Opinion ID: 4562709
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The AD and CVD Orders

Text: In December 2013, SolarWorld, “a domestic producer of solar cells and panels,” filed “antidumping [and countervailing] duty . . . petition[s] concerning imports of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products” from the PRC, then Commerce initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in response. Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, 79 Fed. Reg. 4,661, 4,661 (Dep’t of Commerce Jan. 29, 2014) (initiation of antidumping duty 2 An NME country is “any foreign country that [Com- merce] determines does not operate on market principles of cost or pricing structures, so that sales of merchandise in such country do not reflect the fair value of the merchandise.” 19 U.S.C. § 1677(18)(A). Commerce considers the PRC to be an NME country. Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China, 82 Fed. Reg. 12,793, 12,795 (Dep’t of Commerce Mar. 7, 2017) (preliminary results) (“Preliminary Results”). Case: 20-1004 Document: 64 Page: 6 Filed: 09/03/2020 6 CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY v. UNITED STATES investigations); see Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China, 79 Fed. Reg. 4,667, 4,668 (Dep’t of Commerce Jan. 29, 2014) (initiation of countervailing duty investigation) (similar). Trina was a mandatory respondent in the CVD investigation proceedings. See Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China, 79 Fed. Reg. 76,962, 76,963 (Dep’t of Commerce Dec. 23, 2014) (final affirmative countervailing duty determination) (“Final CVD Determination”). In calculating Trina’s countervailing duty rate, Commerce found various “[p]rograms . . . to be countervailable,” Issues & Decisions Mem., Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China, C- 570-011, Investigation at 16 (Dec. 15, 2014), https://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/summary/prc/2014-30071-1.pdf (adopted in Final CVD Determination, 79 Fed. Reg. 76,962) (“Final CVD I&D Mem.”), among them, “Export Buyer’s Credits,” as “[e]xport [c]redit [s]ubsidies” (“Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program”) provided by the Export-Import Bank of China (“Ex-Im Bank”), id. at 30. Commerce explained that, “through this program, the [Ex-Im Bank] provides loans at preferential rates for the purchase of exported goods from the PRC.” Id.; see id. at 94 (“[W]here we have found that such export buyer’s credits have been used [by buyers], we have consistently found such financing to be countervailable as a subsidy benefitting the exporter”). While Trina had reported that it had not used the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program, see id. at 94, Commerce “was not able to verify [Trina’s] reported non-use . . . during verification with the [Government of China],” id. at 30. Commerce, accordingly, “rel[ied] upon [adverse facts available (‘AFA’)]” to determine that “Trina . . . used [the] program during the [period of investigation].” Id.; see 19 U.S.C. §§ 1677e(a)(2)(A) (providing for “[d]eterminations [made] on [the] basis of facts available” where an “interested party . . . withholds [requested] information”), Case: 20-1004 Document: 64 Page: 7 Filed: 09/03/2020 CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY v. UNITED STATES 7 1677e(b)(1) (providing for the use of “[a]dverse inferences” “in selecting from among the facts otherwise available” where Commerce “finds that an interested party has failed to cooperate . . . to the best of its ability”). Commerce concluded that Trina had “benefited from this program at [a] rate of 10.54 percent ad valorem, the highest rate determined for a similar program in a prior PRC proceeding.” Final CVD I&D Mem. 16. In February 2015, Commerce issued antidumping and countervailing duty orders covering “certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products,” specifically, “modules, laminates and/or panels consisting of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products, including building integrated materials.” Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China, 80 Fed. Reg. 8,592, 8,592 (Dep’t of Commerce Feb. 18, 2015) (antidumping duty order and amended final affirmative countervailing duty determination and countervailing duty order) (“AD and CVD Orders”). 3 3 The AD and CVD Orders discussed here are dis- tinct from and in addition to the 2012 AD and CVD orders on “crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, laminates, and/or panels, from the PRC.” AD and CVD Orders, 80 Fed. Reg. at 8,593 (footnote omitted); see Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People’s Republic of China, 77 Fed. Reg. 73,018 (Dep’t of Commerce Dec. 7, 2012) (amended final determination of sales at less than fair value, and antidumping duty order); Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People’s Republic of China, 77 Fed. Reg. 73,017 (Dep’t of Commerce Dec. 7, 2012) (countervailing duty order). Case: 20-1004 Document: 64 Page: 8 Filed: 09/03/2020 8 CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY v. UNITED STATES