
proceeding to be sufficiently adverse. Therefore, we are applying the
highest transaction-specific rate calculated for the mandatory
respondents in this review. With respect to corroboration of a rate
calculated in a segment of a proceeding, we note that, unlike other
types of information, such as input costs or selling expenses, there
are no independent sources from which the Department can derive dumping
margins. The only source for calculated dumping margins is
administrative determinations. Thus, in an administrative review, if
the Department chooses as total AFA a calculated dumping margin from
the current or a prior segment of the proceeding, it is not necessary
to question the reliability of the margin for that time period. See,
e.g., Anhydrous Sodium Metasilicate from France: Preliminary Results of
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 68 FR 44283, 44284 (July 28,
2003) (unchanged in final). Therefore, given that we are using the
highest of the transaction-specific rates calculated for the mandatory
respondents in this administrative review, it is not necessary to
question the reliability of this rate.
The Department will, however, consider information reasonably at
its disposal as to whether there are circumstances that would render a
margin inappropriate. Where circumstances indicate that the selected
margin is not appropriate as AFA, the Department may disregard the
margin and determine an appropriate margin. See, e.g., Fresh Cut
Flowers from Mexico; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 61 FR 6812, 6814 (February 22, 1996) (where the Department
disregarded the highest calculated margin as AFA because the margin was
based on a company's uncharacteristic business expense resulting in an
unusually high margin). Therefore, we examined whether any information
on the record would discredit the selected rate as reasonable facts
available and have found none. Because we did not find evidence
indicating that the margin used as facts available in this proceeding
is not appropriate, we have determined that the the highest
transaction-specific rate calculated for any mandatory respondent in
this administrative review is appropriate as AFA and are assigning this
rate to Doblertel, S.A. and Sociedad Atlantico Pacifico, S.A.
Comparisons to Normal Value
To determine whether sales of certain frozen warmwater shrimp by
OceanInvest and Promarisco to the United States were made at less than
[[Page 10702]]
NV, we compared EP to the NV, as described in the ``Export Price'' and
``Normal Value'' sections of this notice.
Pursuant to section 777A(d)(2) of the Act, we compared the EPs of
individual U.S. transactions to the weighted-average NV of the foreign
like product where there were sales made in the ordinary course of
trade, as discussed in the ``Cost of Production Analysis'' section
below.
Product Comparisons
In accordance with section 771(16) of the Act, we considered all
products produced by OceanInvest and Promarisco covered by the
description in the ``Scope of the Order'' section, above, to be foreign
like products for purposes of determining appropriate product
comparisons to U.S. sales. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.414(e)(2), we
compared U.S. sales to sales made in Italy for OceanInvest and Spain
for Promarisco within the contemporaneous window period, which extends
from three months prior to the month of the U.S. sale until two months
after the sale. Where there were no sales of identical merchandise in
the comparison market made in the ordinary course of trade to compare
to U.S. sales, we compared U.S. sales to sales of the most similar
foreign like product made in the ordinary course of trade. In making
the product comparisons, we matched foreign like products based on the
physical characteristics reported by OceanInvest and Promarisco in the
following order: cooked form, head status, count size, organic
certification, shell status, vein status, tail status, other shrimp
preparation, frozen form, flavoring, container weight, presentation,
species, and preservative.
With respect to Promarisco's U.S. sales of broken shrimp, we
compared them to constructed value (CV), as Promarisco did not make any
sales of broken shrimp in its comparison market.
Export Price
For all U.S. sales made by OceanInvest and Promarisco, we applied
the EP methodology, in accordance with section 772(a) of the Act,
because the subject merchandise was sold directly to the first
unaffiliated purchaser in the United States prior to importation and
constructed export price (CEP) methodology was not otherwise warranted
based on the facts of record.
A. OceanInvest
We based EP on FOB or delivered, duty-paid (DDP) prices to the
first unaffiliated purchaser in the United States. Where appropriate,
we made adjustments to the starting price for billing adjustments. We
also made deductions to the starting price for demurrage expenses,
foreign inland freight expenses, Ecuadorian brokerage and handling
expenses, ocean freight expenses, U.S. customs duties (including
merchandise processing and harbor maintenance fees), and U.S. brokerage
and handling expenses, where appropriate, in accordance with section
772(c)(2)(A) of the Act.
OceanInvest reported certain price adjustments and demurrage
expenses as direct selling expenses. We reclassified these items as
billing adjustments and movement expenses, respectively.
As noted in the sales verification report (see ``Verification of
the Sales Response of OceanInvest S.A. in the 2004-2006 Antidumping
Administrative Review of Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador,''
Memorandum to the File dated January 18, 2007 (OceanInvest SVR)) at
page 18, OceanInvest inadvertently reported many adjustments for glazed
sales on a glaze-inclusive basis rather than glaze-exclusive basis. We
recalculated the per-unit amounts to reflect a glaze-exclusive basis
using the methodology outlined in the verification report.
Based on our sales verification findings, we made minor revisions
to the movement expenses reported for a small number of U.S. sales. See
Memorandum to the File entitled ``OceanInvest S.A., Preliminary Results
Notes and Margin Calculation,'' dated February 28, 2007 (OceanInvest
Preliminary Results Memo).
B. Promarisco
We based EP on CIF or DDP prices to the first unaffiliated
purchaser in the United States. We made deductions to the starting
price for foreign inland freight expenses, ocean freight expenses,
marine insurance expenses, U.S. customs duties (including merchandise
processing and harbor maintenance fees), U.S. brokerage and handling
expenses, and U.S. warehousing expenses, where appropriate, in
accordance with section 772(c)(2)(A) of the Act.
Normal Value
A. Home Market Viability and Selection of Comparison Markets
In order to determine whether there was a sufficient volume of
sales in the home market to serve as a viable basis for calculating NV,
we compared the volume of home market sales of the foreign like product
to the volume of U.S. sales of the subject merchandise, in accordance
with section 773(a)(1)(C) of the Act.
In the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation segment of this
proceeding, the Department determined that a particular market
situation existed which rendered the Ecuadorian market inappropriate
for purposes of determining NV for the three respondents in the LTFV
investigation, including Promarisco. See Memorandum dated June 7, 2004,
entitled ``Home Market as Appropriate Comparison Market,'' as included
at Exhibit A-2 of Promarisco's August 8, 2006, section A Questionnaire
response. Promarisco reported that the particular market situation
still applies to its home market sales and there is no information on
the record to suggest otherwise. Accordingly, although the aggregate
volume of Promarisco's home market sales of the foreign like product
was greater than five percent of its aggregate volume of U.S. sales for
the subject merchandise, because of the particular market situation, we
could not rely on Promarisco's home market sales for determining NV.
Therefore, we used Promarisco's sales to Spain, Promarisco's largest
third country market, as the basis for comparison-market sales. See
Memorandum to James Maeder, Director, Office 2, AD/CVD Operations, from
The Team entitled ``Selection of the Appropriate Third Country Market
for Promarisco,'' dated November 8, 2006, for a more detailed
discussion of this issue.
Furthermore, based on our analysis of OceanInvest's questionnaire
responses, we determined that OceanInvest's aggregate volume of home
market sales of the foreign like product was insufficient to permit a
proper comparison with U.S. sales of the subject merchandise.\7\
Therefore, with respect to OceanInvest, we used sales to Italy, which
is OceanInvest's largest third country market, as the basis for
comparison-market sales in accordance with section 773(a)(1)(C) of the
Act and 19 CFR 351.404.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Because OceanInvest's sales in the home market did not meet
the viability threshold, it was unnecessary to address whether a
particular market situation existed with respect to such sales.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Level of Trade
Section 773(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Act states that, to the extent
practicable, the Department will calculate NV based on sales at the
same level of trade (LOT) as the EP or CEP. Sales are made at different
LOTs if they are made at different marketing stages (or their
equivalent). See 19 CFR 351.412(c)(2). Substantial differences in
selling
[[Page 10703]]
activities are a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for
determining that there is a difference in the stages of marketing. See,
id. See also Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair
Value: Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate From South Africa, 62
FR 61731, 61732 (November 19, 1997) (Plate from South Africa). In order
to determine whether the comparison sales were at different stages in
the marketing process than the U.S. sales, we reviewed the distribution
system in each market (i.e., the chain of distribution), including
selling functions, class of customer (customer category), and the level
of selling expenses for each type of sale.
Pursuant to section 773(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Act, in identifying LOTs
for EP and comparison market sales (i.e., NV based on either home
market or third country prices),\8\ we consider the starting prices
before any adjustments. For CEP sales, we consider only the selling
activities reflected in the price after the deduction of expenses and
profit under section 772(d) of the Act. See Micron Technology, Inc. v.
United States, 243 F. 3d 1301, 1314 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Where NV is based on CV, we determine the NV LOT based on
the LOT of the sales from which we derive selling expenses, general
and administrative (SG&A) expenses, and profit for CV, where
possible.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the Department is unable to match U.S. sales of the foreign
like product in the comparison market at the same LOT as the EP or CEP,
the Department may compare the U.S. sale to sales at a different LOT in
the comparison market. In comparing EP or CEP sales at a different LOT
in the comparison market, where available data make it practicable, we
make an LOT adjustment under section 773(a)(7)(A) of the Act. Finally,
for CEP sales only, if the NV LOT is more remote from the factory than
the CEP LOT and there is no basis for determining whether the
difference in LOTs between NV and CEP affects price comparability
(i.e., no LOT adjustment was practicable), the Department shall grant a
CEP offset, as provided in section 773(a)(7)(B) of the Act. See Plate
from South Africa, 62 FR at 61732-33.
In this administrative review, we obtained information from each
respondent regarding the marketing stages involved in making the
reported foreign market and U.S. sales, including a description of the
selling activities performed by each respondent for each channel of
distribution. Company-specific LOT findings are summarized below.
1. OceanInvest
OceanInvest sold frozen warmwater shrimp to distributors and
traders in the U.S. market, and distributors in the Italian market.
OceanInvest reported that it made EP sales in the U.S. market through
two channels of distribution: FOB sales, and DDP. We examined the
selling activities performed for these channels, and found that
OceanInvest performed the following selling functions for both
channels: packing, order input/processing, direct sales personnel
services, and claim services (i.e., billing adjustments). In addition,
for DDP sales, OceanInvest made freight and delivery arrangements.
These selling activities can be generally grouped into two core selling
function categories for analysis: 1) sales and marketing (e.g., order
input/processing, direct sales personnel services, claim services); and
2) freight and delivery. Accordingly, based on the core selling
functions, we find that OceanInvest performed sales and marketing for
all U.S. sales, and freight and delivery services as well for certain
U.S. sales. We do not find that the provision of freight and delivery
services for one channel of distribution is sufficient to distinguish
it as a separate LOT. Accordingly, we preliminarily determine that
there is one LOT in the U.S. market.
With respect to the Italian market, OceanInvest reported one
channel of distribution, FOB sales. We examined the selling activities
performed for this channel, and found that OceanInvest performed the
following selling functions: packing, order input/processing, direct
sales personnel services, payment of commissions, and claim services
(i.e., billing adjustments). These selling activities can be generally
grouped into one core selling function for analysis: sales and
marketing. Accordingly, we find that OceanInvest performed the core
selling function of sales and marketing for all customers in the
Italian market. Because all sales in the Italian market are made
through a single distribution channel, we preliminarily determine that
there is one LOT in the Italian market.
Finally, we compared the EP LOT to the comparison market LOT and
found that, with the exception of freight and delivery services
performed on some U.S. sales, and the payment of commissions on Italian
sales, the core selling functions performed for U.S. and Italian market
customers are virtually identical. Therefore, we determined that sales
to the U.S. and Italian markets during the POR were made at the same
LOT, and as a result, no LOT adjustment was warranted.
2. Promarisco
Promarisco made direct sales of frozen warmwater shrimp to
retailers, food processors, restaurant chains, and distributors in the
U.S. market, and food processors and distributors in the Spanish
market. Promarisco reported that it made EP sales in the U.S. market on
a CIF or DDP basis through one channel of distribution. We examined the
selling activities performed for this channel, and found that
Promarisco performed the following selling functions: sales
forecasting, sales promotion, order input/processing, technical
assistance, pay commissions, freight and delivery, and claim services.
These selling activities can be generally grouped into two core selling
function categories for analysis: 1) sales and marketing (e.g., order
input/processing, sales promotion, claim services); and 2) freight and
delivery. Accordingly, we find that Promarisco performed the core
selling functions of sales and marketing, and freight and delivery for
all customers in the U.S. market. Because all sales in the U.S. market
are made through a single distribution channel, we preliminarily
determine that there is one LOT in the U.S. market.
With respect to the Spanish market, Promarisco reported that it
made sales on an FOB, C&F, or CIF basis through one channel of
distribution. We examined the selling activities performed for this
channel, and found that Promarisco performed the following selling
functions: sales forecasting, sales promotion, order input/processing,
technical assistance, pay commissions, freight and delivery, and claim
services. These selling activities can be generally grouped into two
core selling function categories for analysis: 1) sales and marketing
(e.g., order input/processing, sales promotion, claim services); and 2)
freight and delivery. Accordingly, based on the core selling functions,
we find that Promarisco performed sales and marketing for all Spanish
sales, and freight and delivery services as well for certain Spanish
sales. We do not find that the provision of freight and delivery
services for some sales is sufficient to distinguish it as a separate
LOT. Accordingly, we preliminarily determine that there is one LOT in
the Spanish market.
Finally, we compared the EP LOT to the comparison-market LOT and
found that the core selling functions performed for U.S. and Spanish
market customers are virtually identical. Therefore, we determined that
sales to the U.S. and Spanish markets during the
[[Page 10704]]
POR were made at the same LOT, and as a result, no LOT adjustment was
warranted.
C. Cost of Production Analysis
Based on our analysis of the petitioner's allegations, we found
that there were reasonable grounds to believe or suspect that
OceanInvest's sales of frozen warmwater shrimp in the third-country
market were made at prices below their cost of production (COP).
Accordingly, pursuant to section 773(b) of the Act, we initiated a
sales-below-cost investigation to determine whether OceanInvest's sales
were made at prices below their respective COPs. See OceanInvest
COP Initiation Memo.
In the LTFV investigation, the most recently completed segment of
this proceeding as of April 7, 2006, the publication date of the
initiation of this review, we found that Promarisco had made sales
below the cost of production. See Notice of Preliminary Determination
of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Postponement of Final
Determination: Certain Frozen and Canned Warmwater Shrimp From Ecuador,
69 FR 47091 (August 4, 2004); unchanged in Notice of Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Certain Frozen and
Canned Warmwater Shrimp From Ecuador, 69 FR 76913,(December 23, 2004),
and LTFV Amended Final Determination and Order. Thus, in accordance
with section 773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, there are reasonable grounds
to believe or suspect that Promarisco made sales in the third-country
market at prices below the cost of producing the merchandise in the
current review period. Accordingly, we instructed Promarisco to respond
to the section D (Cost of Production) questionnaire.
1. Calculation of Cost of Production
In accordance with section 773(b)(3) of the Act, we calculated the
respondents' COP based on the sum of their costs of materials and
conversion for the foreign like product, plus amounts for general and
administrative (G&A) expenses and interest expenses (see ``Test of
Comparison Market Sales Prices'' section below for treatment of third
country selling expenses). The Department relied on the COP data
submitted by each respondent in its most recent supplemental section D
questionnaire response for the COP calculation, except for the
following instances where the information was not appropriately
quantified or valued.
a. OceanInvest
We made an adjustment to OceanInvest's reported costs of
manufacture to account for unreconciled costs. Our revision to
OceanInvest's COP data is discussed in the Memorandum from Laurens van
Houten, Accountant, to Neal Halper, Director, Office of Accounting,
entitled ``Cost of Production and Constructed Value Calculation
Adjustments for the Preliminary Results - OceanInvest, S.A.,'' dated
February 28, 2007.
b. Promarisco
We recalculated Promarisco's G0z7 A expense ratio to include
research and development expenses. Our revision to Promarisco's COP
data are discussed in the Memorandum from Frederick W. Mines,
Accountant, to Neal Halper, Director, Office of Accounting, entitled
``Cost of Production and Constructed Value Calculation Adjustments for
the Preliminary Results - Promarisco S.A.,'' dated February 28, 2007.
2. Test of Comparison Market Sales Prices
On a product-specific basis, we compared the adjusted weighted-
average COP to the third country sales of the foreign like product, as
required under section 773(b) of the Act, in order to determine whether
the sale prices were below the COP. For purposes of this comparison, we
used COP exclusive of selling and packing expenses. The prices
(inclusive of billing adjustments, where appropriate) were exclusive of
any applicable movement charges, and direct and indirect selling
expenses and packing expenses, revised where appropriate, as discussed
below under the ``Price-to-Price Comparisons'' section.
3. Results of the COP Test
In determining whether to disregard third country sales made at
prices below the COP, we examined, in accordance with sections
773(b)(1)(A) and (B) or the Act: 1) whether, within an extended period
of time, such sales were made in substantial quantities; and 2) whether
such sales were made at prices which permitted the recovery of all
costs within a reasonable period of time in the normal course of trade.
Where less than 20 percent of the respondent's third country sales of a
given product are at prices less than the COP, we do not disregard any
below-cost sales of that product because we determine that in such
instances the below-cost sales were not made within an extended period
of time and in ``substantial quantities.'' Where 20 percent or more of
a respondent's sales of a given product are at prices less than the
COP, we disregard the below-cost sales because: 1) they were made
within an extended period of time in ``substantial quantities,'' in
accordance with sections 773(b)(2)(B) and (C) of the Act, and 2) based
on our comparison of prices to the weighted-average COPs for the POR,
they were at prices which would not permit the recovery of all costs
within a reasonable period of time, in accordance with section
773(b)(2)(D) of the Act.
We found that, for certain specific products, more than 20 percent
of OceanInvest's and Promarisco's third country sales were at prices
less than the COP and, in addition, such sales did not provide for the
recovery of costs within a reasonable period of time. We therefore
excluded these sales and used the remaining sales as the basis for
determining NV, in accordance with section 773(b)(1) of the Act.
For those U.S. sales of subject merchandise for which there were no
useable third country sales in the ordinary course of trade, we
compared EPs to the CV in accordance with section 773(a)(4) of the Act.
See ``Calculation of Normal Value Based on Constructed Value'' section
below.
D. Calculation of Normal Value Based on Comparison Market Prices
1. OceanInvest
We based NV for OceanInvest on FOB prices to unaffiliated customers
in Italy. We made adjustments, where appropriate, to the starting price
for billing adjustments. We made deductions, where appropriate, from
the starting price for foreign inland freight and Ecuadorian brokerage
and handling expenses, under section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
We made adjustments for differences in costs attributable to
differences in the physical characteristics of the merchandise in
accordance with section 773(a)(6)(C)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.411.
In addition, we made adjustments under section 773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the
Act and 19 CFR 351.410 for differences in circumstances of sale (COS)
for imputed credit expenses, bank fees, testing fees, bill of lading
fees, and international courier fees. As discussed above under ``Export
Price,'' we recalculated the per-unit amounts for these expenses to
reflect a glaze-exclusive basis. We also made adjustments in accordance
with 19 CFR 351.410(e) for indirect selling expenses incurred on
comparison-market or U.S. sales where commissions were granted on sales
in one market but not the other. Specifically, as commissions were
[[Page 10705]]
granted in the Italian market but not in the U.S. market, we made an
upward adjustment to NV for the lesser of 1) the amount of commission
paid in the Italian market, or 2) the amount of indirect selling
expenses incurred in the U.S. market.
We also deducted comparison-market packing costs and added U.S.
packing costs, in accordance with sections 773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the
Act.
OceanInvest reported certain price adjustments relevant to Italian
sales as direct selling expenses. We reclassified these items as
billing adjustments. We also recalculated the imputed credit expense
for both U.S. and Italian sales to account for these items.
We recalculated the reported per-unit commission expenses
applicable to Italian sales based on our verification findings. See
OceanInvest SVR at page 23 and OceanInvest Preliminary Results Memo.
We recalculated indirect selling expenses to include the cost of a
product sample. See OceanInvest Preliminary Results Memo.
2. Promarisco
We calculated NV based on CIF, C&F or FOB prices to unaffiliated
customers in the Spanish market. We made adjustments, where
appropriate, to the starting price for billing adjustments. We made
deductions from the starting price for movement expenses, including
inland freight, marine insurance, and international freight, under
section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
We made adjustments for differences in costs attributable to
differences in the physical characteristics of the merchandise in
accordance with section 773(a)(6)(C)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.411.
In addition, we made adjustments under section 773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the
Act and 19 CFR 351.410 for differences in COS for imputed credit
expenses. We also made adjustments in accordance with 19 CFR 351.410(e)
for indirect selling expenses incurred on comparison-market or U.S.
sales where commissions were granted on sales in one market but not the
other. Specifically, where commissions were granted in the U.S. market
but not in the comparison market, we made a downward adjustment to NV
for the lesser of 1) the amount of commission paid in the U.S. market,
or 2) the amount of indirect selling expenses incurred in the
comparison market. If commissions were granted in the comparison market
but not in the U.S. market, we made an upward adjustment to NV
following the same methodology.
We also deducted comparison market packing costs and added U.S.
packing costs, in accordance with section 773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the
Act.
In response to the Department's inquiry, Promarisco submitted a
letter on February 14, 2007, explaining that three transactions
reported in the Spanish sales data base with missing payment dates were
actually free product samples. As this information was received too
late for consideration in the preliminary results and did not include
any supporting documentation, we have included these transactions in
our calculation of NV and set the payment date equal to February 28,
2007, the date of the preliminary results, for purposes of calculating
imputed credit expenses.
Promarisco reported in its December 22, 2006, questionnaire
response that it did not recalculate the imputed credit expense after
revisions were made to the Spanish market sales file to include certain
missing payment dates in its October 27, 2006, questionnaire response.
Accordingly, we recalculated the imputed credit expense for the Spanish
market sales to account for the revised payment dates, based on
Promarisco's methodology described in its response.
Promarisco reported certain movement-related insurance expenses
incurred on sales to Spain as direct selling expenses. We reclassified
these expenses as movement expenses. In addition, we have corrected and
recalculated these expenses and marine insurance expenses incurred on
certain Spanish sales, in accordance with the information provided in
Promarisco's February 12, 2007, submission.
We recalculated indirect selling expenses to include certain
expenses Promarisco excluded from its indirect selling expense
calculation. See Memorandum to the File entitled ``Promarisco, S.A.
Preliminary Results Notes and Margin Calculation,'' dated February 28,
2007.
F. Calculation of Normal Value Based on Constructed Value
Section 773(a)(4) of the Act provides that where NV cannot be based
on comparison-market sales, NV may be based on CV. Accordingly, for
those frozen warmwater shrimp products for which we could not determine
the NV based on comparison-market sales because there were no useable
sales of a comparable product, we based NV on the CV.
Section 773(e) of the Act provides that the CV shall be based on
the sum of the cost of materials and fabrication for the imported
merchandise, plus amounts for SG&]A expenses, profit, and U.S. packing
costs. For each respondent, we calculated the cost of materials and
fabrication based on the methodology described in the ``Cost of
Production Analysis'' section, above. We based SG&A and profit for each
respondent on the actual amounts incurred and realized by the
respondents in connection with the production and sale of the foreign
like product in the ordinary course of trade for consumption in the
comparison market, in accordance with section 773(e)(2)(A) of the Act.
We made adjustments to CV for differences in COS in accordance with
section 773(a)(8) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.410. For comparisons to EP,
we made COS adjustments by deducting direct selling expenses incurred
on comparison-market sales from, and adding U.S. direct selling
expenses to, CV.
Currency Conversion
We did not make any currency conversions pursuant to section 773A
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.415 because all sales and cost data for both
respondents were reported in U.S. dollars.
Preliminary Results of the Review
We preliminarily determine that weighted-average dumping margins
exist for the respondents for the period August 4, 2004, through
January 31, 2006, as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer/Exporter Percent Margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OceanInvest, S.A.................................... 4.54
Promarisco, S.A..................................... 1.02
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review-Specific Average Rate Applicable to the Following
Companies:\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ This rate is based on the weighted-average of the margins
calculated for those companies selected for individual review,
excluding de minimis margins or margins based entirely on AFA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer/Exporter Percent Margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agrol S.A........................................... 2.25
Camarones (Camarones Del Mar COBUS S.A.)............ 2.25
Comercializadora del Mar COMAR Cia. Ltda............ 2.25
Empacadora y Exportadora Calvi Cia. Ltda............ 2.25
Emprede S.A......................................... 2.25
Exportadora del Oceano Oceanexa C. A................ 2.25
Fortumar Ecuador S.A................................ 2.25
Gambas del Pacifico................................. 2.25
Hectorosa S.A....................................... 2.25
Inepexa S.A......................................... 2.25
Jorge Luis Benitez Lopez............................ 2.25
[[Page 10706]]
Luis Loaiza Alvarez................................. 2.25
Mardex Cia. Ltda.................................... 2.25
Marines C.A......................................... 2.25
Pacfish, S.A........................................ 2.25
PCC Congelados & Frescos SA......................... 2.25
Pescazul S.A........................................ 2.25
Productos Cultivados del Mar ``Proculmar'' Cia. 2.25
Ltda...............................................
Promarosa S.A....................................... 2.25
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AFA Rate Applicable to the Following Companies:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer/Exporter Percent Margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doblertel S.A....................................... 48.61
Sociedad Atlantico Pacifico, S.A.................... 48.61
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclosure and Public Hearing
The Department will disclose to parties the calculations performed
in connection with these preliminary results within five days of the
date of publication of this notice. See 19 CFR 351.224(b). Interested
parties may submit case briefs not later than 30 days after the date of
issuance of the last verification report in this case. Rebuttal briefs,
limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later
than 35 days after the date of issuance of the last verification report
in this case. Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this
proceeding are requested to submit with each argument: 1) a statement
of the issue; 2) a brief summary of the argument; and 3) a table of
authorities.
Interested parties who wish to request a hearing or to participate
if one is requested, must submit a written request to the Assistant
Secretary for Import Administration, Room B-099, within 30 days of 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. See 19 CFR
351.310(c). 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 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.
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. The Department will issue
appropriate appraisement instructions for the companies subject to this
review directly to CBP 15 days after the date of publication of the
final results of this review.
Regarding OceanInvest, for those sales where it reported the
entered value of its U.S. sales, we will calculate importer-specific ad
valorem duty assessment rates based on the ratio of the total amount of
antidumping duties calculated for the examined sales to the total
entered value of the examined sales for that importer. For those sales
where OceanInvest did not report the entered value of its U.S. sales,
we will calculate importer-specific per-unit duty assessment rates by
aggregating the total amount of antidumping duties calculated for the
examined sales and dividing this amount by the total quantity of those
sales. To determine whether the duty assessment rates are de minimis,
in accordance with the requirement set forth in 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2),
we will calculate importer-specific ad valorem ratios based on the
estimated entered value.
Regarding Promarisco, because it reported the entered value of all
of its U.S. sales, we will calculate importer-specific ad valorem duty
assessment rates based on the ratio of the total amount of antidumping
duties calculated for the examined sales to the total entered value of
the examined sales for that importer.
For the responsive companies which were not selected for individual
review, we will calculate an assessment rate based on the weighted-
average of the cash deposit rates calculated for the companies selected
for individual review excluding any which are de minimis or determined
entirely on AFA.
We will instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on all
appropriate entries covered by this review if any importer-specific
assessment rate calculated in the final results of this review is above
de minimis (i.e., at or above 0.50 percent). Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.106(c)(2), we will instruct CBP to liquidate without regard to
antidumping duties any entries for which the assessment rate is de
minimis (i.e., less than 0.50 percent). See 19 CFR 351.106(c)(1). The
final results of this review shall be the basis for the assessment of
antidumping duties on entries of merchandise covered by the final
results of this review and for future deposits of estimated duties,
where applicable.
The Department clarified its ``automatic assessment'' regulation on
May 6, 2003. See Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings:
Assessment of Antidumping Duties, 68 FR 23954 (May 6, 2003) (Assessment
Policy Notice). This clarification will apply to entries of subject
merchandise during the POR produced by companies included in these
final results of review for which the reviewed companies did not know
that the merchandise they sold to the intermediary (e.g., a reseller,
trading company, or exporter) was destined for the United States. In
such instances, we will instruct CBP to liquidate unreviewed entries at
the ``All Others'' rate if there is no rate for the intermediary
involved in the transaction. See Assessment Policy Notice for a full
discussion of this clarification.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following cash deposit requirements will be effective for all
shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from
warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the
final results of this administrative review, as provided by section
751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: 1) the cash deposit rate for each specific
company listed above will be that established in the final results of
this review, except if the rate is less than 0.50 percent, and
therefore, de minimis within the mea