Antidumping: Sorbitol from— France,

[Federal Register: February 14, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 30)]

[Notices]

[Page 7361-7362]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr14fe00-26]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-427-001]

Sorbitol From France: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration.

ACTION: Notice of final results of antidumping duty administrative review.

SUMMARY: On December 22, 1999 the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of review of the antidumping duty order on sorbitol from France. This review covers one manufacturer/exporter of the subject merchandise to the United States and the period April 1, 1998 through March 31, 1999. We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on our preliminary results. We received no comments. The final results of review are unchanged from those presented in the preliminary results of review.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 14, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Baker or Robert James, AD/CVD Enforcement Group III--Office 8, Import Administration, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482- 2924 (Baker), (202) 482-5222 (James).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Applicable Statute

Unless otherwise indicated, all citations to the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act) are references to the provisions effective January 1, 1995, the effective date of the amendments made to the Act by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all references to the Department's regulations are to 19 CFR Part 351 (1999).

Background

The Department published an antidumping duty order on sorbitol from France on April 9, 1982 (47 FR 15391). The Department published a notice of ``Opportunity to Request an Administrative Review'' of the antidumping duty order for the period April 1, 1998 through March 31, 1999 on April 15, 1999 (64 FR 18600). On April 30, 1999, SPI Polyols, Inc. (petitioner) requested that the Department conduct an administrative review of Roquette Freres (Roquette). We published a notice of initiation of the review on May 28, 1999 (64 FR 28973).

On December 22, 1999 the Department published in the Federal Register the preliminary results of review of the antidumping duty order (64 FR 71727). The Department has now completed this administrative review in accordance with section 751 of the Act.

Scope of the Review

The merchandise under review is crystalline sorbitol. Crystalline sorbitol is a polyol produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of sugars (glucose). It is used in the production of sugarless gum, candy, groceries, and pharmaceuticals.

Crystalline sorbitol is currently classifiable under item 2905.440.00of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and Customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise under review is dispositive of whether or not the merchandise is covered by the review.

Final Results of the Review

We gave interested parties an opportunity to comment on the preliminary results. We received no comments. We made no changes to our analysis; therefore, we determine that a weighted-average dumping margin of 12.07 percent exists for Roquette for the period April 1, 1998 through March 31, 1999.

The Department shall determine, and the U.S. Customs Service shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries. The Department shall issue appraisement instructions directly to the Customs Service. For assessment purposes, we intend to instruct Customs to collect duties equal to 12.07 percent of the entered value of the subject merchandise.

Furthermore, the following deposit requirements will be effective upon

[[Page 7362]]

publication of this notice of final results of review for all shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as provided for by section 751(a)(1) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for the reviewed company will be 12.07 percent; (2) for previously investigated or reviewed companies not listed above, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or in the original less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation, but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and (4) if neither the exporter nor the manufacturer is a firm covered in this review, the cash deposit rate will continue to be 2.90 percent, which is the ``all others'' rate from the LTFV investigation (47 FR 7459, February 12, 1982).

These deposit requirements will remain in effect until publication of the final results of the next administrative review.

This notice also serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

This notice also serves as a reminder to parties subject to administrative protective orders (APOs) of their responsibility concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under 19 CFR 351.306. Timely written notification of the return/destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

We are issuing and publishing this administrative review and notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 771(i)(1) of the Act.

Dated: February 7, 2000. Robert S. LaRussa, Assistant Secretary for Import Administration.

[FR Doc. 00-3392Filed2-11-00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P