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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 601-602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31764]

[[Page 601]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-557-830]

Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled 
Into Modules, From Malaysia: 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 Malaysia to correct 
two significant ministerial errors. The period of investigation (POI) 
is April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.

DATES: Applicable January 6, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Barton or Elizabeth Talbot 
Russ, 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) 482-0012 
or (202) 482-5516 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 Malaysia.\1\ On December 9, 2024, a mandatory 
respondent, Jinko Solar Technology Sdn. Bhd. (Jinko Solar), timely 
alleged that Commerce made a significant ministerial error in 
calculating its estimated weighted-average dumping margin.\2\ On 
December 9, 2024, the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade 
Committee (the petitioner) timely alleged that Commerce made 
ministerial errors in calculating Jinko Solar's estimated weighted-
average dumping margin.\3\
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    \1\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not 
Assembled Into Modules, From Malaysia: Affirmative Preliminary 
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of 
Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures, 89 FR 
96207 (December 4, 2024) (Preliminary Determination), and 
accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    \2\ See Jinko Solar's Letter, ``Jinko Request to Correct 
Ministerial Error,'' dated December 9, 2024.
    \3\ 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 
Malaysia. 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.'' \4\ 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.\5\ 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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    \4\ See section 735(e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended 
(the Act); see also 19 CFR 351.224(f).
    \5\ See 19 CFR 351.224(g).
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Analysis of Significant Ministerial Errors

    In the Preliminary Determination, Commerce made significant 
ministerial errors within the meaning of section 735(e) of the Act and 
19 CFR 351.224(f) and (g) in calculating the weighted-average dumping 
margin for Jinko Solar. Specifically, Commerce failed to convert 
certain Malaysian ringgit (MYR)-denominated expense fields to U.S. 
dollars (USD) for the purposes of its dumping margin calculations.\6\ 
Moreover, Commerce did not correctly implement its decision to 
consolidate certain of Jinko Solar's U.S. customer codes (CUSCODU) in 
the dumping margin calculations.\7\
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    \6\ See Petitioner's Letter ``Ministerial Error Allegation,'' 
dated December 9, 2024.
    \7\ See Jinko Solar's Letter ``Jinko Request to Correct 
Ministerial Error,'' dated December 9, 2024.
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    We find that these errors meet the definition of ``ministerial 
errors,'' and that the corrections of the errors for Jinko Solar 
results in a change that is at least five absolute percentage points 
in, and not less than 25 percent of, the margin calculated for Jinko 
Solar in the Preliminary Determination. As such, they constitute 
significant errors within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.224(g). 
Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce is amending the 
Preliminary Determination to correct these significant ministerial 
errors by revising the rates for Jinko Solar and all other producers 
and/or exporters.\8\
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    \8\ See Memorandum, ``Analysis of Ministerial Error 
Allegations,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this 
notice (Ministerial Error Memorandum).
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    For a complete discussion of the alleged ministerial errors, see 
the Ministerial Error Memorandum.

Amended Preliminary Determination

    As a result of correcting the significant ministerial errors for 
Jinko Solar, Commerce determines the following estimated weighted-
average dumping margins exist:

[[Page 602]]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Cash deposit rate
                                 Weighted-average       (adjusted for
       Exporter/producer          dumping margin     subsidy offsets(s))
                                     (percent)            (percent)
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Hanwha Q Cells Malaysia Sdn.                  0.00                  0.00
 Bhd..........................
Jinko Solar Technology Sdn.                   9.90              \9\ 6.43
 Bhd..........................
Baojia New Energy                          * 81.24               * 81.24
 Manufacturing Sdn............
CRC Solar Cell Joint Stock                 * 81.24               * 81.24
 Company......................
Lynter Enterprise.............             * 81.24               * 81.24
Mega PP Sdn. Bhd..............             * 81.24               * 81.24
All Others....................                9.90                  6.43
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Rates based on facts available with adverse inferences.

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.
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    \9\ See Memorandum, ``Countervailing Duty Investigation of 
Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled 
into Modules, from Malaysia: Amended Preliminary Determination 
Calculations for Jinko Solar Technology Sdn. Bhd.,'' dated October 
31, 2024.
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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 the amended rate for Jinko Solar and all other producers 
and/or exporters result in decreased cash deposit rates, the amended 
rates will be effective retroactively to December 4, 2024, the date of 
publication of the Preliminary Determination. We will also instruct 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue instructions for requesting 
a refund of the difference between the amount of cash deposits paid as 
a result of the application of the Preliminary Determination rates and 
the amount due as a result of the amended preliminary determination 
rates.

Notification of U.S. International Trade Commission

    In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, we intend to notify 
the U.S. International Trade Commission of our amended preliminary 
determination.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This notice is issued and published pursuant to sections 733(d) and 
777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.224(e).

    Dated: December 30, 2024.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-31764 Filed 1-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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