[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80872-80874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22971]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-970]


Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of China: 
Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With the Results of Antidumping 
Administrative Review; Notice of Amended Final Results

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

SUMMARY: On September 18, 2024, the U.S. Court of International Trade 
(CIT) issued its final judgment in Fusong Jinlong Wooden Group Co., 
Ltd., et al v. United States, Consol. Court no. 19-00144, sustaining 
the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)'s remand results pertaining 
to the administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on 
Multilayered Wood Flooring (MLWF) from the People's Republic of China 
(China) covering the period December 1, 2016 through November 30, 2017. 
Commerce is notifying the public that the CIT's final judgment is not 
in harmony with Commerce's final results of the administrative review, 
and that Commerce is amending the final results with respect to the 
dumping

[[Page 80873]]

margin assigned to exporters that were eligible for a separate rate but 
not selected for individual examination.

DATES: Applicable September 28, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Lipka, 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) 482-7976.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 5, 2019, Commerce published its Final Results in the 
2016-2017 AD administrative review of MLWF from China.\1\ In that 
review, Commerce calculated the dumping margin assigned to the non-
individually examined companies found to be eligible for a separate 
rate as the simple-average of the two individually examined mandatory 
respondents' rates, a zero percent rate and an 85.13 percent rate based 
on facts available with an adverse inference (AFA), resulting in a 
margin of 42.57 percent.\2\
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    \1\ See Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of 
China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and 
Final Determination of No Shipments; 2016-2017, 84 FR 38002, 38003 
(August 5, 2019) (Final Results).
    \2\ Id.
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    Mandatory respondent Sino-Maple (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (Sino Maple), 
certain separate rate companies,\3\ and certain companies subject to 
the China-wide entity \4\ rate appealed Commerce's Final Results. On 
December 22, 2022, the CIT remanded the Final Results to Commerce, 
sustaining Commerce's use of AFA to calculate Sino-Maple's rate and the 
separate rate eligibility determinations while remanding the Final 
Results on the issue of whether Commerce's use of Jiangsu Senmao Bamboo 
and Wood Industry Co., Ltd.'s (Senmao) highest transaction-specific 
dumping margin as Sino-Maple's AFA rate was authorized by section 
776(d) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).\5\ The Court 
reserved decision on certain other challenges to Commerce's calculation 
of the separate rate assigned to the respondents not selected for 
individual examination. Commerce filed a motion for reconsideration of 
Fusong I, which was granted by the CIT on October 4, 2023, and found 
that Commerce's method for selecting AFA for Sino-Maple was lawful and 
relieved Commerce of a remand redetermination on that issue.\6\
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    \3\ See Appendix for a list of the separate rate companies under 
injunction.
    \4\ The enjoined companies subject to the China-wide rate are: 
Baishan Huafeng Wooden Product Co., Ltd., Dalian Penghong Floor 
Products Co., Ltd., Jilin Forest Industry Jinqiao Flooring Group 
Co., Ltd., Kingman Floors Co., Ltd., and Scholar Home (Shanghai) New 
Material Co., Ltd. See Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's 
Republic of China: Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review; 2016-2017, 83 FR 65630 (December 21, 2018) 
and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 6, 7, and 12 
(unchanged in the final results).
    \5\ See Fusong Jinlong Wooden Grp. Co., Ltd. v. United States, 
617 F.Supp.3d 1221 (CIT 2022) (Fusong I).
    \6\ See Fusong Jinlong Wooden Grp. Co. v. United States, Slip 
Op. 23-145 (CIT October 4, 2023) at 2.
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    In addressing the issue on reserve, on March 11, 2024, the CIT 
again remanded the Final Results for Commerce to reconsider or further 
explain its decision to calculate the separate rate as the simple-
average of the mandatory respondents' zero percent and AFA rates, which 
the CIT viewed as a departure from its normal practice of using the 
expected method.\7\ Specifically, citing section 735(c)(5)(B) of the 
Act and the Statement of Administrative Action (SAA),\8\ the Court 
found that the statutory exception permits Commerce to use any 
reasonable method to establish the separate rate, but that in such 
cases the expected method Commerce would follow is to weight average a 
zero or de minimis margin with the AFA margin and that by choosing to 
use a simple average, Commerce was required to provide a reasonable 
explanation for its departure.\9\
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    \7\ See Fusong Jinlong Wooden Grp. Co., Ltd. v. United States, 
693 F.Supp.3d 1302 (CIT 2024) (Fusong II).
    \8\ See Statement of Administrative Action Accompanying the 
Uruguay Round Agreements Act, H.R. Doc. 103-316, Vol. 1 (1994), at 
873.
    \9\ See Fusong II at 1307-10.
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    In compliance with the CIT's order, Commerce calculated a weighted-
average dumping margin of 31.63 percent for non-individually examined 
companies eligible for a separate rate.\10\ The CIT sustained 
Commerce's final redetermination.\11\
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    \10\ See Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Court 
Remand, Fusong Jinlong Wooden Group Co., Ltd. et al v. United 
States, Court No. 19-144, Slip Op. 24-29 (CIT September 18, 2024), 
dated June 7, 2024, available at http://access.trade.gov/public/FinalRemandRedetermination.aspx.
    \11\ See Fusong Jinlong Wooden Grp. Co. v. United States, Slip 
Op. 24-103 (CIT September 18, 2024).
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Timken Notice

    In its decision in Timken,\12\ as clarified by Diamond 
Sawblades,\13\ the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held 
that, pursuant to section 516A(c) and (e) of the Act, Commerce must 
publish a notice of court decision that is not ``in harmony'' with a 
Commerce determination and must suspend liquidation of entries pending 
a ``conclusive'' court decision. The CIT's September 18, 2024, judgment 
constitutes a final decision of the CIT that is not in harmony with 
Commerce's Final Results. Thus, this notice is published in fulfillment 
of the publication requirements of Timken.
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    \12\ See Timken Co. v. United States, 893 F.2d 337 (Fed. Cir. 
1990) (Timken).
    \13\ See Diamond Sawblades Manufacturers Coalition v. United 
States, 626 F.3d 1374 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (Diamond Sawblades).
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Amended Final Results

    Because there is now a final court judgment, Commerce is amending 
its Final Results with respect to the non-individually-examined 
companies as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Weighted-
                                                         average dumping
                        Exporter                              margin
                                                            (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Individually-Examined Respondents Eligible for a              31.63
 Separate Rate \14\....................................
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Cash Deposit Requirements

    Because all separate rate respondents subject to injunction have a 
superseding cash deposit rate, i.e., there have been final results 
published in a subsequent administrative review, we will not issue 
revised cash deposit instructions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP). This notice will not affect the current cash deposit rate for 
those companies.

Liquidation of Suspended Entries

    At this time, Commerce remains enjoined from liquidating entries 
that were exported by the non-individually-examined companies, and were 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for

[[Page 80874]]

consumption during the period December, 1, 2016 through November 30, 
2017.\15\ These entries will remain enjoined pursuant to the terms of 
the injunction during the pendency of any appeals process.
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    \14\ See Appendix.
    \15\ See Appendix for a list of the non-examined respondents 
eligible for a separate rate.
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    In the event the CIT's ruling is not appealed, or, if appealed, is 
upheld by a final and conclusive court decision, Commerce intends to 
instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on unliquidated entries of 
subject merchandise exported by the non-individually examined separate 
rate respondents in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b), where 
appropriate. We will instruct CBP to assess antidumping duties on all 
appropriate entries covered by this review at the AD rate noted in the 
table above.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published in accordance with sections 
516A(c) and (e) and 777(i)(1) of the Act.

    Dated: September 27, 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

Non-Individually Examined Respondents Eligible To Receive a Separate 
Rate Under Injunction

A&W (Shanghai) Woods Co., Ltd.
Benxi Wood Company
Dalian Dajen Wood Co., Ltd.
Dalian Jiahong Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
Dalian Kemian Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
Dalian Qianqiu Wooden Product Co., Ltd.
Dongtai Fuan Universal Dynamics, LLC
Dun Hua Sen Tai Wood Co., Ltd.
Dunhua Shengda Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
Fusong Jinlong Wooden Group Co., Ltd.
Fusong Qianqiu Wooden Product Co., Ltd.
Hailin Linjing Wooden Products Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou Hanje Tec Co., Ltd.
Hunchun Xingjia Wooden Flooring Inc.
Huzhou Chenghang Wood Co., Ltd.
Jiangsu Guyu International Trading Co., Ltd
Jiangsu Mingle Flooring Co., Ltd.
Jiangsu Simba Flooring Co., Ltd.
Jiashan Huijiale Decoration Material Co., Ltd.
Kemian Wood Industry (Kunshan) Co., Ltd.
Linyi Anying Wood Co., Ltd.
Linyi Youyou Wood Co., Ltd.
Metropolitan Hardwood Floors, Inc.
Nakahiro Jyou Sei Furniture (Dalian) Co., Ltd.
Pinghe Timber Manufacturing (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd.
Shenyang Haobainian Wooden Co. Ltd.
Shenzhenshi Huanwei Woods Co., Ltd.
Suzhou Dongda Wood Co., Ltd.
Tongxiang Jisheng Import and Export Co., Ltd
Yihua Lifestyle Technology Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Biyork Wood Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Dadongwu GreenHome Wood Co., Ltd.
Zhejiang Fuerjia Wooden Co., Ltd.

[FR Doc. 2024-22971 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P