[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1018-1021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00184]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-979]


Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled 
Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results 
of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Preliminary Determination 
of No Shipments; 2015-2016

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an 
administrative review of the antidumping duty order on crystalline 
silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules 
(solar cells), from the People's Republic of China (China). The period 
of review (POR) is December 1, 2015, through November 30, 2016. The 
administrative review covers one mandatory respondent: the collapsed 
entity Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd./Trina Solar (Changzhou) 
Science and Technology Co., Ltd./Yancheng Trina Solar Energy Technology 
Co., Ltd./Changzhou Trina Solar Yabang Energy Co., Ltd./Turpan Trina 
Solar Energy Co., Ltd./Hubei Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., which we 
have preliminarily determined to treat as a single entity with Trina 
Solar (Hefei) Science and Technology Co., Ltd (Trina). Commerce 
preliminarily finds that Trina sold subject merchandise in the United 
States at prices below normal value (NV) during the POR. Interested 
parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

DATES: Applicable January 9, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krisha Hill, AD/CVD Operations, Office 
IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 482-4037.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Scope of the Order

    The merchandise covered by the order is crystalline silicon 
photovoltaic cells, and modules, laminates, and panels, consisting of 
crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not partially or 
fully assembled into other products, including, but not limited to, 
modules, laminates, panels and building integrated materials.\1\ 
Merchandise covered by this order is classifiable under subheadings 
8501.61.0000, 8507.20.80, 8541.40.6020, 8541.40.6030, and 8501.31.8000 
of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). 
Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs 
purposes, our written description of the scope of the order is 
dispositive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ For a complete description of the scope of the order, see 
DOC Memorandum re: Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results 
of the 2015-2016 Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of 
Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or not Assembled 
into Modules, From the People's Republic of China, issued 
concurrently with and hereby adopted by this notice (Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preliminary Determination of No Shipments

    We preliminarily determine that there is no evidence calling into 
question the no shipment claims of the following companies: De-Tech 
Trading Limited HK, Dongguan Sunworth Solar Energy Co., Ltd., Jiawei 
Solarchina Co., Ltd., Ningbo ETDZ Holdings, Ltd., Shenzhen Sungold 
Solar Co., Ltd., Taizhou BD Trade Co., Ltd., Toenergy Technology 
Hangzhou Co., Ltd., and Wuxi Tianran Photovoltaic Co., Ltd. For 
additional information regarding this determination, see the 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    Consistent with an announced refinement to its assessment practice 
in non-market economy (NME) cases, Commerce is not rescinding this 
review with respect to these companies, but intends to complete the 
review of the companies for which it has preliminarily found no 
evidence of shipments and issue appropriate instructions to CBP based 
on the final results of the review.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See Non-Market Economy Antidumping Proceedings: Assessment 
of Antidumping Duties, 76 FR 65694, 65694-95 (October 24, 2011) and 
the ``Assessment Rates'' section, below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Preliminary Affiliation and Single Entity Determination

    We preliminarily find that Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd./
Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science and Technology Co., Ltd./Yancheng Trina 
Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd./Changzhou Trina Solar Yabang Energy 
Co., Ltd./Turpan Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd./Hubei Trina Solar Energy 
Co., Ltd. (Trina), which we have preliminarily continued to treat as a 
single entity, is affiliated with Trina Solar (Hefei) Science and 
Technology Co., Ltd., pursuant to section 771(33)(F) of the Tariff Act 
of 103 (the Act) and all of these companies should be treated as a 
single entity pursuant to 19 CFR 351.401(f)(1)-(2). For additional 
information, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum and Trina 
Collapsing Memorandum.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum under the ``Single 
Entity Treatment'' section; see also DOC Memorandum: Affiliation and 
Single Entity Status of Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., 
Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Yancheng 
Trina Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Changzhou Trina Solar 
Yabang Energy Co., Ltd., Turpan Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., Hubei 
Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd., and Trina Solar (Hefei) Science and 
Technology Co., Ltd., issued concurrently with and hereby adopted by 
this notice (Trina Collapsing Memorandum).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use of Partial Facts Available (FA) and Partial Adverse Facts Available 
(AFA)

    Section 776(a) of the Act provides that Commerce shall apply FA if 
(1) necessary information is not on the record, or (2) an interested 
party or any other person (A) withholds information that has been 
requested, (B) fails to provide information within the deadlines 
established, or in the form and manner requested by Commerce, subject 
to subsections (c)(1) and (e) of section 782 of the Act, (C) 
significantly impedes a proceeding, or (D) provides information that 
cannot be verified as provided by section 782(i) of the Act. Section 
776(b) of the Act further provides that Commerce may use an adverse 
inference in applying FA (i.e., AFA) when a party has failed to 
cooperate by not acting to the best of its ability to comply with a 
request for information. Such an adverse inference may include reliance 
on information derived from the petition, the final determination, a 
previous

[[Page 1019]]

administrative review, or other information placed on the record.
    Trina failed to provide factors of production (FOP) data from 
certain unaffiliated tollers of inputs used to produce subject 
merchandise, as well as from certain unaffiliated suppliers of solar 
cells. We preliminarily determine that it is appropriate to apply AFA, 
pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act, with respect to the unreported 
FOPs for purchased solar cells. These unreported FOPs for solar cells 
represent a material amount of necessary FOP information. However, in 
accordance with section 776(a)(1) of the Act, Commerce is applying FA 
with respect to the unreported FOPs from the unaffiliated tollers. The 
record indicates that the tolled portions either represent relatively 
small percentages of the inputs consumed, the tollers only performed a 
relatively small portion of the total processing involved in producing 
the input, or the input accounts for a relatively small share of the 
overall costs of a solar panel. For details regarding these 
determinations, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum and the Trina 
Unreported FOP Memorandum.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See DOC Memorandum re: Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic 
Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, from the People's 
Republic of China: Unreported Factors of Production, issued 
concurrently with and hereby adopted by this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Separate Rates

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the information placed on 
the record by Trina, as well as by the other companies listed in the 
rate table in the ``Preliminary Results of Review'' section below, 
demonstrates that these companies are entitled to separate rate status. 
Commerce calculated a rate for the sole mandatory respondent, Trina 
that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts available. 
Accordingly, we assigned the weighted-average dumping margin for Trina 
to the non-individually examined companies to which we granted separate 
rates status.
    Conversely, Commerce preliminarily determines that the following 
companies have not demonstrated their entitlement to separate rates 
status because they did not file a separate rate application or 
certification with Commerce:

1. Eoplly New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
2. ERA Solar Co., Ltd.
3. ET Solar Industry Limited
4. Hangzhou Zhejiang University Sunny Energy Science and Technology 
Co., Ltd.
5. Jiangsu High Hope Int'l Group
6. Jiangsu Sunlink PV Technology Co., Ltd.
7. Systemes Versilis, Inc.
8. Zhongli Talesun Solar Co. Ltd.

    Commerce treated these companies as part of the China-wide entity. 
Because no party requested a review of the China-wide entity, the 
entity is not under review and the entity's rate (i.e., 238.95 percent) 
is not subject to change.\5\ For additional information regarding 
Commerce's separate rates determinations, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not 
Assembled Into Modules, from the People's Republic of China: Final 
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Final 
Determination of No Shipments; 2014-2015, 82 FR 29033 (June 27, 
2017) (AR3 Final), unchanged in Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic 
Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, from the People's 
Republic of China: Amended Final Results of Antidumping Duty 
Administrative Review; 2014-2015, 82 FR 40560 (August 25, 2017) 
(Amended AR3 Final).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this administrative review in accordance 
with section 751(a)(1)(B) of the Act. Commerce calculated constructed 
export prices in accordance with section 772 of the Act. Given that 
China is a NME country, within the meaning of section 771(18) of the 
Act, Commerce calculated NV in accordance with section 773(c) of the 
Act.
    For a full description of the methodology underlying the 
preliminary results of this review, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document 
and is made available to the public 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, and is available to all parties in the Central 
Records Unit, room B8024 of the main Department of Commerce building. 
In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum 
can be found at https://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/. The signed and the 
electronic versions of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum are 
identical in content.

Preliminary Results of Review

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following weighted-
average dumping margins exist for the POR:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Weighted-
                                                              average
                        Exporter                              dumping
                                                              margin
                                                             (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd/Trina Solar                  61.61
 (Changzhou) Science and Technology Co., Ltd/Yancheng
 Trina Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd/Changzhou Trina
 Solar Yabang Energy Co., Ltd/Turpan Trina Solar Energy
 Co., Ltd/Hubei Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd/Trina Solar
 (Hefei) Science and Technology Co., Ltd................
Anji DaSol Solar Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd...           61.61
Chint Solar (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd.........................           61.61
ET Solar Energy Limited.................................           61.61
Hangzhou Sunny Energy Science and Technology Co., Ltd...           61.61
Hengdian Group DMEGC Magnetics Co. Ltd..................           61.61
JA Solar Technology Yangzhou Co., Ltd...................           61.61
Jiawei Solarchina (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd...................           61.61
JingAo Solar Co., Ltd...................................           61.61
LERRI Solar Technology Co., Ltd.........................           61.61
Lightway Green New Energy Co., Ltd......................           61.61
Ningbo Qixin Solar Electrical Appliance Co., Ltd........           61.61
Risen Energy Co., Ltd...................................           61.61
Shanghai JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd...................           61.61
Shenzhen Topray Solar Co., Ltd..........................           61.61
Sumec Hardware & Tools Co., Ltd.........................           61.61
Sunpreme Jiaxing Ltd....................................           61.61
tenKsolar (Shanghai) Co., Ltd...........................           61.61

[[Page 1020]]

 
Wuxi Suntech Power Co., LtdLuoyang Suntech Power Co.,              61.61
 Ltd....................................................
Yingli Energy (China) Company Limited/Baoding Tianwei              61.61
 Yingli New Energy Resources Co., Ltd/Tianjin Yingli New
 Energy Resources Co., Ltd/Hengshui Yingli New Energy
 Resources Co., Ltd/Lixian Yingli New Energy Resources
 Co., Ltd/Baoding Jiasheng Photovoltaic Technology Co.,
 Ltd/Beijing Tianneng Yingli New Energy Resources Co.,
 Ltd/Hainan Yingli New Energy Resources Co., Ltd........
Zhejiang ERA Solar Technology Co., Ltd..................           61.61
Zhejiang Sunflower Light Energy Science & Technology               61.61
 Limited Liability Company..............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclosure and Public Comment

    Commerce intends to disclose to parties the calculations performed 
for these preliminary results of review within five days of the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register in accordance with 
19 CFR 351.224(b). Interested parties may submit case briefs no later 
than 30 days after the date of publication of these preliminary results 
of review.\6\ Rebuttal briefs may be filed no later than five days 
after case briefs are due and may respond only to arguments raised in 
the case briefs.\7\ A table of contents, list of authorities used, and 
an executive summary of issues should accompany any briefs submitted to 
Commerce. The summary should be limited to five pages total, including 
footnotes.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(ii).
    \7\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d).
    \8\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2), (d)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Interested parties who wish to request a hearing 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.\9\ Requests should contain the party's 
name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants in, and 
a list of the issues to be discussed at, the hearing. Oral arguments 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 
the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230, at a date and time to be determined.\10\ Parties 
should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing 
two days before the scheduled date of the hearing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ See 19 CFR 351.310(c).
    \10\ See 19 CFR 351.310(d).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    All submissions, with limited exceptions, must be filed 
electronically using ACCESS.\11\ An electronically filed document must 
be received successfully in its entirety by Commerce's electronic 
records system, ACCESS, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the due date. 
Documents excepted from the electronic submission requirements must be 
filed manually (i.e., in paper form) with the APO/Dockets Unit in Room 
18022 and stamped with the date and time of receipt by 5 p.m. ET on the 
due date.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ See generally 19 CFR 351.303.
    \12\ See 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements); 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Electronic Filing 
Procedures; Administrative Protective Order Procedures, 76 FR 39263 
(July 6, 2011).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Unless otherwise extended, Commerce intends to issue the final 
results of this administrative review, which will include the results 
of its analysis of issues raised in any briefs, within 120 days of 
publication of these preliminary results of review, pursuant to section 
751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.

Assessment Rates

    Upon issuance of the final results of this review, Commerce will 
determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') shall 
assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this 
review.\13\ Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP 15 
days after the publication date of the final results of this review. 
For each individually examined respondent in this review whose 
weighted-average dumping margin in the final results of review is not 
zero or de minimis (i.e., less than 0.5 percent), Commerce intends to 
calculate importer-specific assessment rates, in accordance with 19 CFR 
351.212(b)(1).\14\ Where the respondent reported reliable entered 
values, Commerce intends to calculate importer-specific ad valorem 
assessment rates by aggregating the amount of dumping calculated for 
all U.S. sales to the importer and dividing this amount by the total 
entered value of the sales to the importer.\15\ Where the respondent 
did not report entered values, Commerce will calculate importer-
specific assessment rates by dividing the amount of dumping for 
reviewed sales to the importer by the total sales quantity associated 
with those transactions. Commerce will calculate an estimated ad 
valorem importer-specific assessment rate to determine whether the per-
unit rate is de minimis, however, Commerce will direct CBP to assess 
importer-specific assessment rates where the entered value was not 
reported based on the resulting per-unit rates.\16\ Where an importer-
specific ad valorem assessment rate is not zero or de minimis, Commerce 
will instruct CBP to collect the appropriate duties at the time of 
liquidation. Where either the respondent's weighted average dumping 
margin is zero or de minimis, or an importer-specific ad valorem 
assessment rate is zero or de minimis, Commerce will instruct CBP to 
liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
    \14\ See Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted 
Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping 
Proceedings: Final Modification, 77 FR 8101 (February 14, 2012) 
(Final Modification).
    \15\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
    \16\ Id.
    \17\ See Final Modification, 77 FR at 8103.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Pursuant to Commerce's refinement to its practice, for sales that 
were not reported in the U.S. sales database submitted by an exporter 
individually examined during this review, Commerce will instruct CBP to 
liquidate such merchandise at the rate for the China-wide entity.\18\ 
Additionally, where Commerce determines that an exporter under review 
had no shipments of the subject merchandise, any suspended entries that 
entered under that exporter's CBP case number will be liquidated at the 
rate for the China-wide entity. Because no party requested a review of 
the China-wide entity, the entity is not under review and the entity's 
rate (i.e., 238.95 percent) is not subject to change.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ See Non-Market Economy Antidumping Proceedings: Assessment 
of Antidumping Duties, 76 FR 65694 (October 24, 2011), for a full 
discussion of this practice.
    \19\ See AR3 Final, 82 FR at 29035, unchanged in Amended AR3 
Final.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, the final 
results of this review shall be the basis for the

[[Page 1021]]

assessment of antidumping duties on entries of merchandise covered by 
the final results of this review and for future deposits of estimated 
antidumping duties, where applicable.

Cash Deposit Requirements

    Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit for 
antidumping duties equal to the weighted-average amount by which the NV 
exceeds U.S. price. The following cash deposit requirements will be 
effective for shipments of the subject merchandise from China entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the 
publication date of this notice, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of 
the Act: (1) For the exporters listed above, the cash deposit rate will 
be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established in the 
final results of this review (except, if the rate is de minimis (i.e., 
less than 0.5 percent), then the cash deposit rate will be zero for 
that exporter); (2) for previously investigated or reviewed PRC and 
non-PRC exporters not listed above that have separate rates, the cash 
deposit rate will continue to be the exporter-specific rate published 
for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding; (3) for all 
PRC exporters of subject merchandise which have not been found to be 
entitled to a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate for 
the China-wide entity (i.e., 238.95 percent \20\) and (4) for all non-
PRC exporters of subject merchandise that have not received their own 
rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to China 
exporter that supplied that non-PRC exporter. These deposit 
requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further 
notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ See AR3 Final, 82 FR at 29035, unchanged in Amended AR3 
Final.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notification to Importers

    This notice also serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of 
their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate 
regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties and/or countervailing 
duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this POR. 
Failure to comply with this requirement could result in Commerce's 
presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties and/or 
countervailing duties has occurred, and the subsequent assessment of 
double antidumping duties and/or an increase in the amount of 
antidumping duties by the amount of the countervailing duties.

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with 
sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213 and 
351.221(b)(4).

    Dated: January 2, 2018.
P. Lee Smith,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations.

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

1. Summary
2. Background
3. Scope of the Order
4. Preliminary Determination of No Shipments
5. Selection of Respondents
6. Single Entity Treatment
7. Discussion of the Methodology
    a. Non-Market Economy Country
    b. Separate Rates
    c. Application of Partial Facts Available (FA) and Adverse Facts 
Available (AFA)
    d. Surrogate Country Selection
    e. Date of Sale
    f. Fair Value Comparisons
    g. U.S. Price
    h. Normal Value
    i. Adjustments for Countervailable Subsidies
    j. Export Subsidy Adjustment
    k. Currency Conversion
8. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2018-00184 Filed 1-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P