Notice2025-15569
Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains From the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination
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
August 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains (ceramic abrasive grains) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 156 (Friday, August 15, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 156 (Friday, August 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39367-39369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15569]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[C-570-191]
Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains From the People's
Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that
countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters
of sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains (ceramic abrasive
grains) from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of
investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.
DATES: Applicable August 15, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Suresh Maniam, AD/CVD Operations,
Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1603.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 22, 2025, Commerce published in the Federal Register the
Preliminary Determination in this investigation and invited interested
parties to comment.\1\ We received no comments or case briefs from
interested parties addressing any of the findings in the Preliminary
Determination; therefore, we made no changes, and no decision
memorandum accompanies this Federal Register notice. The
[[Page 39368]]
Preliminary Determination is hereby adopted as this final
determination. On May 29, 2025, and in accordance with section
705(a)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act) and 19 CFR
351.210(b)(4)(i), Commerce aligned the final countervailing duty (CVD)
determination with the final antidumping duty determination.\2\ The
deadline for the final determination is August 11, 2025.
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\1\ See Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains from the
People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing
Duty Determination, 90 FR 21893 (May 22, 2025) (Preliminary
Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum
(PDM).
\2\ See Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains from the
People's Republic of China: Alignment of Final Countervailing Duty
Determination with Final Less-Than-Fair-Value Determination, 90 FR
22698 (May 29, 2025).
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Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this investigation is ceramic abrasive
grains from China. For a complete description of the scope of this
investigation, see the appendix to this notice.
Scope Comments
We received no comments from interested parties on the scope of the
investigation as it appeared in the Preliminary Determination and
accompanying Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum.\3\ Therefore, we
made no changes to the scope of the investigation.
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\3\ See Memorandum, ``Less-Than-Fair-Value and Countervailing
Duty Investigations of Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains
from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Scope Decision
Memorandum,'' dated May 27, 2025 (Preliminary Scope Decision
Memorandum).
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Methodology
Commerce conducted this investigation in accordance with section
701 of the Act. For each of the subsidy programs found to be
countervailable, Commerce determines that there is a subsidy, i.e., a
financial contribution by an ``authority'' that gives rise to a benefit
to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific.\4\
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\4\ See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding
financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding
benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.
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In making this final determination, Commerce relied on facts
available, including with an adverse inference, pursuant to sections
776(a) and (b) of the Act.
Verification
Because the mandatory respondents and the Government of China (GOC)
did not participate, and Commerce preliminarily determined that the
mandatory respondents and the GOC have been uncooperative, Commerce did
not conduct verification.\5\
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\5\ See Preliminary Determination, 90 FR at 21895.
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All-Others Rate
Sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that Commerce
shall determine an estimated all-others rate for companies not
individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the
weighted average of the estimated subsidy rates established for those
companies individually examined, excluding any zero and de minimis
rates and any rates based entirely under section 776 of the Act.
Pursuant to section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act, if the individual
estimated countervailable subsidy rates established for all exporters
and producers individually examined are zero, de minimis , or
determined based entirely on facts otherwise available, Commerce may
use any reasonable method to establish the estimated subsidy rate for
all other producers or exporters. In this investigation, Commerce has
determined the estimated subsidy rate for the individually examined
respondents under section 776 of the Act. This is the only rate
available in this proceeding for deriving the all-others rate.
Consequently, pursuant to sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the
Act, Commerce established the all-others rate by applying the
countervailable subsidy rate assigned to the non-responsive companies
listed below. For a full description of the methodology underlying
Commerce's analysis, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.\6\
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\6\ See Preliminary Determination PDM at 7-12.
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Final Determination
Commerce determines that the following estimated countervailable
subsidy rates exist:
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Subsidy rate (percent
Company ad valorem)
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Qingdao SISA Abrasives Co., Ltd................ * 165.05
Shandong Imerys Mount Tai Co., Ltd............. * 165.05
Futong Industry Co., Ltd....................... * 165.05
Guangzhou Qianyang Metals & Machine............ * 165.05
Kumthai Abrasives Co., Ltd..................... * 165.05
Luoyang Runbao Super Abrasives Co.............. * 165.05
More Superhard Products Co., Ltd............... * 165.05
Qingdao Roy Grinding Material Co............... * 165.05
Reckel Advanced Materials Co., Ltd............. * 165.05
Zhengshou Haixu Abrasives Co................... * 165.05
All Others..................................... 165.05
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* Rate is based on facts available with adverse inferences.
Disclosure
Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations
performed in connection with a final determination within five days of
any public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within
five days of the date of publication of the notice of final
determination in the Federal Register, in accordance with 19 CFR
351.224(b). However, because Commerce received no comments on the
Preliminary Determination, it is adopting the Preliminary Determination
as the final determination in this investigation. Consequently, there
are no new calculations to disclose.
Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation
In accordance with sections 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act,
Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to
collect cash deposits and suspend liquidation of entries of subject
merchandise as described in the scope of the investigation section
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after May
22, 2025, the date of publication of the Preliminary Determination in
the Federal Register, at the cash deposit rate indicated above.
If the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issues a final
affirmative injury determination, we will issue a countervailing duty
order,
[[Page 39369]]
reinstate the suspension of liquidation under section 706(a) of the
Act, and require a cash deposit of estimated countervailing duties for
such entries of subject merchandise. If the ITC determines that
material injury, or threat of material injury, does not exist, this
proceeding will be terminated, and all estimated duties deposited or
securities posted as a result of the suspension of liquidation will be
refunded or canceled.
ITC Notification
In accordance with section 705(d) of the Act, Commerce will notify
the ITC of its final affirmative determination that countervailable
subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of ceramic
abrasive grains from China. As Commerce's final determination is
affirmative, in accordance with section 705(b) of the Act, the ITC will
determine, within 45 days, whether the domestic industry in the United
States is materially injured, or threatened with material injury, by
reason of imports of ceramic abrasive grains from China. In addition,
we are making available to the ITC all non-privileged and non-
proprietary information in our files, provided the ITC confirms that it
will not disclose such information, either publicly or under
administrative protective order (APO), without the written consent of
the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
Administrative Protective Order
In the event that the ITC issues a final negative injury
determination, this notice will serve as the only reminder to parties
subject to the APO of their responsibility concerning the destruction
of proprietary information disclosed under APO, in accordance with 19
CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of the return/
destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order
is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms
of an APO is a violation which is subject to sanction.
Notification to Interested Parties
This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections
705(d) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.210(c).
Dated: August 11, 2025.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the
non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix
Scope of the Investigation
The merchandise covered by this investigation is sol gel
alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains which are comprised of minimum
94% aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and may contain other compounds,
including, but not limited to, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide,
calcium oxide, sodium superoxide, ferric oxide, magnesium oxide, di-
aluminum magnesium tetroxide, lanthanum oxide, lanthanum magnesium
oxide, zirconium dioxide, or zirconium carbonate. Grain sizes of sol
gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains range from 0.85 mm to
0.0395 mm (which corresponds to American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) grit sizes from 20 to 280).
Shapes include but are not limited to angular, sharp, extra
sharp, blocky, splintery, round stripped, triangular or shaped like
extruded rods or stars.
Ceramic abrasive grains have unique crystalline structures that
impart certain advanced properties, such as their extreme hardness
and strength ranging between 16 and 22 gigapascals by the Vickers
Diamond Indent Method, high melting point (205 [deg]C), and a
single- or multi-phase microstructure, which may contain multiple
phases, having crystalline sizes ranging from 0.05 to 30 [mu]m.
These ceramic abrasive grains include but are not limited to blue,
white, white-translucent, or off-white opaque colors.
Sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains are covered by the
scope of this investigation, whether or not incorporated into
downstream articles, including but not limited to, abrasive papers,
grinding wheels, grinding cylinders, and grinding discs. When
incorporated into downstream articles, only the sol gel alumina-
based ceramic abrasive grains component of such articles is covered
by the product scope, and not the downstream product as a whole.
The merchandise subject to this investigation is properly
classified under subheadings 2818.10.2010 and 2818.10.2090 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Other
merchandise subject to the current scope, including when
incorporated into the abovementioned downstream articles, may be
classified under HTSUS subheadings 2818.10.1000, 2818.20.0000,
2818.30.0000, 3824.99.1100, 3824.99.1900, 6805.10.0000,
6805.20.0000, 6805.30.1000, 6805.30.5000, 6804.22.1000,
6804.22.4000, 6804.22.6000, 8204.12.0000, 8474.90.0010,
8474.90.0020, 8474.90.0050, and 8474.90.0090. Although the HTSUS
statistical reporting numbers are provided for convenience and
customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise is
dispositive.
[FR Doc. 2025-15569 Filed 8-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P1
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 15, 2025.
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