Ferrosilicon From Brazil: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures

Download PDF
Federal RegisterNov 6, 2024
89 Fed. Reg. 88004 (Nov. 6, 2024)
Document Headings

Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following:

  • the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
  • the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to
  • the agency docket number / agency internal file number
  • the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions
  • See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details.

    Department of Commerce International Trade Administration
  • [A-351-860]
  • AGENCY:

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

    SUMMARY:

    The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that ferrosilicon from Brazil is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

    DATES:

    Applicable November 6, 2024.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Jaron Moore or Noah Wetzel, 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) 482-3640 or (202) 482-7466, respectively.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce published the notice of initiation of this investigation on April 24, 2024. On July 23, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this investigation by seven days. On August 16, 2024, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination of this investigation until October 31, 2024.

    See Ferrosilicon from Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and the Russian Federation: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 89 FR 31137 (April 24, 2024) ( Initiation Notice).

    See Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated July 23, 2024.

    See Ferrosilicon from Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations,89 FR 66678 (August 16, 2024).

    For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included as appendix II to this notice. 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 https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

    See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Ferrosilicon from Brazil,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).

    Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is ferrosilicon from Brazil. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see appendix I.

    Scope Comments

    In accordance with the preamble to Commerce's regulations, the Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage ( i.e., scope). As noted in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce is correcting a minor clerical error in the language of the scope. See the revised scope in appendix I to this notice.

    See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule,62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).

    See Initiation Notice, 89 FR 31137.

    See Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

    Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export prices in accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Normal value is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. Pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, Commerce has preliminarily relied upon facts otherwise available, with adverse inferences, for Ligas de Aluminio S.A. (LIASA). For a full description of the methodology underlying the preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

    All-Others Rate

    Sections 733(d)(1)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that, in the preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under section 776 of the Act.

    In this investigation, Commerce preliminarily calculated a de minimis rate for Minasligas S.A. (Minasligas) and calculated a rate based entirely under section 776 of the Act for LIASA. Therefore, the only rate that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts otherwise available is the rate calculated for Companhia de Ferro Ligas da Bahia S.A. (Ferbasa). Consequently, the preliminary rate calculated for Ferbasa is also the preliminary rate assigned to all other producers and exporters.

    Preliminary Determination

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist:

    Exporter/producer Estimated weighted-average dumping margin (percent) Cash deposit rate (adjusted for subsidy offset(s)) (percent)
    Minasligas S.A * 1.18 1.06
    Companhia de Ferro Ligas da Bahia S.A 13.13 13.03
    Ligas de Aluminio S.A ** 21.78 0.00
    All Others 13.13 13.03
    * de minimis.
    ** Rate based on facts available with adverse inferences.

    See Memorandum, “Preliminary Determination Margin Calculation for Minasligas S.A.,” dated October 31, 2024.

    See Memorandum, “Preliminary Results Margin Calculation for Ferbasa,” dated October 31, 2024.

    See Memorandum, “Preliminary Calculation of Export Subsidy Offset for LIASA,” dated October 31, 2024.