Notice2024-31449
Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Amended Preliminary Determination of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation
Primary source
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Published
January 2, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending its preliminary affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules (solar cells) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) to correct for a significant ministerial error. The period of investigation (POI) is October 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85-86]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31449]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-552-841]
Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled
Into Modules, From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Amended
Preliminary Determination of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending its
preliminary affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value
(LTFV) investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether
or not assembled into modules (solar cells) from the Socialist Republic
of Vietnam (Vietnam) to correct for a significant ministerial error.
The period of investigation (POI) is October 1, 2023, through March 31,
2024.
DATES: Applicable January 2, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurel LaCivita or Deborah Cohen, 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) 482-4243 or (202)
482-4521, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On December 4, 2024, Commerce published in the Federal Register its
preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of
solar cells from Vietnam.\1\ On December 9, 2024, the American Alliance
for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, a coalition of domestic
producers of solar cells and modules (collectively, the petitioner),
timely alleged that Commerce made a significant ministerial error in
calculating Jinko Solar (Vietnam) Industries Co., Ltd.'s (Jinko)
estimated weighted-average dumping margin.\2\
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\1\ See Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not
Assembled Into Modules from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:
Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair
Value, Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical
Circumstances, in Part, and Postponement of Final Determination and
Extension of Provisional Measures, 89 FR 96219 (December 4, 2024)
(Preliminary Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.
\2\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Ministerial Error Allegation,''
dated December 9, 2024.
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Scope of the Investigation
The products covered by this investigation are solar cells from
Vietnam. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation,
see the Preliminary Determination.
Legal Framework
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.'' \3\ 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.\4\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce
``will analyze any comments received and, if appropriate, correct any
significant ministerial error by amending the preliminary
determination.''
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\3\ See section 735(e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended
(the Act); see also 19 CFR 351.224(f).
\4\ See 19 CFR 351.224(g).
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Analysis of Significant Ministerial Error
In the Preliminary Determination, Commerce made a significant
ministerial error within the meaning of section 735(e) of the Act and
19 CFR 351.224(f) and (g)(1) in calculating the estimated weighted-
average dumping margin for Jinko. Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR
351.224(e), Commerce is amending its Preliminary Determination to
correct for this significant ministerial error by revising the
weighted-average dumping margins for Jinko and the non-individually
examined separate rate companies. For a detailed discussion of the
alleged ministerial error, as well as Commerce's analysis, see the
Ministerial Error Memorandum.\5\
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\5\ See Memorandum, ``Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of
Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled
into Modules, from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Ministerial
Error Allegation Regarding the Preliminary Determination,'' dated
concurrently with this notice (Ministerial Error Memorandum), at 2-
3.
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Amended Preliminary Determination
As a result of correcting the significant ministerial error,
Commerce determines the following estimated weighted-average dumping
margins exist:
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\6\ Commerce assigned Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd. a de
minimis rate in the parallel countervailing duty investigation, and
therefore, no subsidy offset was provided to Boviet in the LTFV
investigation.
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Cash deposit rate
Estimated weighted- (adjusted for
Producer Exporter average dumping subsidy offsets)
margin (percent) (percent)
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Jinko Solar (Vietnam) Industries Company Jinko Solar (Vietnam) 71.85 71.74
Limited. Industries Company Limited.
Blue Moon Vina Co........................ Blue Moon Vina Co........... 60.02 59.91
Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd......... Boviet Solar Technology Co., 60.02 \6\ 60.02
Ltd.
Elite Solar Technology (Vietnam) Company Elite SNG................... 60.02 59.91
Limited.
Letsolar Vietnam Company Limited......... Letsolar Vietnam Company 60.02 59.91
Limited.
Mecen Solar Vina Co., Ltd................ Mecen Solar Vina Co., Ltd... 60.02 59.91
Nexuns Vietnam Company Limited........... Nexuns Vietnam Company 60.02 59.91
Limited.
Trina Solar Energy Development Company Trina Solar Energy 60.02 59.91
Ltd. Development Company Ltd.
Vietnergy Co., Ltd. and Tainergy Tech Vietnergy Co., Ltd. and 60.02 59.91
Co., Ltd. (collectively, Vietnergy). Tainergy Tech Co., Ltd.
(collectively, Vietnergy).
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Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock Company Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock 60.02 59.91
(f.k.a. Vietnam Sunergy Company Limited). Company (f.k.a. Vietnam
Sunergy Company Limited).
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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(b).
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 an
increased cash deposit rate, this rate 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.
U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification
In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify
the ITC of our amended preliminary determination.
Notification to Interested Parties
This amended preliminary determination is issued and published in
accordance with sections 733(d) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR
351.224(e).
Dated: December 23, 2024.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2024-31449 Filed 12-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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