The Commerce Department published notices in the March 10 Federal Register on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department is extending until June 2 the deadline for its preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty investigation on crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China (C-570-011). The agency decided to postpone on its own accord, after finding the investigation is “extraordinarily complicated” because of the number and complexity of the subsidy programs being investigated. Cash deposits of estimated CV duties can only be collected after the preliminary determination in CV duty investigations, although cash deposits can be made retroactive 90 days from the preliminary determination if Commerce finds “critical circumstances.”
The Commerce Department will not yet suspend liquidation and impose an antidumping duty cash deposit requirement on imports of ferrosilicon from Russia (A-821-820), after finding Russian companies didn't dump subject merchandise in the U.S. in its preliminary AD duty determination. The agency calculated zero AD duty rates for the only respondent, RFA International. Commerce will revisit the issue when it issues its final determination, and may at that point suspend liquidation and impose an AD duty cash deposit requirement if it finds dumping. If Commerce doesn't change its finding, then no AD duty order will be issued.
The Commerce Department made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that ferrosilicon from Venezuela (A-307-824) is being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. Commerce is directing CBP to suspend liquidation and require cash deposits of estimated AD duties on ferrosilicon from Venezuela, effective for subject merchandise entered on or after March 11.
A countervailing duty cash deposit requirement will take effect March 11 for imports of grain oriented electrical steel from China (C-570-995), after the Commerce Department found illegal subsidization of Chinese producers in its preliminary determination. The agency calculated a CV duty cash deposit rate of 49.15% for Baoshan, and assigned the same rate to all other Chinese exporters.
The Commerce Department will not suspend liquidation and impose a countervailing duty cash deposit requirement on imports of monosodium glutamate from Indonesia (C-560-827), after finding no countervailable subsidization in its preliminary CV duty determination. The agency calculated a de minimis CV duty rate for the sole respondent, Cheil Jedang Indonesia. Following Commerce's preliminary determiation, Ajinomoto North America (AJINA) withdrew its request for CV duty investigations on MSG from China and Indonesia (see 14031035). Commerce has to make the final decision on whether to end this investigation, and the process could take a couple of weeks, said lawyers associated with the proceeding. Regardless, Commerce may require antidumping duty cash deposits as a result of its concurrent AD duty investigation on MSG from Indonesia. Commerce is set to make its preliminary AD duty finding May 1 (see 14020415).
A countervailing duty cash deposit requirement will take effect March 11 for imports of monosodium glutamate from China (C-570-993), as the Commerce Department found illegal subsidization of Chinese producers in its preliminary determination. Commerce is making the suspension of liquidation and CV duty cash deposits retroactive for entries on or after Dec. 11. Shortly after Commerce announced its preliminary determination, domestic industry withdrew its requests for CV duties on MSG from China and Indonesia, so it is unclear what will become of the new cash deposit requirements.
A domestic producer of monosodium glutamate has withdrawn its requests for countervailing duty investigations on MSG from China and Indonesia. After a phone call with Commerce on March 6 in which a lawyer for AJINA notified Commerce the company no longer wanted to continue the case, AJINA formally withdrew its petitions for CV duty investigations in a letter sent the following day. The move came days after Commerce announced it found illegal subsidization of MSG producers in China, but no illegal subsidies in Indonesia. Meanwhile, a lawyer for AJINA said the company will still pursue antidumping duties on exports of MSG from China and Indonesia.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission finalized new safety standards for carriages and strollers. CPSC’s final rule adopts the voluntary industry standard ASTM F-833-13b. CPSC had proposed adopting ASTM F-833-13 with an additional requirement to test for scissoring, pinching, or shearing hazards at the hinge link of 2D fold strollers (see 13051722). ASTM F-833-13b incorporates CPSC’s proposed tests, it said. The new standard takes effect Sept. 10, 2015.
The Food and Drug Administration reclassifying absorbable lung biopsy plugs as Class II devices that do not require premarket approval,in a final rule that takes effect April 9. The devices had been classified in Class III, and required the filing of a premarket approval application before distribution. The devices will be subject to certain extra "special controls" related to design characteristics, testing, biocompatibility, and labeling,