90 FR 95 pgs. 21281-21284 - Float Glass Products From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of Final Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination
Type: NOTICEVolume: 90Number: 95Pages: 21281 - 21284
Pages: 21281, 21282, 21283, 21284Docket number: [C-570-189]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2025-08821 Filed 5-16-25; 8:45 am]
Agency: Commerce Department
Sub Agency: International Trade Administration
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[C-570-189]
Float Glass Products From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of Final Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination
AGENCY:
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY:
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of float glass products from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of investigation is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.
DATES:
Applicable May 19, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nathan James or Kelsie Hohenberger, AD/CVD Operations, Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-5305 or (202) 482-2517, respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 703(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce published the notice of initiation of this countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on January 8, 2025. 1 On February 20, 2025, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination until May 12, 2025. 2
Footnotes:
1 ? See Float Glass Products from the People's Republic of China and Malaysia: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigations, 90 FR 1443 (January 8, 2025) ( Initiation Notice ).
2 ? See Float Glass Products from the People's Republic of China and Malaysia: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Countervailing Duty Investigations, 90 FR 9963 (February 20, 2025).
For a complete description of events that followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. 3 A list of topics discussed 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.
Footnotes:
3 ? See Memorandum, "Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Affirmative Determination of the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Float Glass Products from the People's Republic of China," dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
Scope of the Investigation
The products covered by this investigation are float glass products from China. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see Appendix I.
Scope Comments
[top] In accordance with the Preamble to Commerce's regulations, 4 in the Initiation Notice we set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage ( i.e., scope). 5 Certain interested parties commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. Commerce intends to issue its preliminary decision regarding comments concerning the scope of the antidumping duty (AD) and CVD investigations concurrent with the preliminary determinations of the
Footnotes:
4 ? See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) ( Preamble ).
5 ? See Initiation Notice, 90 FR 1444.
6 ?The deadline for interested parties to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs will be established in the preliminary scope decision memorandum.
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 701 of the Act. For each of the subsidy programs found to be countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an "authority" that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific. 7 For a full description of the methodology underlying our preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Footnotes:
7 ? See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.
Commerce notes that, in making these findings, it relied, in part, on facts available. Moreover, because Commerce finds that certain companies that failed to respond to Commerce's questionnaires, as well as the Government of China, did not act to the best of their abilities to respond to Commerce's requests for information, we drew an adverse inference where appropriate in selecting from among the facts otherwise available. 8 For further information, see the "Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences" section in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Footnotes:
8 ? See sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
Alignment
In accordance with section 705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(4), Commerce is aligning the final determination in this CVD investigation with the final determination in the concurrent AD investigation of float glass products from China, based on a request made by the petitioner. 9 Consequently, the final CVD determination will be issued on the same date as the final AD determination, which is currently scheduled to be issued no later than September 22, 2025, unless postponed. 10
Footnotes:
9 ? See Petitioner's Letter, "Request for Alignment of the Countervailing Duty Investigations with the Concurrent Antidumping Duty Investigations," dated April 14, 2025.
10 ? See Float Glass Products from the People's Republic of China and Malaysia: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 90 FR 16107 (April 17, 2025).
All-Others Rate
Sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that, in a preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated all-others rate for companies not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated subsidy rates established for those companies individually examined, excluding any rates that are zero, de minimis, or based entirely under section 776 of the Act.
In this investigation, Commerce preliminarily calculated a total net subsidy rate for Xinyi Group (Glass) Company Limited (Xinyi HK) that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on the facts otherwise available. Commerce calculated a rate based entirely on facts available with adverse inferences for the other mandatory respondent, Shandong Jinjing Science and Technology Stock Co., Ltd. (Shandong Jinjing). Because the only individually calculated countervailable subsidy rate that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts otherwise available is Xinyi HK's rate, we have preliminarily assigned Xinyi HK's rate to all other companies.
Rate for Non-Responsive Companies
As noted above, Shandong Jinjing did not respond to Commerce's initial questionnaire after being selected as a mandatory respondent. Three additional exporters and/or producers of float glass products from China also failed to provide responses to Commerce's Q&V questionnaire. 11 We find that, by not responding to Commerce's requests for information, each of these companies withheld requested information and significantly impeded this proceeding. Thus, in reaching our preliminary determination, pursuant to sections 776(a)(2)(A) and (C) of the Act, we are basing the subsidy rate for the non-responsive companies on facts otherwise available.
Footnotes:
11 ?These companies are: (1) Hubei Sanxia New Building Materials Co., Ltd.; (2) Shanghai Yaohua Pilkington Glass Group Co., Ltd.; and (3) Shenzhen New Kibing Technology Co., Ltd.
We further preliminarily determine that an adverse inference is warranted, pursuant to section 776(b) of the Act. By failing to submit responses to Commerce's questionnaires, the non-responsive companies did not cooperate to the best of their abilities in this investigation. Accordingly, we preliminarily find that an adverse inference is warranted to ensure that the non-responsive companies will not obtain a more favorable result than had they fully complied with our requests for information. For more information on the application of adverse facts available to the non-responsive companies, see the "Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences" section in the Preliminary Determination Memorandum.
Preliminary Determination
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated countervailable subsidy rates exist:
Footnotes:
12 ?Commerce finds the following companies to be cross-owned with Xinyi HK: (1) Xinyi Special Glass (Jiangmen) Company Limited; (2) Xinyi Glass (Chongqing) Company Limited; (3) Xinyi Glass (Guangxi) Company Limited; (4) Xinyi Ultrathin Glass (Dongguan) Co., Ltd; (5) Xinyi Electronic Glass (Wuhu) Co., Ltd.; (6) Xinyi Glass (Hainan) Co., Ltd.; (7) Xinyi Glass (Yingkou) Co., Ltd.; (8) Xinyi Energy Smart (Sichuan) Co., Ltd; (9) Xinyi Glass (Wuhu) Company Limited; (10) Xinyi Glass (Tianjin) Co., Ltd.; (11) Xinyi Glass (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.; (12) Xinyi Glass Engineering (Dongguan) Co., Ltd; and (13) Xinyi Glass (Bozhou) Co., Ltd.
| Company | Subsidy rate (percent ad valorem ) |
|---|---|
| Xinyi Group (Glass) Company Limited? 12 | 11.41 |
| Shandong Jinjing Science and Technology Stock Co., Ltd | *?891.62 |
| Hubei Sanxia New Building Materials Co., Ltd. | *?891.62 |
| Shanghai Yaohua Pilkington Glass Group Co., Ltd. (SYP) | *?891.62 |
| Shenzhen New Kibing Technology Co., Ltd. | *?891.62 |
| All Others | 11.41 |
| *?Rate based on facts available with adverse inferences. | |
Disclosure
Commerce intends to disclose to interested parties the calculations performed in connection with this preliminary determination within five days of its 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).
[top] Consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will analyze and, if appropriate, correct any timely allegations of significant ministerial errors by amending the preliminary determination. However, consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(d), Commerce will not consider incomplete allegations that do not address the significance standard under 19 CFR 351.224(g) following the preliminary determination. Instead, Commerce will address such allegations in the final determination together with issues raised in the case briefs or other written comments.
Suspension of Liquidation
In accordance with sections 703(d)(1)(B) and (d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise as described in the scope of the investigation entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register . Further, pursuant to section 703(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the rates indicated above.
Verification
As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify the information relied upon in making its final determination.
Public Comment
All interested parties will have the opportunity to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs on the preliminary decision regarding the scope of the AD and CVD investigations. The deadlines to submit scope case and rebuttal briefs will be provided in the preliminary scope decision memorandum. For all scope case and rebuttal briefs, parties must file identical documents simultaneously on the records of all the ongoing AD and CVD float glass products investigations. No new factual information or business proprietary information may be included in either scope case or rebuttal briefs.
Case briefs or other written comments on non-scope issues may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven days after the date on which the last verification report is issued in this investigation. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs. 13 Interested parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities. 14
Footnotes:
13 ? See 19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) ( APO and Service Final Rule ).
14 ? See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an executive summary of their briefs that should be limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this investigation, we instead request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs. 15 Further, we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f). 16
Footnotes:
15 ?We use the term "issue" here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
16 ? See APO and Service Final Rule, 88 FR 67069.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce via ACCESS within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain (1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants and whether any participant is a foreign national; and (3) a list of the issues to be discussed. Oral presentations at the hearing will be limited to issues raised in the briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, parties will be notified of the time and date for the hearing. 17 Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.
Footnotes:
17 ? See 19 CFR 351.310(d).
U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification
In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify the ITC of its determination. If the final determination is affirmative, the ITC will determine before the later of 120 days after the date of this preliminary determination or 45 days after the final determination whether imports of float glass products from China are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry.
Notification to Interested Parties
This determination is issued and published in accordance with sections 703(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c).
Dated: May 12, 2025.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix I
Scope of the Investigation
The scope of this investigation covers float glass products, which are articles of soda-lime-silica glass that are manufactured by floating a continuous strip of molten glass over a smooth bath of tin (or another liquid metal with a density greater than molten glass), cooling the glass in an annealing lehr, and cutting it to appropriate dimensions. For purposes of the investigation, float glass products have an actual thickness of at least 2.0 mm (0.0787 inches) and an actual surface area of at least 0.37 square meters (4.0 square feet).
The country of origin of each float glass product is determined by the location where the soda-lime-silica glass is first manufactured by floating a continuous strip of molten glass over a smooth bath of tin and cooling the glass in an annealing lehr, regardless of the location of any downstream finishing or fabrication operations.
Prior to being subjected to further treatment, finishing, or fabrication, float glass products meet the requirements of Type I under ASTM-C1036 of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Float glass products may be clear, stained, tinted, or coated with one or more materials. Examples of coated float glass products include Low-E architectural glass ( i.e., glass with a low emissivity coating to limit the penetration of radiant heat energy) and frameless mirrors ( i.e., flat glass with a silver, aluminum, or other reflective layer) such as mirror stock sheet.
Float glass products may be annealed, chemically strengthened, heat strengthened, or tempered to achieve a desired surface compression, pursuant to ASTM-C1048, ASTM-C1422/C1422M, or other similar specifications.
Float glass products include tub and shower enclosures ( i.e., doors and panels) made of tempered glass, which may be sold with attached or unattached hardware. In such cases, the scope covers only the tempered glass, to the exclusion of any non-glass hardware.
The only float glass product assemblies included within the scope are: (1) articles consisting of two of more sheets of float glass that are bonded together using a polymer interlayer ( i.e., laminated glass); (2) insulating glass units (IGUs), which consist of two or more sheets of float glass separated by a spacer material and hermetically sealed together at the edge in order to create a thermal barrier using air or one or more gases; and (3) LED mirrors ( i.e., float glass mirrors with one or more light-emitting diodes integrated with the mirror, as well as framed float glass mirrors with one or more light-emitting diodes integrated with the mirror or the mirror frame, but without other electronic functionality).
[top] Float glass products covered by the scope may meet one or more of the ASTM-C162,
Float glass products may be further worked, including, but not limited to, operations such as: cutting; beveling; edging; notching; drilling; etching; bending; curving; chipping; embossing; engraving; surface grinding; or polishing; and sandblasting ( i.e., using high velocity air to stream abrasive particles and thereby impart a frosted aesthetic to the glass surface). A float glass product which undergoes further work remains within the scope so long as the soda-lime-silica glass originally satisfied the requirements of ASTM-C1036 Type I and was first manufactured in a subject country, regardless of where it is further worked.
Excluded from the scope are: (1) wired glass ( i.e., glass with a layer of wire mesh embedded within); (2) patterned flat glass ( i.e., rolled glass with a pattern impressed on one or both sides) meeting the requirements of Type II under ASTM-C1036, including greenhouse glass and patterned solar glass ( i.e., photovoltaic glass with a textured surface); (3) safety glazing materials for vehicles certified to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard Z26.1; (4) vacuum insulating glass (VIG) units, which consist of two or more sheets of float glass separated by a spacer material, with at least one hermetically sealed compartment that uses a gas-free vacuum as a thermal barrier; (5) framed mirrors without any LEDs integrated with the mirror or the mirror frame; (6) unframed "over-the-door" mirrors that are ready for use as imported without undergoing after importation any processing, finishing, or fabrication; and (7) heat-strengthened washing machine lid glass with an actual surface area less than 6.0 square feet (0.56 square meters).
Also excluded from the scope of the investigation are: (1) soda-lime-silica glass containing less than 0.01 percent iron oxide by weight, annealed with a surface compression less than 3,500 pounds per square inch (PSI), having a transparent conductive oxide base coating ( e.g., tin oxide), and with an actual thickness less than or equal to 4.0 mm (0.1575 inches) ( i.e., "coated solar glass"); and (2) heat treated soda-lime-silica glass with a surface compression between 3,500 and 10,000 PSI, containing two or more drilled holes, and having an actual thickness less than 2.5 mm (0.0984 inches) ( i.e., "clear back solar glass"). Solar glass products (also known as photovoltaic glass) are designed to facilitate the conversion of solar energy into electricity.
Also excluded from the scope of the investigation are any products already covered by the scope of any extant antidumping and/or countervailing duty orders, including Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 76 FR 30650 (May 26, 2011), and Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 76 FR 30653 (May 26, 2011).
The products subject to the investigation are currently classifiable under subheadings 7005.10.8000, 7005.21.1010, 7005.21.1030, 7005.21.2000, 7005.29.1810, 7005.29.1850, 7005.29.2500, 7007.29.0000, 7008.00.0000, 7009.91.5010, 7009.91.5095, and 7009.92.5010 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Products subject to the investigation may also enter under HTSUS subheadings 7006.00.4010, 7006.00.4050, and 7007.19.0000. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.
Appendix II
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Injury Test
IV. Analysis of China's Financial System
V. Diversification of China's Economy
VI. Use of Facts Available and Adverse Inferences
VII. Subsidies Valuation
VIII. Interest Rates and Benchmarks
IX. Analysis of Programs
X. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2025-08821 Filed 5-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P