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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85-86]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31449]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-552-841]

Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled 
Into Modules, From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Amended 
Preliminary Determination of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending its 
preliminary affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value 
(LTFV) investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether 
or not assembled into modules (solar cells) from the Socialist Republic 
of Vietnam (Vietnam) to correct for a significant ministerial error. 
The period of investigation (POI) is October 1, 2023, through March 31, 
2024.

DATES: Applicable January 2, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurel LaCivita or Deborah Cohen, AD/
CVD Operations, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4243 or (202) 
482-4521, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 4, 2024, Commerce published in the Federal Register its 
preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of 
solar cells from Vietnam.\1\ On December 9, 2024, the American Alliance 
for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, a coalition of domestic 
producers of solar cells and modules (collectively, the petitioner), 
timely alleged that Commerce made a significant ministerial error in 
calculating Jinko Solar (Vietnam) Industries Co., Ltd.'s (Jinko) 
estimated weighted-average dumping margin.\2\
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    \1\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not 
Assembled Into Modules from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value, Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical 
Circumstances, in Part, and Postponement of Final Determination and 
Extension of Provisional Measures, 89 FR 96219 (December 4, 2024) 
(Preliminary Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.
    \2\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Ministerial Error Allegation,'' 
dated December 9, 2024.
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Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are solar cells from 
Vietnam. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, 
see the Preliminary Determination.

Legal Framework

    A ministerial error is defined as including ``errors in addition, 
subtraction, or other arithmetic function, clerical error resulting 
from inaccurate copying, duplication, or the like, and any other 
similar type of unintentional error which {Commerce{time}  considers 
ministerial.'' \3\ A ministerial error is considered to be 
``significant'' if its correction, either singly or in combination with 
other errors, would result in: (1) a change of at least five absolute 
percentage points in, but not less than 25 percent of, the weighted-
average dumping margin calculated in the preliminary determination; or 
(2) a difference between a weighted-average dumping margin of zero (or 
de minimis) and a weighted-average dumping margin of greater than de 
minimis or vice versa.\4\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce 
``will analyze any comments received and, if appropriate, correct any 
significant ministerial error by amending the preliminary 
determination.''
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    \3\ See section 735(e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(the Act); see also 19 CFR 351.224(f).
    \4\ See 19 CFR 351.224(g).
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Analysis of Significant Ministerial Error

    In the Preliminary Determination, Commerce made a significant 
ministerial error within the meaning of section 735(e) of the Act and 
19 CFR 351.224(f) and (g)(1) in calculating the estimated weighted-
average dumping margin for Jinko. Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.224(e), Commerce is amending its Preliminary Determination to 
correct for this significant ministerial error by revising the 
weighted-average dumping margins for Jinko and the non-individually 
examined separate rate companies. For a detailed discussion of the 
alleged ministerial error, as well as Commerce's analysis, see the 
Ministerial Error Memorandum.\5\
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    \5\ See Memorandum, ``Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of 
Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled 
into Modules, from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Ministerial 
Error Allegation Regarding the Preliminary Determination,'' dated 
concurrently with this notice (Ministerial Error Memorandum), at 2-
3.
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Amended Preliminary Determination

    As a result of correcting the significant ministerial error, 
Commerce determines the following estimated weighted-average dumping 
margins exist:
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    \6\ Commerce assigned Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd. a de 
minimis rate in the parallel countervailing duty investigation, and 
therefore, no subsidy offset was provided to Boviet in the LTFV 
investigation.

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                                                                                              Cash deposit rate
                                                                         Estimated weighted-    (adjusted for
                 Producer                            Exporter              average dumping     subsidy offsets)
                                                                          margin (percent)        (percent)
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Jinko Solar (Vietnam) Industries Company   Jinko Solar (Vietnam)                      71.85                71.74
 Limited.                                   Industries Company Limited.
Blue Moon Vina Co........................  Blue Moon Vina Co...........               60.02                59.91
Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd.........  Boviet Solar Technology Co.,               60.02            \6\ 60.02
                                            Ltd.
Elite Solar Technology (Vietnam) Company   Elite SNG...................               60.02                59.91
 Limited.
Letsolar Vietnam Company Limited.........  Letsolar Vietnam Company                   60.02                59.91
                                            Limited.
Mecen Solar Vina Co., Ltd................  Mecen Solar Vina Co., Ltd...               60.02                59.91
Nexuns Vietnam Company Limited...........  Nexuns Vietnam Company                     60.02                59.91
                                            Limited.
Trina Solar Energy Development Company     Trina Solar Energy                         60.02                59.91
 Ltd.                                       Development Company Ltd.
Vietnergy Co., Ltd. and Tainergy Tech      Vietnergy Co., Ltd. and                    60.02                59.91
 Co., Ltd. (collectively, Vietnergy).       Tainergy Tech Co., Ltd.
                                            (collectively, Vietnergy).

[[Page 86]]

 
Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock Company        Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock                60.02                59.91
 (f.k.a. Vietnam Sunergy Company Limited).  Company (f.k.a. Vietnam
                                            Sunergy Company Limited).
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Disclosure

    We intend to disclose the calculations performed for this amended 
preliminary determination to parties within five days after 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).

Amended Cash Deposits and Suspension of Liquidation

    The collection of cash deposits and suspension of liquidation will 
be revised according to the rates calculated in this amended 
preliminary determination, in accordance with section 733(d) of the 
Act. Because this amended preliminary determination results in an 
increased cash deposit rate, this rate will be effective on the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. These suspension of 
liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice.

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

    In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify 
the ITC of our amended preliminary determination.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This amended preliminary determination is issued and published in 
accordance with sections 733(d) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 
351.224(e).

    Dated: December 23, 2024.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-31449 Filed 12-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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