Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From the People's Republic of China: Final Determination of No Shipments; 2021-2022

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Dongguan Nozawa Plastics Products Co., Ltd. and United Power Packaging, Ltd. (collectively, Nozawa) had no shipments of polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs) from the People's Republic of China (China) to the United States during the period of review (POR), August 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022.

DATES:

Applicable April 17, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Claudia Cott, AD/CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482–4270.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On February 16, 2023, Commerce published the preliminary results of the 2021–2022 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on PRCBs from China. We invited parties to comment on the Preliminary Results. No party submitted comments or requested that Commerce hold a hearing. Commerce conducted this review in accordance with sections 751(a)(1)(B) and (2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).

Scope of the Order

The products covered by the Order are PRCBs which may be referred to as t-shirt sacks, merchandise bags, grocery bags, or checkout bags. The subject merchandise is defined as non-sealable sacks and bags with handles (including drawstrings), without zippers or integral extruded closures, with or without gussets, with or without printing, of polyethylene film having a thickness no greater than 0.035 inch (0.889 mm) and no less than 0.00035 inch (0.00889 mm), and with no length or width shorter than 6 inches (15.24 cm) or longer than 40 inches (101.6 cm). The depth of the bag may be shorter than 6 inches but not longer than 40 inches (101.6 cm).

PRCBs are typically provided without any consumer packaging and free of charge by retail establishments, e.g., grocery, drug, convenience, department, specialty retail, discount stores, and restaurants, to their customers to package and carry their purchased products. The scope of the Order excludes (1) polyethylene bags that are not printed with logos or store names and that are closeable with drawstrings made of polyethylene film and (2) polyethylene bags that are packed in consumer packaging with printing that refers to specific end-uses other than packaging and carrying merchandise from retail establishments, e.g., garbage bags, lawn bags, trash-can liners.

Imports of the subject merchandise are currently classifiable under statistical category 3923.21.0090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). This subheading also covers products that are outside the scope of this Order. Furthermore, although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes, our written description of the scope of this Order is dispositive.

Final Determination of No Shipments

In the Preliminary Results, Commerce preliminarily determined that Nozawa had no shipments of subject merchandise during the POR. We received no comments from interested parties with respect to this claim. Therefore, because we have not received any information to contradict our preliminary no-shipments determination, or any comment in opposition to our preliminary finding, Commerce continues to find that Nozawa had no shipments during the POR.

China-Wide Entity

Commerce's policy regarding conditional review of the China-wide entity applies to this administrative review. 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, and we did not self-initiate a review, the China-wide entity rate ( i.e., 77.57 percent) is not subject to change as a result of this review.

Disclosure

Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations performed in connection with the preliminary results within five days of the public announcement, or if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). However, Commerce did not calculate a weighted-average dumping margin for Nozawa, the sole mandatory respondent remaining in this review, or for the China-wide entity. Therefore, there are no calculations to disclose for these final results.

Assessment Rates

Because we have determined that Nozawa had no shipments of subject merchandise in this review, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to liquidate any suspended entries that entered under Nozawa's case number at the China-wide entity rate ( i.e., 77.57 percent).

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).

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective for all shipments of PRCBs from China entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this administrative review in the Federal Register , as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) for previously investigated or reviewed Chinese and non-Chinese exporters 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; (2) 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 ( i.e., 77.57 percent); and (3) 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(s) that supplied that non-Chinese exporter (or, if unidentified, that of the China-wide entity). These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Importers

This notice serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping 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 doubled antidumping duties.

Administrative Protective Order

This notice also serves as a final reminder to parties subject to administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information disclosed under the APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3), which continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of the proceeding. 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 violation which is subject to sanction.

Notification to Interested Parties

Commerce is issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1) and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(5).