Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023 (2024)

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

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that RZBC Group Co., Ltd., RZBC Co., Ltd., RZBC Import & Export Co., Ltd., and RZBC (Juxian) Co., Ltd. (collectively, RZBC) did not make sales of citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric acid) from the People's Republic of China (China) at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.

Applicable June 6, 2024.

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Maisha Cryor, AD/CVD Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-5831.

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Background

On May 29, 2009, Commerce published in the Federal Register the antidumping duty order on citric acid from China.^[1] On May 2, 2023, Commerce published in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to request an administrative review of the Order.^[2] On July 12, 2023, based on a timely request for an administrative review, Commerce initiated the administrative review of the Order.^[3] The administrative review covers a single mandatory respondent, RZBC.^[4]

On January 4, 2024, Commerce extended the deadline for these preliminary results until May 30, 2024.^[5] For a complete description of the events that occurred since the initiation of this review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.^[6] 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. A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included in an appendix to this notice. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be found at https://access.trade.gov/​public/​FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

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Scope of the Order

The product covered by this Order is citric acid from China. A full description of the scope of the Order is contained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.^[7]

China-Wide Entity

Commerce's policy regarding the conditional review of the China-wide entity applies to this administrative review.^[8] Under this policy, the China-wide entity will not be under review unless a party specifically requests, or Commerce self-initiates, a review of the entity. Because no party requested a review of the China-wide entity in this review, the entity is not under review, and the entity's assessment rate ( i.e., 156.87 percent) is not subject to change.^[9]

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review

Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margin exists for the administrative review covering the period May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023:

Disclosure and Public Comment

Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed to interested parties for these preliminary results 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).^[10]

As stated below, Commerce intends to verify the information upon which it will rely in making its final determination. Interested parties may submit case briefs within seven days after issuance of the verification report. 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.^[11] Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(d)(2), rebuttal briefs must be limited to issues raised in the case briefs.^[12] Interested parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.^[13]

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 brief that should be limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this review, 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 public 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 results in this administrative review. 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]

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 publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party's name, address, telephone number, the number of participants, 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 will announce the date and time of the hearing.

Verification

As provided in section 782(i)(3) of the Act, we intend to verify the information upon which we will rely in determining our final results of review with respect to the mandatory respondent, RZBC.

Final Results of Review

Unless extended, Commerce intends to issue the final results of this review, including the results of its analysis of the issues raised in any written briefs, no later than 120 days after the date of publication of this notice, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h).

Assessment Rates

Upon issuing the final results, Commerce will determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review.^[16]

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/customer-specific assessment rates.^[17] Where the respondent reported reliable entered values, Commerce intends to calculate importer/customer-specific ad valorem assessment rates by aggregating the amount of dumping calculated for all U.S. sales to the importer/customer and dividing this amount by the total entered value of the merchandise sold to the importer/customer.^[18] Where the respondent did not report entered values, Commerce Start Printed Page 48379 will calculate importer/customer-specific assessment rates by dividing the amount of dumping for reviewed sales to the importer/customer by the total quantity of those sales. Commerce will calculate an estimated ad valorem importer/customer-specific assessment rate to determine whether the per-unit assessment rate is de minimis; however, Commerce will use the per-unit assessment rate where entered values were not reported.^[19] Where an importer/customer-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/customer-specific ad valorem assessment rate is zero or de minimis, Commerce will instruct CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.^[20]

Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register . If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( i.e., within 90 days of publication). In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, the final results of this review shall be the basis for the 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

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the final results of this review for shipments of the subject merchandise from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) for the subject merchandise exported by the company listed above that has a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established in the final results of this administrative review (except, if the rate is zero or de minimis, then zero cash deposit will be required); (2) for previously investigated or reviewed Chinese and non-Chinese exporters not listed above that received a separate rate in a prior segment of this proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the existing exporter-specific rate; (3) for all Chinese exporters of subject merchandise that have not been found to be entitled to a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be that for the China-wide entity; and (4) for all non-Chinese exporters of subject merchandise which have not received their own rate, the cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to the Chinese exporter that supplied that non-Chinese exporter. These deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Importers

This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursem*nt of antidumping 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 reimbursem*nt of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

Notification to Interested Parties

Commerce is issuing and publishing these preliminary results of this review in accordance with sections 751(a)(1)(B), 751(a)(3) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(h) and 351.221(b)(4).

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Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Order

IV. Discussions of the Methodology

V. Adjustment Under Section 777A(f) of the Act

VI. Currency Conversion

VII. Recommendation

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