Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 10000-10009 [E9-4924]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 44 / Monday, March 9, 2009 / Notices
request to the Assistant Secretary for
Import Administration, Room 1870,
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. Id. Issues raised in the
hearing will be limited to those raised
in the respective case briefs. Id. The
Department will issue the final results
of this administrative review, including
the results of its analysis of the 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.
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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(b)(1). 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.
For Devi and Falcon 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 sales. See 19
CFR 351.212(b)(1). 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.
For the 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. 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. 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. See
751(a)(2)(C) of the Act.
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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.
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 and notice
are published in accordance with
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act
and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).
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, or the original
less–than-fair–value (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 10.17
percent, the all–others rate made
effective by the LTFV investigation. See
Shrimp Order, 70 FR at 5148. These
deposit requirements, when imposed,
shall remain in effect until further
notice.
A–549–822
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
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Dated: March 2, 2009.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–4920 Filed 3–6–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp
from Thailand: Preliminary Results 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
Thailand with respect to 136
companies. The two respondents which
the Department selected for individual
examination are Andaman Seafood Co.,
Ltd. (Andaman), Wales & Co. Universe
Limited, Chanthaburi Frozen Food Co.,
Ltd. (CFF), Chanthaburi Seafoods Co.,
Ltd. (CSF), Phattana Seafood Co., Ltd.
(PTN), Phattana Frozen Food Co., Ltd.
(PFF), Thailand Fishery Cold Storage
Public Co., Ltd. (TFC), Thai
International Seafoods Co., Ltd. (TIS),
and Sea Wealth Frozen Food Co., Ltd.
(Sea Wealth) (collectively, the Rubicon
Group), and Pakfood Public Company
Limited and its affiliates, Asia Pacific
(Thailand) Company, Limited and
Takzin Samut Company, Limited
(collectively, Pakfood). The respondents
which were not selected for individual
examination are listed in the
‘‘Preliminary Results of Review’’ section
of this notice. This is the third
administrative review of this order. The
review covers the period February 1,
2007, through January 31, 2008.
We preliminarily determine that sales
were made by Pakfood and the Rubicon
Group below normal value (NV). In
addition, based on the preliminary
results for the respondents selected for
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individual examination, we have
preliminarily determined a weighted–
average margin for those companies that
were not individually examined.
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, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate
Johnson or David Goldberger, AD/CVD
Operations, Office 2, Import
Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20230;
telephone (202) 482–4929 and (202)
482–4136, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Background
In February 2005, the Department
published in the Federal Register an
antidumping duty order on certain
frozen warmwater shrimp from
Thailand. See Notice of Amended Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value and Antidumping Duty
Order: Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Thailand, 70 FR 5145 (Feb.
1, 2005). On February 4, 2008, 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
Thailand for the period February 1,
2007, through January 31, 2008. See
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Order, Finding, or Suspended
Investigation; Opportunity to Request
Administrative Review, 73 FR 6477
(February 4, 2008). In response to timely
requests from interested parties,
pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(b)(1) and
(2), to conduct an administrative review
of the sales of certain frozen warmwater
shrimp made by numerous companies
during the period of review (POR), the
Department initiated an administrative
review for 165 companies. These
companies are listed in the
Department’s notice of initiation. See
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Brazil, Ecuador, India, and Thailand:
Notice of Initiation of Administrative
Reviews, 73 FR 18754 (April 7, 2008).
Between March and May 2008, the
Department received submissions from
certain companies that indicated they
had no shipments of subject
merchandise to the United States during
the POR.
Based upon the resources available to
the Department, we determined that it
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was not practicable to examine all
exporters/producers of subject
merchandise for which a review was
requested. As a result, on May 27, 2008,
we selected the two largest producers/
exporters of certain frozen warmwater
shrimp from Thailand during the POR,
Pakfood and the Rubicon Group, for
individual examination in this segment
of the proceeding. See Memorandum to
James Maeder from Irina Itkin entitled,
‘‘2007–2008 Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review on Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Thailand: Selection of Respondents for
Individual Review,’’ dated May 27,
2008. On May 28, 2008, we issued the
antidumping duty questionnaire to
Pakfood and the Rubicon Group.
On July 7, 2008, in accordance with
19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), the petitioner
withdrew its request for review for the
following eighteen companies: Anglo–
Siam Seafoods Co., Ltd.; Applied DB
Ind; Chonburi LC; Gallant Ocean
(Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Gallant Ocean)1;
Haitai Seafood Co., Ltd.; High Way
International Co., Ltd.; Li–Thai Frozen
Foods Co., Ltd.; Merkur Co., Ltd.; Ming
Chao Ind Thailand; Nongmon SMJ
Products; Queen Marine Food Co., Ltd.;
SCT Co., Ltd.; Search & Serve; Smile
Heart Foods Co., Ltd.; Shianlin Bangkok
Co., Ltd.; Star Frozen Foods Co., Ltd.;
Thai World Imports & Exports; and
Wann Fisheries Co., Ltd.
We received responses to sections A,
B, C, and D of the questionnaire from
Pakfood and the Rubicon Group in July
and August 2008.
On October 8, 2008, the Department
postponed the preliminary results in
this review until no later than March 2,
2008. See Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp From Ecuador, India, the
People’s Republic of China, and
Thailand: Notice of Extension of Time
Limits for the Preliminary Results of the
Third Administrative Reviews, 73 FR
58931 (October 8, 2008).
During the period September 2008
through January 2009, we issued to
Pakfood and the Rubicon Group
supplemental questionnaires regarding
sections A, B, C, and D of the original
questionnaire. We received responses to
these questionnaires during the period
October 2008 through February 2009.
On October 27, 2008, the Department
issued a memorandum indicating that it
intended to rescind the administrative
review with respect to 29 respondent
companies, and it invited comments on
this action from interested parties. See
Memorandum to The File from Kate
Johnson entitled ‘‘Intent to Rescind in
Part the Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review on Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Thailand,’’ dated October 27, 2008
(Intent to Rescind Memorandum). On
November 3, 2008, and November 13,
2008, the Department received
comments from 32 U.S. producers
opposing the rescission with respect to
the companies for which the petitioner
withdrew its review request. On
November 6, 2008, the petitioner
responded to the comments filed on
November 3, 2008.
On December 19, 2008, we published
a notice rescinding the administrative
review with respect to 29 companies for
the following reasons, where applicable:
1) the request for an administrative
review for the company was withdrawn
in a timely manner; 2) the company had
no shipments of subject merchandise to
the United States during the POR; or 3)
although there appeared to be U.S.
customs entries of subject merchandise,
we determined that the entries were not
reportable transactions. See Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Thailand; Partial Rescission of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 73 FR 77612 (December 19,
2008). See also Intent to Rescind
Memorandum.
We conducted a verification of the
Rubicon Group’s cost responses in
February 2009.
1 Gallant Ocean has not withdrawn its February
29, 2008, request for review.
2 ‘‘Tails’’ in this context means the tail fan, which
includes the telson and the uropods.
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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,2
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
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(Penaeus chinensis), giant river prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii), giant tiger
prawn (Penaeus monodon), redspotted
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 (HTSUS
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
(HTSUS subheadings 0306.23.00.20 and
0306.23.00.40); 4) shrimp and prawns in
prepared meals (HTSUS subheading
1605.20.05.10); 5) dried shrimp and
prawns; 6) canned warmwater shrimp
and prawns (HTSUS 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
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only and are not dispositive, but rather
the written description of the scope of
this order is dispositive.
Period of Review
The POR is February 1, 2007, through
January 31, 2008.
Comparisons to Normal Value
To determine whether sales of certain
frozen warmwater shrimp from
Thailand to the United States were
made at less than NV, we compared the
export price (EP) or constructed export
price (CEP) to the NV, as described in
the ‘‘Constructed Export Price/Export
Price’’ and ‘‘Normal Value’’ sections of
this notice, below.
Pursuant to section 777A(d)(2) of the
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act),
for Pakfood and the Rubicon Group we
compared the EPs or CEPs 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 Pakfood and the Rubicon
Group 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 of shrimp to sales of shrimp made
in the comparison market for Pakfood
(home market) and the Rubicon Group
(Canada) 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 of shrimp to sales of shrimp
of the most similar foreign like product
made in the ordinary course of trade.
For the Rubicon Group, where there
were no sales of identical or similar
merchandise in the comparison market
made in the ordinary course of trade to
compare to U.S. sales, we made product
comparisons using constructed value
(CV).
With respect to sales comparisons
involving broken shrimp, we compared
Pakfood’s and the Rubicon Group’s sales
of broken shrimp in the United States to
its sales of comparable quality shrimp in
the comparison market. Where there
were no sales of identical broken shrimp
in the comparison market made in the
ordinary course of trade to compare to
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U.S. sales, we compared U.S. sales of
broken shrimp to sales of the most
similar broken shrimp made in the
ordinary course of trade. Where there
were no sales of identical or similar
broken shrimp, we made product
comparisons using CV.
In making the product comparisons,
we matched foreign like products based
on the physical characteristics reported
by Pakfood and the Rubicon Group 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.
Constructed Export Price/Export Price
For all U.S. sales made by Pakfood, as
well as certain U.S. sales made by the
Rubicon Group, we used 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
CEP methodology was not otherwise
warranted based on the facts of record.
For certain U.S. sales made by the
Rubicon Group, we calculated CEP in
accordance with section 772(b) of the
Act because the subject merchandise
was sold for the account of the Rubicon
Group by its subsidiary in the United
States to unaffiliated purchasers.
A. Pakfood
We based EP on FOB, C&F or DDP
(delivered, duty paid) prices to the first
unaffiliated purchaser in the United
States. Where appropriate, we made
adjustments to the starting price for
discounts. We made deductions, where
appropriate, for foreign inland freight
expenses, pre–sale warehousing
expenses, survey fees, foreign brokerage
and handling expenses, ocean freight
expenses (offset by freight adjustments,
where appropriate), marine insurance
expenses, U.S. brokerage and handling
expenses, and U.S. customs duties
(including harbor maintenance fees and
merchandise processing fees) in
accordance with section 772(c)(2)(A) of
the Act
B. The Rubicon Group
In accordance with section 772(a) of
the Act, we calculated EP for those sales
where the merchandise was sold to the
first unaffiliated purchaser in the United
States prior to importation by the
exporter or producer outside the United
States. Where appropriate, we made
adjustments to the starting price for
billing adjustments and discounts. We
made deductions for movement
expenses in accordance with section
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772(c)(2)(A) of the Act; these included,
where appropriate, foreign inland
freight expenses, foreign warehousing
expenses, foreign inland insurance
expenses, foreign brokerage and
handling expenses, ocean freight
expenses (offset by freight refunds,
where appropriate), marine insurance
expenses, U.S. brokerage and handling
expenses, U.S. customs duties
(including harbor maintenance fees and
merchandise processing fees), and U.S.
inland freight expenses (i.e., freight
from port to warehouse).
In accordance with section 772(b) of
the Act, we calculated CEP for those
sales where the merchandise was first
sold (or agreed to be sold) in the United
States before or after the date of
importation by or for the account of the
producer or exporter, or by a seller
affiliated with the producer or exporter,
to a purchaser not affiliated with the
producer or exporter. We used the
earlier of shipment date from Thailand
to the customer or the U.S. affiliate’s
invoice date to the customer as the date
of sale for CEP sales, in accordance with
our practice. See, e.g., Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand:
Final Results and Partial Rescission of
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 72 FR 52065 (September 12,
2007), and accompanying Issues and
Decision Memorandum at Comment 11;
Notice of Final Determination of Sales
at Less Than Fair Value and Negative
Final Determination of Critical
Circumstances: Certain Frozen and
Canned Warmwater Shrimp From
Thailand, 69 FR 76918 (December 23,
2004), and accompanying Issues and
Decision Memorandum at Comment 10
(Thai Shrimp LTFV Investigation Final);
Notice of Final Determination of Sales
at Less Than Fair Value: Structural Steel
Beams from Germany, 67 FR 35497
(May 20, 2002), and accompanying
Issues and Decision Memorandum at
Comment 2.
Where appropriate, we made
adjustments for billing adjustments,
discounts and rebates. We made
deductions for movement expenses, in
accordance with section 772(c)(2)(A) of
the Act; these included, where
appropriate, foreign inland freight
expenses, foreign warehousing
expenses, foreign inland insurance
expenses, foreign brokerage and
handling expenses, ocean freight
expenses (offset by freight refunds,
where appropriate), marine insurance
expenses, U.S. brokerage and handling
expenses, U.S. customs duties
(including harbor maintenance fees and
merchandise processing fees), U.S.
inland insurance expenses, U.S. inland
freight expenses (i.e., freight from port
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to warehouse and freight from
warehouse to the customer), and U.S.
warehousing expenses.
In accordance with section 772(d)(1)
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.402(b), we
deducted those selling expenses
associated with economic activities
occurring in the United States,
including direct selling expenses (e.g.,
bank charges, advertising, commissions,
and imputed credit expenses), and
indirect selling expenses (including
inventory carrying costs and other
indirect selling expenses).
Pursuant to section 772(d)(3) of the
Act, we further reduced the starting
price by an amount for profit to arrive
at CEP. In accordance with section
772(f) of the Act, we calculated the CEP
profit rate using the expenses incurred
by the Rubicon Group and its U.S.
affiliate on their sales of the subject
merchandise in the United States and
the profit associated with those sales.
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. Based on this comparison, we
determined that Pakfood had a viable
home market during the POR.
Consequently, we based NV on home
market sales for Pakfood.
Regarding the Rubicon Group, we
determined that this respondent’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. Therefore, we
used the Rubicon Group’s sales to
Canada, its 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. Affiliated–Party Transactions and
Arm’s–Length Test
During the POR, Pakfood sold the
foreign like product to affiliated
customers. To test whether these sales
were made at arm’s–length prices, we
compared, on a product–specific basis,
the starting prices of sales to affiliated
and unaffiliated customers, net of all
discounts and rebates, movement
charges, direct selling expenses, and
packing expenses. Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.403(c) and in accordance with the
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Department’s practice, where the price
to the affiliated party was, on average,
within a range of 98 to 102 percent of
the price of the same or comparable
merchandise sold to unaffiliated parties,
we determined that sales made to the
affiliated party were at arm’s length. See
Antidumping Proceedings: Affiliated
Party Sales in the Ordinary Course of
Trade, 67 FR 69186, 69187 (Nov. 15,
2002) (establishing that the overall ratio
calculated for an affiliate must be
between 98 percent and 102 percent in
order for sales to be considered in the
ordinary course of trade and used in the
NV calculation). Sales to affiliated
customers in the comparison market
that were not made at arm’s–length
prices were excluded from our analysis
because we considered these sales to be
outside the ordinary course of trade. See
19 CFR 351.102(b).
C. 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
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),3 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.
3 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
(G&A) expenses, and profit for CV, where possible.
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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. sales 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 at a more advanced stage
of distribution than the LOT of the CEP
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. Pakfood
Pakfood reported that it made EP sales
in the U.S. market through a single
channel of distribution (i.e., direct sales
to distributors). We examined the
selling activities performed for this
channel and found that Pakfood
performed the following selling
functions: sales forecasting/market
research, sales promotion/advertising,
price negotiation, order processing,
invoice issuance, payment receipt,
delivery services, and packing.
Accordingly, we find that Pakfood
performed sales and marketing, and
freight and delivery services at the same
relative level of intensity for all U.S.
sales. Because all sales in the United
States are made through a single
distribution channel, we preliminarily
determine that there is one LOT in the
U.S. market. With respect to the home
market, Pakfood made sales to
processors, distributors, retailers, and
end–users. Pakfood stated that its home
market sales were made through a single
channel of distribution, regardless of
customer category. We examined the
selling activities performed for this
channel, and found that Pakfood
performed the following selling
functions: sales forecasting/market
research, sales promotion/advertising,
price negotiation, order processing,
invoice issuance, delivery services,
payment receipt, and packing.
Accordingly, we find that Pakfood
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performed sales and marketing, and
freight and delivery services at the same
relative level of intensity for all
customers in the home market. Because
all sales in the home market are made
through a single distribution channel,
we preliminarily determine that there is
one LOT in the home market.
Finally, we compared the EP LOT to
the home market LOT and found that
the selling functions performed for U.S.
and home market customers are
virtually identical. Therefore, we
determined that sales to the U.S. and
home markets during the POR were
made at the same LOT, and as a result,
no LOT adjustment was warranted.
2. The Rubicon Group
The Rubicon Group reported that it
made both EP and CEP sales in the U.S.
market to distributors/wholesalers,
retailers, and food service industry
customers. For EP sales, the Rubicon
Group reported sales through one
channel of distribution (i.e., direct from
the Thai exporters to unaffiliated U.S.
customers). For CEP sales, the Rubicon
Group reported that its U.S. affiliate
made sales through two channels of
distribution: 1) from a warehouse; and
2) direct shipments to customers (‘‘drop
shipments’’).
We examined the selling activities
performed for each channel. For direct
EP sales, the Rubicon Group reported
the following selling functions: sales
forecasting/market research, sales
promotion/trade shows, inventory
maintenance, order input/processing,
freight and delivery arrangements,
visits/calls and correspondence to
customers, development of new
packaging (with customer), packing and
after–sales services. Accordingly, we
found that the Rubicon Group
performed sales and marketing, freight
and delivery, and inventory
maintenance and warehousing
activities. As there was only one
channel of distribution for EP sales, we
found that there was one LOT for EP
sales.
For both warehoused and drop–
shipment CEP sales, the Rubicon Group
reported the following selling functions:
inventory maintenance, order input/
processing, freight and delivery
arrangements, and packing. As the
selling functions performed for both
warehoused and drop- shipment sales
were identical, we found that there was
one LOT for CEP sales.
With respect to the Canadian market,
the Rubicon Group reported sales to
distributors/wholesalers, retailers, and
end users. The Rubicon Group stated
that its Canadian sales were made
through two channels of distribution: 1)
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direct to Canadian customers; and 2)
through its U.S. affiliate from a
Canadian warehouse. We examined the
reported selling activities and found
that the Rubicon Group performed the
following selling functions for direct
sales to Canada: sales forecasting;
market research; sales promotion; trade
shows; inventory maintenance; order
input/processing; freight and delivery
arrangements; visits, calls and
correspondence to customers;
development of new packaging (with
customer); packing; and after–sales
services. For warehoused sales to
Canada, we found that the Rubicon
Group, via its U.S. affiliate, performed
the following selling functions: sales
forecasting; market research;
advertising; sales promotion; trade
shows; inventory maintenance; order
input/processing; freight and delivery
arrangements; visits, calls and
correspondence to customers;
development of new packaging and new
markets (with customer); and after–sales
services. Furthermore, we found that the
Rubicon Group performed selling
functions related to sales and marketing,
freight and delivery, and inventory
maintenance and warehousing at the
same relative level of intensity for all
customers in the comparison market.
Therefore, based on our overall analysis,
we found that all of the Rubicon
Group’s sales in the Canadian market
constituted one LOT and that this LOT
was the same as the LOT for EP sales.
Consequently, we matched EP sales to
comparison–market sales at the same
LOT and no LOT adjustment was
warranted.
In comparing the Canadian LOT to the
CEP LOT, we found that the selling
activities performed by the Thai
packers4 for CEP sales were significantly
fewer than the selling activities that
were performed for the Canadian sales.
The Thai packers provided the
following selling functions: sales
forecasting; market research; sales
promotion; advertising; trade shows;
inventory maintenance; order input/
processing; freight and delivery
arrangements; visits, calls and
correspondence to customers;
development of new packaging and new
markets (with customer); packing; and
after–sales services for Canadian sales.
The only selling functions that the Thai
packers provided for CEP sales were
inventory maintenance, order input/
processing, freight and delivery
4 The following companies in the Rubicon Group
produced subject merchandise during the POR and
are collectively referred to as the ‘‘Thai packers’’:
Andaman, CSF, CFF, PTN, PFF, TFC, TIS, and Sea
Wealth.
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arrangements, and packing. Therefore,
the Thai packers provided many more
selling functions for Canadian sales than
they provided for CEP sales, thus
making the Canadian LOT more
advanced than the CEP LOT.
The Rubicon Group provided
evidence on the record of this review
supporting its contention that the
selling activities that the Thai packers
performed for Canadian customers were
much more extensive than those
performed for U.S. sales to its affiliate
Rubicon Resources. While sales to
Canada consumed a great deal of the
Thai packers’ time and resources, the
interaction between the Thai packers
and Rubicon Resources appeared to be
perfunctory, consuming very little of the
Thai packers’ time and resources. See
pages 11 through 20 of the Rubicon
Group’s October 29, 2008, response to
the Department’s supplemental Sections
A, B, and C questionnaire.
The record of this review also
contains information concerning Wales
& Co. Universe Ltd.’s (Wales’)5 activities
with respect to sales made by the Thai
packers to Rubicon Resources.
According to Wales, it had limited
communications with Rubicon
Resources on behalf of the Thai packers
because the Thai packers did not
communicate directly with Rubicon
Resources regarding U.S. sales made
during the POR. As stated above, the
Thai packers regularly communicated
with unaffiliated customers to provide
market analysis, negotiate sales
opportunities, promote products,
schedule in–person meetings, and
develop new packaging designs. The
Thai packers engaged in this level of
service because it was necessary in
order to compete for sales to unaffiliated
customers. However, because the Thai
packers created Rubicon Resources for
the purpose of marketing and
distributing their seafood products in
the United States, and Rubicon
Resources is required to purchase
shrimp from the Thai packers, the Thai
packers did not need to compete for
business with Rubicon Resources as
they did with unaffiliated customers.
Accordingly, the Thai packers did not
need to perform the same high level of
service (e.g., market analysis, sales
forecasting, or packaging design) for
Rubicon Resources that they provided to
unaffiliated customers, including
Canadian customers, because Rubicon
Resources performed these services for
U.S. customers itself, using its sales and
5 Wales and Co. Universe Ltd. is a member of the
Rubicon Group.
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15:28 Mar 06, 2009
Jkt 217001
marketing staff based in the United
States.
Finally, the Rubicon Group provided
documentation on the record of this
review confirming the limited selling
activities with respect to the Thai
packers’ sales to Rubicon Resources
(i.e., invoices and documentation
associated with the shipment of the
merchandise to Rubicon Resources) as
well as documentation concerning
Rubicon Resources’ sales to Canada
(e.g., a sample report Rubicon Resources
prepared to help a customer identify
sales trends and make informed
judgments on future purchases).
Based on the above analysis, we
considered the CEP LOT to be different
from the Canadian LOT and to be at a
less advanced stage of distribution than
the Canadian LOT. Accordingly, we
could not match CEP sales to sales at the
same LOT for Canadian sales, nor could
we determine a LOT adjustment based
on the Rubicon Group’s Canadian sales
because there was only one LOT in
Canada. Therefore, it is not possible to
determine if there was a pattern of
consistent price differences between the
sales on which NV is based and
Canadian sales at the LOT of the export
transaction. See section 773(a)(7)(A) of
the Act. Furthermore, we have no other
information that provides an
appropriate basis for determining a LOT
adjustment. Consequently, because the
data available did not form an
appropriate basis for making a LOT
adjustment but the Canadian LOT was
at a more advanced stage of distribution
than the CEP LOT, we made a CEP offset
to NV in accordance with section
773(a)(7)(B) of the Act. The CEP offset
was calculated as the lesser of: (1) the
indirect selling expenses incurred on
the third–country sales, or (2) the
indirect selling expenses deducted from
the starting price in calculating CEP.
D. Cost of Production Analysis
We found that Pakfood had made
sales below the cost of production (COP)
in the 2004–2006 administrative review,
the most recently completed segment of
this proceeding as of the date of the
initiation of the 2007–2008
administrative review, and such sales
were disregarded. See Certain Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand:
Preliminary Results and Partial
Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 72 FR 10669
(March 9, 2007); unchanged in Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Thailand: Final Results and Final
Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 72 FR 52065
(September 12, 2007). Thus, in
accordance with section 773(b)(2)(A)(ii)
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10005
of the Act, there are reasonable grounds
to believe or suspect that Pakfood made
sales in the home market at prices below
the cost of producing the merchandise
in the current review period.
We found that the Rubicon Group had
made sales below the COP in the LTFV
investigation, the most recently
completed segment of this proceeding as
of the date of the initiation of the 2007–
2008 administrative review, and such
sales were disregarded. See Notice of
Preliminary Determination of Sales at
Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of
Final Determination, and Negative
Preliminary Critical Circumstances
Determination: Certain Frozen and
Canned Warmwater Shrimp from
Thailand, 69 FR 47100, 47107 (Aug. 4,
2004); unchanged in the Thai Shrimp
LTFV Investigation Final. Thus, in
accordance with section 773(b)(2)(A)(ii)
of the Act, there are reasonable grounds
to believe or suspect that the Rubicon
Group made sales in the third–country
market at prices below the cost of
producing the merchandise in the
current review period.
1. Calculation of Cost of Production
In accordance with section 773(b)(3)
of the Act, we calculated the
respondents’ COPs based on the sum of
their costs of materials and conversion
for the foreign like product, plus
amounts for G&A expenses and interest
expenses (see ‘‘Test of Comparison
Market Sales Prices’’ section below for
treatment of comparison market selling
expenses).
The Department relied on the COP
data submitted by Pakfood and the
Rubicon Group for the cost reporting
period in their most recent
supplemental section D questionnaire
responses for the COP calculations,
except for the following instances where
the information was not appropriately
quantified or valued:
Pakfood
We did not make any adjustments to
Pakfood’s reported COP data.
The Rubicon Group
For CFF and CSF, we offset the total
reported G&A expenses by the value of
packaging scrap sold during the cost
reporting period. In addition, for CFF,
CSF and PTN, we adjusted the
respective financial expense rate
calculations to correct a minor
calculation error and to reduce the
applied interest income offset amount
by the interest income earned from non–
current assets. See Memorandum to
Neal Halper, Director, Office of
Accounting from Angela Strom, ‘‘Cost of
Production and Constructed Value
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Calculation Adjustments for the
Preliminary Results the Rubicon
Group,’’ dated March 2, 2009.
2. Test of Comparison–Market Sales
Prices
On a product–specific basis, we
compared the weighted–average COP to
the home market sales (for Pakfood) or
third–country sales (for the Rubicon
Group) of the foreign like product,
adjusted where applicable, 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, adjusted for any applicable
billing adjustments, were exclusive of
any applicable movement charges,
rebates, discounts, and direct and
indirect selling expenses, and packing
expenses.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
3. Results of the COP Test
In determining whether to disregard
comparison–market sales made at prices
below the COP, we examine, 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 comparison–market 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
Pakfood’s and the Rubicon Group’s
comparison–market 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
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15:28 Mar 06, 2009
Jkt 217001
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 comparison–market sales in the
ordinary course of trade, we compared
EPs or CEPs to the CV in accordance
with section 773(a)(4) of the Act. See
‘‘Calculation of Normal Value Based on
Constructed Value’’ section below.
E. Calculation of Normal Value Based
on Comparison–Market Prices
1. Pakfood
We based NV for Pakfood on ex–
factory or delivered prices to
unaffiliated customers in the home
market, or prices to affiliated customers
in the home market that were
determined to be at arm’s length. Where
appropriate, we made adjustments for
billing adjustments and discounts. We
made deductions, where appropriate,
from the starting price for inland freight
and pre–sale warehousing expenses,
under section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
We made adjustments under section
773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.410 for differences in
circumstances–of-sale for imputed
credit expenses, bank/wire fee charges,
commissions, and express mail charges,
where appropriate. 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.
Furthermore, 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.
We also deducted home market
packing costs and added U.S. packing
costs, in accordance with section
773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
2. The Rubicon Group
For the Rubicon Group, we calculated
NV based on prices to unaffiliated
customers. Where appropriate, we made
adjustments for billing adjustments and
rebates. We also made deductions for
movement expenses, including inland
freight (plant to warehouse and
warehouse to port), warehousing, inland
insurance, brokerage and handling,
ocean freight (offset by freight refunds,
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where appropriate), third–country
inland insurance, third–country
customs fees, third–country brokerage
and handling expenses, and third–
country warehousing expenses, under
section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
For third–country price–to-EP
comparisons, we made circumstance–ofsale adjustments for differences in credit
expenses, bank charges, and
commissions, pursuant to section
773(a)(6)(C) of the Act.
For third–country price–to-CEP
comparisons, we made deductions for
third–country credit expenses, bank
charges, commissions, advertising
expenses, and repacking expenses,
pursuant to 773(a)(6)(C) of the Act. In
addition, we made a CEP offset in
accordance with section 773(a)(7)(B) of
the Act, as discussed above in the
‘‘Level of Trade’’ section.
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
the commissions were granted in the
comparison 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 comparison
market; or 2) the amount of indirect
selling expenses incurred in the U.S.
market.
Furthermore, 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.
We also deducted third–country
packing costs and added U.S. packing
costs in accordance with sections
773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
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
Pakfood and the Rubicon Group for
which we could not determine the NV
based on comparison–market sales,
either because there were no useable
sales of a comparable product or all
sales of comparable products failed the
COP test, we based NV on CV.
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Section 773(e) of the Act provides that
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 the Rubicon Group,
we calculated the cost of materials and
fabrication based on the methodology
described in the ‘‘Cost of Production
Analysis’’ section, above, and we based
SG&A and profit for each respondent on
the actual amounts incurred and
realized by it 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. For comparisons
to the Rubicon Group’s EP, we made
circumstances–of-sale adjustments by
deducting direct selling expenses
incurred on comparison–market sales
from, and adding U.S. direct selling
expenses to CV, in accordance with
section 773(a)(8) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.410.
Currency Conversion
We made currency conversions into
U.S. dollars in accordance with section
773A of the Act and 19 CFR 351.415
based on the exchange rates in effect on
the dates of the U.S. sales as certified by
the Federal Reserve Bank.
Preliminary Results of the Review
We preliminarily determine that
weighted–average dumping margins
exist for the respondents for the period
February 1, 2006, through January 31,
2007, as follows:
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
Pakfood Public Company Limited / Asia
Pacific (Thailand)
Company Limited /
Takzin Samut Company Limited (collectively, Pakfood) .........
Andaman Seafood Co.,
Ltd. / Chanthaburi
Frozen Food Co., Ltd.
/ Chanthaburi Seafoods Co., Ltd. /
Phattana Seafood
Co., Ltd. / Phattana
Frozen Food Co., Ltd.
/ Seawealth Frozen
Food Co. Ltd. / Thailand Fishery Cold
Storage Public Co.,
Ltd. / Thai International Seafoods
Co., Ltd. /Wales &
Co. Universe Limited
(collectively, the Rubicon Group) ................
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15:28 Mar 06, 2009
4.25
4.64
Jkt 217001
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
Review–Specific Average Rate Applicable
to the Following Companies:6.
6This
rate is based on the weighted average
of the margins calculated for those companies
selected for individual examination, excluding
de minimis margins or margins based entirely
on AFA.
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
ACU Transport Co., Ltd.
Ampai Frozen Food
Co., Ltd. ....................
A.S. Intermarine Foods
Co., Ltd .....................
Asian Seafoods
Coldstorage Public
Co., Ltd. ....................
Asian Seafoods
Coldstorage
(Suratthani) Co., Ltd.
Assoc. Commercial
Systems ....................
A. Wattanachai Frozen
Products Co., Ltd. .....
Bangkok Dehydrated
Marine Product Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Bright Sea Co., Ltd. ......
C P Mdse ......................
C Y Frozen Food Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Chaiwarut Co., Ltd. .......
Chaivaree Marine Products Co., Ltd. .............
Charoen Pokphand
Foods Public Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Chue Eie Mong Eak
Ltd. Part. ...................
Core Seafood Processing Co., Ltd. .........
Crystal Seafood ............
Daedong (Thailand) Co.
Ltd. ............................
Daiei Taigen (Thailand) Co., Ltd. ........
Daiho (Thailand) Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Earth Food Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ..........
Euro–Asian International Seafoods
Co., Ltd. ....................
F.A.I.T. Corporation
Limited .......................
Far East Cold Storage
Co., Ltd. ....................
Findus (Thailand) Ltd. ..
Fortune Frozen Foods
(Thailand) Co., Ltd. ...
Frozen Marine Products
Co., Ltd. ....................
Gallant Ocean (Thailand) Co., Ltd. ...........
Gallant Ocean Seafood
Corporation ...............
Good Fortune Cold
Storage Co., Ltd. .......
Good Luck Product Co.,
Ltd. ............................
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4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
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Manufacturer/Exporter
Gulf Coast Crab Intl ......
H.A.M. International
Co., Ltd. ....................
Heng Seafood Limited
Partnership ................
Heritrade Co., Ltd. ........
HIC (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
I.T. Foods Industries
Co., Ltd. ....................
Inter–Oceanic Resources Co., Ltd. .......
Inter–Pacific Marine
Products Co., Ltd. .....
Intersia Foods Co., Ltd.
K .D. Trading Co., Ltd.
K Fresh .........................
KF Foods ......................
K.L. Cold Storage Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Kiang Huat Sea Gull
Trading Frozen Food
Public Co., Ltd. .........
Kingfisher Holdings Ltd.
Kibun Trdg ....................
Klang Co., Ltd. ..............
Kitchens of the Ocean
(Thailand) Ltd. ...........
Kongphop Frozen
Foods Co., Ltd. .........
Kosamut Frozen Foods
Co., Ltd. ....................
Lee Heng Seafood Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Leo Transports .............
Maersk Line ..................
Magnate & Syndicate
Co., Ltd. ....................
Mahachai Food Processing Co., Ltd. .........
Marine Gold Products
Limited .......................
May Ao Co., Ltd. ..........
May Ao Foods Co., Ltd.
N&N Foods Co., Ltd. ....
Namprik Maesri Ltd.
Part. ...........................
Narong Seafood Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Ongkorn Cold Storage
Co., Ltd. ....................
Pacific Queen Co., Ltd.
Penta Impex Co., Ltd. ..
Pinwood Nineteen Ninety Nine .......................
Piti Seafoods Co., Ltd.
Premier Frozen Products Co., Ltd. .............
Preserved Food Specialty Co., Ltd. ...........
Rayong Coldstorage
(1987) Co., Ltd. .........
S&D Marine Products
Co., Ltd. ....................
S&P Aquarium ..............
S&P Syndicate Public
Company Ltd. ............
S. Chaivaree Cold Storage Co., Ltd. .............
S.C.C. Frozen Seafood
Co., Ltd. ....................
S. Khonkaen Food Industry Public Co., Ltd.
SMP Foods Products
Co., Ltd. ....................
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
10007
Percent Margin
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4.51
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4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 44 / Monday, March 9, 2009 / Notices
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
Samui Foods Company
Limited .......................
Sea Bonanza Food Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Seafoods Enterprise
Co., Ltd. ....................
Seafresh Fisheries ........
Seafresh Industry Public
Co., Ltd. ....................
Siam Food Supply Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Siam Intersea Co., Ltd.
Siam Marine Products
Co. Ltd. .....................
Siam Ocean Frozen
Foods Co. Ltd. ..........
Siam Union Frozen
Foods ........................
Siamchai International
Food Co., Ltd. ...........
Southport Seafood ........
STC Foodpak Ltd. ........
Suntechthai Intertrading
Co., Ltd. ....................
Surapon Foods Public
Co., Ltd. ....................
Surapon Nichirei Foods
Co., Ltd. ....................
Surapon Seafood ..........
Suratthani Marine Products Co., Ltd. .............
Suree Interfoods Co.,
Ltd. ............................
T.S.F. Seafood Co., Ltd.
Tanaya International
Co., Ltd. ....................
Teppitak Seafood Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Tey Seng Cold Storage
Co., Ltd. ....................
Thai–Ger Marine Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Thai Agri Foods Public
Co., Ltd. ....................
Thai I–Mei Frozen
Foods Co., Ltd. .........
Thai Mahachai Seafood
Products Co., Ltd. .....
Thai Ocean Venture
Co., Ltd. ....................
Thai Patana Frozen ......
Thai Prawn Culture
Center Co., Ltd. ........
Thai Royal Frozen Food
Co. Ltd. .....................
Thai Spring Fish Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Thai Union Frozen
Products Public Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Thai Union Seafood
Co., Ltd. ....................
Thai Yoo Ltd., Part. ......
The Siam Union Frozen
Food Co., Ltd. ...........
The Union Frozen Products Co., Ltd. .............
Trang Seafood Products
Public Co., Ltd. .........
Transamut Food Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Tung Lieng Trdg ...........
United Cold Storage
Co., Ltd. ....................
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:28 Mar 06, 2009
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
4.51
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Manufacturer/Exporter
Percent Margin
V Thai Food Product ....
Wales & Co. Universe
Ltd. ............................
Xian–Ning Seafood Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Y2K Frozen Foods Co.,
Ltd. ............................
Yeenin Frozen Foods
Co., Ltd. ....................
YHS Singapore Pte ......
ZAFCO TRDG ..............
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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). Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309,
interested parties may submit cases
briefs not later than 30 days after the
date of publication of this notice.
Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised
in the case briefs, may be filed not later
than five days after the date for filing
case briefs. Parties who submit case
briefs or rebuttal briefs in this
proceeding are encouraged to submit
with each argument: 1) a statement of
the issue; 2) a brief summary of the
argument; and 3) a table of authorities.
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 1870, 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
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Jkt 217001
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.
For the majority of the Rubicon
Group’s and Pakfood’s U.S. sales, we
note that these companies reported the
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
entered value for the U.S. sales in
question. 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 certain of the Rubicon Group’s
and Pakfood’s U.S. sales, we note that
these companies did not report the
entered value for the U.S. sales in
question. 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. With respect to Pakfood’s and the
Rubicon Group’s U.S. sales of shrimp
with sauce, for which no entered value
was reported, we will include the total
quantity of the merchandise with sauce
in the denominator of the calculation of
the importer–specific rate because CBP
will apply the per–unit duty rate to the
total quantity of merchandise entered,
including the sauce weight. 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.
For the responsive companies which
were not selected for individual
examination, we will calculate an
assessment rate based on the weighted
average of the cash deposit rates
calculated for the companies selected
for individual examination 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). 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
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
09MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 44 / Monday, March 9, 2009 / Notices
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 effective during the POR (i.e.,
5.95 percent) 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 above7 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 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 be 5.34 percent, the
all–others rate made effective by the
Section 129 determination. These
requirements, when imposed, shall
remain in effect until further notice.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
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
7 Effective January 16, 2009, there is no longer a
cash deposit requirement for certain producers/
exporters in accordance with the Implementation of
the Findings of the WTO Panel in United States
Antidumping Measure on Shrimp from Thailand:
Notice of Determination under Section 129 of the
Uruguay Round Agreements Act and Partial
Revocation of the Antidumping Duty Order on
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand, 74 FR
5638 (January 30, 2009) (Section 129
Determination).
VerDate Nov<24>2008
18:25 Mar 06, 2009
Jkt 217001
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 and notice
are published in accordance with
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the
Act and 19 CFR 351.221.
Dated: March 2, 2009.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–4924 Filed 3–6–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A–552–802
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp
from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:
Preliminary Results, Preliminary Partial
Rescission and Request for
Revocation, In Part, of the Third
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 the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
(‘‘Vietnam’’), covering the period of
review (‘‘POR’’) of February 1, 2007,
through January 31, 2008. As discussed
below, we preliminarily determine that
sales have been made below normal
value (‘‘NV’’). If these preliminary
results are adopted in our final results
of review, we will instruct U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (‘‘CBP’’) to assess
antidumping duties on entries of subject
merchandise during the POR for which
the importer–specific assessment rates
are above de minimis.
EFFECTIVE DATE: March 9, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Irene Gorelik, AD/CVD Operations,
Office 9, Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th
Street and Constitution Avenue, NW,
Washington DC 20230; telephone: (202)
482–6905.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Background
On February 1, 2005, the Department
published in the Federal Register the
antidumping duty order on frozen
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10009
warmwater shrimp from Vietnam. See
Notice of Amended Final Determination
of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and
Antidumping Duty Order: Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 70 FR
5152 (February 1, 2005) (‘‘Order’’). On
February 4, 2008, the Department
published a notice of opportunity to
request an administrative review of the
antidumping duty order on frozen
warmwater shrimp from Vietnam for the
period February 1, 2007, through
January 31, 2008. See Antidumping or
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity
To Request Administrative Review, 73
FR 6477 (February 4, 2008).
On February 29, 2008, we received
requests to conduct administrative
reviews of 145 companies from
Petitioner,1 two companies from the
Louisiana Shrimp Association (‘‘LSA’’),
and requests by certain Vietnamese
companies.2 See Notice of Initiation of
Administrative Reviews of the
Antidumping Duty Orders on Frozen
Warmwater Shrimp from the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam and the People’s
Republic of China 73 FR 18739 (April 7,
2008) (‘‘Initiation Notice’’).
On April 7, 2008, the Department
initiated an administrative review of
170 producers/exporters of subject
merchandise from Vietnam. See
Initiation Notice. However, after
accounting for duplicate names and
additional trade names associated with
certain exporters, the number of
companies upon which we initiated is
actually 110 companies/groups. On
April 8, 2008, the Department posted
the separate rate certification and
separate rate application on its website
for Vietnamese exporters for whom a
review was initiated to complete and
submit to the Department.
On April 14, 2008, May 5, 2008, and
May 7, 2008, the Department received
letters from Vinh Hoan Corporation
(formerly Vinh Hoan Co., Ltd.) (‘‘Vinh
Hoan’’), Kim Anh Co., Ltd. (‘‘Kim
Anh’’), Quoc Viet Seaproducts
Processing Trading Import and Export
Co., Ltd., (‘‘Quoc Viet’’), and C.P.
Vietnam Livestock Company Limited
(‘‘CP Vietnam’’), respectively, indicating
that they made no shipments of subject
merchandise during the POR.
Of the 110 companies/groups upon
which we initiated an administrative
review, 78 companies did not submit
separate rate certifications or
1 The Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Action Committee is
the Petitioner.
2 Some of these requests created an overlap in the
number of companies upon which an
administrative review was requested.
E:\FR\FM\09MRN1.SGM
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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 44 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10000-10009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4924]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A-549-822
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand: Preliminary
Results 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 Thailand with respect to 136 companies. The two
respondents which the Department selected for individual examination
are Andaman Seafood Co., Ltd. (Andaman), Wales & Co. Universe Limited,
Chanthaburi Frozen Food Co., Ltd. (CFF), Chanthaburi Seafoods Co., Ltd.
(CSF), Phattana Seafood Co., Ltd. (PTN), Phattana Frozen Food Co., Ltd.
(PFF), Thailand Fishery Cold Storage Public Co., Ltd. (TFC), Thai
International Seafoods Co., Ltd. (TIS), and Sea Wealth Frozen Food Co.,
Ltd. (Sea Wealth) (collectively, the Rubicon Group), and Pakfood Public
Company Limited and its affiliates, Asia Pacific (Thailand) Company,
Limited and Takzin Samut Company, Limited (collectively, Pakfood). The
respondents which were not selected for individual examination are
listed in the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section of this notice.
This is the third administrative review of this order. The review
covers the period February 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008.
We preliminarily determine that sales were made by Pakfood and the
Rubicon Group below normal value (NV). In addition, based on the
preliminary results for the respondents selected for
[[Page 10001]]
individual examination, we have preliminarily determined a weighted-
average margin for those companies that were not individually examined.
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, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Johnson or David Goldberger, AD/
CVD Operations, Office 2, Import Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20230; telephone (202) 482-
4929 and (202) 482-4136, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In February 2005, the Department published in the Federal Register
an antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from
Thailand. See Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty Order: Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Thailand, 70 FR 5145 (Feb. 1, 2005). On February 4, 2008,
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 Thailand for the period
February 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. See Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation;
Opportunity to Request Administrative Review, 73 FR 6477 (February 4,
2008). In response to timely requests from interested parties, pursuant
to 19 CFR 351.213(b)(1) and (2), to conduct an administrative review of
the sales of certain frozen warmwater shrimp made by numerous companies
during the period of review (POR), the Department initiated an
administrative review for 165 companies. These companies are listed in
the Department's notice of initiation. See Certain Frozen Warmwater
Shrimp from Brazil, Ecuador, India, and Thailand: Notice of Initiation
of Administrative Reviews, 73 FR 18754 (April 7, 2008).
Between March and May 2008, the Department received submissions
from certain companies that indicated they had no shipments of subject
merchandise to the United States during the POR.
Based upon 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 was requested. As a result, on
May 27, 2008, we selected the two largest producers/exporters of
certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Thailand during the POR, Pakfood
and the Rubicon Group, for individual examination in this segment of
the proceeding. See Memorandum to James Maeder from Irina Itkin
entitled, ``2007-2008 Antidumping Duty Administrative Review on Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand: Selection of Respondents for
Individual Review,'' dated May 27, 2008. On May 28, 2008, we issued the
antidumping duty questionnaire to Pakfood and the Rubicon Group.
On July 7, 2008, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), the
petitioner withdrew its request for review for the following eighteen
companies: Anglo-Siam Seafoods Co., Ltd.; Applied DB Ind; Chonburi LC;
Gallant Ocean (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Gallant Ocean)\1\; Haitai Seafood
Co., Ltd.; High Way International Co., Ltd.; Li-Thai Frozen Foods Co.,
Ltd.; Merkur Co., Ltd.; Ming Chao Ind Thailand; Nongmon SMJ Products;
Queen Marine Food Co., Ltd.; SCT Co., Ltd.; Search & Serve; Smile Heart
Foods Co., Ltd.; Shianlin Bangkok Co., Ltd.; Star Frozen Foods Co.,
Ltd.; Thai World Imports & Exports; and Wann Fisheries Co., Ltd.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Gallant Ocean has not withdrawn its February 29, 2008,
request for review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We received responses to sections A, B, C, and D of the
questionnaire from Pakfood and the Rubicon Group in July and August
2008.
On October 8, 2008, the Department postponed the preliminary
results in this review until no later than March 2, 2008. See Certain
Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Ecuador, India, the People's Republic of
China, and Thailand: Notice of Extension of Time Limits for the
Preliminary Results of the Third Administrative Reviews, 73 FR 58931
(October 8, 2008).
During the period September 2008 through January 2009, we issued to
Pakfood and the Rubicon Group supplemental questionnaires regarding
sections A, B, C, and D of the original questionnaire. We received
responses to these questionnaires during the period October 2008
through February 2009.
On October 27, 2008, the Department issued a memorandum indicating
that it intended to rescind the administrative review with respect to
29 respondent companies, and it invited comments on this action from
interested parties. See Memorandum to The File from Kate Johnson
entitled ``Intent to Rescind in Part the Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review on Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from
Thailand,'' dated October 27, 2008 (Intent to Rescind Memorandum). On
November 3, 2008, and November 13, 2008, the Department received
comments from 32 U.S. producers opposing the rescission with respect to
the companies for which the petitioner withdrew its review request. On
November 6, 2008, the petitioner responded to the comments filed on
November 3, 2008.
On December 19, 2008, we published a notice rescinding the
administrative review with respect to 29 companies for the following
reasons, where applicable: 1) the request for an administrative review
for the company was withdrawn in a timely manner; 2) the company had no
shipments of subject merchandise to the United States during the POR;
or 3) although there appeared to be U.S. customs entries of subject
merchandise, we determined that the entries were not reportable
transactions. See Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand;
Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 73 FR
77612 (December 19, 2008). See also Intent to Rescind Memorandum.
We conducted a verification of the Rubicon Group's cost responses
in February 2009.
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,\2\ deveined or not deveined, cooked or raw, or
otherwise processed in frozen form.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``Tails'' in this context means the tail fan, which includes
the telson and the uropods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
[[Page 10002]]
(Penaeus chinensis), giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii),
giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), redspotted 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 (HTSUS
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 (HTSUS subheadings 0306.23.00.20 and 0306.23.00.40); 4) shrimp
and prawns in prepared meals (HTSUS subheading 1605.20.05.10); 5) dried
shrimp and prawns; 6) canned warmwater shrimp and prawns (HTSUS
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.
Period of Review
The POR is February 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008.
Comparisons to Normal Value
To determine whether sales of certain frozen warmwater shrimp from
Thailand to the United States were made at less than NV, we compared
the export price (EP) or constructed export price (CEP) to the NV, as
described in the ``Constructed Export Price/Export Price'' and ``Normal
Value'' sections of this notice, below.
Pursuant to section 777A(d)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act), for Pakfood and the Rubicon Group we compared the
EPs or CEPs 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 Pakfood and the Rubicon Group 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 of shrimp to sales of shrimp made in the comparison
market for Pakfood (home market) and the Rubicon Group (Canada) 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 of shrimp to sales of shrimp of the most similar
foreign like product made in the ordinary course of trade. For the
Rubicon Group, where there were no sales of identical or similar
merchandise in the comparison market made in the ordinary course of
trade to compare to U.S. sales, we made product comparisons using
constructed value (CV).
With respect to sales comparisons involving broken shrimp, we
compared Pakfood's and the Rubicon Group's sales of broken shrimp in
the United States to its sales of comparable quality shrimp in the
comparison market. Where there were no sales of identical broken shrimp
in the comparison market made in the ordinary course of trade to
compare to U.S. sales, we compared U.S. sales of broken shrimp to sales
of the most similar broken shrimp made in the ordinary course of trade.
Where there were no sales of identical or similar broken shrimp, we
made product comparisons using CV.
In making the product comparisons, we matched foreign like products
based on the physical characteristics reported by Pakfood and the
Rubicon Group 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.
Constructed Export Price/Export Price
For all U.S. sales made by Pakfood, as well as certain U.S. sales
made by the Rubicon Group, we used 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 CEP methodology was not otherwise warranted based on
the facts of record.
For certain U.S. sales made by the Rubicon Group, we calculated CEP
in accordance with section 772(b) of the Act because the subject
merchandise was sold for the account of the Rubicon Group by its
subsidiary in the United States to unaffiliated purchasers.
A. Pakfood
We based EP on FOB, C&F or DDP (delivered, duty paid) prices to the
first unaffiliated purchaser in the United States. Where appropriate,
we made adjustments to the starting price for discounts. We made
deductions, where appropriate, for foreign inland freight expenses,
pre-sale warehousing expenses, survey fees, foreign brokerage and
handling expenses, ocean freight expenses (offset by freight
adjustments, where appropriate), marine insurance expenses, U.S.
brokerage and handling expenses, and U.S. customs duties (including
harbor maintenance fees and merchandise processing fees) in accordance
with section 772(c)(2)(A) of the Act
B. The Rubicon Group
In accordance with section 772(a) of the Act, we calculated EP for
those sales where the merchandise was sold to the first unaffiliated
purchaser in the United States prior to importation by the exporter or
producer outside the United States. Where appropriate, we made
adjustments to the starting price for billing adjustments and
discounts. We made deductions for movement expenses in accordance with
section
[[Page 10003]]
772(c)(2)(A) of the Act; these included, where appropriate, foreign
inland freight expenses, foreign warehousing expenses, foreign inland
insurance expenses, foreign brokerage and handling expenses, ocean
freight expenses (offset by freight refunds, where appropriate), marine
insurance expenses, U.S. brokerage and handling expenses, U.S. customs
duties (including harbor maintenance fees and merchandise processing
fees), and U.S. inland freight expenses (i.e., freight from port to
warehouse).
In accordance with section 772(b) of the Act, we calculated CEP for
those sales where the merchandise was first sold (or agreed to be sold)
in the United States before or after the date of importation by or for
the account of the producer or exporter, or by a seller affiliated with
the producer or exporter, to a purchaser not affiliated with the
producer or exporter. We used the earlier of shipment date from
Thailand to the customer or the U.S. affiliate's invoice date to the
customer as the date of sale for CEP sales, in accordance with our
practice. See, e.g., Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand:
Final Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 72 FR 52065 (September 12, 2007), and accompanying Issues and
Decision Memorandum at Comment 11; Notice of Final Determination of
Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Negative Final Determination of
Critical Circumstances: Certain Frozen and Canned Warmwater Shrimp From
Thailand, 69 FR 76918 (December 23, 2004), and accompanying Issues and
Decision Memorandum at Comment 10 (Thai Shrimp LTFV Investigation
Final); Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value:
Structural Steel Beams from Germany, 67 FR 35497 (May 20, 2002), and
accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 2.
Where appropriate, we made adjustments for billing adjustments,
discounts and rebates. We made deductions for movement expenses, in
accordance with section 772(c)(2)(A) of the Act; these included, where
appropriate, foreign inland freight expenses, foreign warehousing
expenses, foreign inland insurance expenses, foreign brokerage and
handling expenses, ocean freight expenses (offset by freight refunds,
where appropriate), marine insurance expenses, U.S. brokerage and
handling expenses, U.S. customs duties (including harbor maintenance
fees and merchandise processing fees), U.S. inland insurance expenses,
U.S. inland freight expenses (i.e., freight from port to warehouse and
freight from warehouse to the customer), and U.S. warehousing expenses.
In accordance with section 772(d)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.402(b), we deducted those selling expenses associated with economic
activities occurring in the United States, including direct selling
expenses (e.g., bank charges, advertising, commissions, and imputed
credit expenses), and indirect selling expenses (including inventory
carrying costs and other indirect selling expenses).
Pursuant to section 772(d)(3) of the Act, we further reduced the
starting price by an amount for profit to arrive at CEP. In accordance
with section 772(f) of the Act, we calculated the CEP profit rate using
the expenses incurred by the Rubicon Group and its U.S. affiliate on
their sales of the subject merchandise in the United States and the
profit associated with those sales.
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. Based on this comparison, we
determined that Pakfood had a viable home market during the POR.
Consequently, we based NV on home market sales for Pakfood.
Regarding the Rubicon Group, we determined that this respondent'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. Therefore, we used the Rubicon Group's sales to
Canada, its 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. Affiliated-Party Transactions and Arm's-Length Test
During the POR, Pakfood sold the foreign like product to affiliated
customers. To test whether these sales were made at arm's-length
prices, we compared, on a product-specific basis, the starting prices
of sales to affiliated and unaffiliated customers, net of all discounts
and rebates, movement charges, direct selling expenses, and packing
expenses. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.403(c) and in accordance with the
Department's practice, where the price to the affiliated party was, on
average, within a range of 98 to 102 percent of the price of the same
or comparable merchandise sold to unaffiliated parties, we determined
that sales made to the affiliated party were at arm's length. See
Antidumping Proceedings: Affiliated Party Sales in the Ordinary Course
of Trade, 67 FR 69186, 69187 (Nov. 15, 2002) (establishing that the
overall ratio calculated for an affiliate must be between 98 percent
and 102 percent in order for sales to be considered in the ordinary
course of trade and used in the NV calculation). Sales to affiliated
customers in the comparison market that were not made at arm's-length
prices were excluded from our analysis because we considered these
sales to be outside the ordinary course of trade. See 19 CFR
351.102(b).
C. 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 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),\3\ 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.
[[Page 10004]]
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. sales 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
at a more advanced stage of distribution than the LOT of the CEP 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.
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\3\ 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 (G&A) expenses, and profit for CV, where
possible.
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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. Pakfood
Pakfood reported that it made EP sales in the U.S. market through a
single channel of distribution (i.e., direct sales to distributors). We
examined the selling activities performed for this channel and found
that Pakfood performed the following selling functions: sales
forecasting/market research, sales promotion/advertising, price
negotiation, order processing, invoice issuance, payment receipt,
delivery services, and packing. Accordingly, we find that Pakfood
performed sales and marketing, and freight and delivery services at the
same relative level of intensity for all U.S. sales. Because all sales
in the United States are made through a single distribution channel, we
preliminarily determine that there is one LOT in the U.S. market. With
respect to the home market, Pakfood made sales to processors,
distributors, retailers, and end-users. Pakfood stated that its home
market sales were made through a single channel of distribution,
regardless of customer category. We examined the selling activities
performed for this channel, and found that Pakfood performed the
following selling functions: sales forecasting/market research, sales
promotion/advertising, price negotiation, order processing, invoice
issuance, delivery services, payment receipt, and packing. Accordingly,
we find that Pakfood performed sales and marketing, and freight and
delivery services at the same relative level of intensity for all
customers in the home market. Because all sales in the home market are
made through a single distribution channel, we preliminarily determine
that there is one LOT in the home market.
Finally, we compared the EP LOT to the home market LOT and found
that the selling functions performed for U.S. and home market customers
are virtually identical. Therefore, we determined that sales to the
U.S. and home markets during the POR were made at the same LOT, and as
a result, no LOT adjustment was warranted.
2. The Rubicon Group
The Rubicon Group reported that it made both EP and CEP sales in
the U.S. market to distributors/wholesalers, retailers, and food
service industry customers. For EP sales, the Rubicon Group reported
sales through one channel of distribution (i.e., direct from the Thai
exporters to unaffiliated U.S. customers). For CEP sales, the Rubicon
Group reported that its U.S. affiliate made sales through two channels
of distribution: 1) from a warehouse; and 2) direct shipments to
customers (``drop shipments'').
We examined the selling activities performed for each channel. For
direct EP sales, the Rubicon Group reported the following selling
functions: sales forecasting/market research, sales promotion/trade
shows, inventory maintenance, order input/processing, freight and
delivery arrangements, visits/calls and correspondence to customers,
development of new packaging (with customer), packing and after-sales
services. Accordingly, we found that the Rubicon Group performed sales
and marketing, freight and delivery, and inventory maintenance and
warehousing activities. As there was only one channel of distribution
for EP sales, we found that there was one LOT for EP sales.
For both warehoused and drop-shipment CEP sales, the Rubicon Group
reported the following selling functions: inventory maintenance, order
input/processing, freight and delivery arrangements, and packing. As
the selling functions performed for both warehoused and drop- shipment
sales were identical, we found that there was one LOT for CEP sales.
With respect to the Canadian market, the Rubicon Group reported
sales to distributors/wholesalers, retailers, and end users. The
Rubicon Group stated that its Canadian sales were made through two
channels of distribution: 1) direct to Canadian customers; and 2)
through its U.S. affiliate from a Canadian warehouse. We examined the
reported selling activities and found that the Rubicon Group performed
the following selling functions for direct sales to Canada: sales
forecasting; market research; sales promotion; trade shows; inventory
maintenance; order input/processing; freight and delivery arrangements;
visits, calls and correspondence to customers; development of new
packaging (with customer); packing; and after-sales services. For
warehoused sales to Canada, we found that the Rubicon Group, via its
U.S. affiliate, performed the following selling functions: sales
forecasting; market research; advertising; sales promotion; trade
shows; inventory maintenance; order input/processing; freight and
delivery arrangements; visits, calls and correspondence to customers;
development of new packaging and new markets (with customer); and
after-sales services. Furthermore, we found that the Rubicon Group
performed selling functions related to sales and marketing, freight and
delivery, and inventory maintenance and warehousing at the same
relative level of intensity for all customers in the comparison market.
Therefore, based on our overall analysis, we found that all of the
Rubicon Group's sales in the Canadian market constituted one LOT and
that this LOT was the same as the LOT for EP sales. Consequently, we
matched EP sales to comparison-market sales at the same LOT and no LOT
adjustment was warranted.
In comparing the Canadian LOT to the CEP LOT, we found that the
selling activities performed by the Thai packers\4\ for CEP sales were
significantly fewer than the selling activities that were performed for
the Canadian sales. The Thai packers provided the following selling
functions: sales forecasting; market research; sales promotion;
advertising; trade shows; inventory maintenance; order input/
processing; freight and delivery arrangements; visits, calls and
correspondence to customers; development of new packaging and new
markets (with customer); packing; and after-sales services for Canadian
sales. The only selling functions that the Thai packers provided for
CEP sales were inventory maintenance, order input/processing, freight
and delivery
[[Page 10005]]
arrangements, and packing. Therefore, the Thai packers provided many
more selling functions for Canadian sales than they provided for CEP
sales, thus making the Canadian LOT more advanced than the CEP LOT.
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\4\ The following companies in the Rubicon Group produced
subject merchandise during the POR and are collectively referred to
as the ``Thai packers'': Andaman, CSF, CFF, PTN, PFF, TFC, TIS, and
Sea Wealth.
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The Rubicon Group provided evidence on the record of this review
supporting its contention that the selling activities that the Thai
packers performed for Canadian customers were much more extensive than
those performed for U.S. sales to its affiliate Rubicon Resources.
While sales to Canada consumed a great deal of the Thai packers' time
and resources, the interaction between the Thai packers and Rubicon
Resources appeared to be perfunctory, consuming very little of the Thai
packers' time and resources. See pages 11 through 20 of the Rubicon
Group's October 29, 2008, response to the Department's supplemental
Sections A, B, and C questionnaire.
The record of this review also contains information concerning
Wales & Co. Universe Ltd.'s (Wales')\5\ activities with respect to
sales made by the Thai packers to Rubicon Resources. According to
Wales, it had limited communications with Rubicon Resources on behalf
of the Thai packers because the Thai packers did not communicate
directly with Rubicon Resources regarding U.S. sales made during the
POR. As stated above, the Thai packers regularly communicated with
unaffiliated customers to provide market analysis, negotiate sales
opportunities, promote products, schedule in-person meetings, and
develop new packaging designs. The Thai packers engaged in this level
of service because it was necessary in order to compete for sales to
unaffiliated customers. However, because the Thai packers created
Rubicon Resources for the purpose of marketing and distributing their
seafood products in the United States, and Rubicon Resources is
required to purchase shrimp from the Thai packers, the Thai packers did
not need to compete for business with Rubicon Resources as they did
with unaffiliated customers. Accordingly, the Thai packers did not need
to perform the same high level of service (e.g., market analysis, sales
forecasting, or packaging design) for Rubicon Resources that they
provided to unaffiliated customers, including Canadian customers,
because Rubicon Resources performed these services for U.S. customers
itself, using its sales and marketing staff based in the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Wales and Co. Universe Ltd. is a member of the Rubicon
Group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Rubicon Group provided documentation on the record of
this review confirming the limited selling activities with respect to
the Thai packers' sales to Rubicon Resources (i.e., invoices and
documentation associated with the shipment of the merchandise to
Rubicon Resources) as well as documentation concerning Rubicon
Resources' sales to Canada (e.g., a sample report Rubicon Resources
prepared to help a customer identify sales trends and make informed
judgments on future purchases).
Based on the above analysis, we considered the CEP LOT to be
different from the Canadian LOT and to be at a less advanced stage of
distribution than the Canadian LOT. Accordingly, we could not match CEP
sales to sales at the same LOT for Canadian sales, nor could we
determine a LOT adjustment based on the Rubicon Group's Canadian sales
because there was only one LOT in Canada. Therefore, it is not possible
to determine if there was a pattern of consistent price differences
between the sales on which NV is based and Canadian sales at the LOT of
the export transaction. See section 773(a)(7)(A) of the Act.
Furthermore, we have no other information that provides an appropriate
basis for determining a LOT adjustment. Consequently, because the data
available did not form an appropriate basis for making a LOT adjustment
but the Canadian LOT was at a more advanced stage of distribution than
the CEP LOT, we made a CEP offset to NV in accordance with section
773(a)(7)(B) of the Act. The CEP offset was calculated as the lesser
of: (1) the indirect selling expenses incurred on the third-country
sales, or (2) the indirect selling expenses deducted from the starting
price in calculating CEP.
D. Cost of Production Analysis
We found that Pakfood had made sales below the cost of production
(COP) in the 2004-2006 administrative review, the most recently
completed segment of this proceeding as of the date of the initiation
of the 2007-2008 administrative review, and such sales were
disregarded. See Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand:
Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 72 FR 10669 (March 9, 2007); unchanged in
Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Thailand: Final Results and Final
Partial Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 72 FR
52065 (September 12, 2007). Thus, in accordance with section
773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, there are reasonable grounds to believe or
suspect that Pakfood made sales in the home market at prices below the
cost of producing the merchandise in the current review period.
We found that the Rubicon Group had made sales below the COP in the
LTFV investigation, the most recently completed segment of this
proceeding as of the date of the initiation of the 2007-2008
administrative review, and such sales were disregarded. See Notice of
Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value,
Postponement of Final Determination, and Negative Preliminary Critical
Circumstances Determination: Certain Frozen and Canned Warmwater Shrimp
from Thailand, 69 FR 47100, 47107 (Aug. 4, 2004); unchanged in the Thai
Shrimp LTFV Investigation Final. Thus, in accordance with section
773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, there are reasonable grounds to believe or
suspect that the Rubicon Group made sales in the third-country market
at prices below the cost of producing the merchandise in the current
review period.
1. Calculation of Cost of Production
In accordance with section 773(b)(3) of the Act, we calculated the
respondents' COPs based on the sum of their costs of materials and
conversion for the foreign like product, plus amounts for G&A expenses
and interest expenses (see ``Test of Comparison Market Sales Prices''
section below for treatment of comparison market selling expenses).
The Department relied on the COP data submitted by Pakfood and the
Rubicon Group for the cost reporting period in their most recent
supplemental section D questionnaire responses for the COP
calculations, except for the following instances where the information
was not appropriately quantified or valued:
Pakfood
We did not make any adjustments to Pakfood's reported COP data.
The Rubicon Group
For CFF and CSF, we offset the total reported G&A expenses by the
value of packaging scrap sold during the cost reporting period. In
addition, for CFF, CSF and PTN, we adjusted the respective financial
expense rate calculations to correct a minor calculation error and to
reduce the applied interest income offset amount by the interest income
earned from non-current assets. See Memorandum to Neal Halper,
Director, Office of Accounting from Angela Strom, ``Cost of Production
and Constructed Value
[[Page 10006]]
Calculation Adjustments for the Preliminary Results the Rubicon
Group,'' dated March 2, 2009.
2. Test of Comparison-Market Sales Prices
On a product-specific basis, we compared the weighted-average COP
to the home market sales (for Pakfood) or third-country sales (for the
Rubicon Group) of the foreign like product, adjusted where applicable,
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, adjusted for any applicable billing adjustments, were exclusive
of any applicable movement charges, rebates, discounts, and direct and
indirect selling expenses, and packing expenses.
3. Results of the COP Test
In determining whether to disregard comparison-market sales made at
prices below the COP, we examine, 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 comparison-market 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 Pakfood's and the Rubicon Group's comparison-market 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 comparison-market sales in the ordinary course of trade, we
compared EPs or CEPs to the CV in accordance with section 773(a)(4) of
the Act. See ``Calculation of Normal Value Based on Constructed Value''
section below.
E. Calculation of Normal Value Based on Comparison-Market Prices
1. Pakfood
We based NV for Pakfood on ex-factory or delivered prices to
unaffiliated customers in the home market, or prices to affiliated
customers in the home market that were determined to be at arm's
length. Where appropriate, we made adjustments for billing adjustments
and discounts. We made deductions, where appropriate, from the starting
price for inland freight and pre-sale warehousing expenses, under
section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
We made adjustments under section 773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act and
19 CFR 351.410 for differences in circumstances-of-sale for imputed
credit expenses, bank/wire fee charges, commissions, and express mail
charges, where appropriate. 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.
Furthermore, 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.
We also deducted home market packing costs and added U.S. packing
costs, in accordance with section 773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
2. The Rubicon Group
For the Rubicon Group, we calculated NV based on prices to
unaffiliated customers. Where appropriate, we made adjustments for
billing adjustments and rebates. We also made deductions for movement
expenses, including inland freight (plant to warehouse and warehouse to
port), warehousing, inland insurance, brokerage and handling, ocean
freight (offset by freight refunds, where appropriate), third-country
inland insurance, third-country customs fees, third-country brokerage
and handling expenses, and third-country warehousing expenses, under
section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act.
For third-country price-to-EP comparisons, we made circumstance-of-
sale adjustments for differences in credit expenses, bank charges, and
commissions, pursuant to section 773(a)(6)(C) of the Act.
For third-country price-to-CEP comparisons, we made deductions for
third-country credit expenses, bank charges, commissions, advertising
expenses, and repacking expenses, pursuant to 773(a)(6)(C) of the Act.
In addition, we made a CEP offset in accordance with section
773(a)(7)(B) of the Act, as discussed above in the ``Level of Trade''
section.
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 the commissions were granted in the comparison
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 comparison
market; or 2) the amount of indirect selling expenses incurred in the
U.S. market.
Furthermore, 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.
We also deducted third-country packing costs and added U.S. packing
costs in accordance with sections 773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act.
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 Pakfood and the Rubicon
Group for which we could not determine the NV based on comparison-
market sales, either because there were no useable sales of a
comparable product or all sales of comparable products failed the COP
test, we based NV on CV.
[[Page 10007]]
Section 773(e) of the Act provides that 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 the Rubicon Group, we calculated the cost of materials and
fabrication based on the methodology described in the ``Cost of
Production Analysis'' section, above, and we based SG&A and profit for
each respondent on the actual amounts incurred and realized by it 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. For comparisons to
the Rubicon Group's EP, we made circumstances-of-sale adjustments by
deducting direct selling expenses incurred on comparison-market sales
from, and adding U.S. direct selling expenses to CV, in accordance with
section 773(a)(8) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.410.
Currency Conversion
We made currency conversions into U.S. dollars in accordance with
section 773A of the Act and 19 CFR 351.415 based on the exchange rates
in effect on the dates of the U.S. sales as certified by the Federal
Reserve Bank.
Preliminary Results of the Review
We preliminarily determine that weighted-average dumping margins
exist for the respondents for the period February 1, 2006, through
January 31, 2007, as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer/Exporter Percent Margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakfood Public Company Limited / Asia Pacific 4.25
(Thailand) Company Limited / Takzin Samut Company
Limited (collectively, Pakfood)....................
Andaman Seafood Co., Ltd. / Chanthaburi Frozen Food 4.64
Co., Ltd. / Chanthaburi Seafoods Co., Ltd. /
Phattana Seafood Co., Ltd. / Phattana Frozen Food
Co., Ltd. / Seawealth Frozen Food Co. Ltd. /
Thailand Fishery Cold Storage Public Co., Ltd. /
Thai International Seafoods Co., Ltd. /Wales & Co.
Universe Limited (collectively, the Rubicon Group).
Review-Specific Average Rate Applicable to the
Following Companies:\6\............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\This rate is based on the weighted average of the margins calculated
for those companies selected for individual examination, excluding de
minimis margins or margins based entirely on AFA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manufacturer/Exporter Percent Margin
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACU Transport Co., Ltd.............................. 4.51
Ampai Frozen Food Co., Ltd.......................... 4.51
A.S. Intermarine Foods Co., Ltd..................... 4.51
Asian Seafoods Coldstorage Public Co., Ltd.......... 4.51
Asian Seafoods Coldstorage (Suratthani) Co., Ltd.... 4.51
Assoc. Commercial Systems........................... 4.51
A. Wattanachai Frozen Products Co., Ltd............. 4.51
Bangkok Dehydrated Marine Product Co., Ltd.......... 4.51
Bright Sea Co., Ltd................................. 4.51
C P Mdse............................................ 4.51
C Y Frozen Food Co., Ltd............................ 4.51
Chaiwarut Co., Ltd.................................. 4.51
Chaivaree Marine Products Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Co., Ltd.............. 4.51
Chue Eie Mong Eak Ltd. Part......................... 4.51
Core Seafood Processing Co., Ltd.................... 4.51
Crystal Seafood..................................... 4.51
Daedong (Thailand) Co. Ltd.......................... 4.51
Daiei Taigen (Thailand) Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
Daiho (Thailand) Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Earth Food Manufacturing Co., Ltd................... 4.51
Euro-Asian International Seafoods Co., Ltd.......... 4.51
F.A.I.T. Corporation Limited........................ 4.51
Far East Cold Storage Co., Ltd...................... 4.51
Findus (Thailand) Ltd............................... 4.51
Fortune Frozen Foods (Thailand) Co., Ltd............ 4.51
Frozen Marine Products Co., Ltd..................... 4.51
Gallant Ocean (Thailand) Co., Ltd................... 4.51
Gallant Ocean Seafood Corporation................... 4.51
Good Fortune Cold Storage Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
Good Luck Product Co., Ltd.......................... 4.51
Gulf Coast Crab Intl................................ 4.51
H.A.M. International Co., Ltd....................... 4.51
Heng Seafood Limited Partnership.................... 4.51
Heritrade Co., Ltd.................................. 4.51
HIC (Thailand) Co., Ltd............................. 4.51
I.T. Foods Industries Co., Ltd...................... 4.51
Inter-Oceanic Resources Co., Ltd.................... 4.51
Inter-Pacific Marine Products Co., Ltd.............. 4.51
Intersia Foods Co., Ltd............................. 4.51
K .D. Trading Co., Ltd.............................. 4.51
K Fresh............................................. 4.51
KF Foods............................................ 4.51
K.L. Cold Storage Co., Ltd.......................... 4.51
Kiang Huat Sea Gull Trading Frozen Food Public Co., 4.51
Ltd................................................
Kingfisher Holdings Ltd............................. 4.51
Kibun Trdg.......................................... 4.51
Klang Co., Ltd...................................... 4.51
Kitchens of the Ocean (Thailand) Ltd................ 4.51
Kongphop Frozen Foods Co., Ltd...................... 4.51
Kosamut Frozen Foods Co., Ltd....................... 4.51
Lee Heng Seafood Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Leo Transports...................................... 4.51
Maersk Line......................................... 4.51
Magnate & Syndicate Co., Ltd........................ 4.51
Mahachai Food Processing Co., Ltd................... 4.51
Marine Gold Products Limited........................ 4.51
May Ao Co., Ltd..................................... 4.51
May Ao Foods Co., Ltd............................... 4.51
N&N Foods Co., Ltd.................................. 4.51
Namprik Maesri Ltd. Part............................ 4.51
Narong Seafood Co., Ltd............................. 4.51
Ongkorn Cold Storage Co., Ltd....................... 4.51
Pacific Queen Co., Ltd.............................. 4.51
Penta Impex Co., Ltd................................ 4.51
Pinwood Nineteen Ninety Nine........................ 4.51
Piti Seafoods Co., Ltd.............................. 4.51
Premier Frozen Products Co., Ltd.................... 4.51
Preserved Food Specialty Co., Ltd................... 4.51
Rayong Coldstorage (1987) Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
S&D Marine Products Co., Ltd........................ 4.51
S&P Aquarium........................................ 4.51
S&P Syndicate Public Company Ltd.................... 4.51
S. Chaivaree Cold Storage Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
S.C.C. Frozen Seafood Co., Ltd...................... 4.51
S. Khonkaen Food Industry Public Co., Ltd........... 4.51
SMP Foods Products Co., Ltd......................... 4.51
[[Page 10008]]
Samui Foods Company Limited......................... 4.51
Sea Bonanza Food Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Seafoods Enterprise Co., Ltd........................ 4.51
Seafresh Fisheries.................................. 4.51
Seafresh Industry Public Co., Ltd................... 4.51
Siam Food Supply Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Siam Intersea Co., Ltd.............................. 4.51
Siam Marine Products Co. Ltd........................ 4.51
Siam Ocean Frozen Foods Co. Ltd..................... 4.51
Siam Union Frozen Foods............................. 4.51
Siamchai International Food Co., Ltd................ 4.51
Southport Seafood................................... 4.51
STC Foodpak Ltd..................................... 4.51
Suntechthai Intertrading Co., Ltd................... 4.51
Surapon Foods Public Co., Ltd....................... 4.51
Surapon Nichirei Foods Co., Ltd..................... 4.51
Surapon Seafood..................................... 4.51
Suratthani Marine Products Co., Ltd................. 4.51
Suree Interfoods Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
T.S.F. Seafood Co., Ltd............................. 4.51
Tanaya International Co., Ltd....................... 4.51
Teppitak Seafood Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Tey Seng Cold Storage Co., Ltd...................... 4.51
Thai-Ger Marine Co., Ltd............................ 4.51
Thai Agri Foods Public Co., Ltd..................... 4.51
Thai I-Mei Frozen Foods Co., Ltd.................... 4.51
Thai Mahachai Seafood Products Co., Ltd............. 4.51
Thai Ocean Venture Co., Ltd......................... 4.51
Thai Patana Frozen.................................. 4.51
Thai Prawn Culture Center Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
Thai Royal Frozen Food Co. Ltd...................... 4.51
Thai Spring Fish Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Thai Union Frozen Products Public Co., Ltd.......... 4.51
Thai Union Seafood Co., Ltd......................... 4.51
Thai Yoo Ltd., Part................................. 4.51
The Siam Union Frozen Food Co., Ltd................. 4.51
The Union Frozen Products Co., Ltd.................. 4.51
Trang Seafood Products Public Co., Ltd.............. 4.51
Transamut Food Co., Ltd............................. 4.51
Tung Lieng Trdg..................................... 4.51
United Cold Storage Co., Ltd........................ 4.51
V Thai Food Product................................. 4.51
Wales & Co. Universe Ltd............................ 4.51
Xian-Ning Seafood Co., Ltd.......................... 4.51
Y2K Frozen Foods Co., Ltd........................... 4.51
Yeenin Frozen Foods Co., Ltd........................ 4.51
YHS Singapore Pte................................... 4.51
ZAFCO TRDG.......................................... 4.51
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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). Pursuant to
19 CFR 351.309, interested parties may submit cases briefs not later
than 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Rebuttal
briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not
later than five days after the date for filing case briefs. Parties who
submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding are encouraged
to submit with each argument: 1) a statement of the issue; 2) a brief
summary of the argument; and 3) a table of authorities.
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 1870, 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.
For the majority of the Rubicon Group's and Pakfood's U.S. sales,
we note that these companies reported the entered value for the U.S.
sales in question. 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 certain of the Rubicon Group's and Pakfood's U.S. sales, we
note that these companies did not report the entered value for the U.S.
sales in question. 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. With respect to Pakfood's and the Rubicon
Group's U.S. sales of shrimp with sauce, for which no entered value was
reported, we will include the total quantity of the merchandise with
sauce in the denominator of the calculation of the importer-specific
rate because CBP will apply the per-unit duty rate to the total
quantity of merchandise entered, including the sauce weight. 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.
For the responsive companies which were not selected for individual
examination, we will calculate an assessment rate based on the weighted
average of the cash deposit rates calculated for the companies selected
for individual examination 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). 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
[[Page 10009]]
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 effective during the POR (i.e., 5.95 percent) 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\7\ 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 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 be
5.34 percent, the all-others rate made effective by the Section 129
determination. These requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect
until further notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Effective January 16, 2009, there is no longer a cash
deposit requirement for certain producers/export