Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of the 2008 - 2009 Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 33783-33787 [2010-14375]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 15, 2010 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A–580–839]
Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the
Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results
of the 2008 - 2009 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
polyester staple fiber from the Republic
of Korea. The period of review is May
1, 2008, through April 30, 2009. This
review covers imports of certain
polyester staple fiber from one
manufacturer/exporter. The Department
preliminarily finds that sales of the
subject merchandise have been made
below normal value. If these
preliminary results are adopted in the
Department’s final results, we will
instruct U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (‘‘CBP’’) to assess
antidumping duties. Interested parties
are invited to comment on these
preliminary results. The Department
will issue the final results not later than
120 days from the date of publication of
this notice.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 15, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia Tran or Seth Isenberg, AD/CVD
Operations, Office 1, Import
Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution
Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20230;
telephone (202) 482–1503 and (202)
482–0588, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Background
On May 25, 2000, the Department
published an antidumping duty order
on certain polyester staple fiber (‘‘PSF’’)
from the Republic of Korea (‘‘Korea’’).
See Notice of Amended Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value: Certain Polyester Staple
Fiber From the Republic of Korea and
Antidumping Duty Orders: Certain
Polyester Staple Fiber From the
Republic of Korea and Taiwan, 65 FR
33807 (May 25, 2000) (the ‘‘Order’’). On
May 1, 2009, the Department published
a notice of ‘‘Opportunity to Request
Administrative Review’’ of this order.
See Antidumping or Countervailing
Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended
Investigation; Opportunity To Request
Administrative Review, 74 FR 20278
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(May 1, 2009). On May 29, 2009, Huvis
Corporation (‘‘Huvis’’) requested an
administrative review. On May 29,
2009, DAK Americas LLC and Invista,
S.a.r.L. (collectively, ‘‘the petitioners’’)
requested an administrative review of
Huvis and Saehan Industries, Inc.
(‘‘Saehan’’). On June 24, 2009, the
Department published a notice initiating
the administrative review. See Initiation
of Antidumping and Countervailing
Duty Administrative Reviews and
Requests for Revocation in Part, 74 FR
30052 (June 24, 2009).
On July 14, 2009, the petitioners
withdrew their request for an
administrative review of Saehan and its
successor company, Woongjin Chemical
Co., Ltd (‘‘Woongjin’’). Because the
petitioners’ request was timely
withdrawn and no other parties
requested a review of Saehan and
Woongjin, pursuant to 19 CFR
351.213(d), the Department partially
rescinded this review with respect to
these companies. See Certain Polyester
Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea:
Partial Rescission of Ninth Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review, 74 FR
41866 (August 19, 2009).
On August 7, 2009, the Department
issued the antidumping questionnaire in
this review. The Department received
responses from Huvis in September
2009.
On December 16, 2009, the
Department published in the Federal
Register an extension of the time limit
for the completion of the preliminary
results of this review until no later than
May 31, 2010, in accordance with
section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of
1930, as amended (‘‘the Act’’), and 19
CFR 351.213(h)(2).1 See Certain
Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic
of Korea: Extension of Time Limit for the
Preliminary Results of the 2008–2009
Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review, 74 FR 66616 (December 16,
2009).
In December 2009, and January,
February, and April 2010, the
Department issued supplemental
1 As explained in the memorandum from the
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration, the Department has exercised its
discretion to toll deadlines for the duration of the
closure of the Federal Government from February
5, through February 12, 2010. See Memorandum to
the Record from Ronald Lorentzen, DAS for Import
Administration, regarding ‘‘Tolling of
Administrative Deadlines As a Result of the
Government Closure During the Recent
Snowstorm,‘‘ dated February 12, 2010. Thus, all
deadlines in this segment of the proceeding were
extended by seven days. The revised deadline for
the preliminary results of the 2008 - 2009
antidumping duty administrative review is
therefore June 7, 2010. The final results of this
review continue to be due 120 days after the
publication of the preliminary results.
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33783
questionnaires to Huvis. The
Department received responses to these
supplemental questionnaires in January
through May 2010.
Scope of the Order
PSF covered by the scope of the Order
is defined as synthetic staple fibers, not
carded, combed or otherwise processed
for spinning, of polyesters measuring
3.3 decitex (3 denier, inclusive) or more
in diameter. This merchandise is cut to
lengths varying from one inch (25 mm)
to five inches (127 mm). The
merchandise subject to the Order may
be coated, usually with a silicon, or
other finish, or not coated. PSF is
generally used as stuffing in sleeping
bags, mattresses, ski jackets, comforters,
cushions, pillows, and furniture.
Merchandise of less than 3.3 decitex
(less than 3 denier) currently classifiable
in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of
the United States (‘‘HTSUS’’) at
subheading 5503.20.00.25 is specifically
excluded from the Order. Also,
specifically excluded from the Order are
polyester staple fibers of 10 to 18 denier
that are cut to lengths of 6 to 8 inches
(fibers used in the manufacture of
carpeting). In addition, low–melt PSF is
excluded from the Order. Low–melt PSF
is defined as a bi–component fiber with
an outer sheath that melts at a
significantly lower temperature than its
inner core.
The merchandise subject to the Order
is currently classifiable in the HTSUS at
subheadings 5503.20.00.45 and
5503.20.00.65. The HTSUS subheadings
are provided for convenience and
customs purposes only; the written
description of the merchandise covered
by the scope of the Order is dispositive.
Period of Review
The period of review (‘‘POR’’) is May
1, 2008 through April 30, 2009.
Fair Value Comparisons
To determine whether Huvis’s sales of
PSF to the United States were made at
less than normal value (‘‘NV’’), the
Department compared export price
(‘‘EP’’) to NV, as described in the ‘‘Export
Price’’ and ‘‘Normal Value’’ sections of
this notice below.
Pursuant to sections 773(a)(1)(B)(i)
and 777A(d)(2) of the Act, the
Department compared the EP of
individual U.S. transactions to the
weighted–average NV of the foreign–like
product in the appropriate
corresponding calendar month where
there were sales made in the ordinary
course of trade, as discussed in the ‘‘Cost
of Production Analysis’’ section below.
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Product Comparisons
In accordance with section 771(16)(A)
of the Act, the Department considered
all products produced and sold by
Huvis in the home market 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. For further details regarding
the Department’s selection of a
comparison market, see the ‘‘Normal
Value’’ section below.
The Department compared Huvis’s
U.S. sales to the monthly weighted–
average prices of contemporaneous sales
made in Huvis’s home market. Where
there were no contemporaneous sales of
identical merchandise in Huvis’s home
market, the Department compared sales
made within the window period, which
extends from three months prior to the
POR until two months after the POR.
See 19 CFR 351.414(e)(2). As directed
by section 771(16)(B) of the Act, where
there were no sales of identical
merchandise in Huvis’s home market
made in the ordinary course of trade to
compare to its U.S. sales, the
Department compared U.S. sales to sales
of the most similar foreign–like product
made in the ordinary course of trade. In
making product comparisons, the
Department matched foreign–like
products based on the physical
characteristics reported by Huvis in the
following order: fiber loft, specialty
fibers, fiber type, product grade, cross
section, product finish, and product
denier.
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Date of Sale
Section 351.401(i) of the Department’s
regulations states that the Department
normally will use the date of invoice, as
recorded in the producer’s or exporter’s
records kept in the ordinary course of
business, as the date of sale. The
regulation provides further that the
Department may use a date other than
the date of the invoice if the Secretary
is satisfied that a different date better
reflects the date on which the material
terms of sale are established. The
Department has a long–standing
practice of finding that, where shipment
date precedes invoice date, shipment
date better reflects the date on which
the material terms of sale are
established. See, e.g., 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;
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see also 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.
For its U.S. sales, Huvis reported date
of shipment as its date of sale because
it permits U.S. customers to make order
changes up to the date of shipment and
because the merchandise is always
shipped on or before the date of invoice.
The material terms of sale are
established on the date of shipment.
Therefore, for Huvis’s U.S. sales, the
Department determines that it is
appropriate to use date of shipment as
date of sale. The Department’s
determination is consistent with its
determination in the most recently
completed administrative review of the
Order in which Huvis was examined.
See Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from
the Republic of Korea: Preliminary
Results of the 2007/2008 Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review, 74 FR
27281 (June 9, 2009); unchanged in
Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the
Republic of Korea: Final Results of the
2007–2008 Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 74 FR 65517
(December 10, 2009) (‘‘Final Results of
2007/2008 Administrative Review’’).
For its home market sales, Huvis
reported invoice date as its date of sale
because Huvis permits home market
customers to make order changes up to
that time. Huvis’s invoices to its home
market customers establish the material
terms of sale. Therefore, for Huvis’s
home market sales, the Department
determines that it is appropriate to use
date of invoice as date of sale. The
Department’s determination is
consistent with its determination in the
most recently completed administrative
review of the Order in which Huvis was
examined. See id.
United States. Where appropriate, the
Department made deductions,
consistent with section 772(c)(2)(A) of
the Act, for the following movement
expenses: loading fees, inland freight
from the plant to port of exportation,
foreign brokerage and handling,
international freight, marine insurance,
and U.S. customs duty (including U.S.
brokerage and handling).
The Department increased EP, where
appropriate, for duty drawback in
accordance with section 772(c)(1)(B) of
the Act. Huvis provided documentation
demonstrating that it received duty
drawback under Korea’s individual–rate
system. In prior investigations and
administrative reviews, the Department
has examined Korea’s individual–rate
system and found that the government
controls in place generally satisfy the
Department’s requirements for receiving
a duty drawback adjustment (i.e., that
(1) the rebates received were directly
linked to import duties paid on inputs
used in the manufacture of the subject
merchandise, and (2) there were
sufficient imports to account for the
rebates received). See, e.g., Notice of
Final Results of the Eleventh
Administrative Review of the
Antidumping Duty Order on Certain
Corrosion–Resistant Carbon Steel Flat
Products from the Republic of Korea, 71
FR 7513 (February 13, 2006), and
accompanying Issues and Decision
Memorandum at Comment 2. The
Department examined the
documentation submitted by Huvis in
this administrative review and
confirmed that Huvis’s submissions
meet the agency’s two–prong test
(mentioned above) for receiving a duty
drawback adjustment. Accordingly, the
Department is applying the reported
duty drawback adjustment for Huvis’s
U.S. sales.
Export Price
For sales to the United States, the
Department calculated EP in accordance
with section 772(a) of the Act because
the merchandise was sold by the
exporter or manufacturer outside the
United States directly to the first
unaffiliated purchaser in the United
States prior to importation, and because
constructed export price methodology
was not otherwise warranted based on
the record. Huvis reported sales to the
United States based upon three different
types of sales terms: free–on board
(‘‘FOB’’); ex–dock duty paid and cost,
insurance, and freight (‘‘EDDP - CIF’’);
and ex–dock duty paid free–on board
(‘‘EDDP - FOB’’). The Department
calculated EP based on these reported
prices to unaffiliated purchasers in the
Normal Value
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A. Selection of Comparison Market
To determine whether there was a
sufficient volume of sales of PSF in the
home market to serve as a viable basis
for calculating NV, the Department
compared Huvis’s home market sales of
the foreign–like product to its volume of
U.S. sales of the subject merchandise, in
accordance with section 773(a) of the
Act. Pursuant to sections 773(a)(1)(B)
and (C) of the Act, because Huvis’s
reported aggregate volume of home
market sales of the foreign–like product
was greater than five percent of its
aggregate volume of U.S. sales of the
subject merchandise, the Department
determined that the home market was
viable for comparison purposes.
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B. Level of Trade
Section 773(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Act
states that, to the extent practicable, the
Department will calculate NV based on
sales at the same level of trade (‘‘LOT’’)
as the EP. 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) (‘‘CTL Plate’’). In
order to determine whether Huvis’s
home market sales were at a different
stage in the marketing process than its
U.S. sales, the Department reviewed
Huvis’s distribution system in each
market (i.e., the ‘‘chain of
distribution’’),2 including selling
functions,3 class of customer (‘‘customer
category’’), and the level of selling
expenses for each type of sale. See CTL
Plate, 62 FR at 61732.
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),4 the Department considers the
starting prices before any adjustments.
See Micron Technology, Inc. v. United
States, 243 F.3d 1301, 1315 (Fed. Cir.
2001) (holding that Congress clearly
intended that the Department use the
2 See, e.g., CTL Plate, 62 FR at 61732. The
marketing process in the United States and
comparison market begins with goods being sold by
the manufacturer and extends to the sale to the final
user or customer. The final user or customer could
be an individual consumer or an industrial user, but
the marketing process for all goods starts with a
manufacturer and ends with a user. The chain of
distribution between the two may have many or few
links, and the respondent’s sales occur somewhere
along this chain. In performing this evaluation, we
considered the narrative responses of Huvis to
properly determine where in the chain of
distribution the sale occurs.
3 Selling functions associated with a particular
chain of distribution help us to evaluate LOTs in
a particular market. CTL Plate, 62 FR at 61732. For
purposes of these preliminary results, we have
organized the common selling functions into four
major categories: sales process and marketing
support, freight and delivery, inventory and
warehousing, and quality assurance/warranty
services.
4 Where NV is based on CV, we determine the NV
LOT based on the LOT of the sales from which we
derive selling, general and administrative (‘‘SG’’A’’)
expenses, and profit for CV, where possible. See,
e.g., Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from Korea:
Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review and Partial Rescission of
Review, 70 FR 32756, 32757 (June 6, 2005),
unchanged in Notice of Final Results of
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Certain
Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea,
70 FR 73435 (December 12, 2005).
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starting price, i.e., the unadjusted price,
when making an LOT comparison for EP
sales).
When the Department is unable to
match U.S. sales to sales of the foreign–
like product in the comparison market
at the same LOT as the EP, the
Department may compare the U.S. sales
to sales at a different LOT in the
comparison market. See, e.g., CTL Plate,
62 FR at 61732. In comparing EP sales
at a different LOT in the comparison
market, where available data show that
the difference in LOT affects price
comparability, the Department makes an
LOT adjustment under section
773(a)(7)(A) of the Act.
Huvis reported a single channel of
distribution and a single LOT in each
market, and has not requested an LOT
adjustment. In Huvis’s single channel of
distribution for U.S. sales, merchandise
is shipped directly to the customer on
an FOB, EDDP–CIF, or EDDP–FOB
basis. For home market sales,
merchandise is delivered to the
customer’s location or sold on an ex–
works basis.
The Department examined the
information reported by Huvis regarding
its marketing process for making the
reported home market and U.S. sales,
including the type and level of selling
activities performed, and customer
categories. Specifically, the Department
considered the extent to which the sales
process, freight services, warehouse/
inventory maintenance, and warranty
services varied with respect to the
different customer categories (i.e.,
distributors and end users) within each
market and across the markets.
Huvis reported that it made direct
sales to distributors and end users in
both the home and U.S. markets. Also,
for sales to the United States, Huvis
reported sales to trading companies. For
sales in the home market and to the
United States, Huvis’s selling activities
included negotiating sales terms,
receiving and processing orders,
arranging for freight and delivery, and
preparing shipping documents. For each
market, Huvis was available to provide
technical advice upon a customer’s
request. Huvis offered neither inventory
maintenance services nor advertising,
and it did not handle any warranty
claims during the POR for sales in either
market.
Because the selling functions were
similar in both markets regardless of the
customer category, the Department
preliminarily finds that a single LOT
exists in the home market and in the
United States, and that Huvis’s home
market and U.S. sales were made at this
same LOT.
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33785
C. Sales to Affiliated Customers
Huvis made sales in the home market
to affiliated customers. To test whether
these sales were made at arm’s length,
the Department compared the starting
prices of sales to affiliated customers to
those of sales to unaffiliated customers,
net of all movement charges, direct and
indirect selling expenses, discounts, and
packing. Where the price to affiliated
parties was, on average, within a range
of 98 to 102 percent of the price of the
same or comparable merchandise to the
unaffiliated parties, the Department
determined that the sales made to
affiliated parties were at arm’s length.
See Antidumping Proceedings:
Affiliated Party Sales in the Ordinary
Course of Trade, 67 FR 69186
(November 15, 2002). In accordance
with this practice, in the Department’s
margin analysis, only Huvis’s sales to
affiliated parties made at arm’s length
were included.
D. Cost of Production Analysis
In the most recently completed
administrative review in which Huvis
was examined, the Department
disregarded some sales by Huvis
because they were made at prices below
the cost of production (‘‘COP’’). See
Final Results of 2007/2008
Administrative Review. Under section
773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, previously
disregarded below–cost sales provide
reasonable grounds for the Department
to believe or suspect that Huvis made
sales of the subject merchandise in its
home market at prices below the COP in
the current POR. Whenever the
Department has this reason to believe or
suspect sales were made below the COP,
we are directed by section 773(b) of the
Act to determine whether, in fact, there
were below–cost sales.
After determining that there are
below–cost sales, pursuant to section
773(b)(1) of the Act, the Department
may disregard sales that were made at
less than the COP from its calculation of
NV, if such sales were made in
substantial quantities over an extended
period of time at prices that would not
permit recovery of costs within a
reasonable period. The Department will
find that a respondent’s below–cost
sales represent ‘‘substantial quantities’’
when 20 percent or more of the volume
of its sales of a foreign–like product are
at prices less than the COP; however,
where less than 20 percent of the
volume of a respondent’s sales of a
foreign–like product are at prices less
than the COP, the Department will not
disregard such sales because they are
not made in substantial quantities. See
Section 773(b)(2)(C) of the Act. Further,
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in accordance with section 773(b)(2)(B)
of the Act, the Department normally
considers sales to have been made
within an extended period of time when
the sales are made during a period of
one year. Finally, if prices which are
below the per–unit COP at the time of
sale are not above the weighted–average
per–unit COP for the POR, the
Department will not consider such
prices to provide for the recovery of
costs within a reasonable period of time.
See Section 773(b)(2)(D) of the Act.
1. Test of Home Market Prices
On a product–specific basis, the
Department compared Huvis’s adjusted
weighted–average COP figures for the
POR to its home market sales of the
foreign–like product, as required under
section 773(b) of the Act, to determine
whether these sales were made at prices
below the COP. Huvis’s home market
prices were exclusive of any applicable
movement charges, indirect selling
expenses, and packing expenses. In
determining whether to disregard home
market sales made at prices less than
their COP, we examined, in accordance
with sections 773(b)(1)(A) and (B) of the
Act, whether such sales were made (1)
within an extended period of time in
substantial quantities, and (2) at prices
which permitted the recovery of all
costs within a reasonable period of time.
The Department found that, for
certain sales of Huvis’s foreign–like
product, more than 20 percent of
Huvis’s sales were at prices below the
COP and, thus, the below–cost sales
were made within an extended period of
time in substantial quantities. In
addition, these sales were made at
prices that did not permit the recovery
of costs within a reasonable period of
time. Therefore, the Department
excluded these below–cost sales and
used Huvis’s remaining above–cost sales
of foreign–like product, made in the
ordinary course of trade, as the basis for
determining NV, in accordance with
section 773(b)(1) of the Act.
On April 30, 2010, the Department
also requested quarterly cost
information from Huvis; however, this
information was not received in time for
the agency to analyze for use in these
preliminary results. The Department
intends to analyze this information and
issue its findings to parties in a post–
preliminary analysis.
2. Calculation of COP
The Department calculated Huvis’s
COP on a product–specific basis, based
on the sum of its costs of materials and
fabrication for the merchandise under
review, plus amounts for SG&A
expenses, financial expenses, and the
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costs of all expenses incidental to
placing the foreign–like product packed
and in a condition ready for shipment,
in accordance with section 773(b)(3) of
the Act.
The Department relied on the COP
information submitted in Huvis’s
responses to our cost questionnaires
with the following adjustments:
(1) In performing our analysis under
section 773(f)(3) of the Act, we
adjusted Huvis’s reported cost of
manufacturing (‘‘COM’’) to account
for its purchases of modified
terephthalic acid (‘‘MTA’’) and
qualified terephthalic acid (‘‘QTA’’)
from affiliated parties at non–
arm’s–length prices. Under section
773(f)(3) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.407(b), the Department will
determine the value of a major
input from an affiliated person
based on the higher of the transfer
price, the market price, or the
affiliate’s COP.
For MTA, the Department determined
that Huvis, through its ownership by SK
Chemicals Co., Ltd., was affiliated with
SK Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. (‘‘SKPC’’)
for part of the POR, May 1, 2008 to
December 29, 2008. See Huvis’s
September 4, 2009 section A
questionnaire response at A–12.
Therefore, we limited the major input
analysis of MTA to the portion of the
POR in which Huvis and SKPC were
affiliated. Based on our analysis, the
Department adjusted Huvis’s reported
transfer price of MTA during the
affiliated period by the percentage
difference between the reported transfer
price and the higher of market price or
the affiliate’s COP, in accordance with
section 773(f)(3) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.407(b).
Huvis could not provide a market
price for its input of QTA as requested
in the Department’s original and
supplemental questionnaires. Therefore,
in accordance with section 776(a)(1) of
the Act, the Department has determined
that it is appropriate to rely on facts
available to make a determination of the
market value for QTA. Consistent with
the previous administrative review of
the Order, the Department is using
SKPC’s market price of MTA as a proxy
for the market price of QTA because
there is no evidence on the record of
this review to overturn our prior finding
that MTA and QTA are interchangeable
and can be successfully used in place of
one another using similar quantities.
See Final Results of 2007/2008
Administrative Review. Based on our
analysis of the facts available, consistent
with the previous administrative review
of the Order, we also increased Huvis’s
reported transfer price of QTA by the
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percentage difference between its
reported transfer price of QTA and the
higher of SKPC’s MTA market price or
the affiliate’s COP for QTA.
(2) Huvis purchases a third input,
ethylene glycol (‘‘EG’’), from an
affiliated party. Under section
773(f)(2) of the Act, the Department
may disregard transactions between
affiliated parties if the transfer price
for an input does not fairly reflect
the amount usually reflected for
sales of that input. Because the
market price of EG exceeded the
transfer price, the Department
adjusted Huvis’s reported transfer
price of EG by the percent
difference between the reported
transfer price and the market price.
For additional information
concerning the COP adjustments,
see Memorandum to the File,
‘‘Preliminary Results Calculation
Huvis Corporation,’’ dated June 7,
2010.
E. Calculation of Normal Value
The Department calculated NV based
on the prices Huvis reported for its
home market sales to unaffiliated
customers which were made in the
ordinary course of business. The
Department added U.S. packing costs
and deducted home market packing
costs in accordance with sections
773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act,
respectively. The Department also made
adjustments to NV, where appropriate,
consistent with section 773(a)(6)(B)(ii)
of the Act, to account for loading fees
and for inland freight from the plant to
the customer. In addition, the
Department made adjustments to NV to
account for differences in circumstances
of sale (‘‘COS’’), in accordance with
section 773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act and
19 CFR 351.410. The Department made
COS adjustments, where appropriate, by
deducting direct selling expenses
incurred by Huvis on its home market
sales (i.e., credit expenses and bank
charges) and adding U.S. direct selling
expenses (i.e., credit expenses and bank
charges). See 19 CFR 351.410(c).
Preliminary Results of the Review
We preliminarily determine that the
following weighted–average dumping
margin exists for the period May 1,
2008, through April 30, 2009:
Exporter/manufacturer
Huvis Corporation .........
Weighted–average
margin percentage
0.94 percent
The Department will disclose the
calculations performed within five days
of publication of this notice in
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 114 / Tuesday, June 15, 2010 / Notices
mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES
accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), any
interested party may request a hearing
within 30 days of publication of this
notice. Any hearing, if requested, will
be held 42 days after the publication of
this notice, or the first workday
thereafter. Issues raised in the hearing
will be limited to those raised in the
case and rebuttal briefs. Pursuant to 19
CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may
submit case briefs within 30 days of the
date of publication of this notice.
Rebuttal briefs, which must be limited
to issues raised in the case briefs, may
be filed not later than 35 days after the
date of publication of this notice. See 19
CFR 351.309(d). However, because we
will be issuing a post–preliminary
analysis, the briefing schedule may be
modified. The Department will notify
parties if this becomes necessary. Parties
who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs
in this proceeding are requested to
submit with each argument: 1) a
statement of the issue; and 2) a brief
summary of the argument with an
electronic version included.
The Department will publish the final
results of this administrative review,
including the results of its analysis of
issues raised in the parties’ briefs, no
later than 120 days after publication of
these preliminary results.
Assessment Rates
Upon completion of the
administrative review, the Department
shall determine, and CBP shall assess,
antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries.
Huvis submitted evidence
demonstrating that it was the importer
of record for certain of its POR sales.
The Department examined the customs
entry documentation submitted by
Huvis and tied it to the U.S. sales
listing. We noted that Huvis was indeed
the importer of record for certain sales.
Therefore, for purposes of calculating
the importer–specific assessment rates,
we have treated Huvis as the importer
of record for certain POR shipments.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), for all
sales where Huvis is the importer of
record, Huvis submitted the reported
entered value of the U.S. sales and the
Department has calculated importer–
specific assessment rates based on the
ratio of the total amount of antidumping
duties calculated for the examined sales
to the total entered value of those sales.
Regarding sales where Huvis was not
the importer of record, the Department
notes that Huvis did not report the
entered value for the U.S. sales in
question. Accordingly, the Department
has calculated importer–specific per–
unit duty assessment rates for the
VerDate Mar<15>2010
20:02 Jun 14, 2010
Jkt 220001
33787
merchandise in question by aggregating
the dumping margins calculated for all
U.S. sales to each importer and dividing
this amount by the total quantity of
those sales. To determine whether the
duty assessment rates were de minimis,
in accordance with the requirement set
forth in 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2), the
Department calculated importer–
specific ad valorem ratios based on the
estimated entered value. For certain
U.S. sales, Huvis did not report the
importer or entered value. For purposes
of calculating importer–specific
assessment rates, we considered Huvis’s
U.S. customer to be the importer of
record when the importer was unknown
and we calculated entered value as U.S.
price net of international movement
expenses.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2), the
Department 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 Department
intends to issue assessment instructions
directly to CBP 15 days after publication
of the final results of review.
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). This
clarification will apply to entries of
subject merchandise during the POR
produced by companies included in
these preliminary results for which the
reviewed companies did not know their
merchandise 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 intermediate
company(ies) involved in the
transaction. See id.
cash deposit rate will continue to be the
most recent rate published in the final
determination or final results for which
the manufacturer or exporter received
an individual rate; (3) if the exporter is
not a firm covered in this review, the
previous review, or the original
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) if neither the
exporter nor the manufacturer is a firm
covered in this or any previous reviews,
the cash deposit rate will be 7.91
percent, the all–others rate established
in Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from
the Republic of Korea: Notice of
Amended Final Determination and
Amended Order Pursuant to Final Court
Decision, 68 FR 74552 (December 24,
2003). These deposit requirements,
when imposed, shall remain in effect
until further notice.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following deposit requirements
will be effective upon completion of the
final results of this administrative
review for all shipments of PSF from
Korea 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)(1) of the Act:
(1) the cash deposit rate for the
reviewed company will be the rate
established in the final results of this
administrative review (except no cash
deposit will be required if its weighted–
average margin is de minimis, i.e., less
than 0.50 percent); (2) for merchandise
exported by manufacturers or exporters
not covered in this review but covered
in the original less–than-fair–value
investigation or a previous review, the
[FR Doc. 2010–14375 Filed 6–14–10; 8:45 am]
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Notification to Importers
This notice also serves as a
preliminary reminder to importers of
their responsibility under 19 CFR
351.402(f) to file a certificate regarding
the reimbursement of antidumping
duties prior to liquidation of the
relevant entries during this review
period. Failure to comply with this
requirement could result in the
Secretary’s presumption that
reimbursement of antidumping duties
occurred and the subsequent assessment
of double antidumping duties.
The Department is issuing and
publishing these results in accordance
with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of
the Act.
Dated: June 7, 2010.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import
Administration.
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Foreign-Trade Zones Board
[Order No. 1685]
Reorganization and Expansion of
Foreign-Trade Zone 174 Under
Alternative Site Framework, Tucson,
AZ
Pursuant to its authority under the
Foreign-Trade Zones Act of June 18,
1934, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a–81u),
the Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the
Board) adopts the following Order:
Whereas, the Board adopted the
alternative site framework (ASF) in
December 2008 (74 FR 1170, 01/12/09;
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33783-33787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14375]
[[Page 33783]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-580-839]
Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea:
Preliminary Results of the 2008 - 2009 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
polyester staple fiber from the Republic of Korea. The period of review
is May 1, 2008, through April 30, 2009. This review covers imports of
certain polyester staple fiber from one manufacturer/exporter. The
Department preliminarily finds that sales of the subject merchandise
have been made below normal value. If these preliminary results are
adopted in the Department's final results, we will instruct U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') to assess antidumping duties.
Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.
The Department will issue the final results not later than 120 days
from the date of publication of this notice.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 15, 2010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Tran or Seth Isenberg, AD/CVD
Operations, Office 1, Import Administration, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20230; telephone (202) 482-1503
and (202) 482-0588, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 25, 2000, the Department published an antidumping duty order
on certain polyester staple fiber (``PSF'') from the Republic of Korea
(``Korea''). See Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less
Than Fair Value: Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From the Republic of
Korea and Antidumping Duty Orders: Certain Polyester Staple Fiber From
the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, 65 FR 33807 (May 25, 2000) (the
``Order''). On May 1, 2009, the Department published a notice of
``Opportunity to Request Administrative Review'' of this order. See
Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended
Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review, 74 FR
20278 (May 1, 2009). On May 29, 2009, Huvis Corporation (``Huvis'')
requested an administrative review. On May 29, 2009, DAK Americas LLC
and Invista, S.a.r.L. (collectively, ``the petitioners'') requested an
administrative review of Huvis and Saehan Industries, Inc.
(``Saehan''). On June 24, 2009, the Department published a notice
initiating the administrative review. See Initiation of Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Requests for Revocation
in Part, 74 FR 30052 (June 24, 2009).
On July 14, 2009, the petitioners withdrew their request for an
administrative review of Saehan and its successor company, Woongjin
Chemical Co., Ltd (``Woongjin''). Because the petitioners' request was
timely withdrawn and no other parties requested a review of Saehan and
Woongjin, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d), the Department partially
rescinded this review with respect to these companies. See Certain
Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea: Partial Rescission
of Ninth Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 74 FR 41866 (August
19, 2009).
On August 7, 2009, the Department issued the antidumping
questionnaire in this review. The Department received responses from
Huvis in September 2009.
On December 16, 2009, the Department published in the Federal
Register an extension of the time limit for the completion of the
preliminary results of this review until no later than May 31, 2010, in
accordance with section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (``the Act''), and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2).\1\ See Certain
Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea: Extension of Time
Limit for the Preliminary Results of the 2008-2009 Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review, 74 FR 66616 (December 16, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ As explained in the memorandum from the Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Import Administration, the Department has exercised
its discretion to toll deadlines for the duration of the closure of
the Federal Government from February 5, through February 12, 2010.
See Memorandum to the Record from Ronald Lorentzen, DAS for Import
Administration, regarding ``Tolling of Administrative Deadlines As a
Result of the Government Closure During the Recent Snowstorm,``
dated February 12, 2010. Thus, all deadlines in this segment of the
proceeding were extended by seven days. The revised deadline for the
preliminary results of the 2008 - 2009 antidumping duty
administrative review is therefore June 7, 2010. The final results
of this review continue to be due 120 days after the publication of
the preliminary results.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In December 2009, and January, February, and April 2010, the
Department issued supplemental questionnaires to Huvis. The Department
received responses to these supplemental questionnaires in January
through May 2010.
Scope of the Order
PSF covered by the scope of the Order is defined as synthetic
staple fibers, not carded, combed or otherwise processed for spinning,
of polyesters measuring 3.3 decitex (3 denier, inclusive) or more in
diameter. This merchandise is cut to lengths varying from one inch (25
mm) to five inches (127 mm). The merchandise subject to the Order may
be coated, usually with a silicon, or other finish, or not coated. PSF
is generally used as stuffing in sleeping bags, mattresses, ski
jackets, comforters, cushions, pillows, and furniture. Merchandise of
less than 3.3 decitex (less than 3 denier) currently classifiable in
the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (``HTSUS'') at
subheading 5503.20.00.25 is specifically excluded from the Order. Also,
specifically excluded from the Order are polyester staple fibers of 10
to 18 denier that are cut to lengths of 6 to 8 inches (fibers used in
the manufacture of carpeting). In addition, low-melt PSF is excluded
from the Order. Low-melt PSF is defined as a bi-component fiber with an
outer sheath that melts at a significantly lower temperature than its
inner core.
The merchandise subject to the Order is currently classifiable in
the HTSUS at subheadings 5503.20.00.45 and 5503.20.00.65. The HTSUS
subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes only; the
written description of the merchandise covered by the scope of the
Order is dispositive.
Period of Review
The period of review (``POR'') is May 1, 2008 through April 30,
2009.
Fair Value Comparisons
To determine whether Huvis's sales of PSF to the United States were
made at less than normal value (``NV''), the Department compared export
price (``EP'') to NV, as described in the ``Export Price'' and ``Normal
Value'' sections of this notice below.
Pursuant to sections 773(a)(1)(B)(i) and 777A(d)(2) of the Act, the
Department compared the EP of individual U.S. transactions to the
weighted-average NV of the foreign-like product in the appropriate
corresponding calendar month where there were sales made in the
ordinary course of trade, as discussed in the ``Cost of Production
Analysis'' section below.
[[Page 33784]]
Product Comparisons
In accordance with section 771(16)(A) of the Act, the Department
considered all products produced and sold by Huvis in the home market
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. For further details
regarding the Department's selection of a comparison market, see the
``Normal Value'' section below.
The Department compared Huvis's U.S. sales to the monthly weighted-
average prices of contemporaneous sales made in Huvis's home market.
Where there were no contemporaneous sales of identical merchandise in
Huvis's home market, the Department compared sales made within the
window period, which extends from three months prior to the POR until
two months after the POR. See 19 CFR 351.414(e)(2). As directed by
section 771(16)(B) of the Act, where there were no sales of identical
merchandise in Huvis's home market made in the ordinary course of trade
to compare to its U.S. sales, the Department compared U.S. sales to
sales of the most similar foreign-like product made in the ordinary
course of trade. In making product comparisons, the Department matched
foreign-like products based on the physical characteristics reported by
Huvis in the following order: fiber loft, specialty fibers, fiber type,
product grade, cross section, product finish, and product denier.
Date of Sale
Section 351.401(i) of the Department's regulations states that the
Department normally will use the date of invoice, as recorded in the
producer's or exporter's records kept in the ordinary course of
business, as the date of sale. The regulation provides further that the
Department may use a date other than the date of the invoice if the
Secretary is satisfied that a different date better reflects the date
on which the material terms of sale are established. The Department has
a long-standing practice of finding that, where shipment date precedes
invoice date, shipment date better reflects the date on which the
material terms of sale are established. See, e.g., 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; see also
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.
For its U.S. sales, Huvis reported date of shipment as its date of
sale because it permits U.S. customers to make order changes up to the
date of shipment and because the merchandise is always shipped on or
before the date of invoice. The material terms of sale are established
on the date of shipment. Therefore, for Huvis's U.S. sales, the
Department determines that it is appropriate to use date of shipment as
date of sale. The Department's determination is consistent with its
determination in the most recently completed administrative review of
the Order in which Huvis was examined. See Certain Polyester Staple
Fiber from the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of the 2007/2008
Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 74 FR 27281 (June 9, 2009);
unchanged in Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of Korea:
Final Results of the 2007-2008 Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,
74 FR 65517 (December 10, 2009) (``Final Results of 2007/2008
Administrative Review'').
For its home market sales, Huvis reported invoice date as its date
of sale because Huvis permits home market customers to make order
changes up to that time. Huvis's invoices to its home market customers
establish the material terms of sale. Therefore, for Huvis's home
market sales, the Department determines that it is appropriate to use
date of invoice as date of sale. The Department's determination is
consistent with its determination in the most recently completed
administrative review of the Order in which Huvis was examined. See id.
Export Price
For sales to the United States, the Department calculated EP in
accordance with section 772(a) of the Act because the merchandise was
sold by the exporter or manufacturer outside the United States directly
to the first unaffiliated purchaser in the United States prior to
importation, and because constructed export price methodology was not
otherwise warranted based on the record. Huvis reported sales to the
United States based upon three different types of sales terms: free-on
board (``FOB''); ex-dock duty paid and cost, insurance, and freight
(``EDDP - CIF''); and ex-dock duty paid free-on board (``EDDP - FOB'').
The Department calculated EP based on these reported prices to
unaffiliated purchasers in the United States. Where appropriate, the
Department made deductions, consistent with section 772(c)(2)(A) of the
Act, for the following movement expenses: loading fees, inland freight
from the plant to port of exportation, foreign brokerage and handling,
international freight, marine insurance, and U.S. customs duty
(including U.S. brokerage and handling).
The Department increased EP, where appropriate, for duty drawback
in accordance with section 772(c)(1)(B) of the Act. Huvis provided
documentation demonstrating that it received duty drawback under
Korea's individual-rate system. In prior investigations and
administrative reviews, the Department has examined Korea's individual-
rate system and found that the government controls in place generally
satisfy the Department's requirements for receiving a duty drawback
adjustment (i.e., that (1) the rebates received were directly linked to
import duties paid on inputs used in the manufacture of the subject
merchandise, and (2) there were sufficient imports to account for the
rebates received). See, e.g., Notice of Final Results of the Eleventh
Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Certain
Corrosion-Resistant Carbon Steel Flat Products from the Republic of
Korea, 71 FR 7513 (February 13, 2006), and accompanying Issues and
Decision Memorandum at Comment 2. The Department examined the
documentation submitted by Huvis in this administrative review and
confirmed that Huvis's submissions meet the agency's two-prong test
(mentioned above) for receiving a duty drawback adjustment.
Accordingly, the Department is applying the reported duty drawback
adjustment for Huvis's U.S. sales.
Normal Value
A. Selection of Comparison Market
To determine whether there was a sufficient volume of sales of PSF
in the home market to serve as a viable basis for calculating NV, the
Department compared Huvis's home market sales of the foreign-like
product to its volume of U.S. sales of the subject merchandise, in
accordance with section 773(a) of the Act. Pursuant to sections
773(a)(1)(B) and (C) of the Act, because Huvis's reported aggregate
volume of home market sales of the foreign-like product was greater
than five percent of its aggregate volume of U.S. sales of the subject
merchandise, the Department determined that the home market was viable
for comparison purposes.
[[Page 33785]]
B. Level of Trade
Section 773(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Act states that, to the extent
practicable, the Department will calculate NV based on sales at the
same level of trade (``LOT'') as the EP. 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) (``CTL Plate''). In order to
determine whether Huvis's home market sales were at a different stage
in the marketing process than its U.S. sales, the Department reviewed
Huvis's distribution system in each market (i.e., the ``chain of
distribution''),\2\ including selling functions,\3\ class of customer
(``customer category''), and the level of selling expenses for each
type of sale. See CTL Plate, 62 FR at 61732.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See, e.g., CTL Plate, 62 FR at 61732. The marketing process
in the United States and comparison market begins with goods being
sold by the manufacturer and extends to the sale to the final user
or customer. The final user or customer could be an individual
consumer or an industrial user, but the marketing process for all
goods starts with a manufacturer and ends with a user. The chain of
distribution between the two may have many or few links, and the
respondent's sales occur somewhere along this chain. In performing
this evaluation, we considered the narrative responses of Huvis to
properly determine where in the chain of distribution the sale
occurs.
\3\ Selling functions associated with a particular chain of
distribution help us to evaluate LOTs in a particular market. CTL
Plate, 62 FR at 61732. For purposes of these preliminary results, we
have organized the common selling functions into four major
categories: sales process and marketing support, freight and
delivery, inventory and warehousing, and quality assurance/warranty
services.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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),\4\ the Department considers the
starting prices before any adjustments. See Micron Technology, Inc. v.
United States, 243 F.3d 1301, 1315 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (holding that
Congress clearly intended that the Department use the starting price,
i.e., the unadjusted price, when making an LOT comparison for EP
sales).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Where NV is based on CV, we determine the NV LOT based on
the LOT of the sales from which we derive selling, general and
administrative (``SG''A'') expenses, and profit for CV, where
possible. See, e.g., Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from Korea:
Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and
Partial Rescission of Review, 70 FR 32756, 32757 (June 6, 2005),
unchanged in Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review: Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the
Republic of Korea, 70 FR 73435 (December 12, 2005).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the Department is unable to match U.S. sales to sales of the
foreign-like product in the comparison market at the same LOT as the
EP, the Department may compare the U.S. sales to sales at a different
LOT in the comparison market. See, e.g., CTL Plate, 62 FR at 61732. In
comparing EP sales at a different LOT in the comparison market, where
available data show that the difference in LOT affects price
comparability, the Department makes an LOT adjustment under section
773(a)(7)(A) of the Act.
Huvis reported a single channel of distribution and a single LOT in
each market, and has not requested an LOT adjustment. In Huvis's single
channel of distribution for U.S. sales, merchandise is shipped directly
to the customer on an FOB, EDDP-CIF, or EDDP-FOB basis. For home market
sales, merchandise is delivered to the customer's location or sold on
an ex-works basis.
The Department examined the information reported by Huvis regarding
its marketing process for making the reported home market and U.S.
sales, including the type and level of selling activities performed,
and customer categories. Specifically, the Department considered the
extent to which the sales process, freight services, warehouse/
inventory maintenance, and warranty services varied with respect to the
different customer categories (i.e., distributors and end users) within
each market and across the markets.
Huvis reported that it made direct sales to distributors and end
users in both the home and U.S. markets. Also, for sales to the United
States, Huvis reported sales to trading companies. For sales in the
home market and to the United States, Huvis's selling activities
included negotiating sales terms, receiving and processing orders,
arranging for freight and delivery, and preparing shipping documents.
For each market, Huvis was available to provide technical advice upon a
customer's request. Huvis offered neither inventory maintenance
services nor advertising, and it did not handle any warranty claims
during the POR for sales in either market.
Because the selling functions were similar in both markets
regardless of the customer category, the Department preliminarily finds
that a single LOT exists in the home market and in the United States,
and that Huvis's home market and U.S. sales were made at this same LOT.
C. Sales to Affiliated Customers
Huvis made sales in the home market to affiliated customers. To
test whether these sales were made at arm's length, the Department
compared the starting prices of sales to affiliated customers to those
of sales to unaffiliated customers, net of all movement charges, direct
and indirect selling expenses, discounts, and packing. Where the price
to affiliated parties was, on average, within a range of 98 to 102
percent of the price of the same or comparable merchandise to the
unaffiliated parties, the Department determined that the sales made to
affiliated parties were at arm's length. See Antidumping Proceedings:
Affiliated Party Sales in the Ordinary Course of Trade, 67 FR 69186
(November 15, 2002). In accordance with this practice, in the
Department's margin analysis, only Huvis's sales to affiliated parties
made at arm's length were included.
D. Cost of Production Analysis
In the most recently completed administrative review in which Huvis
was examined, the Department disregarded some sales by Huvis because
they were made at prices below the cost of production (``COP''). See
Final Results of 2007/2008 Administrative Review. Under section
773(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act, previously disregarded below-cost sales
provide reasonable grounds for the Department to believe or suspect
that Huvis made sales of the subject merchandise in its home market at
prices below the COP in the current POR. Whenever the Department has
this reason to believe or suspect sales were made below the COP, we are
directed by section 773(b) of the Act to determine whether, in fact,
there were below-cost sales.
After determining that there are below-cost sales, pursuant to
section 773(b)(1) of the Act, the Department may disregard sales that
were made at less than the COP from its calculation of NV, if such
sales were made in substantial quantities over an extended period of
time at prices that would not permit recovery of costs within a
reasonable period. The Department will find that a respondent's below-
cost sales represent ``substantial quantities'' when 20 percent or more
of the volume of its sales of a foreign-like product are at prices less
than the COP; however, where less than 20 percent of the volume of a
respondent's sales of a foreign-like product are at prices less than
the COP, the Department will not disregard such sales because they are
not made in substantial quantities. See Section 773(b)(2)(C) of the
Act. Further,
[[Page 33786]]
in accordance with section 773(b)(2)(B) of the Act, the Department
normally considers sales to have been made within an extended period of
time when the sales are made during a period of one year. Finally, if
prices which are below the per-unit COP at the time of sale are not
above the weighted-average per-unit COP for the POR, the Department
will not consider such prices to provide for the recovery of costs
within a reasonable period of time. See Section 773(b)(2)(D) of the
Act.
1. Test of Home Market Prices
On a product-specific basis, the Department compared Huvis's
adjusted weighted-average COP figures for the POR to its home market
sales of the foreign-like product, as required under section 773(b) of
the Act, to determine whether these sales were made at prices below the
COP. Huvis's home market prices were exclusive of any applicable
movement charges, indirect selling expenses, and packing expenses. In
determining whether to disregard home market sales made at prices less
than their COP, we examined, in accordance with sections 773(b)(1)(A)
and (B) of the Act, whether such sales were made (1) within an extended
period of time in substantial quantities, and (2) at prices which
permitted the recovery of all costs within a reasonable period of time.
The Department found that, for certain sales of Huvis's foreign-
like product, more than 20 percent of Huvis's sales were at prices
below the COP and, thus, the below-cost sales were made within an
extended period of time in substantial quantities. In addition, these
sales were made at prices that did not permit the recovery of costs
within a reasonable period of time. Therefore, the Department excluded
these below-cost sales and used Huvis's remaining above-cost sales of
foreign-like product, made in the ordinary course of trade, as the
basis for determining NV, in accordance with section 773(b)(1) of the
Act.
On April 30, 2010, the Department also requested quarterly cost
information from Huvis; however, this information was not received in
time for the agency to analyze for use in these preliminary results.
The Department intends to analyze this information and issue its
findings to parties in a post-preliminary analysis.
2. Calculation of COP
The Department calculated Huvis's COP on a product-specific basis,
based on the sum of its costs of materials and fabrication for the
merchandise under review, plus amounts for SG&A expenses, financial
expenses, and the costs of all expenses incidental to placing the
foreign-like product packed and in a condition ready for shipment, in
accordance with section 773(b)(3) of the Act.
The Department relied on the COP information submitted in Huvis's
responses to our cost questionnaires with the following adjustments:
(1) In performing our analysis under section 773(f)(3) of the Act,
we adjusted Huvis's reported cost of manufacturing (``COM'') to account
for its purchases of modified terephthalic acid (``MTA'') and qualified
terephthalic acid (``QTA'') from affiliated parties at non-arm's-length
prices. Under section 773(f)(3) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.407(b), the
Department will determine the value of a major input from an affiliated
person based on the higher of the transfer price, the market price, or
the affiliate's COP.
For MTA, the Department determined that Huvis, through its
ownership by SK Chemicals Co., Ltd., was affiliated with SK
Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. (``SKPC'') for part of the POR, May 1, 2008 to
December 29, 2008. See Huvis's September 4, 2009 section A
questionnaire response at A-12. Therefore, we limited the major input
analysis of MTA to the portion of the POR in which Huvis and SKPC were
affiliated. Based on our analysis, the Department adjusted Huvis's
reported transfer price of MTA during the affiliated period by the
percentage difference between the reported transfer price and the
higher of market price or the affiliate's COP, in accordance with
section 773(f)(3) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.407(b).
Huvis could not provide a market price for its input of QTA as
requested in the Department's original and supplemental questionnaires.
Therefore, in accordance with section 776(a)(1) of the Act, the
Department has determined that it is appropriate to rely on facts
available to make a determination of the market value for QTA.
Consistent with the previous administrative review of the Order, the
Department is using SKPC's market price of MTA as a proxy for the
market price of QTA because there is no evidence on the record of this
review to overturn our prior finding that MTA and QTA are
interchangeable and can be successfully used in place of one another
using similar quantities. See Final Results of 2007/2008 Administrative
Review. Based on our analysis of the facts available, consistent with
the previous administrative review of the Order, we also increased
Huvis's reported transfer price of QTA by the percentage difference
between its reported transfer price of QTA and the higher of SKPC's MTA
market price or the affiliate's COP for QTA.
(2) Huvis purchases a third input, ethylene glycol (``EG''), from
an affiliated party. Under section 773(f)(2) of the Act, the Department
may disregard transactions between affiliated parties if the transfer
price for an input does not fairly reflect the amount usually reflected
for sales of that input. Because the market price of EG exceeded the
transfer price, the Department adjusted Huvis's reported transfer price
of EG by the percent difference between the reported transfer price and
the market price. For additional information concerning the COP
adjustments, see Memorandum to the File, ``Preliminary Results
Calculation Huvis Corporation,'' dated June 7, 2010.
E. Calculation of Normal Value
The Department calculated NV based on the prices Huvis reported for
its home market sales to unaffiliated customers which were made in the
ordinary course of business. The Department added U.S. packing costs
and deducted home market packing costs in accordance with sections
773(a)(6)(A) and (B) of the Act, respectively. The Department also made
adjustments to NV, where appropriate, consistent with section
773(a)(6)(B)(ii) of the Act, to account for loading fees and for inland
freight from the plant to the customer. In addition, the Department
made adjustments to NV to account for differences in circumstances of
sale (``COS''), in accordance with section 773(a)(6)(C)(iii) of the Act
and 19 CFR 351.410. The Department made COS adjustments, where
appropriate, by deducting direct selling expenses incurred by Huvis on
its home market sales (i.e., credit expenses and bank charges) and
adding U.S. direct selling expenses (i.e., credit expenses and bank
charges). See 19 CFR 351.410(c).
Preliminary Results of the Review
We preliminarily determine that the following weighted-average
dumping margin exists for the period May 1, 2008, through April 30,
2009:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted-average
Exporter/manufacturer margin percentage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huvis Corporation................................... 0.94 percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Department will disclose the calculations performed within five
days of publication of this notice in
[[Page 33787]]
accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), any
interested party may request a hearing within 30 days of publication of
this notice. Any hearing, if requested, will be held 42 days after the
publication of this notice, or the first workday thereafter. Issues
raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the case and
rebuttal briefs. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may
submit case briefs within 30 days of the date of publication of this
notice. Rebuttal briefs, which must be limited to issues raised in the
case briefs, may be filed not later than 35 days after the date of
publication of this notice. See 19 CFR 351.309(d). However, because we
will be issuing a post-preliminary analysis, the briefing schedule may
be modified. The Department will notify parties if this becomes
necessary. Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this
proceeding are requested to submit with each argument: 1) a statement
of the issue; and 2) a brief summary of the argument with an electronic
version included.
The Department will publish the final results of this
administrative review, including the results of its analysis of issues
raised in the parties' briefs, no later than 120 days after publication
of these preliminary results.
Assessment Rates
Upon completion of the administrative review, the Department shall
determine, and CBP shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate
entries.
Huvis submitted evidence demonstrating that it was the importer of
record for certain of its POR sales. The Department examined the
customs entry documentation submitted by Huvis and tied it to the U.S.
sales listing. We noted that Huvis was indeed the importer of record
for certain sales. Therefore, for purposes of calculating the importer-
specific assessment rates, we have treated Huvis as the importer of
record for certain POR shipments. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), for
all sales where Huvis is the importer of record, Huvis submitted the
reported entered value of the U.S. sales and the Department has
calculated importer-specific assessment rates based on the ratio of the
total amount of antidumping duties calculated for the examined sales to
the total entered value of those sales.
Regarding sales where Huvis was not the importer of record, the
Department notes that Huvis did not report the entered value for the
U.S. sales in question. Accordingly, the Department has calculated
importer-specific per-unit duty assessment rates for the merchandise in
question by aggregating the dumping margins calculated for all U.S.
sales to each importer and dividing this amount by the total quantity
of those sales. To determine whether the duty assessment rates were de
minimis, in accordance with the requirement set forth in 19 CFR
351.106(c)(2), the Department calculated importer-specific ad valorem
ratios based on the estimated entered value. For certain U.S. sales,
Huvis did not report the importer or entered value. For purposes of
calculating importer-specific assessment rates, we considered Huvis's
U.S. customer to be the importer of record when the importer was
unknown and we calculated entered value as U.S. price net of
international movement expenses.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2), the Department 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
Department intends to issue assessment instructions directly to CBP 15
days after publication of the final results of review.
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). This
clarification will apply to entries of subject merchandise during the
POR produced by companies included in these preliminary results for
which the reviewed companies did not know their merchandise 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 intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction. See
id.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following deposit requirements will be effective upon
completion of the final results of this administrative review for all
shipments of PSF from Korea 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)(1) of the
Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for the reviewed company will be the
rate established in the final results of this administrative review
(except no cash deposit will be required if its weighted-average margin
is de minimis, i.e., less than 0.50 percent); (2) for merchandise
exported by manufacturers or exporters not covered in this review but
covered in the original less-than-fair-value investigation or a
previous review, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the most
recent rate published in the final determination or final results for
which the manufacturer or exporter received an individual rate; (3) if
the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, the previous review,
or the original 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) if neither the
exporter nor the manufacturer is a firm covered in this or any previous
reviews, the cash deposit rate will be 7.91 percent, the all-others
rate established in Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from the Republic of
Korea: Notice of Amended Final Determination and Amended Order Pursuant
to Final Court Decision, 68 FR 74552 (December 24, 2003). These deposit
requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further
notice.
Notification to Importers
This notice also serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of
their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f) to file a certificate
regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation
of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply
with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that
reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent
assessment of double antidumping duties.
The Department is issuing and publishing these results in
accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.
Dated: June 7, 2010.
Ronald K. Lorentzen,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-14375 Filed 6-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S