[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 43 (Monday, March 8, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13328-13330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04741]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-523-814]


Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet From the Sultanate of Oman: Final 
Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Negative 
Determination of Critical Circumstances

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports 
of common alloy aluminum sheet (aluminum sheet) from the Sultanate of 
Oman (Oman) are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States 
at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation January 
1, 2019, through December 31, 2019.

DATES: Applicable March 8, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chelsey Simonovich, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1979.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 15, 2020, Commerce published in the Federal Register its 
preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of 
aluminum sheet from Oman, in which we also postponed the final 
determination until March 1, 2021.\1\ We invited interested parties to 
comment on the Preliminary Determination. A summary of the events that 
occurred since Commerce published the Preliminary Determination, may be 
found in the Issues and Decision Memorandum.\2\
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    \1\ See Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from the Sultanate of Oman: 
Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value, Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances, and 
Postponement of Final Determinations, 85 FR 65340 (October 15, 2020) 
(Preliminary Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.
    \2\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum in the 
Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet 
from the Sultanate of Oman,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby 
adopted by, this notice (Issues and Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are aluminum sheet from 
Oman. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, 
see Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    During the course of this investigation, Commerce received scope 
comments from interested parties. Commerce issued a Preliminary Scope 
Decision Memorandum to address these comments.\3\ We received comments 
from interested parties on the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum, 
which we address in the Final Scope Decision Memorandum.\4\ Commerce is 
not modifying the scope language as it appeared in the Preliminary 
Determination. See Appendix I for the final scope of the investigation.
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    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from Bahrain, 
Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, 
Republic of Korea, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, 
Spain, Taiwan, and Turkey: Scope Comments Decision Memorandum for 
the Preliminary Determinations,'' dated October 6, 2020 (Preliminary 
Scope Decision Memorandum).
    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from Bahrain, 
Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, 
Korea, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, 
and Turkey: Scope Comments Final Decision Memorandum,'' dated 
concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Final Scope 
Decision Memorandum).
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Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs that were 
submitted by parties in this investigation are addressed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum. A list of the issues addressed in the Issues 
and Decision Memorandum is attached to this notice at Appendix II. The 
Issues and 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 Issues and Decision Memorandum can 
be accessed directly at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn. The signed 
and electronic versions of the Issues and Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content.

Verification

    Commerce was unable to conduct on-site verification of the 
information relied upon in making its final

[[Page 13329]]

determination in this investigation. However, we took additional steps 
in lieu of an on-site verification to verify the information relied 
upon in making this final determination, in accordance with section 
782(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).\5\
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    \5\ See Commerce's Letter, ``In Lieu of Verification 
Supplemental,'' dated December 16, 2020; see also OARC's Letter, 
``Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet from Oman: Response to Questionnaire 
in Lieu of Verification,'' dated December 23, 2020.
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Changes Since the Preliminary Determination

    Based on our analysis of the comments received and our findings 
related to our request for information in lieu of on-site verification, 
we made certain changes to the margin calculations. For a discussion of 
these changes, see the ``Changes from the Preliminary Determination'' 
section of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Final Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

    In accordance with section 733(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, we 
preliminarily determined that critical circumstances did not exist with 
respect to imports of aluminum sheet from OARC or for all other 
exporters or producers not individually examined. For this final 
determination, our preliminary determination remains unchanged. 
Accordingly, pursuant to section 735(a)(3) of the Act, we find that 
critical circumstances do not exist with respect to imports of aluminum 
sheet from OARC or all other exporters or producers not individually 
examined. For a full description of the methodology and results of 
Commerce's analysis, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

All-Others Rate

    Section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provides that the estimated 
weighted-average dumping margin for all other producers and exporters 
not individually investigated shall be equal to the weighted average of 
the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for 
exporters and producers individually investigated excluding rates that 
are zero, de minimis, or determined entirely under section 776 of the 
Act. Commerce calculated an individual estimated weighted-average 
dumping margin for Oman Aluminium Rolling Company (OARC), 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 OARC is the margin 
assigned to all other producers and exporters, pursuant to section 
735(c)(5)(A) of the Act.

Final Determination

    The final estimated weighted-average dumping margins are as 
follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Estimated
                                                               weighted-
                                                                average
                      Exporter/producer                         dumping
                                                                margin
                                                               (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oman Aluminium Rolling Company..............................        5.29
All Others..................................................        5.29
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclosure

    We intend to disclose the calculations performed in this final 
determination within five days of the date of publication of this 
notice to parties in this proceeding in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.224(b).

Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, Commerce will 
instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to 
suspend liquidation of all appropriate entries of aluminum sheet from 
Oman, as described in Appendix I of this notice, which are entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after October 15, 2020, 
the date of publication in the Federal Register of the affirmative 
Preliminary Determination.
    Pursuant to section 735(c)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.210(d), we will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit for such 
entries of merchandise equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping 
margin as follows: (1) The cash deposit rate for the respondent listed 
above will be equal to the respondent-specific estimated weighted-
average dumping margin determined in this final 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 respondent-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. These suspension-of-liquidation 
instructions will remain in effect until further notice.

International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 735(d) of the Act, we will notify the 
International Trade Commission (ITC) of the final affirmative 
determination of sales at LTFV. Because Commerce's final determination 
is affirmative, in accordance with section 735(b)(2) of the Act, the 
ITC will make its final determination as to whether the domestic 
industry in the United States is materially injured, or threatened with 
material injury, by reason of imports or sales (or the likelihood of 
sales) for importation of aluminum sheet from Oman no later than 45 
days after this final determination. If the ITC determines that such 
injury does not exist, this proceeding will be terminated, and all cash 
deposits posted will be refunded and suspension of liquidation will be 
lifted. If the ITC determines that such injury does exist, Commerce 
will issue an AD order directing CBP to assess, upon further 
instruction by Commerce, AD duties on all imports of the subject 
merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or 
after the effective date of the suspension of liquidation, as discussed 
above in the ``Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation'' section.

Notification Regarding Administrative Protective Orders

    This notice will serve as a final reminder to the parties subject 
to administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility 
concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under 
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written 
notification of return or destruction of APO materials or conversion to 
judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with 
the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination and this notice are issued and published 
pursuant to sections 735(d) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.210(c). Due to technical issues, James Maeder, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations, is 
signing this final determination on behalf of Ryan Majerus, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations.


[[Page 13330]]


    Dated: March 1, 2021.
James Maeder,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Operations.

Appendix I--Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are common alloy 
aluminum sheet, which is a flat-rolled aluminum product having a 
thickness of 6.3 mm or less, but greater than 0.2 mm, in coils or 
cut-to-length, regardless of width. Common alloy sheet within the 
scope of this investigation includes both not clad aluminum sheet, 
as well as multi-alloy, clad aluminum sheet. With respect to not 
clad aluminum sheet, common alloy sheet is manufactured from a 1XXX-
, 3XXX-, or 5XXX-series alloy as designated by the Aluminum 
Association. With respect to multi-alloy, clad aluminum sheet, 
common alloy sheet is produced from a 3XXX-series core, to which 
cladding layers are applied to either one or both sides of the core. 
The use of a proprietary alloy or non-proprietary alloy that is not 
specifically registered by the Aluminum Association as a discrete 
1XXX-, 3XXX-, or 5XXX-series alloy, but that otherwise has a 
chemistry that is consistent with these designations, does not 
remove an otherwise in-scope product from the scope.
    Common alloy sheet may be made to ASTM specification B209-14 but 
can also be made to other specifications. Regardless of 
specification, however, all common alloy sheet meeting the scope 
description is included in the scope. Subject merchandise includes 
common alloy sheet that has been further processed in a third 
country, including but not limited to annealing, tempering, 
painting, varnishing, trimming, cutting, punching, and/or slitting, 
or any other processing that would not otherwise remove the 
merchandise from the scope of this investigation if performed in the 
country of manufacture of the common alloy sheet.
    Excluded from the scope of this investigation is aluminum can 
stock, which is suitable for use in the manufacture of aluminum 
beverage cans, lids of such cans, or tabs used to open such cans. 
Aluminum can stock is produced to gauges that range from 0.200 mm to 
0.292 mm, and has an H-19, H-41, H-48, H-39, or H-391 temper. In 
addition, aluminum can stock has a lubricant applied to the flat 
surfaces of the can stock to facilitate its movement through 
machines used in the manufacture of beverage cans. Aluminum can 
stock is properly classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS) subheadings 7606.12.3045 and 7606.12.3055.
    Where the nominal and actual measurements vary, a product is 
within the scope if application of either the nominal or actual 
measurement would place it within the scope based on the definitions 
set for the above.
    Common alloy sheet is currently classifiable under HTSUS 
subheadings 7606.11.3060, 7606.11.6000, 7606.12.3096, 7606.12.6000, 
7606.91.3095, 7606.91.6095, 7606.92.3035, and 7606.92.6095. Further, 
merchandise that falls within the scope of this investigation may 
also be entered into the United States under HTSUS subheadings 
7606.11.3030, 7606.12.3015, 7606.12.3025, 7606.12.3035, 
7606.12.3091, 7606.91.3055, 7606.91.6055, 7606.92.3025, 
7606.92.6055, 7607.11.9090. Although the HTSUS subheadings are 
provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written 
description of the scope of this investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II--List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision 
Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Changes from the Preliminary Determination
IV. Critical Circumstances
V. Discussion of the Issues
    Comment 1: Particular Market Situation
    Comment 2: Total Adverse Facts Available
    Comment 3: Major Input Adjustment
    Comment 4: Cost of Production and Market Price
    Comment 5: Third-Country Market
    Comment 6: Constructed Value Profit
    Comment 7: Affiliation
    Comment 8: Calculation Adjustments
VI. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2021-04741 Filed 3-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P