Notice2024-16635
Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada: Notice of Initiation of Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Review
Primary source
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Published
July 29, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Abstract
Based on a request from TRAPA Forest Products Ltd. (TRAPA), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed circumstances review (CCR) of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on certain softwood lumber products from Canada to determine whether TRAPA is the successor-in-interest (SII) to Trans-Pacific Trading Ltd. (Trans-Pacific).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 145 (Monday, July 29, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 145 (Monday, July 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60869-60871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16635]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[C-122-858]
Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada: Notice of
Initiation of Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Review
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
[[Page 60870]]
SUMMARY: Based on a request from TRAPA Forest Products Ltd. (TRAPA),
the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed
circumstances review (CCR) of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on
certain softwood lumber products from Canada to determine whether TRAPA
is the successor-in-interest (SII) to Trans-Pacific Trading Ltd.
(Trans-Pacific).
DATES: Applicable July 29, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Johnson, 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) 482-4793.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On January 3, 2018, Commerce published the CVD order on certain
softwood lumber products from Canada.\1\ On April 11, 2024, TRAPA
requested that Commerce initiate a CCR of the Order, pursuant to
section 751(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), 19
CFR 351.216, and 19 CFR 251.221(c)(3).\2\ We found TRAPA's CCR request
to be deficient and issued a letter to TRAPA on May 8, 2024.\3\ On June
7, 2024, TRAPA submitted an amended CCR request providing additional
information and documentation.\4\ In its CCR request, TRAPA stated that
there was a company name change from Trans-Pacific to TRAPA on April 8,
2024, and thus, TRAPA is the SII to Trans-Pacific. TRAPA requests that
Commerce assign to TRAPA the same CVD cash deposit rate that it has or
may assign to Trans-Pacific and to conduct the CCR on an expedited
basis.
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\1\ See Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada: Amended
Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and
Countervailing Duty Order, 83 FR 347 (January 3, 2018) (Order).
\2\ See TRAPA's Letter, ``Request for Expedited Changed
Circumstances Review,'' dated April 11, 2024.
\3\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Response to Changed Circumstances
Review Request,'' dated May 8, 2024.
\4\ See TRAPA's Letter, ``Amended Request for Expedited Changed
Circumstances Review,'' dated June 7, 2024 (TRAPA's CCR Request).
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On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this
administrative proceeding by seven days.\5\ The deadline for the
initiation is now July 29, 2024.
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\5\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Proceedings,'' dated July 22, 2024.
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Scope of the Order
The merchandise covered by this Order is softwood lumber, siding,
flooring and certain other coniferous wood (softwood lumber products).
The scope includes:
<bullet> Coniferous wood, sawn, or chipped lengthwise, sliced or
peeled, whether or not planed, whether or not sanded, or whether or not
finger-jointed, of an actual thickness exceeding six millimeters.
<bullet> Coniferous wood siding, flooring, and other coniferous
wood (other than moldings and dowel rods), including strips and friezes
for parquet flooring, that is continuously shaped (including, but not
limited to, tongued, grooved, rebated, chamfered, V-jointed, beaded,
molded, rounded) along any of its edges, ends, or faces, whether or not
planed, whether or not sanded, or whether or not end-jointed.
<bullet> Coniferous drilled and notched lumber and angle cut
lumber.
<bullet> Coniferous lumber stacked on edge and fastened together
with nails, whether or not with plywood sheathing.
<bullet> Components or parts of semi-finished or unassembled
finished products made from subject merchandise that would otherwise
meet the definition of the scope above.
Finished products are not covered by the scope of this Order. For
the purposes of this scope, finished products contain, or are comprised
of, subject merchandise and have undergone sufficient processing such
that they can no longer be considered intermediate products, and such
products can be readily differentiated from merchandise subject to this
Order at the time of importation. Such differentiation may, for
example, be shown through marks of special adaptation as a particular
product. The following products are illustrative of the type of
merchandise that is considered ``finished,'' for the purpose of this
scope: I-joists; assembled pallets; cutting boards; assembled picture
frames; garage doors.
The following items are excluded from the scope of this Order:
<bullet> Softwood lumber products certified by the Atlantic Lumber
Board as being first produced in the Provinces of Newfoundland and
Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island from logs harvested in
Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island.
<bullet> U.S.-origin lumber shipped to Canada for processing and
imported into the United States if the processing occurring in Canada
is limited to one or more of the following: (1) kiln drying; (2)
planing to create smooth-to-size board; or (3) sanding.
<bullet> Box-spring frame kits if they contain the following wooden
pieces--two side rails, two end (or top) rails and varying numbers of
slats. The side rails and the end rails must be radius-cut at both
ends. The kits must be individually packaged and must contain the exact
number of wooden components needed to make a particular box-spring
frame, with no further processing required. None of the components
exceeds 1'' in actual thickness or 83'' in length.
<bullet> Radius-cut box-spring-frame components, not exceeding 1''
in actual thickness or 83'' in length, ready for assembly without
further processing. The radius cuts must be present on both ends of the
boards and must be substantially cut so as to completely round one
corner.
Softwood lumber product imports are generally entered under Chapter
44 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). This
chapter of the HTSUS covers ``Wood and articles of wood.'' Softwood
lumber products that are subject to this Order are currently
classifiable under the following ten-digit HTSUS subheadings in Chapter
44: 4406.11.00.00; 4406.91.00.00; 4407.10.01.01; 4407.10.01.02;
4407.10.01.15; 4407.10.01.16; 4407.10.01.17; 4407.10.01.18;
4407.10.01.19; 4407.10.01.20; 4407.10.01.42; 4407.10.01.43;
4407.10.01.44; 4407.10.01.45; 4407.10.01.46; 4407.10.01.47;
4407.10.01.48; 4407.10.01.49; 4407.10.01.52; 4407.10.01.53;
4407.10.01.54; 4407.10.01.55; 4407.10.01.56; 4407.10.01.57;
4407.10.01.58; 4407.10.01.59; 4407.10.01.64; 4407.10.01.65;
4407.10.01.66; 4407.10.01.67; 4407.10.01.68; 4407.10.01.69;
4407.10.01.74; 4407.10.01.75; 4407.10.01.76; 4407.10.01.77;
4407.10.01.82; 4407.10.01.83; 4407.10.01.92; 4407.10.01.93;
4407.11.00.01; 4407.11.00.02; 4407.11.00.42; 4407.11.00.43;
4407.11.00.44; 4407.11.00.45; 4407.11.00.46; 4407.11.00.47;
4407.11.00.48; 4407.11.00.49; 4407.11.00.52; 4407.11.00.53;
4407.12.00.01; 4407.12.00.02; 4407.12.00.17; 4407.12.00.18;
4407.12.00.19; 4407.12.00.20; 4407.12.00.58; 4407.12.00.59;
4407.13.00.00; 4407.14.00.00; 4407.19.00.01; 4407.19.00.02;
4407.19.00.54; 4407.19.00.55; 4407.19.00.56; 4407.19.00.57;
4407.19.00.64; 4407.19.00.65; 4407.19.00.66; 4407.19.00.67;
4407.19.00.68; 4407.19.00.69; 4407.19.00.74; 4407.19.00.75;
4407.19.00.76; 4407.19.00.77; 4407.19.00.82; 4407.19.00.83;
4407.19.00.92; 4407.19.00.93; 4407.19.05.00;
[[Page 60871]]
4407.19.06.00; 4407.19.10.01; 4407.19.10.02; 4407.19.10.54;
4407.19.10.55; 4407.19.10.56; 4407.19.10.57; 4407.19.10.64;
4407.19.10.65; 4407.19.10.66; 4407.19.10.67; 4407.19.10.68;
4407.19.10.69; 4407.19.10.74; 4407.19.10.75; 4407.19.10.76;
4407.19.10.77; 4407.19.10.82; 4407.19.10.83; 4407.19.10.92;
4407.19.10.93; 4409.10.05.00; 4409.10.10.20; 4409.10.10.40;
4409.10.10.60; 4409.10.10.80; 4409.10.20.00; 4409.10.90.20;
4409.10.90.40; 4418.30.01.00; 4418.50.00.10; 4418.50.00.30;
4418.50.0050; and 4418.99.10.00; 4418.99.91.05; 4418.99.91.20;
4418.99.91.40; 4418.99.91.95; 4421.99.98.80.\6\
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\6\ The following HTSUS numbers have been deleted, deactivated,
replaced, or are invalid: 4407.10.0101, 4407.10.0102, 4407.10.0115,
4407.10.0116, 4407.10.0117, 4407.10.0118, 4407.10.0119,
4407.10.0120, 4407.10.0142, 4407.10.0143, 4407.10.0144,
4407.10.0145, 4407.10.0146, 4407.10.0147, 4407.10.0148,
4407.10.0149, 4407.10.0152, 4407.10.0153, 4407.10.0154,
4407.10.0155, 4407.10.0156, 4407.10.0157, 4407.10.0158,
4407.10.0159, 4407.10.0164, 4407.10.0165, 4407.10.0166,
4407.10.0167, 4407.10.0168, 4407.10.0169, 4407.10.0174,
4407.10.0175, 4407.10.0176, 4407.10.0177, 4407.10.0182,
4407.10.0183, 4407.10.0192, 4407.10.0193; and 4418.90.2500. These
HTSUS numbers however have not been deactivated in CBP's ACE secure
data portal, as they could be associated with entries of
unliquidated subject merchandise.
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Subject merchandise as described above might be identified on entry
documentation as stringers, square cut box-spring-frame components,
fence pickets, truss components, pallet components, flooring, and door
and window frame parts. Items so identified might be entered under the
following ten-digit HTSUS subheadings in Chapter 44: 4415.20.40.00;
4415.20.80.00; 4418.99.90.05; 4418.99.90.20; 4418.99.90.40;
4418.99.90.95; 4421.99.70.40; and 4421.99.97.80.
Although these HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and
customs purposes, the written description of the scope of this Order is
dispositive.\7\
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\7\ See Order, 83 FR at 349.
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Initiation of Changed Circumstances Review
Pursuant to section 751(b) of the Act, Commerce will conduct a CCR
upon receipt of a request from an interested party that shows changed
circumstances sufficient to warrant a review of an order. In accordance
with 19 CFR 351.216(d), Commerce determines that the information
submitted by TRAPA in its request for a CCR constitutes a sufficient
basis to conduct a CCR of the Order. Therefore, in accordance with
section 751(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(d), we are
initiating a CCR based upon the information contained in TRAPA's CCR
Request.
Neither the Act, the Statement of Administrative Action
Accompanying the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, or Commerce's
regulations offer a definition of the term ``changed circumstances,''
nor do they explain what aspects of a determination may be reconsidered
in light of such changed circumstances. Commerce has in the past
conducted CCRs regarding a variety of issues.\8\ Here, TRAPA requests
that Commerce initiate a CCR to determine that it is the SII to Trans-
Pacific based on a name change.\9\
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\8\ See, e.g., Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic
of China: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Expedited Changed
Circumstances Review, 83 FR 34548 (July 20, 2018) (finding
sufficient information to initiate a CCR to recalculate certain cash
deposit rates); see also Certain Steel Nails from Malaysia: Final
Results of the Changed Circumstances Review, 82 FR 34476 (July 25,
2017) (finding sufficient information and ``good cause'' to initiate
a CCR to evaluate whether a company was properly utilizing the
correct cash deposit rate).
\9\ In CVD CCRs involving SII determinations, Commerce follows
the practice described in Certain Pasta from Turkey: Preliminary
Results of Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Review, 74 FR
47225 (September 15, 2009), unchanged in Certain Pasta from Turkey:
Final Results of Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Review,
74 FR 54022 (October 21, 2009).
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In the event that Commerce determines an expedited action is
warranted, 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii) permits Commerce to combine the
notice of initiation of the review and the preliminary results of
review into a single notice. However, we are not combining this notice
of initiation with the preliminary results, pursuant to 19 CFR
351.221(c)(3)(ii), because Commerce determines that it requires
additional time to analyze the CCR request.
Preliminary and Final Results of the CCR
Commerce intends to publish in the Federal Register a notice of the
preliminary results of this CCR in accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)
and (c)(3)(i). Commerce will set forth its preliminary factual and
legal conclusions in that notice regarding TRAPA's CCR Request. Unless
extended, Commerce will issue the final results of this CCR in
accordance with the time limits set forth in 19 CFR 351.216(e).
Notification to Interested Parties
We are issuing and publishing this initiation notice in accordance
with sections 751(b)(1) and 777(i) of the Act, 19 CFR 351.216(b), and
19 CFR 351.221(b)(1).
Dated: July 23, 2024.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing
Duty Operations.
[FR Doc. 2024-16635 Filed 7-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 29, 2024.
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