74150 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 208 / Monday, October 30, 2023 / Notices 

agencies to comment on proposed and 

continuing information collections, 

which helps us assess the impact of our 

information collection requirements and 

minimize the public’s reporting burden. 

Public comments were previously 

requested via the Federal Register on 

October 12, 2023, during a 30-day 

comment period. This notice allows for 

an additional 12 days for public 

comments. 

Agency: Bureau of Economic 

Analysis, Department of Commerce. 

OMB Control Number: 0608–0073. 

Form Number(s): BE–140. 

Type of Request: Regular submission. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

1,300 annually (1,000 reporting 

mandatory data and 300 that would file 

exemption claims or voluntary 

responses). 

Estimated Time per Response: 9 hours 

is the average for the 600 respondents 

filing data by country and affiliation, 2 

hours for the 400 respondents filing data 

by transaction type only, and 1 hour for 

those filing an exemption claim or other 

response. Hours may vary considerably 

among respondents because of 

differences in company size and 

complexity. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 6,500. 

Needs and Uses: The data are needed 

to monitor U.S. trade in insurance 

services, to analyze the impact of these 

cross-border services on the U.S. and 

foreign economies, to compile and 

improve the U.S. economic accounts, to 

support U.S. commercial policy on trade 

in services, to conduct trade promotion, 

and to improve the ability of U.S. 

businesses to identify and evaluate 

market opportunities. The data are used 

in estimating the trade in insurance 

services component of the U.S. 

international transactions accounts 

(ITAs) and national income and product 

accounts (NIPAs). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Frequency: Every fifth year, for 

reporting years ending in ‘‘3’’ and ‘‘8’’. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: International 

Investment and Trade in Services 

Survey Act (Pub. L. 94–472, 22 U.S.C. 

3101–3108, as amended). 

This information collection request 

may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. 

Follow the instructions to view the 

Department of Commerce collections 

currently under review by OMB. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be 

submitted within 30 days of the 

publication of this notice on the 

following website www.reginfo.gov/ 

public/do/PRAMain. Find this 

particular information collection by 

selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day 

Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or 

by using the search function and 

entering either the title of the collection 

or the OMB Control Number 0608–0073. 

Sheleen Dumas, 

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of 

the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, 

Commerce Department. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23848 Filed 10–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Foreign-Trade Zones Board 

[Order No. 2149] 

Reorganization and Expansion of 

Foreign-Trade Zone 255 Under 

Alternative Site Framework; 

Washington County, Maryland 

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 Foreign-Trade Zones 

(FTZ) Act provides for ‘‘. . . the 

establishment . . . of foreign-trade 

zones in ports of entry of the United 

States, to expedite and encourage 

foreign commerce, and for other 

purposes,’’ and authorizes the Board to 

grant to qualified corporations the 

privilege of establishing foreign-trade 

zones in or adjacent to U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection ports of entry; 

Whereas, the Board adopted the 

alternative site framework (ASF) (15 

CFR 400.2(c)) as an option for the 

establishment or reorganization of 

zones; 

Whereas, the Board of County 

Commissioners of Washington County, 

grantee of Foreign-Trade Zone 255, 

submitted an application to the Board 

(FTZ Docket B–27–2023, docketed April 

13, 2023) for authority to reorganize and 

expand under the ASF with a service 

area of Washington County, Maryland, 

adjacent to the Baltimore Customs and 

Border Protection port of entry, FTZ 

255’s existing Sites 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 

would be categorized as magnet sites, 

and the grantee proposes one initial 

subzone (Subzone 255A); 

Whereas, notice inviting public 

comment was given in the Federal 

Register (88 FR 24161–24162, April 19, 

2023) and the application has been 

processed pursuant to the FTZ Act and 

the Board’s regulations; and, 

Whereas, the Board adopts the 

findings and recommendations of the 

examiners’ report, and finds that the 

requirements of the FTZ Act and the 

Board’s regulations are satisfied; 

Now, therefore, the Board hereby 

orders: 

The application to reorganize and 

expand FTZ 255 under the ASF is 

approved, subject to the FTZ Act and 

the Board’s regulations, including 

section 400.13, to the Board’s standard 

2,000-acre activation limit for the zone, 

to an ASF sunset provision for magnet 

sites that would terminate authority for 

Sites 1, 4, 6 and 7 if not activated within 

five years from the month of approval, 

and to an ASF sunset provision for 

subzones that would terminate authority 

for Subzone 255A if no foreign-status 

merchandise is admitted for a bona fide 

customs purpose within three years 

from the month of approval. 

Dated: October 24, 2023. 

Lisa W. Wang, 

Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and 

Compliance, Alternate Chairman, ForeignTrade Zones Board. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23851 Filed 10–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[A–570–028] 

Hydrofluorocarbon Blends From the 

People’s Republic of China: Initiation 

of Circumvention Inquiry on the 

Antidumping Duty Order 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

SUMMARY: In response to a request from 

the American HFC Coalition, a domestic 

interested party, the U.S. Department of 

Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a 

country-wide circumvention inquiry to 

determine whether U.S. imports from 

Mexico of R–410B, which are completed 

in Mexico using Chinese components 

and further processed in the United 

States, are circumventing the 

antidumping duty (AD) order on 

hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blends from 

the People’s Republic of China (China). 

DATES: Applicable October 30, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Genevieve Coen or Jerry Xiao, AD/CVD 

Operations, Office II, Enforcement and 

Compliance, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 

NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 

(202) 482–3251 or (202) 482–2273, 

respectively. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 208 / Monday, October 30, 2023 / Notices 74151 

1The American HFC Coalition consists of 

individual members, including Arkema, Inc., The 

Chemours Company FC LLC, Honeywell 

International Inc., and Mexichem Fluor Inc. 

(collectively, domestic interested parties). 

2See Hydrofluorocarbon Blends and Components 

Thereof from the People’s Republic of China: 

Antidumping Duty Order, 81 FR 55436 (August 19, 

2016) (Order). 

3See American HFC Coalition’s Letter, ‘‘Request 

to Initiate Anti-Circumvention Inquiry with Respect 

to Imports of R–410B from Mexico Pursuant to 

Section 781(a) of the Act,’’ dated September 22, 

2023. 

4See American HFC Coalition’s Letter, ‘‘HFC 

Coalition’s Response to Circumvention 

Supplemental Questionnaire—R–410B from 

Mexico,’’ dated October 17, 2023. 

5See Initiation Checklist, ‘‘Circumvention 

Initiation Checklist: Hydrofluorocarbon Blends 

from the People’s Republic of China,’’ dated 

concurrently with this notice (Initiation Checklist). 

6See Statement of Administrative Action 

Accompanying the Uruguay Round Agreements 

Act, H.R. Doc. No. 103–316, Vol. 1 (1994), at 893. 

7See Hydrofluorocarbon Blends from the People’s 

Republic of China: Final Negative Scope Ruling on 

Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd.’s R–410A Blend; 

Affirmative Final Determination of Circumvention 

of the Antidumping Duty Order by Indian Blends 

Containing CCC Components, 85 FR 61930 (October 

1, 2020), and accompanying Issues and Decision 

Memorandum at 20 (specifying the same in the 

context of a section 781(b) inquiry). 

8See, e.g., Hydrofluorocarbon Blends from the 

People’s Republic of China: Initiation of 

Circumvention Inquiries on the Antidumping Duty 

Order, 88 FR 43275 (July 7, 2023); see also Certain 

Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products from the 

Republic of Korea and Taiwan: Initiation of AntiCircumvention Inquiries on the Antidumping Duty 

and Countervailing Duty Orders, 83 FR 37785 

(August 2, 2018); Carbon Steel Butt-Weld Pipe 

Fittings from the People’s Republic of China: 

Initiation of Anti-Circumvention Inquiry on the 

Antidumping Duty Order, 82 FR 40556, 40560 

(August 25, 2017) (stating at initiation that 

Commerce would evaluate the extent to which a 

country-wide finding applicable to all exports 

might be warranted); and Certain CorrosionResistant Steel Products from the People’s Republic 

Continued 

Background 

On September 22, 2023, pursuant to 

sections 781(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, 

as amended (the Act) and 19 CFR 

351.226(c), the American HFC 

Coalition 1 filed a circumvention inquiry 

request alleging that HFC blends 

completed in Mexico from Chinese 

components and further processed in 

the United States are circumventing the 

AD order on HFC blends from Mexico 2

and, accordingly, should be included 

within the scope of the Order.3 On 

October 17, 2023, the American HFC 

Coalition responded to our 

supplemental questionnaire.4

Scope of the Order 

The products subject to the Order are 

HFC blends. HFC blends covered by the 

scope of the Order are currently 

classified in the Harmonized Tariff 

Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) 

at subheadings 3827.61.0000, 

3827.63.0000, 3827.64.0000, 

3827.65.0000, 3827.68.0000, 

3827.69.0000. Although the HTSUS 

subheadings are provided for 

convenience and customs purposes, the 

written description of the scope is 

dispositive. For a full description of the 

scope the Order, see the attachment to 

the Initiation Checklist.5

Merchandise Subject to the 

Circumvention Inquiry 

The circumvention inquiry covers R– 

410B from Mexico that is completed in 

Mexico using Chinese R–32 and R–125 

and then subsequently exported to and 

further processed in the United States 

into an in-scope blend (i.e., R–410A). 

Initiation of Circumvention Inquiry 

Section 351.226(d) of Commerce’s 

regulations states that if Commerce 

determines that a request for a 

circumvention inquiry satisfies the 

requirements of 19 CFR 351.226(c), then 

Commerce ‘‘will accept the request and 

initiate a circumvention inquiry.’’ 

Section 351.226(c)(1) of Commerce’s 

regulations, in turn, requires that each 

circumvention inquiry request allege 

‘‘that the elements necessary for a 

circumvention determination under 

section 781 of the Act exist’’ and be 

‘‘accompanied by information 

reasonably available to the interested 

party supporting these allegations.’’ The 

American HFC Coalition alleged 

circumvention pursuant to section 

781(a) of the Act (merchandise 

completed or assembled in the United 

States). 

Section 781(a)(1) of the Act provides 

that Commerce may find circumvention 

of an order when merchandise of the 

same class or kind subject to the order 

is completed or assembled in the United 

States. In conducting a circumvention 

inquiry, under section 781(a)(1) of the 

Act, Commerce relies on the following 

criteria: (A) merchandise sold in the 

United States is of the same class or 

kind as any merchandise that is the 

subject of an AD or countervailing duty 

(CVD) order; (B) such merchandise sold 

in the United States is completed or 

assembled in the United States from 

parts or components produced in the 

foreign country with respect to which 

such order or finding applies; (C) the 

process of assembly or completion in 

the United States is minor or 

insignificant; and (D) the value of the 

parts or components referred to in 

subparagraph (B) is a significant portion 

of the total value of the merchandise. 

In determining whether the process of 

assembly or completion in the United 

States is minor or insignificant under 

section 781(a)(1)(C) of the Act, section 

781(a)(2) of the Act directs Commerce to 

consider: (A) the level of investment in 

the United States; (B) the level of 

research and development in the United 

States; (C) the nature of the production 

process in the United States; (D) the 

extent of production facilities in the 

United States; and (E) whether the value 

of the processing performed in the 

United States represents a small 

proportion of the value of the 

merchandise sold in the United States. 

However, no single factor, by itself, 

controls Commerce’s determination of 

whether the process of assembly or 

completion in the United States is 

minor or insignificant.6 Accordingly, it 

is Commerce’s practice to evaluate each 

of these five factors as they exist in the 

United States, and to reach an 

affirmative or negative circumvention 

determination based on the totality of 

the circumstances of the particular 

circumvention inquiry.7

In addition, section 781(a)(3) of the 

Act sets forth additional factors to 

consider in determining whether to 

include merchandise assembled or 

completed in the United States within 

the scope of an AD or CVD order. 

Specifically, Commerce shall take into 

account such factors as: (A) the pattern 

of trade, including sourcing patterns; (B) 

whether the manufacturer or exporter of 

the parts or components is affiliated 

with the person who assembles or 

completes the merchandise sold in the 

United States from the parts or 

components produced in the foreign 

country with respect to which the order 

applies; and (C) whether imports into 

the United States of the parts or 

components products in such foreign 

country have increased after the 

initiation of the investigation which 

resulted in the issuance of such order. 

Analysis 

Based on our analysis of the American 

HFC Coalition’s circumvention request, 

Commerce determines that the 

American HFC Coalition has satisfied 

the criteria under 19 CFR 351.226(c) to 

warrant the initiation of a 

circumvention inquiry of the Order. For 

a full discussion of the basis for our 

decision to initiate this circumvention 

inquiry, see the Initiation Checklist. As 

explained in the Initiation Checklist, the 

information provided by domestic 

interested parties warrants initiating 

this circumvention inquiry on a 

country-wide basis. Commerce has 

taken this approach in prior 

circumvention inquiries, where the facts 

warranted initiation on a country-wide 

basis.8


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74152 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 208 / Monday, October 30, 2023 / Notices 

of China: Initiation of Anti-Circumvention Inquiries 

on the Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty 

Orders, 81 FR 79454, 79458 (November 14, 2016) 

(stating at initiation that Commerce would evaluate 

the extent to which a country-wide finding 

applicable to all exports might be warranted). 

1See GOV’s Letter, ‘‘Request for Changed 

Circumstances Review,’’ dated September 8, 2023 

(CCR Request). 

2See Raw Honey from Argentina, Brazil, India, 

and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 

Antidumping Duty Orders, 87 FR 35501 (June 10, 

2023). 

3See CCR Request at 3. 

4 Id. at 7–8. 

5 Id. at 10–14. 

6 Id. at 14–16. 

7 Id. at 16–20. 

8 Id. at 20–23. 

9See Petitioners’ Letter, ‘‘Petitioners’ Response to 

Vietnam’s Request for Market Economy Treatment,’’ 

dated October 6, 2023 (Petitioners’ Comments). 

Consistent with the approach in the 

prior circumvention inquiries that were 

initiated on a country-wide basis, 

Commerce intends to issue 

questionnaires to solicit information 

from producers and exporters in 

Mexico, concerning their shipments to 

the United States and the origin of any 

imported HFC blends being further 

processed into HFC blends subject to 

the Order. 

Respondent Selection 

Commerce intends to base respondent 

selection on U.S. Customs and Border 

and Protection (CBP) data. Commerce 

intends to place CBP data on the record 

within five days of the publication of 

the initiation notice. Comments 

regarding the CBP data and respondent 

selection should be submitted within 

seven days after placement of the CBP 

data on the record of this inquiry. 

Commerce intends to establish a 

schedule for questionnaire responses 

after respondent selection. A company’s 

failure to completely respond to 

Commerce’s requests for information 

may result in the application of partial 

or total facts available, pursuant to 

section 776(a) of the Act, which may 

include adverse inferences, pursuant to 

section 776(b) of the Act. 

Suspension of Liquidation 

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.226(l)(1), 

Commerce will notify CBP of the 

initiation of this circumvention inquiry 

and direct CBP to continue the 

suspension of liquidation of entries of 

products subject to the circumvention 

inquiry that were already subject to the 

suspension of liquidation under the 

Order and to apply the cash deposit rate 

that would be applicable if the product 

was determined to be covered by the 

scope of the Order. Should Commerce 

issue a preliminary or final 

circumvention determination, 

Commerce will follow the suspension of 

liquidation rules under 19 CFR 

351.226(l)(2)–(4). 

Notification to Interested Parties 

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.226(d) 

and section 781(a) of the Act, Commerce 

determines that the American HFC 

Coalition’s request for this 

circumvention inquiry satisfies the 

requirements of 19 CFR 351.226(c). 

Accordingly, Commerce is notifying all 

interested parties of the initiation of this 

circumvention inquiry to determine 

whether U.S. imports from Mexico of R– 

410B that are completed in Mexico 

using Chinese components and then 

blended into in-scope R–410A in the 

United States are circumventing the 

Order. In addition, we included a 

description of the product that is the 

subject of this inquiry and an 

explanation of the reasons for 

Commerce’s decision to initiate this 

inquiry as provided above and in the 

accompanying Initiation Checklist. In 

accordance with 19 CFR 351.226(e)(1), 

Commerce intends to issue its 

preliminary determination no later than 

150 days from the date of publication of 

the notice of initiation of this 

circumvention inquiry in the Federal 

Register. 

This notice is published in 

accordance with section 781(a) of the 

Act and 19 CFR 351.226(d)(1)(ii). 

Dated: October 23, 2023. 

Lisa W. Wang, 

Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and 

Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23850 Filed 10–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

International Trade Administration 

[A–552–833] 

Raw Honey From the Socialist 

Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of 

Antidumping Duty Changed 

Circumstances Review 

AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, 

International Trade Administration, 

Department of Commerce. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a 

changed circumstances review (CCR) of 

the antidumping duty (AD) order on raw 

honey from the Socialist Republic of 

Vietnam (Vietnam) to examine whether 

Vietnam remains a non-market economy 

(NME) country for purposes of the 

application of the AD law. 

DATES: Applicable October 30, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chien-Min Yang or Leah Wils-Owens, 

Office of Policy, Enforcement and 

Compliance, International Trade 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 

NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: 

(202) 482–5484 or (202) 482–4203, 

respectively. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On September 8, 2023, the 

Government of Vietnam (GOV) 

submitted a letter requesting that 

Commerce conduct a review of 

Vietnam’s status as an NME country 1

within the context of a CCR of the AD 

order on raw honey from Vietnam.2 In 

the CCR Request, the GOV describes 

changes that have occurred in Vietnam 

in recent years as they relate to each of 

the statutory criteria Commerce uses to 

evaluate a country’s market economy 

status. Specifically, in the CCR Request, 

the GOV contends that the Vietnamese 

dong is transparently convertible into 

other foreign currencies based on 

market principles, fairness, and nondiscrimination.3 In the CCR Request, the 

GOV argues that bargaining between 

labor and management on wage rates in 

Vietnam is free, and that Vietnam now 

possesses a clear legal framework to 

ensure employees’ basic rights.4 With 

regard to foreign direct investment, the 

GOV states in the CCR Request that 

Vietnam has made improvements in the 

investment environment, stating that no 

differences exist in how foreign and 

domestic investors are treated.5 In the 

CCR Request, the GOV also provides 

information on the reduction of 

government ownership and control over 

the means of production in Vietnam and 

maintains that private sector 

development, state-owned enterprise 

restructuring and divestment, and land 

reform initiatives have all been taken.6

As to the allocation of resources and the 

government’s role in price and output 

decisions, the GOV states in the CCR 

Request that the GOV does not possess 

significant control over these areas.7 In 

the CCR Request, the GOV also 

identifies other factors that have been 

important to market-oriented reforms, 

including the establishment of a legal 

framework for bankruptcy, greater 

transparency in corporate governance, 

the launch of a legal framework for a 

state audit, a unified legal system, and 

diversified foreign economic relations.8

On October 6, 2023, the American 

Honey Producers Association and Sioux 

Honey Association (the petitioners) 

submitted comments in opposition to 

CCR Request.9 On October 17, 2023, the 

GOV submitted rebuttal comments in 


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