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AGENCY:
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that melamine from Qatar is not being, or is not 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 September 24, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Hart, AD/CVD Operations, Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1058.
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 in the Federal Register on March 11, 2024. On June 24, 2024, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination of this investigation and the revised deadline was September 11, 2024. On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain deadlines in this proceeding by seven days until September 18, 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 Melamine from Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Trinidad and Tobago: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value investigations, 89 FR 17413 (March 11, 2024) ( Initiation Notice).
See Melamine from Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Trinidad and Tobago: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 89 FR 52437 (June 24, 2024).
See Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated July 22, 2024.
See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Negative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Melamine from Qatar,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this investigation is melamine from Qatar. For a full description of the scope of this investigation, see Appendix I.
Scope Comments
In accordance with the Preamble to Commerce's regulations, we set aside a period of time, as stated in the Initiation Notice, for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage ( i.e., scope). No interested party commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. Commerce is not modifying the scope language as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. See the complete description of the 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 at 17413.
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 731 of the Act. Commerce calculated export prices in accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Normal value is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying the preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Preliminary Determination
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margin exists for the period, January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023:
As discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, Commerce preliminarily collapsed the following companies and treated them as a single entity: Qatar Melamine Company (QMC); Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company (Muntajat) Q.P.J.S.C. (Muntajat); and Qatar Fertiliser Company P.S.C. (QAFCO).
| Exporter/producer | Weighted- average dumping margin (percent) | Cash deposit rate (adjusted for subsidy offset(s)) (percent) |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar Melamine Company; Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company (Muntajat) Q.P.J.S.C.; Qatar Fertiliser Company (P.S.C.) | *0.80 | Not Applicable. |
| * de minimis. |