Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review
The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain softwood lumber products (softwood lumber) from Canada...
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY:
The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on certain softwood lumber products (softwood lumber) from Canada. The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. Commerce preliminarily determines that the producers/exporters subject to this review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.
DATES:
Applicable February 4, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Pedersen (Canfor) and Maisha Cryor (West Fraser), 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) 482-2769 and (202) 482-5831, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On March 4, 2021, based on timely requests for administrative reviews, Commerce initiated an AD administrative review covering 275 companies and has not rescinded the review of any of these companies.[1]
Thus, the review covers 275 producers/exporters of the subject merchandise, including mandatory respondents Canfor [2]
and West Fraser.[3]
The remaining companies were not selected for individual examination and remain subject to this administrative review. On September 8, 2021, we extended the preliminary results until January 28, 2022.[4]
Scope of the Order
The product covered by this review is softwood lumber from Canada. For a full description of the scope,
see
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.[5]
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For a full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions,
see
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. A list of the topics is included in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum as Appendix I to this notice. 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.
In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be found at
https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.
Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review
We preliminarily determine that the following weighted-average dumping margins exist for the period January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020:
Generally, when calculating margins for non-selected respondents, Commerce looks to section 735(c)(5) of the Act for guidance, which provides instructions for calculating the all-others margin in an investigation. Section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provides that when calculating the all-others margin, Commerce will exclude any zero and
de minimis
weighted-average dumping margins, as well as any weighted-average dumping margins based on total facts available. Accordingly, Commerce's usual practice has been to average the margins for selected respondents, excluding margins that are zero,
de minimis,
or based entirely on facts available.
In this review, we calculated a weighted-average dumping margin of 4.92 percent for Canfor and 4.63 percent for West Fraser. In accordance with section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, Commerce assigned the weighted average of these two calculated weighted-average dumping margins based on their publicly ranged sales data, 4.76 percent, to the non-selected companies in these preliminary results.[6]
Disclosure
We intend to disclose the calculations performed for these preliminary results to the interested parties within five days after public announcement of the preliminary results in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Verification
As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify the information relied upon in making its final determination. Normally, Commerce verifies information using standard procedures, including an on-site examination of original accounting, financial, and sales documentation. However, due to current travel restrictions in response to the global
( printed page 6507)
COVID-19 pandemic, Commerce is unable to conduct on-site verification in this review. Accordingly, we intend to verify the information relied upon in making the final determination through alternative means in lieu of an on-site verification.
Public Comment
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c), interested parties may submit case briefs to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance not later than 30 days after the date of publication of this notice, unless Commerce alters the time limit. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than seven days after the date for filing case briefs.[7]
Parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this administrative review are encouraged to submit with each argument: (1) A statement of the issue; (2) a brief summary of the argument; and (3) a table of authorities.[8]
Commerce has modified certain of its requirements for service of documents containing business proprietary information, until further notice.[9]
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS. An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety via ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice.[10]
Requests should contain: (1) The party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; and (3) a list of issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case briefs. Commerce intends to issue the final results of this administrative review, including the results of its analysis of the issues raised in any written briefs, not later than 120 days after the date of publication of these preliminary results in the
Federal Register
, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act, unless extended.
Assessment Rate
Upon issuance of 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.[11]
If a respondent's weighted-average dumping margin is above
de minimis
in the final results of this review, we will calculate an importer-specific assessment rate based on the ratio of the total amount of dumping calculated for each importer's examined sales and the total entered value of the sales in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).[12]
If a respondent's weighted-average dumping margin or an importer-specific assessment rate is zero or
de minimis
in the final results of review, we will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties in accordance with the
Final Modification for Reviews.[13]
The final results of this administrative review shall be the basis for the assessment of antidumping duties on entries of merchandise under review and for future deposits of estimated duties, where applicable. We intend to issue liquidation instructions to CBP no earlier than 41 days after date of publication of the final results of this review in the
Federal Register
.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following cash deposit requirements for estimated antidumping duties will be effective upon publication of the notice of final results of this review for all shipments of softwood lumber from Canada entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate for companies subject to this review will be equal to the dumping margin established in the final results of the review; (2) for merchandise exported by companies not covered in this review but covered in a prior segment of this proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recently completed segment for the producer of the merchandise; (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will continue to be the 6.04 percent, the all-others rate established in the LTFV investigation.[14]
These cash 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 reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this period of review. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in Commerce's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.
Notification to Interested Parties
Commerce is issuing and publishing these results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: January 28, 2022.
Ryan Majerus,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations.
Appendix I
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
2.
As described in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, we have treated Canfor Corporation, Canadian Forest Products Ltd., and Canfor Wood Products Marketing Ltd. (collectively, Canfor) as a single entity.
See
Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada; 2019,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum) at 5.
3.
As described in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, we have treated West Fraser Mills Ltd., Blue Ridge Lumber Inc., Manning Forest Products Ltd., and Sundre Forest Products Inc. (collectively, West Fraser) as a single entity.
See
Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 5.
6.
See
Memorandum, “Calculation of the Rate for Non-Selected Respondents,” dated concurrently with this notice. A list of the non-selected companies under review is included as Attachment II.
9.
See Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements Due to COVID-19,85 FR 17006 (March 26, 2020); and
Temporary Rule Modifying AD/CVD Service Requirements Due to COVID-19; Extension of Effective Period,85 FR 41363 (July 10, 2020).
12.
In these preliminary results, Commerce applied the assessment rate calculation method adopted in
Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted-Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping Duty Proceedings; Final Modification,77 FR 8101 (February 14, 2012) (
Final Modification for Reviews).
15.
In the
Initiation Notice,
we included the company name “Chaleur Sawmills LP.”
See Initiation Notice
at 86 FR 12602. Subsequently, we determined that the successor-in-interest to Chaleur Sawmills LP is Chaleur Forest Products LP.
See Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada: Notice of Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review,86 FR 22934 (April 30, 2021), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum, unchanged in
Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada: Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review,86 FR 33222 (June 24, 2021) (
Chaleur CCR).
We intend to liquidate all entries by Chaleur Sawmills LP based on the final results, but revise the cash deposit rate for Chaleur Forest Products LP.
16.
In the
Initiation Notice,
we included the company name “Fornebu Lumber Company Inc.”
See Initiation Notice
at 86 FR 12602. On February 11, 2021, Fornebu Lumber Company Inc. stated that it had incorrectly identified itself as Fornebu Lumber Co. Ltd. but that they are the same company.
See
Fornebu Lumber Company Inc. Letter, “Clarification of Company Name of Fornebu Lumber Company Inc.,” dated February 11. 2021. Subsequently, we determined that the successor-in-interest to Fornebu Lumber Co. Ltd. (and Fornebu Lumber Company Inc.) is Chaleur Forest Products Inc.
See Chaleur CCR.
We intend to liquidate all entries by Fornebu Lumber Company Inc. based on the final results, but revise the cash deposit rate for Chaleur Forest Products Inc.