[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88007-88009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25795]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-834-812]


Ferrosilicon From Kazakhstan: Preliminary Affirmative 
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Preliminary Negative 
Determination of Critical Circumstances, Postponement of Final 
Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily 
determines that ferrosilicon from Kazakhstan is being, or is likely to 
be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The 
period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 
2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary 
determination.

DATES: Applicable November 6, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Samantha Kinney or Mira Warrier, 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) 482-2285 or (202) 
482-8031, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of this investigation on April 24, 
2024.\1\ On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this 
investigation by seven days.\2\ On August 16, 2024, Commerce postponed 
the preliminary determination of this investigation until October 31, 
2024.\3\
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    \1\ See Ferrosilicon from Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and the 
Russian Federation: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value 
Investigations, 89 FR 31137 (April 24, 2024) (Initiation Notice).
    \2\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Proceedings,'' dated July 22, 2024.
    \3\ See Ferrosilicon from Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia: 
Postponement of Preliminary Determinations of Antidumping Duty 
Investigations, 89 FR 66678 (August 16, 2024).
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    For a complete description of the events that followed the 
initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.\4\ A list of topics included 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.
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    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation 
of Ferrosilicon from Kazakhstan'' dated concurrently with, and 
hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is ferrosilicon from 
Kazakhstan. 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\ in 
the Initiation Notice Commerce set aside a period of time for parties 
to raise issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).\6\ As noted 
in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce is correcting a minor 
clerical error in the language of the scope.\7\ See the revised scope 
in appendix I to this notice.
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    \5\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).
    \6\ See Initiation Notice, 89 FR 31137.
    \7\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with 
section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export prices in 
accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Normal value is calculated 
in accordance with section 773 of the Act. Pursuant to sections 776(a) 
and (b) of the Act, Commerce has preliminarily relied upon partial 
facts available, with adverse inferences, for YDD Corporation LLP 
(YDD). For a full description of the methodology underlying the 
preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

    In accordance with section 733(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, 
Commerce preliminarily finds that critical circumstances do not exist 
for YDD, TNC Kazchrome JSC (Kazchrome), and all other companies not 
individually examined. For a full description of the methodology and 
results of Commerce's

[[Page 88008]]

critical circumstances analysis, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.

All-Others Rate

    Sections 733(d)(1)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that, in 
the preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated 
all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually 
examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of 
the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for 
exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero 
and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under 
section 776 of the Act.
    In this investigation, Commerce calculated estimated weighted-
average dumping margins for Kazchrome and YDD 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 
estimated weighted-average dumping margins calculated for the examined 
respondents using each company's publicly-ranged values for the 
merchandise under consideration.\8\
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    \8\ With two respondents under examination, Commerce normally 
calculates: (A) a weighted-average of the estimated weighted-average 
dumping margins calculated for the examined respondents; (B) a 
simple average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins 
calculated for the examined respondents; and (C) a weighted-average 
of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins calculated for the 
examined respondents using each company's publicly-ranged U.S. sales 
values for the merchandise under consideration. Commerce then 
compares (B) and (C) to (A) and selects the rate closest 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 Memorandum, ``Preliminary Determination Margin Calculation for 
the All-Others Rate,'' dated concurrently with this Federal Register 
notice.
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Preliminary Determination

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated 
weighted-average dumping margins exist: \9\
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    \9\ Commerce preliminarily determines that YDD Corporation LLP, 
ASIA FerroAlloys LLP, and KazSilicon Metallurgical Combine LLP 
should be collapsed and treated as a single entity. See Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum.

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                                                Estimated weighted-
               Exporter/producer                  average dumping      Cash deposit rate (adjusted for subsidy
                                                 margin (percent)               offset(s)) (percent)
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YDD Corporation LLP; ASIA FerroAlloys LLP;                    4.22  Not Applicable.
 KazSilicon Metallurgical Combine LLP.
TNC Kazchrome JSC.............................                6.20  Not Applicable.
All Others....................................                4.67  Not Applicable.
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Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 733(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, entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Further, pursuant 
to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will 
instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the estimated weighted-
average dumping margin or the estimated all-others rate, as follows: 
(1) the cash deposit rate for the respondents listed above will be 
equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-average dumping 
margins determined in this preliminary 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 company-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.
    Commerce normally adjusts cash deposits for estimated antidumping 
duties by the amount of export subsidies countervailed in a companion 
countervailing duty (CVD) proceeding, when CVD provisional measures are 
in effect. Accordingly, where Commerce preliminarily made an 
affirmative determination for countervailable export subsidies, 
Commerce has offset the estimated weighted-average dumping margin by 
the appropriate CVD rate. Any such adjusted cash deposit rate may be 
found in the ``Preliminary Determination'' section above. Commerce 
notes there were no countervailable export subsidies found in the 
companion CVD proceeding.\10\ These suspension of liquidation 
instructions will remain in effect until further notice.
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    \10\ See Memoranda, ``Preliminary Determination Margin 
Calculation for TNC Kazchrome J.S.C.,'' and ``Preliminary 
Determination Margin Calculation for YDD Corporation LLP (YDD),'' 
both dated concurrently with this Federal Register notice.
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Disclosure

    Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis 
performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination 
within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no public 
announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this 
notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(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

    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.\11\ Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in 
the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date 
for filing case briefs.\12\ Interested parties who submit case briefs 
or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must

[[Page 88009]]

submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of 
authorities.\13\
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    \11\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(i); see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for 
general filing requirements).
    \12\ 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).
    \13\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
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    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 briefs 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.\14\ 
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 public executive summaries as the basis 
of 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 public 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).\15\
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    \14\ We use the term ``issue'' here to describe an argument that 
Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum.
    \15\ See APO and Service Final Rule.
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    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. Requests should contain 
the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of 
participants and whether any participant is a foreign national, and a 
list of the issues to be discussed. 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 date.

Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional 
Measures

    Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides that a final determination 
may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the date of the 
publication of the preliminary determination if, in the event of an 
affirmative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement 
is made by exporters who account for a significant proportion of 
exports of the subject merchandise, or in the event of a negative 
preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is made by 
the petitioner. Section 351.210(e)(2) of Commerce's regulations 
requires that a request by exporters for postponement of the final 
determination be accompanied by a request for extension of provisional 
measures from a four-month period to a period not more than six months 
in duration.
    On October 23, 2024, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e), Kazchrome, YDD, 
and the petitioners requested that Commerce postpone the final 
determination and that provisional measures be extended to a period not 
to exceed six months.\16\ In accordance with section 735(a)(2)(A) of 
the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) the preliminary 
determination is affirmative; (2) the requesting exporters account for 
a significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise; and (3) 
no compelling reasons for denial exist, Commerce is postponing the 
final determination and extending the provisional measures from a four-
month period to a period not greater than six months. Accordingly, 
Commerce will make its final determination no later than 135 days after 
the date of publication of this preliminary determination.
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    \16\ See Kazchrome's Letter, ``Request to Postpone Final 
Antidumping Duty Determination,'' dated October 23, 2024; YDD's 
Letter, ``Request to Request to Extend Final Determination,'' dated 
October 23, 2024; and Petitioners' Letter, ``Petitioner's Request to 
Postpone the Final Antidumping Duty Determinations,'' dated October 
23, 2024.
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U.S. International Trade Commission Notification

    In accordance with section 733(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 these imports are materially injuring, or threaten material 
injury to, the U.S. industry.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

    Dated: October 31, 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 scope of this investigation covers all forms and sizes of 
ferrosilicon, regardless of grade, including ferrosilicon 
briquettes. Ferrosilicon is a ferroalloy containing by weight four 
percent or more iron, more than eight percent but not more than 96 
percent silicon, three percent or less phosphorus, 30 percent or 
less manganese, less than three percent magnesium, and 10 percent or 
less of any other element. The merchandise covered also includes 
product described as slag, if the product meets these 
specifications.
    Subject merchandise includes material matching the above 
description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise processed 
in a third country, including by performing any grinding or any 
other finishing, packaging, or processing that would not otherwise 
remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if 
performed in the country of manufacture of the ferrosilicon.
    Ferrosilicon is currently classifiable under subheadings 
7202.21.1000, 7202.21.5000, 7202.21.7500, 7202.21.9000, 
7202.29.0010, and 7202.29.0050 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States (HTSUS). While the HTSUS numbers are provided for 
convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the 
scope remains dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Affiliation and Single Entity Treatment
V. Application of Facts Available and Use of Adverse Inferences
VI. Discussion of the Methodology
VII. Preliminary Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances
VIII. Currency Conversion
IX. Adjustments to Cash Deposit Rates for Export Subsidies in the 
Companion Countervailing Duty Investigation
X. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2024-25795 Filed 11-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P