Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber From France: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Partial Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures, 5787-5790 [2022-02112]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 2, 2022 / Notices
month period to a period not more than
six months in duration.
On January 14, 2022, and January 20,
2022, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e),
Acron and EuroChem, respectively,
requested that Commerce postpone the
final determination in this investigation
up to 135 days after publication of this
notice and that provisional measures be
extended to a period not to exceed six
months.11 Additionally, on January 21,
2022, the petitioner requested that
Commerce postpone the final
determination in this investigation in
the event of a negative preliminary
determination.12 In accordance with
section 735(a)(2)(A) of the Act and 19
CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) The
preliminary determination is
affirmative; (2) the requesting exporters
account for a significant proportion of
exports of the subject merchandise; and
(3) no compelling reasons for denial
exist, Commerce is postponing the final
determination in this investigation and
extending the provisional measures
from a four-month period to a period
not greater than six months.
Accordingly, Commerce will make its
final determination in this investigation
no later than 135 days after the date of
publication of this preliminary
determination in the Federal Register.
International Trade Commission
Notification
In accordance with section 733(f) of
the Act, Commerce will notify the
International Trade Commission (ITC) of
its preliminary determination. If the
final determination is affirmative, the
ITC will determine before the later of
120 days after the date of this
preliminary determination, or 45 days
after the final determination, whether
U.S. imports of UAN are materially
injuring, or threaten material injury to,
the U.S. industry.
Notification to Interested Parties
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11 See Acron’s Letter, ‘‘Urea Ammonium Nitrate
Solutions from the Russian Federation: Request for
Extension of Final Determination an Provisional
Measures,’’ dated January 14, 2022; see also
EuroChem’s Letter, ‘‘Urea Ammonium Nitrate
Solutions from the Russian Federation,’’ dated
January 21, 2022.
12 See Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Urea Ammonium
Nitrate Solutions from the Russian Federation (A–
821–831): Petitioner’s Request for Postponement of
Final Antidumping Determination,’’ dated January
21, 2022.
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Appendix I—Scope of the Investigation
The merchandise covered by this
investigation is all mixtures of urea and
ammonium nitrate in aqueous or ammonia
solution, regardless of nitrogen concentration
by weight, and regardless of the presence of
additives, such as corrosion inhibiters and
soluble micro or macronutrients (UAN).
Subject merchandise includes merchandise
matching the above description that has been
processed in a third country, including by
commingling, diluting, adding or removing
additives, or performing any other processing
that would not otherwise remove the
merchandise from the scope of the
investigations if performed in the subject
country.
The scope also includes UAN that is
commingled with UAN from sources not
subject to this investigation. Only the subject
component of such commingled products is
covered by the scope of this investigation.
The covered merchandise is currently
classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule
of the United States (HTSUS) at subheading
3102.80.0000. Although the HTSUS
subheading is provided for convenience and
customs purposes, the written description of
the scope is dispositive.
Appendix II—List of Sections in the
Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Scope of the Investigation
V. Application of Facts Available and Use of
Adverse Inferences
VI. Affiliation/Single Entity
VII. Discussion of the Methodology
VIII. Currency Conversion
IX. Adjustments to Cash Deposit Rates for
Export Subsidies in Companion CVD
Investigation
X. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2022–02061 Filed 2–1–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
This determination is issued and
published in accordance with sections
733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19
CFR 351.205(c).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Dated: January 26, 2022.
Lisa W. Wang,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and
Compliance.
[A–427–832]
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber From
France: Preliminary Affirmative
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value and Partial Affirmative
Determination of Critical
Circumstances, Postponement of Final
Determination, and Extension of
Provisional Measures
Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(Commerce) preliminarily determines
AGENCY:
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5787
that acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (AB
rubber) from France is being, or is likely
to be, sold in the United States at less
than fair value (LTFV). Commerce also
preliminarily determines that critical
circumstances exist with respect to
certain imports of subject merchandise.
The period of investigation is April 1,
2020, through March 31, 2021.
Interested parties are invited to
comment on this preliminary
determination.
DATES:
Applicable February 2, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Barton, AD/CVD Operations,
Office III, Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–0012.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This preliminary determination is
made in accordance with section 733(b)
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended
(the Act). Commerce published the
notice of initiation of this investigation
on July 27, 2021.1 On November 17,
2021, Commerce postponed the
preliminary determination in this
investigation from December 7, 2021, to
January 26, 2022.2
For a complete description of the
events that followed the initiation of
this investigation, see the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum.3 A list of topics
included in the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum is included as Appendix
II to this notice. The Preliminary
Decision Memorandum is a public
document and is on file electronically
via Enforcement and Compliance’s
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Centralized Electronic Service System
(ACCESS). ACCESS is available to
registered users at https://
access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete
version of the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum can be accessed directly
at https://access.trade.gov/public/
FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.
1 See Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from
France, the Republic of Korea, and Mexcio:
Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 86
FR 40192 (July 27, 2021) (Initiation Notice).
2 See Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from
France, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico:
Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the
Less-Than-Fair Value Investigations, 86 FR 64185
(November 17, 2021).
3 See Memorandum, ‘‘Decision Memorandum for
the Preliminary Determination in the Less-ThanFair-Value Investigation of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene
Rubber from France,’’ dated concurrently with, and
hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary
Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this
investigation is AB rubber from France.
For a complete description of the scope
of this investigation, see Appendix I.
Scope Comments
In accordance with the preamble to
Commerce’s regulations,4 in the
Initiation Notice, Commerce set aside a
period of time for parties to raise issues
regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).5
Certain interested parties commented on
the scope of this investigation as it
appeared in the Initiation Notice. For a
summary of the product coverage
comments and rebuttal responses
submitted to the record for this
investigation, and accompanying
analysis of all comments timely
received, see the Preliminary Scope
Decision Memorandum.6 Based on
Commerce’s analysis of the parties’
comments, Commerce is preliminarily
modifying the scope language as it
appeared in the Initiation Notice. See
the revised scope in Appendix I to this
notice.
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this
investigation in accordance with section
731 of the Act. Commerce has
calculated constructed export prices in
accordance with section 772(b) of the
Act. Normal value (NV) is calculated in
accordance with section 773 of the Act.
For a full description of the
methodology underlying the
preliminary determination, see the
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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Preliminary Affirmative Determination
of Critical Circumstances, in Part
On January 5, 2022, the petitioner 7
timely filed a critical circumstances
allegation, pursuant to section 733(e)(1)
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206(c)(1),
alleging that critical circumstances exist
with respect to imports of the subject
merchandise from France.8 Section
733(e)(1) of the Act provides that
Commerce will preliminarily determine
that critical circumstances exist in an
LTFV investigation if there is a
4 See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties,
Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
5 See Initiation Notice, 86 FR at 40193.
6 See Memorandum, ‘‘Antidumping Duty
Investigations of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber
from France, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico:
Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum,’’ dated
concurrently with this notice (Preliminary Scope
Decision Memorandum).
7 The petitioner in this investigation is Zeon
Chemicals L.P. and Zeon GP, LLC (collectively, the
petitioner).
8 See Petitioner’s Letter, ‘‘Acrylonitrile-Butadiene
Rubber from France: Petitioner’s Allegation of
Critical Circumstances,’’ dated January 5, 2022.
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reasonable basis to believe or suspect
that: (A) there is a history of dumping
and material injury by reason of
dumped imports in the United States or
elsewhere of the subject merchandise, or
the person by whom, or for whose
account, the merchandise was imported
knew or should have known that the
exporter was selling the subject
merchandise at less than its fair value
and that there was likely to be material
injury by reason of such sales; and (B)
there have been massive imports of the
subject merchandise over a relatively
short period.
In accordance with section 733(e) of
the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, Commerce
preliminarily determines that critical
circumstances do not exist with respect
to imports of AB rubber produced and
exported by Arlanxeo Emulsion Rubber
France S.A.S. (Arlanxeo France).
Furthermore, we preliminarily
determine that critical circumstances
exist with respect to imports of AD
Rubber produced and exported by all
other producers and exporters from
France. For a full description of
Commerce’s preliminary critical
circumstances determination, see the
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
All-Others Rate
Sections 733(d)(1)(A)(ii) and
735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that in
the preliminary determination
Commerce shall determine an estimated
all-others rate for all exporters and
producers not individually examined.
This rate shall be an amount equal to
the weighted average of the estimated
weighted-average dumping margins
established for exporters and producers
individually investigated, excluding any
zero and de minimis margins, and any
margins determined entirely under
section 776 of the Act.
In this investigation, Commerce
preliminarily calculated an individual
estimated weighted-average dumping
margin for Arlanxeo France, the sole
mandatory respondent, that is not zero,
de minimis, or based entirely on facts
otherwise available. Consequently, the
rate calculated for Arlanxeo France is
also assigned as the rate for all other
producers and exporters in France,
pursuant to section 735(c)(5)(A) of the
Act.
Preliminary Determination
Commerce preliminarily determines
that the following estimated weightedaverage dumping margins exist:
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Exporter/producer
Arlanxeo Emulsion Rubber
France S.A.S. ..........................
All Others ....................................
Estimated
weightedaverage
dumping
margin
(percent)
164.13
164.13
Suspension of Liquidation
In accordance with section 733(d)(2)
of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to
suspend liquidation of entries of subject
merchandise described in Appendix I
on or after the date of publication of this
notice in the Federal Register. Further,
pursuant to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the
Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce
will instruct CBP to require a cash
deposit equal to the estimated weightedaverage dumping margin or the
estimated all-others rate, as follows: (1)
The cash deposit rate for the
respondents listed above will be equal
to the company-specific estimated
weighted-average dumping margins
determined in this preliminary
determination; (2) if the exporter is not
a respondent identified above, but the
producer is, then the cash deposit rate
will be equal to the company-specific
estimated weighted-average dumping
margin established for that producer of
the subject merchandise; and (3) the
cash deposit rate for all other producers
and exporters will be equal to the allothers estimated weighted-average
dumping margin.
Section 733(e)(2) of the Act provides
that, given an affirmative determination
of critical circumstances, the suspension
of liquidation shall apply to
unliquidated entries of subject
merchandise entered, or withdrawn
from warehouse, for consumption on or
after the later of: (a) The date which is
90 days before the date on which the
suspension of liquidation was first
ordered; or (b) the date on which notice
of initiation of the investigation was
published. As noted above, Commerce
preliminarily finds that critical
circumstances exist for imports of
subject merchandise produced and
exported by all other producers and
exporters from France. In accordance
with section 733(e)(2)(A) of the Act, the
suspension of liquidation shall apply to
unliquidated entries of shipments of AB
rubber that were produced and exported
by all other producers and exporters
that were entered, or withdrawn from
warehouse, for consumption on or after
the date which is 90 days before the
publication date of this notice in the
Federal Register.
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These suspension of liquidation
instructions will remain in effect until
further notice.
Disclosure
Commerce intends to disclose to
interested parties any calculations
performed in connection with this
preliminary determination within five
days of its public announcement or, if
there is no public announcement,
within five days of the date of
publication of this notice in accordance
with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Verification
As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the
Act, Commerce intends to verify the
information relied upon in making its
final determination. Normally,
Commerce verifies information using
standard procedures, including an onsite examination of original accounting,
financial, and sales documentation.
However, due to current travel
restrictions in response to the global
COVID–19 pandemic, Commerce is
unable to conduct on-site verification in
this investigation. Accordingly, we
intend to verify the information relied
upon in making the final determination
through alternative means in lieu of an
on-site verification.
Public Comment
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The deadlines for the submission of
case and rebuttal briefs with respect to
scope issues are specified in the
Preliminary Scope Decision
Memorandum. Interested parties will be
notified of the deadline for the
submission of case briefs with respect to
non-scope issues at a later date. Rebuttal
briefs, limited to issues raised in nonscope related case briefs, may be
submitted no later than seven days after
the deadline date for case briefs.9
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and
(d)(2), parties who submit case briefs or
rebuttal briefs in this investigation 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. Note that
Commerce has temporarily modified
certain of its requirements for serving
documents containing business
proprietary information until further
notice.10
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c),
interested parties who wish to request a
9 See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303
(for general filing requirements).
10 See Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD
Service Requirements Due to COVID–19, 85 FR
17006 (March 26, 2020); and Temporary Rule
Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements Due to
COVID–19; Extension of Effective Period, 85 FR
41363 (July 10, 2020).
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5789
hearing, limited to issues raised in the
case and rebuttal briefs, must submit a
written request to the Assistant
Secretary for Enforcement and
Compliance, U.S. Department of
Commerce, within 30 days after the date
of publication of this notice. Requests
should contain the party’s name,
address, and telephone number, the
number of participants, whether any
participant is a foreign national, and a
list of the issues to be discussed. If a
request for a hearing is made, Commerce
intends to hold the hearing at a time and
date to be determined. Parties should
confirm by telephone the date, time, and
location of the hearing two days before
the scheduled date of the hearing.
publication of this preliminary
determination.
Postponement of Final Determination
and Extension of Provisional Measures
This determination is issued and
published in accordance with sections
733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19
CFR 351.205(c) and 19 CFR 351.210(g).
Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides
that a final determination may be
postponed until not later than 135 days
after the date of the publication of the
preliminary determination in the
Federal Register if, in the event of an
affirmative preliminary determination, a
request for such postponement is made
by exporters who account for a
significant proportion of exports of the
subject merchandise, or in the event of
a negative preliminary determination, a
request for such postponement is made
by the petitioner. Section 351.210(e)(2)
of Commerce’s regulations requires that
a request by exporters for postponement
of the final determination be
accompanied by a request for extension
of provisional measures from a fourmonth period to a period not more than
six months in duration.
On December 20, 2021, pursuant to 19
CFR 351.210(e), Arlanxeo France
requested that Commerce postpone the
final determination and that provisional
measures be extended to a period not to
exceed six months.11 In accordance with
sections 735(a)(2)(A) and 733(d)(3) of
the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii),
because: (1) The preliminary
determination is affirmative; (2) the
requesting exporter accounts for a
significant proportion of exports of the
subject merchandise; and (3) no
compelling reasons for denial exist,
Commerce is postponing the final
determination and extending the
provisional measures from a four-month
period to a period not greater than six
months. Accordingly, pursuant to
section 735(a)(2) of the Act, Commerce
will make its final determination no
later than 135 days after the date of
11 See Arlanxeo France’s Letter, ‘‘AcrylonitrileButadiene Rubber from France, Case No. A–427–
832: Request to Postpone Final Determination,’’
dated December 20, 2021.
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International Trade Commission
Notification
In accordance with section 733(f) of
the Act, Commerce will notify the
International Trade Commission (ITC) of
its preliminary determination. If the
final determination is affirmative, the
ITC will determine before the later of
120 days after the date of this
preliminary determination or 45 days
after the final determination whether
imports of AB rubber from France are
materially injuring, or threaten material
injury to, the U.S. industry.
Notification to Interested Parties
Dated: January 26, 2022.
Lisa W. Wang,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and
Compliance.
Appendix I
Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this investigation
is commonly referred to as acrylonitrile
butadiene rubber or nitrile rubber (AB
Rubber). AB Rubber is a synthetic rubber
produced by the emulsion polymerization of
butadiene and acrylonitrile with or without
the incorporation of a third component
selected from methacrylic acid or isoprene.
This scope covers AB Rubber in solid or nonaqueous liquid form. The scope also includes
carboxylated AB Rubber.
Excluded from the scope of this
investigation is AB Rubber in latex form
(commonly classified under Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)
subheading 4002.51.0000). Latex AB Rubber
is commonly either (a) acrylonitrile/
butadiene polymer in latex form or (b)
acrylonitrile/butadiene/methacrylic acid
polymer in latex form. The broader definition
of latex refers to a water emulsion of a
synthetic rubber obtained by polymerization.
Also excluded from the scope of this
investigation is: (a) AB Rubber containing
additives incorporated during the
compounding, mixing, molding, or use of AB
Rubber comprising greater than twenty
percent of the total weight of the product.
Additives would include, but are not limited
to, fillers (e.g., carbon black, silica, clay);
reinforcement agents (e.g., fibers, carbon
black, silica); vulcanization agents (e.g.,
sulfur, sulfur complexes, peroxide); or AB
Rubber containing extension oils making up
greater than forty percent of the total weight
of the product. Such products would be
generally classified under HTSUS
subheading 4005; (b) AB Rubber containing
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) making up greater
than twenty percent of total weight of the
product; (c) hydrogenated AB Rubber
(commonly referred to as AB Rubber)
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produced by subsequent dissolution and
hydrogenation of AB Rubber; and (d) reactive
liquid polymers containing acrylonitrile and
butadiene with amine, epoxy, carboxyl or
methacrylate vinyl chemical functionality.
Subject merchandise includes material
matching the above description that has been
finished, packaged, or otherwise processed in
a third country, including by modifying
physical form or packaging with another
product, or performing any other finishing,
packaging, or processing that would not
otherwise remove the merchandise from the
scope of the investigation if performed in the
country of manufacture of the AB Rubber.
The merchandise subject to this
investigation is classified in the HTSUS at
subheading 4002.59.0000. While the HTSUS
subheading numbers are provided for
convenience and customs purposes, the
written description of the merchandise under
investigation is dispositive.
Appendix II
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Discussion of the Methodology
V. Date of Sale
VI. Product Comparisons
VII. Constructed Export Price
VIII. Normal Value
IX. Preliminary Determination of Critical
Circumstances
X. Currency Conversion
XI. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2022–02112 Filed 2–1–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
International Trade Administration
[A–201–855]
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber From
Mexico: Preliminary Affirmative
Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value, Postponement of Final
Determination, and Extension of
Provisional Measures
Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce
(Commerce) preliminarily determines
that acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (AB
rubber) from Mexico is being, or is
likely to be, sold in the United States at
less than fair value (LTFV). The period
of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2020,
through March 31, 2021. Interested
parties are invited to comment on this
preliminary determination.
DATES: Applicable February 2, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dennis McClure or Faris Montgomery,
AD/CVD Operations, Office VIII,
Enforcement and Compliance,
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Background
This preliminary determination is
made in accordance with section 733(b)
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended
(the Act). Commerce published the
notice of initiation of this investigation
on July 27, 2021.1 On November 17,
2021, Commerce postponed the
preliminary determination of this
investigation and the revised deadline is
now January 26, 2022.2 For a complete
description of the events that followed
the initiation of this investigation, see
the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.3 A list of topics included
in the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum is included as Appendix
II to this notice. The Preliminary
Decision Memorandum is a public
document and is on file electronically
via Enforcement and Compliance’s
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Centralized Electronic Service System
(ACCESS). ACCESS is available to
registered users at https://
access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete
version of the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum can be accessed directly
at https://access.trade.gov/public/
FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.
Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this
investigation is AB rubber from Mexico.
For a complete description of the scope
of this investigation, see Appendix I.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
AGENCY:
International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–5973 or
(202) 482–1537, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Scope Comments
In accordance with the preamble to
Commerce’s regulations,4 in the
Initiation Notice Commerce set aside a
period of time for parties to raise issues
regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).5
Certain interested parties commented on
the scope of the investigation as it
appeared in the Initiation Notice. For a
1 See Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from
France, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico:
Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 86
FR 40192 (July 27, 2021) (Initiation Notice).
2 See Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from
France, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico:
Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the
Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 86 FR 64185
(November 17, 2021).
3 See Memorandum, ‘‘Decision Memorandum for
the Preliminary Determination in the Less-ThanFair-Value Investigation of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene
Rubber from Mexico,’’ dated concurrently with, and
hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary
Decision Memorandum).
4 See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties,
Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
5 See Initiation Notice.
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summary of the product coverage
comments and rebuttal responses
submitted to the record for this
preliminary determination, and
accompanying analysis of all comments
timely received, see the Preliminary
Scope Decision Memorandum.6 Based
on Commerce’s analysis of the parties’
comments, Commerce is preliminarily
modifying the scope language as it
appeared in the Initiation Notice. See
the revised scope in Appendix I to this
notice.
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this
investigation in accordance with section
731 of the Act. Constructed export
prices have been calculated in
accordance with section 772(b) of the
Act. Normal value (NV) is calculated in
accordance with section 773 of the Act.
For a full description of the
methodology underlying the
preliminary determination, see the
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
All-Others Rate
Sections 733(d)(1)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A)
of the Act provide that in the
preliminary determination Commerce
shall determine an estimated all-others
rate for all exporters and producers not
individually examined. This rate shall
be an amount equal to the weighted
average of the estimated weightedaverage dumping margins established
for exporters and producers
individually investigated, excluding any
zero and de minimis margins, and any
margins determined entirely under
section 776 of the Act.
Commerce calculated an individual
estimated weighted-average dumping
margin for Industrias Negromex S.A. de
C.V. (Negromex), the only individually
examined exporter/producer in this
investigation. Because the only
individually calculated dumping margin
is not zero, de minimis, or based
entirely on facts otherwise available, the
estimated weighted-average dumping
margin calculated for Negromex is the
margin assigned to all other producers
and exporters, pursuant to section
735(c)(5)(A) of the Act.
Preliminary Determination
Commerce preliminarily determines
that the following estimated weightedaverage dumping margins exist:
6 See Memorandum, ‘‘Antidumping Duty
Investigations of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber
from France, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico:
Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum,’’ dated
concurrently with this preliminary determination
(Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum).
E:\FR\FM\02FEN1.SGM
02FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5787-5790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02112]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-427-832]
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber From France: Preliminary
Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Partial
Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, Postponement of
Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines
that acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (AB rubber) from France is being,
or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value
(LTFV). Commerce also preliminarily determines that critical
circumstances exist with respect to certain imports of subject
merchandise. The period of investigation is April 1, 2020, through
March 31, 2021. Interested parties are invited to comment on this
preliminary determination.
DATES: Applicable February 2, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Barton, AD/CVD Operations,
Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0012.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce
published the notice of initiation of this investigation on July 27,
2021.\1\ On November 17, 2021, Commerce postponed the preliminary
determination in this investigation from December 7, 2021, to January
26, 2022.\2\
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\1\ See Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from France, the Republic
of Korea, and Mexcio: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value
Investigations, 86 FR 40192 (July 27, 2021) (Initiation Notice).
\2\ See Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from France, the Republic
of Korea, and Mexico: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in
the Less-Than-Fair Value Investigations, 86 FR 64185 (November 17,
2021).
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For a complete description of the events that followed the
initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.\3\ A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The Preliminary
Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically
via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to
registered users at https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete
version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly
at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.
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\3\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary
Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from France,'' dated concurrently
with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision
Memorandum).
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[[Page 5788]]
Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this investigation is AB rubber from France.
For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see
Appendix I.
Scope Comments
In accordance with the preamble to Commerce's regulations,\4\ in
the Initiation Notice, Commerce set aside a period of time for parties
to raise issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).\5\ Certain
interested parties commented on the scope of this investigation as it
appeared in the Initiation Notice. For a summary of the product
coverage comments and rebuttal responses submitted to the record for
this investigation, and accompanying analysis of all comments timely
received, see the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum.\6\ Based on
Commerce's analysis of the parties' comments, Commerce is preliminarily
modifying the scope language as it appeared in the Initiation Notice.
See the revised scope in Appendix I to this notice.
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\4\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule,
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
\5\ See Initiation Notice, 86 FR at 40193.
\6\ See Memorandum, ``Antidumping Duty Investigations of
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber from France, the Republic of Korea,
and Mexico: Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum,'' dated
concurrently with this notice (Preliminary Scope Decision
Memorandum).
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Methodology
Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with
section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated constructed export
prices in accordance with section 772(b) of the Act. Normal value (NV)
is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full
description of the methodology underlying the preliminary
determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in
Part
On January 5, 2022, the petitioner \7\ timely filed a critical
circumstances allegation, pursuant to section 733(e)(1) of the Act and
19 CFR 351.206(c)(1), alleging that critical circumstances exist with
respect to imports of the subject merchandise from France.\8\ Section
733(e)(1) of the Act provides that Commerce will preliminarily
determine that critical circumstances exist in an LTFV investigation if
there is a reasonable basis to believe or suspect that: (A) there is a
history of dumping and material injury by reason of dumped imports in
the United States or elsewhere of the subject merchandise, or the
person by whom, or for whose account, the merchandise was imported knew
or should have known that the exporter was selling the subject
merchandise at less than its fair value and that there was likely to be
material injury by reason of such sales; and (B) there have been
massive imports of the subject merchandise over a relatively short
period.
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\7\ The petitioner in this investigation is Zeon Chemicals L.P.
and Zeon GP, LLC (collectively, the petitioner).
\8\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber
from France: Petitioner's Allegation of Critical Circumstances,''
dated January 5, 2022.
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In accordance with section 733(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206,
Commerce preliminarily determines that critical circumstances do not
exist with respect to imports of AB rubber produced and exported by
Arlanxeo Emulsion Rubber France S.A.S. (Arlanxeo France). Furthermore,
we preliminarily determine that critical circumstances exist with
respect to imports of AD Rubber produced and exported by all other
producers and exporters from France. For a full description of
Commerce's preliminary critical circumstances determination, see the
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
All-Others Rate
Sections 733(d)(1)(A)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that
in the preliminary determination Commerce shall determine an estimated
all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually
examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of
the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for
exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero
and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under
section 776 of the Act.
In this investigation, Commerce preliminarily calculated an
individual estimated weighted-average dumping margin for Arlanxeo
France, the sole mandatory respondent, that is not zero, de minimis, or
based entirely on facts otherwise available. Consequently, the rate
calculated for Arlanxeo France is also assigned as the rate for all
other producers and exporters in France, pursuant to section
735(c)(5)(A) of the Act.
Preliminary Determination
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated
weighted-average dumping margins exist:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
weighted-
average
Exporter/producer dumping
margin
(percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arlanxeo Emulsion Rubber France S.A.S....................... 164.13
All Others.................................................. 164.13
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suspension of Liquidation
In accordance with section 733(d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will
direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation
of entries of subject merchandise described in Appendix I on or after
the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
Further, pursuant to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal
to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin or the estimated all-
others rate, as follows: (1) The cash deposit rate for the respondents
listed above will be equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-
average dumping margins determined in this preliminary determination;
(2) if the exporter is not a respondent identified above, but the
producer is, then the cash deposit rate will be equal to the company-
specific estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for that
producer of the subject merchandise; and (3) the cash deposit rate for
all other producers and exporters will be equal to the all-others
estimated weighted-average dumping margin.
Section 733(e)(2) of the Act provides that, given an affirmative
determination of critical circumstances, the suspension of liquidation
shall apply to unliquidated entries of subject merchandise entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the later of: (a)
The date which is 90 days before the date on which the suspension of
liquidation was first ordered; or (b) the date on which notice of
initiation of the investigation was published. As noted above, Commerce
preliminarily finds that critical circumstances exist for imports of
subject merchandise produced and exported by all other producers and
exporters from France. In accordance with section 733(e)(2)(A) of the
Act, the suspension of liquidation shall apply to unliquidated entries
of shipments of AB rubber that were produced and exported by all other
producers and exporters that were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse,
for consumption on or after the date which is 90 days before the
publication date of this notice in the Federal Register.
[[Page 5789]]
These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect
until further notice.
Disclosure
Commerce intends to disclose to interested parties any calculations
performed in connection with this preliminary determination within five
days of its public announcement or, if there is no public announcement,
within five days of the date of publication of this notice in
accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Verification
As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to
verify the information relied upon in making its final determination.
Normally, Commerce verifies information using standard procedures,
including an on-site examination of original accounting, financial, and
sales documentation. However, due to current travel restrictions in
response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Commerce is unable to conduct
on-site verification in this investigation. Accordingly, we intend to
verify the information relied upon in making the final determination
through alternative means in lieu of an on-site verification.
Public Comment
The deadlines for the submission of case and rebuttal briefs with
respect to scope issues are specified in the Preliminary Scope Decision
Memorandum. Interested parties will be notified of the deadline for the
submission of case briefs with respect to non-scope issues at a later
date. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in non-scope related
case briefs, may be submitted no later than seven days after the
deadline date for case briefs.\9\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and
(d)(2), parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this
investigation 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. Note that Commerce has temporarily modified
certain of its requirements for serving documents containing business
proprietary information until further notice.\10\
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\9\ See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general
filing requirements).
\10\ See Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements
Due to COVID-19, 85 FR 17006 (March 26, 2020); and Temporary Rule
Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements Due to COVID-19; Extension of
Effective Period, 85 FR 41363 (July 10, 2020).
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Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to
request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal
briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days
after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain
the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of
participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list
of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made,
Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be
determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date of the
hearing.
Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional
Measures
Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides that a final determination
may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the date of the
publication of the preliminary determination in the Federal Register
if, in the event of an affirmative preliminary determination, a request
for such postponement is made by exporters who account for a
significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise, or in the
event of a negative preliminary determination, a request for such
postponement is made by the petitioner. Section 351.210(e)(2) of
Commerce's regulations requires that a request by exporters for
postponement of the final determination be accompanied by a request for
extension of provisional measures from a four-month period to a period
not more than six months in duration.
On December 20, 2021, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e), Arlanxeo
France requested that Commerce postpone the final determination and
that provisional measures be extended to a period not to exceed six
months.\11\ In accordance with sections 735(a)(2)(A) and 733(d)(3) of
the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) The preliminary
determination is affirmative; (2) the requesting exporter accounts for
a significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise; and (3)
no compelling reasons for denial exist, Commerce is postponing the
final determination and extending the provisional measures from a four-
month period to a period not greater than six months. Accordingly,
pursuant to section 735(a)(2) of the Act, Commerce will make its final
determination no later than 135 days after the date of publication of
this preliminary determination.
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\11\ See Arlanxeo France's Letter, ``Acrylonitrile-Butadiene
Rubber from France, Case No. A-427-832: Request to Postpone Final
Determination,'' dated December 20, 2021.
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International Trade Commission Notification
In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify
the International Trade Commission (ITC) of its preliminary
determination. If the final determination is affirmative, the ITC will
determine before the later of 120 days after the date of this
preliminary determination or 45 days after the final determination
whether imports of AB rubber from France are materially injuring, or
threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry.
Notification to Interested Parties
This determination is issued and published in accordance with
sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c) and 19
CFR 351.210(g).
Dated: January 26, 2022.
Lisa W. Wang,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix I
Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this investigation is commonly referred
to as acrylonitrile butadiene rubber or nitrile rubber (AB Rubber).
AB Rubber is a synthetic rubber produced by the emulsion
polymerization of butadiene and acrylonitrile with or without the
incorporation of a third component selected from methacrylic acid or
isoprene. This scope covers AB Rubber in solid or non-aqueous liquid
form. The scope also includes carboxylated AB Rubber.
Excluded from the scope of this investigation is AB Rubber in
latex form (commonly classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of
the United States (HTSUS) subheading 4002.51.0000). Latex AB Rubber
is commonly either (a) acrylonitrile/butadiene polymer in latex form
or (b) acrylonitrile/butadiene/methacrylic acid polymer in latex
form. The broader definition of latex refers to a water emulsion of
a synthetic rubber obtained by polymerization.
Also excluded from the scope of this investigation is: (a) AB
Rubber containing additives incorporated during the compounding,
mixing, molding, or use of AB Rubber comprising greater than twenty
percent of the total weight of the product. Additives would include,
but are not limited to, fillers (e.g., carbon black, silica, clay);
reinforcement agents (e.g., fibers, carbon black, silica);
vulcanization agents (e.g., sulfur, sulfur complexes, peroxide); or
AB Rubber containing extension oils making up greater than forty
percent of the total weight of the product. Such products would be
generally classified under HTSUS subheading 4005; (b) AB Rubber
containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) making up greater than twenty
percent of total weight of the product; (c) hydrogenated AB Rubber
(commonly referred to as AB Rubber)
[[Page 5790]]
produced by subsequent dissolution and hydrogenation of AB Rubber;
and (d) reactive liquid polymers containing acrylonitrile and
butadiene with amine, epoxy, carboxyl or methacrylate vinyl chemical
functionality.
Subject merchandise includes material matching the above
description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise processed
in a third country, including by modifying physical form or
packaging with another product, or performing any other finishing,
packaging, or processing that would not otherwise remove the
merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the
country of manufacture of the AB Rubber.
The merchandise subject to this investigation is classified in
the HTSUS at subheading 4002.59.0000. While the HTSUS subheading
numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the
written description of the merchandise under investigation is
dispositive.
Appendix II
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Discussion of the Methodology
V. Date of Sale
VI. Product Comparisons
VII. Constructed Export Price
VIII. Normal Value
IX. Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances
X. Currency Conversion
XI. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2022-02112 Filed 2-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P