Document headings vary by document type but may contain
                    the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
the number of the CFR title and the number of each part
                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly
                      related to
the agency docket number / agency internal file number
the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in
                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory
                      Actions See the
                    Document Drafting Handbook
                    for more details.
 Department of Commerce International Trade Administration [C-533-929]
 AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
 SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable (CVD) subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of ceramic tile from India. The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.
 DATES: Applicable September 27, 2024.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jinny Ahn or Natasia Harrison, AD/CVD Operations, Office VI, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-0339 or (202) 482-1240, respectively.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 703(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce published the notice of initiation of this investigation on May 16, 2024.[1]
                    
                     On June 24, 2024, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination in this investigation until September 16, 2024.[2]
                    
                     On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this administrative proceeding by seven days.[3]
                    
                     The deadline for this preliminary determination is now September 23, 2024. For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, 
                    *see*
                     the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.[4]
                    
                     A list of topics discussed 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 ceramic tile from India. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, 
                    *see*
                     Appendix I. Scope Comments In accordance with the preamble to Commerce's regulations,[5]
                    
                     the 
                    *Initiation Notice*
                     set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage, (
                    *i.e.,*
                     scope).[6]
                    
                     We received several comments concerning the scope of this investigation, as well as in the companion less-than-fair value (LTFV) investigation of ceramic tile, as it appeared in the 
                    *Initiation Notice.*
                     We are currently evaluating the scope comments filed by interested parties. We intend to issue our preliminary decision regarding the scope of the LTFV and CVD investigations on or before the preliminary determination of the companion LTFV investigation, the deadline for which is November 22, 2024. We will incorporate the scope decisions from the LTFV investigation into the scope of the final CVD determination for this investigation after considering any relevant comments submitted in scope case and rebuttal briefs.[7] Methodology Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 701 of the Act. For each of the subsidy programs found to be countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a subsidy, 
                    *i.e.,*
                     a financial contribution by an “authority” that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific.[8]
                    
                     In making its determination, Commerce relied, in part, on adverse facts available. For a full description of the methodology underlying our preliminary conclusions, 
                    *see*
                     the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part In accordance with section 703(e)(1) of the Act, Commerce preliminarily determines that critical circumstances do not exist with respect to U.S. imports of subject merchandise from Antiqa Minerals (Antiqa) and Win-Tel Ceramics Private Limited (Win-Tel). However, Commerce preliminarily finds that critical circumstances exist for all other exporters or producers not individually examined. For a full description of the methodology and results of Commerce's analysis, 
                    *see*
                     the “Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances” section in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. Alignment As noted in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, in accordance with section 705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(4), Commerce is aligning the final CVD determination in this investigation with the final determination in the companion antidumping duty (AD) investigation of ceramic tile from India based on a request made by the petitioner.[9]
                    
                     Consequently, the final CVD determination will be issued on the same date as the final AD determination, which is currently scheduled to be issued no later than February 5, 2025, unless postponed. All-Others Rate Sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that in the preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated all-others rate for companies not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated subsidy rates established for those companies individually examined, excluding any zero and 
                    *de minimis*
                     rates and any rates determined entirely under section 776 of the Act. In this investigation, Commerce calculated individual estimated countervailable subsidy rates for Antiqa and Win-Tel that are not zero, 
                    *de minimis,*
                     or based entirely on facts otherwise available. Commerce calculated the all-others rate using a weighted average of the individual estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents using each company's publicly ranged values for the merchandise under consideration.[10] Preliminary Determination Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated countervailable subsidy rates exist: Company
Subsidy rate
                             
                                (percent 
                                *ad valorem*)Antiqa Minerals
3.15Win-Tel Ceramics Private Limited 11
3.05All Others
3.08
 Suspension of Liquidation In accordance with section 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise as described in Appendix I to this notice entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of this notice in 
                    **Federal Register**
                    . Further, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the rate indicated in the table above. Section 703(e)(2) of the Act provides that, given an affirmative determination of critical circumstances, any 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 in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                    . As noted above, Commerce preliminarily finds that critical circumstances do not exist for imports of subject merchandise produced and/or exported by Antiqa and Win-Tel, and that critical circumstances do exist for all other producers and/or exporters not individually examined. In accordance with section 703(e)(2)(A) of the Act, suspension of liquidation shall apply to unliquidated entries of subject 
                    ( print page 79247)
                    merchandise from the exporters/producers identified in this paragraph that were entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date which is 90 days before the publication of this notice in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                    . Disclosure Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed in this preliminary determination to parties to the proceeding within five days of public announcement of the determination, or if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this notice in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                    , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.244(b). Consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will analyze and, if appropriate, correct any timely allegations of significant ministerial errors by amending the preliminary determination. However, consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(d), Commerce will not consider incomplete allegations that do not address the significance standard under 19 CFR 351.224(g) following the preliminary determination. Instead, Commerce will address such allegations in the final determination together with issues raised in the case briefs or other written comments. Verification As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify the information relied upon in making its final determination. Public Comment All interested parties will have the opportunity to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs on the preliminary decision regarding the scope of the LTFV and CVD investigations. The deadlines to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs will be provided in the preliminary scope decision memorandum. For all scope case and rebuttal briefs, parties must file identical documents simultaneously on the records of the ongoing LTFV and CVD ceramic tile investigations. No new factual information or business proprietary information may be included in either scope case or rebuttal briefs. Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven days after the date on which the last verification report is issued in this investigation.[12]
                    
                     Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs.[13]
                    
                     Interested parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.[14] As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an executive summary of their brief that should be limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this investigation, we instead request that interested parties provide, at the beginning of their briefs, a public executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs.[15]
                    
                     Further, we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the basis for the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).[16] 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 in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                    . Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants from the party, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the issues to be discussed. Oral presentations at the hearing will be limited to issues raised in the briefs. 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 hearing date. U.S. International Trade Commission Notification In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify the U.S. 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 ceramic tile from India are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry. Notification to Interested Parties This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 703(f) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c). Dated: September 23, 2024. Ryan Majerus, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
 Appendix I Scope of the Investigation The merchandise covered by this investigation is ceramic flooring tile, wall tile, paving tile, hearth tile, porcelain tile, mosaic tile, flags, decorative tile, finishing tile, and the like (hereinafter ceramic tile). Ceramic tiles are articles containing a mixture of minerals including clay (generally hydrous silicates of alumina or magnesium) that are fired so the raw materials are fused to produce a tile that is less than 3.2 cm in thickness, exclusive of decorative features. All ceramic tile is subject to the scope regardless of end use, surface area, and weight, regardless of whether the tile is glazed or unglazed, regardless of the water absorption coefficient by weight, regardless of the extent of vitrification, and regardless of whether or not the tile is on a backing. Subject merchandise includes ceramic tile “slabs” or “panels” (tiles that are larger than 1 meter2
                         (11 ft2
                        )). Subject merchandise includes ceramic tile that undergoes minor processing in a third country prior to importation into the United States. Similarly, subject merchandise includes ceramic tile produced that undergoes minor processing after importation into the United States. Such minor processing includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: beveling, cutting, trimming, staining, painting, polishing, finishing, additional firing, affixing a decorative surface to the tile, or any other processing that would otherwise not remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope product. Subject merchandise is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the following 
                        ( print page 79248)
                        subheadings of heading 6907: 6907.21.1005, 6907.21.1011, 6907.21.1051, 6907.21.2000, 6907.21.3000, 6907.21.4000, 6907.21.9011, 6907.21.9051, 6907.22.1005, 6907.22.1011, 6907.22.1051, 6907.22.2000, 6907.22.3000, 6907.22.4000, 6907.22.9011, 6907.22.9051, 6907.23.1005, 6907.23.1011, 6907.23.1051, 6907.23.2000, 6907.23.3000, 6907.23.4000, 6907.23.9011, 6907.23.9051, 6907.30.1005, 6907.30.1011, 6907.30.1051, 6907.30.2000, 6907.30.3000, 6907.30.4000, 6907.30.9011, 6907.30.9051, 6907.40.1005, 6907.40.1011, 6907.40.1051, 6907.40.2000, 6907.40.3000, 6907.40.4000, 6907.40.9011, and 6907.40.9051. Subject merchandise may also enter under subheadings of headings 6913, 6914, and 6905: 6913.90.2000, 6914.10.8000, 6914.90.8000, 6905.10.0000, and 6905.90.0050. The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive. Appendix II List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum I. Summary II. Background III. Scope Comments IV. Injury Test V. Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances VI. Use of Adverse Facts Available and Application of Adverse Inferences VII. Subsidies Valuation Information VIII. Interest Rate Benchmarks and Benchmarks for Measuring the Adequacy of Remuneration IX. Diversification of India's Economy X. Analysis of Programs XI. Calculation of the All-Others Rate XII. Recommendation


# Footnotes

1.
    
                         
                        *See Ceramic Tile from India: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigation,*89 FR 42841 (May 16, 2024) (
                        *Initiation Notice*). Back to Citation
 2.
    
                         
                        *See Ceramic Tile from India: Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation,*89 FR 53958 (June 28, 2024). Back to Citation
 3.
    
                         
                        *See*
                         Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated July 22, 2024. Back to Citation
 4.
    
                         
                        *See*
                         Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Affirmative Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Ceramic Tile from India,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum). Back to Citation
 5.
    
                         
                        *See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule,*62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997). Back to Citation
 6.
    
                         
                        *See Initiation Notice,*
                         89 FR at 42842. Back to Citation
 7.
    
                         The deadline for interested parties to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs will be established in the preliminary scope decision memorandum. Back to Citation
 8.
    
                         
                        *See*
                         sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity. Back to Citation
 9.
    
                         
                        *See*
                         Petitioner's Letter, “Petitioner's Request to Align Countervailing Duty Investigation Final Determination with Antidumping Duty Investigation Final Determination,” dated September 9, 2024. The petitioner is the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile. Back to Citation
 10.
    
                         With two respondents under examination, Commerce normally calculates: (A) a weighted-average of the estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents; (B) a simple average of the estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents; and (C) a weighted-average of the estimated subsidy rates calculated for the examined respondents using each company's publicly ranged U.S. sale values for the merchandise under consideration. Commerce then compares (B) and (C) to (A) and selects the rate closer to (A) as the most appropriate rate for all other producers and exporters. 
                        *See, e.g., Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Reviews, Final Results of Changed-Circumstances Review, and Revocation of an Order in Part,*75 FR 53661, 53662 (September 1, 2010), and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment 1. As complete publicly ranged sales data were available, Commerce based the all-others rate on the publicly ranged sales data of the mandatory respondents. For a complete analysis of the data, 
                        *see*
                         the All-Others Rate Calculation Memorandum, dated concurrently with this notice. Back to Citation
 11.
    
                         As discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce preliminarily finds Win-Tel Ceramics Private Limited to be cross-owned with Theos Tiles LLP. Back to Citation
 12.
    
                         
                        *See*19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(i); 
                        *see also*19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements). Back to Citation
 13.
    
                         
                        *See*19 CFR 351.309(d); 
                        *see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,*88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) (
                        *APO and Service Final Rule*). Back to Citation
 14.
    
                         
                        *See*19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2). Back to Citation
 15.
    
                         We use the term “issue” here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum. Back to Citation
 16.
    
                         
                        *See APO and Service Final Rule.* Back to Citation


[FR Doc. 2024-22228 Filed 9-26-24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P