Certain Quartz Surface Products From the People's Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 8521-8522 [2025-01946]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• International Trade Administration

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 19 (Thursday, January 30, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8521-8522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01946]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-084, C-570-085]


Certain Quartz Surface Products From the People's Republic of 
China: Continuation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.

SUMMARY: As a result of the determinations by the U.S. Department of 
Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) 
that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty 
(CVD) orders on certain quartz surface products (quartz surface 
products) from the People's Republic of China (China) would likely lead 
to the continuation or recurrence of dumping, countervailable 
subsidies, and material injury to an industry in the United States, 
Commerce is publishing a notice of continuation of the AD and CVD 
orders.

DATES: Applicable January 24, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ajay K. Menon, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office IX, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 11, 2019, Commerce published in the Federal Register the AD 
and CVD orders on quartz surface products from China.\1\ On June 3, 
2024, the ITC instituted,\2\ and Commerce initiated,\3\ the first 
sunset review of the Orders, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff 
Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). As a result of its reviews, Commerce 
determined that revocation of the Orders would likely lead to the 
continuation or recurrence of dumping and countervailable subsidies, 
and therefore, notified the ITC of the magnitude of the margins of 
dumping and subsidy rates likely to prevail should the Orders be 
revoked.\4\
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    \1\ See Certain Quartz Surface Products from the People's 
Republic of China: Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 84 FR 
33053 (July 11, 2019) (Orders).
    \2\ See Quartz Surface Products from China; Institution of a 
Five-Year Review, 89 FR 47614 (June 3, 2024).
    \3\ See Initiation of Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews, 89 FR 47525 
(June 3, 2024).
    \4\ See Certain Quartz Surface Products from the People's 
Republic of China: Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset 
Review of the Antidumping Duty Order, 89 FR 80885 (October 4, 2024), 
and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum (IDM); and Certain 
Quartz Surface Products from the People's Republic of China: Final 
Results of the Expedited First Sunset Review of the Countervailing 
Duty Order, 89 FR 81887 (October 9, 2024), and accompanying IDM.
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    On January 24, 2025, the ITC published its determination, pursuant 
to sections 751(c) and 752(a) of the Act, that revocation of the Orders 
would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to 
an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable 
time.\5\
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    \5\ See Quartz Surface Products from China, 90 FR 8140 (January 
24, 2025) (ITC Final Determination).
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Scope of the Orders

    The scope of the Orders covers certain quartz surface products.\6\ 
Quartz surface products consist of slabs and other surfaces created 
from a mixture of materials that includes predominately silica (e.g., 
quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite) as well as a resin binder (e.g., 
an unsaturated polyester). The incorporation of other materials, 
including, but not limited to, pigments, cement, or other additives 
does not remove the merchandise from the scope of the Orders. However, 
the scope of the Orders only includes products where the silica content 
is greater than any other single material, by actual weight. Quartz 
surface products are typically sold as rectangular slabs with a total 
surface area of approximately 45 to 60 square feet and a nominal 
thickness of one, two, or three centimeters. However, the scope of the 
Orders includes surface products of all other sizes, thicknesses, and 
shapes. In addition to slabs, the scope of the Orders includes, but is 
not limited to, other surfaces such as countertops, backsplashes, 
vanity tops, bar tops, work tops, tabletops, flooring, wall facing, 
shower surrounds, fire place surrounds, mantels, and tiles. Certain 
quartz surface products are covered by the Orders whether polished or 
unpolished, cut or uncut, fabricated or not fabricated, cured or 
uncured, edged or not edged, thermoformed or not thermoformed, finished 
or unfinished, packaged or unpackaged,

[[Page 8522]]

and regardless of the type of surface finish.
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    \6\ Quartz surface products may also generally be referred to as 
engineered stone or quartz, artificial stone or quartz, agglomerated 
stone or quartz, synthetic stone or quartz, processed stone or 
quartz, manufactured stone or quartz, and Bretonstone[supreg].
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    In addition, quartz surface products are covered by the Orders 
whether or not they are imported attached to, or in conjunction with, 
non-subject merchandise such as sinks, sink bowls, vanities, cabinets, 
and furniture. If quartz surface products are imported attached to, or 
in conjunction with, such non-subject merchandise, only the quartz 
surface product is covered by the scope.
    Subject merchandise includes material matching the above 
description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise fabricated 
in a third country, including by cutting, polishing, curing, edging, 
thermoforming, attaching to, or packaging with another product, or any 
other finishing, packaging, or fabrication that would not otherwise 
remove the merchandise from the scope of the Orders if performed in the 
country of manufacture of the quartz surface products.
    The scope of the Orders does not cover quarried stone surface 
products, such as granite, marble, soapstone, or quartzite. 
Specifically excluded from the scope of the Orders are crushed glass 
surface products. Crushed glass surface products must meet each of the 
following criteria to qualify for this exclusion: (1) The crushed glass 
content is greater than any other single material, by actual weight; 
(2) there are pieces of crushed glass visible across the surface of the 
product; (3) at least some of the individual pieces of crushed glass 
that are visible across the surface are larger than one centimeter wide 
as measured at their widest cross-section (glass pieces); and (4) the 
distance between any single glass piece and the closest separate glass 
piece does not exceed three inches.
    The products subject to the scope are currently classified in the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the 
following subheadings: 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040. Subject merchandise 
may also enter under subheadings 6810.11.0010, 6810.11.0070, 
6810.19.1200, 6810.19.1400, 6810.19.5000, 6810.91.0000, 6810.99.0080, 
6815.99.4070, 2506.10.0010, 2506.10.0050, 2506.20.0010, 2506.20.0080, 
and 7016.90.10. The HTSUS subheadings set forth above are provided for 
convenience and U.S. Customs purposes only. The written description of 
the scope of the Orders is dispositive.

Continuation of the Orders

    As a result of the determinations by Commerce and the ITC that 
revocation of the Orders would likely lead to continuation or 
recurrence of dumping, countervailable subsidies, and material injury 
to an industry in the United States, pursuant to section 751(d)(2) of 
the Act, Commerce hereby orders the continuation of the Orders. U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection will continue to collect AD and CVD cash 
deposits at the rates in effect at the time of entry for all imports of 
subject merchandise.
    The effective date of the continuation of the Orders is January 24, 
2025.\7\ Pursuant to section 751(c)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.218(c)(2), Commerce intends to initiate the next five-year reviews 
of the Orders not later than 30 days prior to fifth anniversary of the 
date of the effective date of this continuation.
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    \7\ See ITC Final Determination.
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Administrative Protective Order (APO)

    This notice also serves as a final reminder to parties subject to 
an APO of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of 
proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.305(a)(3), which continues to govern business proprietary 
information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written 
notification of the return or destruction of APO materials, or 
conversion to judicial protective order, is hereby requested. Failure 
to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a violation which 
is subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

    These five-year (sunset) reviews and this notice are in accordance 
with sections 751(c) and 751(d)(2) of the Act and published in 
accordance with section 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.218(f)(4).

    Dated: January 24, 2025.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2025-01946 Filed 1-29-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P