Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
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Issuing agencies
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that RZBC Group Co., Ltd., RZBC Co., Ltd., RZBC Import & Export Co., Ltd., and RZBC (Juxian) Co., Ltd. (collectively, RZBC) did not make sales of citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric acid) from the People's Republic of China (China) at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 174 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 174 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44010-44012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17550]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-570-937]
Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts From the People's Republic
of China: Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review; 2023-2024
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily
determines that RZBC Group Co., Ltd., RZBC Co., Ltd., RZBC Import &
Export Co., Ltd., and RZBC (Juxian) Co., Ltd. (collectively, RZBC) did
not make sales of citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric acid)
from the People's Republic of China (China) at less than normal value
(NV) during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2023, through April 30,
2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary
results of review.
DATES: Applicable September 11, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Luke Caruso, AD/CVD Operations, Office
IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
[[Page 44011]]
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-
2081.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 29, 2009, Commerce published in the Federal Register the
antidumping duty order on citric acid from China.\1\ On May 2, 2024,
Commerce published in the Federal Register a notice of opportunity to
request an administrative review of the Order.\2\ On July 5, 2024,
based on a timely request for an administrative review, Commerce
initiated an administrative review of the Order.\3\ The administrative
review covers a single mandatory respondent, RZBC.\4\
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\1\ See Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts from Canada and
the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Orders, 74 FR 25703
(May 29, 2009) (Order).
\2\ See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or
Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative
Review and Join Annual Inquiry Service List, 89 FR 35778 (May 2,
2024).
\3\ See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Administrative Reviews, 89 FR 55567 (July 5, 2024).
\4\ See Memorandum, ``Respondent Selection,'' dated September 6,
2024.
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On December 9, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this
administrative review by ninety days.\5\ Pursuant to section
751(a)(3)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), on April
24, 2025, Commerce extended the deadline for these preliminary results
until September 5, 2025.\6\ For a complete description of the events
that occurred since the initiation of this review, see the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum.\7\ The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public
document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service
System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at <a href="https://access.trade.gov">https://access.trade.gov</a>. A list of topics discussed in the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum is included in an appendix to this notice. In
addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can
be found at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx">https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx</a>.
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\5\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Proceedings'', dated December 9, 2024.
\6\ See Memorandum, ``Extension of Deadline for Preliminary
Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,'' dated January
4, 2024.
\7\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for Preliminary
Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Citric Acid
and Certain Citrate Salts from the People's Republic of China; 2023-
2024,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Order
The product covered by this Order is citric acid from China. A full
description of the scope of the Order is contained in the Preliminary
Decision Memorandum.\8\
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\8\ Id.
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China-Wide Entity
Commerce's policy regarding the conditional review of the China-
wide entity applies to this administrative review.\9\ Under this
policy, the China-wide entity will not be under review unless a party
specifically requests, or Commerce self-initiates, a review of the
entity. Because no party requested a review of the China-wide entity in
this review, the entity is not under review, and the entity's
assessment rate (i.e., 156.87 percent) is not subject to change.\10\
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\9\ See Antidumping Proceedings: Announcement of Change in
Department Practice for Respondent Selection in Antidumping Duty
Proceedings and Conditional Review of the Nonmarket Economy Entity
in NME Antidumping Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 65963 (November 4, 2013).
\10\ See Order.
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Methodology
Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section
751(a) of the Act. Export price has been calculated in accordance with
section 772(a) of the Act, and NV was calculated in accordance with
section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology
underlying our conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated
weighted-average dumping margin exists for the administrative review
covering the period May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2024:
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Weighted-average
Exporter dumping margin
(percent)
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RZBC Group Co., Ltd., RZBC Co., Ltd., RZBC Import & 0.00
Export Co., Ltd., and RZBC (Juxian) Co., Ltd.......
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Disclosure
Commerce intends to disclose the calculations and analysis that it
performed in these preliminary results of review to parties to the
proceeding within five days of any public announcement of these
preliminary results or, if there is no public announcement, within five
days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register
in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Public Comment
Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.309(c)(1)(ii), we have modified the deadline for interested parties
to submit case briefs to Commerce to not later than 21 days after the
date of the publication of this notice.\11\ Rebuttal briefs, limited to
issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed no later than five days
after the date for filing case briefs.\12\ Interested parties who
submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit:
(1) a table of contents listing each issue addressed; and (2) a table
of authorities.\13\
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\11\ See 19 CFR 351.309.
\12\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Administrative Protective
Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29,
2023) (APO and Service Final Rule).
\13\ See 19 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2)
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As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior
proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an
executive summary of their briefs that should be limited to five pages
total, including footnotes. In this review, we instead request that
interested parties provide, at the beginning of their briefs, a public
executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs.\14\ Further,
we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of
each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We
intend to use the executive summaries as the basis of the comment
summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that we will
issue for the final results in this administrative review. We request
that
[[Page 44012]]
interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the
executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain
of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR
351.303(f).\15\
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\14\ We use the term ``issue'' here to describe an argument that
Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and
Decision Memorandum.
\15\ See APO and Service Final Rule.
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Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to
request a hearing must submit a written hearing request to the
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed
electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS).
Requests should contain: (1) the requesting party's name, address, and
telephone number; (2) the number of individuals from the requesting
party that will attend the hearing and whether any of those individuals
is a foreign national; and (3) a list of the issues the party intends
to discuss at the hearing. Issues raised in the hearing by a party will
be limited to those raised in the party's case and rebuttal briefs. An
electronically filed hearing request must be received successfully in
its entirety by Commerce's electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5 p.m.
Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this
notice.
Final Results of Review
Unless extended, Commerce intends to issue the final results of
this review, including the results of its analysis of the issues raised
in any written briefs, no later than 120 days after the date of
publication of this notice, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act
and 19 CFR 351.213(h).
Assessment Rates
Upon issuing 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.\16\ For each
individually examined respondent in this review whose weighted-average
dumping margin in the final results of review is not zero or de minimis
(i.e., less than 0.5 percent), Commerce intends to calculate importer/
customer-specific assessment rates.\17\ Where the respondent reported
reliable entered values, Commerce intends to calculate importer/
customer-specific ad valorem assessment rates by aggregating the amount
of dumping calculated for all U.S. sales to the importer/customer and
dividing this amount by the total entered value of the merchandise sold
to the importer/customer.\18\ Where the respondent did not report
entered values, Commerce will calculate importer/customer-specific
assessment rates by dividing the amount of dumping for reviewed sales
to the importer/customer by the total quantity of those sales. Commerce
will calculate an estimated ad valorem importer/customer-specific
assessment rate to determine whether the per-unit assessment rate is de
minimis; however, Commerce will use the per-unit assessment rate where
entered values were not reported.\19\ Where an importer/customer-
specific ad valorem assessment rate is not zero or de minimis, Commerce
will instruct CBP to collect the appropriate duties at the time of
liquidation. Where either the respondent's weighted average dumping
margin is zero or de minimis, or an importer/customer-specific ad
valorem assessment rate is zero or de minimis, Commerce will instruct
CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping
duties.\20\
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\16\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
\17\ See Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted
Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping
Proceedings: Final Modification, 77 FR 8101 (February 14, 2012)
(Final Modification).
\18\ See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
\19\ Id.
\20\ See Final Modification, 77 FR at 8103.
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Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier
than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this
review in the Federal Register. If a timely summons is filed at the
U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will
direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties
to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired (i.e., within
90 days of publication). In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the
Act, the final results of this review shall be the basis for the
assessment of antidumping duties on entries of merchandise covered by
the final results of this review and for future deposits of estimated
antidumping duties, where applicable.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon
publication of the final results of this review for shipments of the
subject merchandise from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse,
for consumption on or after the publication date, as provided by
section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) for the subject merchandise
exported by the company listed above that has a separate rate, the cash
deposit rate will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin
established in the final results of this administrative review (except,
if the rate is zero or de minimis, then zero cash deposit will be
required); (2) for previously investigated or reviewed Chinese and non-
Chinese exporters not listed above that received a separate rate in a
prior segment of this proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue
to be the existing exporter-specific rate; (3) for all Chinese
exporters of subject merchandise that have not been found to be
entitled to a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be that for the
China-wide entity; and (4) for all non-Chinese exporters of subject
merchandise which have not received their own rate, the cash deposit
rate will be the rate applicable to the Chinese exporter that supplied
that non-Chinese exporter. These 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 and/or countervailing duties
prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this POR. 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 the preliminary results of this
review in accordance with sections 751(a)(1)(B), 751(a)(3), and 777(i)
of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(h) and 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: September 5, 2025.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the
non-exclusive functions and dutiesof the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Discussion of the Methodology
V. Adjustment Under Section 777A(f) of the Act
VI. Currency Conversion
VII. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2025-17550 Filed 9-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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