Notice2025-18134

Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2022

Primary source

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Published
September 19, 2025

Issuing agencies

Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain producers and/or exporters of multilayered wood flooring (wood flooring) from the People's Republic of China (China), received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 180 (Friday, September 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 180 (Friday, September 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45183-45185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-18134]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[C-570-971]


Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of China: 
Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2022

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that 
certain producers and/or exporters of multilayered wood flooring (wood 
flooring) from the People's Republic of China (China), received 
countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1, 
2022, through December 31, 2022.

DATES: Applicable September 19, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Schueler or Laurel Smalley, 
AD/CVD Operations, Office VIII, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-9175 
or (202) 482-3456, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Commerce published the Preliminary Results of this administrative 
review in the Federal Register on March 20, 2025, and invited 
interested parties to comment.\1\ On June 18, 2025, Commerce extended 
the final results of this review. For a complete description of the 
events that followed the Preliminary Results, see the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum.\2\
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    \1\ See Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Results and Partial Rescission of Countervailing 
Duty Administrative Review; 2022, 90 FR 13142 (March 20, 2025) 
(Preliminary Results), and accompanying Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum (PDM).
    \2\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the 
Final Results of the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review of 
Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of China; 
2022,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice 
(Issues and Decision Memorandum).

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[[Page 45184]]

Scope of the Order

    The product covered by the Order \3\ is multilayered wood flooring 
from China. For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see 
the Issues and Decision Memorandum.\4\
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    \3\ See Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of 
China: Countervailing Duty Order, 76 FR 76693 (December 8, 2011); 
see also Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of 
China: Amended Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 77 FR 
5484 (February 3, 2012); and Multilayered Wood Flooring from the 
People's Republic of China: Final Clarification of the Scope of the 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, 82 FR 27799 (June 19, 
2017) (collectively, Order).
    \4\ See Issues and Decision Memorandum.
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Analysis of Comments Received

    All issues raised in in the interested party's brief are addressed 
in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. A list of the issues addressed 
is attached as an appendix to this notice. The Issues and 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>. In addition, a complete 
version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly 
at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx">https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx</a>.

Changes Since the Preliminary Results

    Based on our analysis of the case and rebuttal briefs and the 
evidence on the record, we made certain changes to Riverside's 
countervailable subsidy calculations from the Preliminary Results. 
These changes are explained in the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 
751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each 
of the subsidy programs found countervailable, we find that there is a 
subsidy, i.e., a government-provided financial contribution that gives 
rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is 
specific.\5\ The Issues and Decision Memorandum contains a full 
description of the methodology underlying Commerce's conclusions, 
including any determination that relied upon the use of adverse facts 
available pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
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    \5\ 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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Rate for Non-Responsive Companies

    As explained in the Preliminary Results, Huzhou Fulinmen Imp. & 
Exp. Co., Ltd (Huzhou Fulinmen) and Tongxiang Jisheng Import and Export 
Co., Ltd (Tongxiang Jisheng) were selected as mandatory respondents in 
this review, however, neither company responded to Commerce's 
countervailing duty (CVD) questionnaire. We continue to find that by 
not responding to Commerce's requests for information, these companies 
withheld requested information and significantly impeded this 
proceeding. Thus, in reaching our final results, pursuant to sections 
776(a)(2)(A) and (C) of the Act, we continue to base the CVD subsidy 
rates for these non-responsive companies on facts otherwise available.
    Further, we continue to determine that an adverse inference is 
warranted, pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act. By failing to submit 
responses to Commerce's CVD questionnaire, these two non-responsive 
companies did not cooperate to the best of their ability in this 
review. Accordingly, we continue to find that an adverse inference is 
warranted to ensure that the non-responsive companies will not obtain a 
more favorable result than if they had fully complied with Commerce's 
request for information. Our application of adverse facts available to 
these two non-responsive companies has not changed since the 
Preliminary Results. For more information, see ``Use of Facts Otherwise 
Available and Adverse Inferences'' in the Preliminary Results PDM.

Rate for Non-Selected Companies Under Review

    The statute and Commerce's regulations do not address the 
establishment of a rate to be applied to companies not selected for 
individual examination when Commerce limits its examination in an 
administrative review pursuant to section 777A(e)(2) of the Act. 
However, Commerce normally determines the rates for non-selected 
companies in reviews in a manner that is consistent with section 
705(c)(5) of the Act, which provides the basis for calculating the all-
others rate in an investigation. Section 705(c)(5)(A)(i) of the Act 
instructs Commerce, as a general rule, to calculate the all-others rate 
equal to the weighted average of the countervailable subsidy rates 
established for exporters and producers individually investigated, 
excluding any zero or de minimis countervailable subsidy rates, and any 
rates determined entirely on the basis of facts available.
    There are two companies (i.e., Benxi Wood Company and Dalian 
Jaenmaken Wood Industry Co., Ltd.) which remain subject to this review 
and which were not selected as mandatory respondents or found to be 
cross-owned with a mandatory respondent. Because only the rate 
calculated for mandatory respondent Riverside Plywood Corporation 
(Riverside) is above de minimis and not based entirely on facts 
available, we assigned the subsidy rate calculated for Riverside to 
Benxi Wood Company and Dalian Jaenmaken Wood Industry Co., Ltd. This 
methodology is consistent with our practice for establishing an all-
others subsidy rate pursuant to section 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act.

Final Results of Administrative Review

    We determine the counteravailable subsidy rates for the mandatory 
and non-selected respondents under review for the period of January 1, 
2022, through December 31, 2022 are as follows
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    \6\ Cross-owned affiliates are Baroque Timber (Zhongshan) 
Industries, Suzhou Times Flooring Co., Ltd., and Zhongshan Lianjia 
Flooring Co., Ltd.

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                                                  Subsidy rate (percent
               Producer/exporter                       ad valorem)
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Riverside Plywood Corporation and Its Cross-                       10.51
 Owned Affiliate \6\...........................
Huzhou Fulinmen Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd...........                   430.38
Tongxiang Jisheng Import and Export Co., Ltd...                   430.38
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             Review Specific Rate for Non-Examined Companies
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Benxi Wood Company.............................                    10.51
Dalian Jaenmaken Wood Industry Co., Ltd........                    10.51
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[[Page 45185]]

Disclosure

    Commerce intends to disclose the calculations and analysis 
performed for these final results of review within five days of the 
date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register, in 
accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Assessment Rates

    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.212(b)(2), Commerce has determined, and U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, countervailing duties 
on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise in accordance with 
the final results of this review, for the above-listed companies at the 
applicable ad valorem assessment rates. We intend to issue assessment 
instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of 
publication of these final results of 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).

Cash Deposit Instructions

    In accordance with section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, Commerce also 
intends to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated 
countervailing duties in the amounts shown for each of the respective 
companies listed above on shipments of subject merchandise entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of 
publication of the final results of this administrative review.\7\ For 
all non-reviewed firms subject to the Order, we will instruct CBP to 
continue to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties at 
the most recent company-specific or all-others rate applicable to the 
company, as appropriate. These cash deposit requirements, effective 
upon publication of these final results, shall remain in effect until 
further notice.
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    \7\ See, e.g., Honey from Argentina: Results of Countervailing 
Duty Administrative Review, 69 FR 29518 (May 24, 2004), and 
accompanying IDM at Issue 4.
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Administrative Protective Order

    This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to 
administrative protective order (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 or 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 sanctionable 
violation.

Notification to Interested Parties

    We are issuing and publishing these final results in accordance 
with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 
351.221(b)(5).

    Dated: September 12, 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

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Non-Selected Companies Under Review
V. Subsidies Valuation Information
VI. Changes Since the Preliminary Results
VII. Use of Facts Otherwise Available
VIII. Analysis of Programs
IX. Discussion of the Issues
    Comment 1: Whether Commerce Should Grant Riverside Plywood an 
Entered Value Adjustment
    Comment 2: Whether Commerce Erroneously Applied Adverse Facts 
Available to Find That Input Suppliers are Government Authorities
    Comment 3: Whether Commerce Made Certain Errors in its 
Preliminary Calculations
X. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2025-18134 Filed 9-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on September 19, 2025.

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