Notice2024-29114

Ferrosilicon From Malaysia: Amended Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Amended Preliminary Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
December 11, 2024

Issuing agencies

Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending the preliminary affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation of ferrosilicon from Malaysia to correct significant ministerial errors. The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 99829-99830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29114]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-557-828]


Ferrosilicon From Malaysia: Amended Preliminary Determination of 
Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Amended Preliminary Negative 
Determination of Critical Circumstances

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending the 
preliminary affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value 
(LTFV) investigation of ferrosilicon from Malaysia to correct 
significant ministerial errors. The period of investigation (POI) is 
January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.

DATES: Applicable December 11, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacob Waddell, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office VI, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1369.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 6, 2024, Commerce published in the Federal Register its 
preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of 
ferrosilicon from Malaysia.\1\ On November 8 and 12, 2024, the 
petitioners \2\ timely alleged that Commerce made significant 
ministerial errors in the Preliminary Determination with respect to 
calculation of the preliminary weighted-average dumping margins for OM 
Materials Sarawak Sdn. Bhd (OMSA) and Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn. Bhd 
(Pertama),\3\ respectively.
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    \1\ See Ferrosilicon from Malaysia: Preliminary Affirmative 
Determination of Sales at Less than Fair Value, Preliminary Negative 
Determination of Critical Circumstances, Postponement of Final 
Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures, 89 FR 88010 
(November 6, 2024) (Preliminary Determination), and accompanying 
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    \2\ The petitioners are CC Metals and Alloys, LLC and Ferroglobe 
USA, TNC.
    \3\ See Petitioners' Letter, ``Ministerial Error Allegation 
Pertaining to OMSA in the Preliminary Determination,'' dated 
November 8, 2024 (Petitioners' OMSA Ministerial Error Allegation); 
see also ``Ministerial Error Allegation Pertaining to Pertama in the 
Preliminary Determination,'' dated November 12, 2024 (Petitioners' 
Pertama Ministerial Error Allegation).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is ferrosilicon from 
Malaysia. For a complete description of the scope of this 
investigation, see the Preliminary Determination.

Legal Framework

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will correct any 
significant ministerial error by amending the preliminary 
determination. 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\
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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(3) of the Act and 
19 CFR 35.224(f)-(g) in calculating the weighted-average dumping 
margins for OMSA and Pertama. Specifically, for OMSA, we included an 
incorrect currency conversion for OMSA's home market costs.\6\ For 
Pertama, an error in our aggregation of five third-country market 
databases resulted in a distortion of the results of the arm's-length 
test in the comparison market program.\7\
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    \6\ See Petitioners' OMSA Ministerial Error Allegation; see also 
Commerce's Memorandum, ``Preliminary Analysis Memorandum for OM 
Materials Sarawak Sdn. Bhd,'' dated October 31, 2024.
    \7\ See Petitioners' Pertama Ministerial Error Allegation; see 
also Commerce's Memorandum, ``Preliminary Analysis Memorandum for 
Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn. Bhd,'' dated October 31, 2024.
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    We find that these errors meet the definition of ``ministerial 
errors,'' and that the corrections of the errors for OMSA and Pertama 
result in a change that is at least five absolute percentage points in, 
and not less than 25 percent of, the margins calculated for OMSA and 
Pertama in the Preliminary Determination. As such, they constitute 
significant errors within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.224(g). 
Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR 224(e), Commerce is amending the 
Preliminary Determination to correct these significant ministerial 
errors by revising the rates for OMSA, Pertama, 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 Preliminary Ministerial Error Memorandum.

Amended Preliminary Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

    Because we have revised the rates calculated for OMSA, Pertama, and 
all other producers and/or exporters, we have also amended our 
preliminary analysis of critical circumstances. In accordance with 
section 733(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, Commerce preliminarily 
finds that critical circumstances do not exist for OMSA, Pertama, and 
all other companies not individually examined. For a full description 
of the results of Commerce's critical circumstances analysis, see the 
Ministerial Error Memorandum.

Amended Preliminary Determination

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

[[Page 99830]]



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                                                           Weighted-average
                    Exporter/producer                       dumping margin      Cash deposit rate (adjusted for
                                                               (percent)         subsidy offsets(s)) (percent)
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OM Sarawak Sdn. Bhd.....................................               19.48                               18.80
Pertama Ferroalloys Sdn. Bhd............................               38.19                               37.91
All Others..............................................               27.73                               27.17
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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.

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 this amended preliminary determination results in 
increased cash deposit rates, these rates will be effective on the date 
of publication of this notice in the Federal Register. These suspension 
of liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice.

Notification of U.S. International Trade Commission

    In accordance with section 703(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 703(f) and 
777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

    Dated: December 5, 2024.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-29114 Filed 12-10-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on December 11, 2024.

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