Certain Paper Plates From Thailand: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Final Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part

<NOTICE> DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE <SUBAGY>International Trade Administration</SUBAGY> <DEPDOC>[A-549-849]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Certain Paper Plates From Thailand: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Final Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of certain paper plates (paper plates) from Thailand are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) for the period of investigation (POI) January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. </SUM> <DATES> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Applicable January 28, 2025. </DATES> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Ted Pearson, 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) 482-2631. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Background</HD> On September 5, 2024, Commerce published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> its preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of paper plates from Thailand and invited interested parties to comment. <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> For a complete description of the events that followed the <E T="03">Preliminary Determination, see</E> the Issues and Decision Memorandum. <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>   <E T="03">See Certain Paper Plates from Thailand: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part, and Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional Measures,</E> 89 FR 72370 (September 5, 2024) ( <E T="03">Preliminary Determination</E> ), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Final Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Certain Paper Plates from Thailand,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Issues and Decision Memorandum). </FTNT> The Issues and 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 <E T="03">https://access.trade.gov.</E> In addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at <E T="03">https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.</E> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Scope of the Investigation</HD> The products covered by this investigation are paper plates from Thailand. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, <E T="03">see</E> Appendix I. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Scope Comments</HD> We received no comments from interested parties on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the <E T="03">Preliminary Determination.</E> Therefore, we made no changes to the scope of the investigation. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Verification</HD> Commerce verified the sales and cost information submitted by Thai Paper Co., Ltd. (Thai Paper) for use in our final determination, consistent with section 782(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). <SU>3</SU> <FTREF/> We used standard verification procedures, including an examination of relevant sales and accounting records, and original source documents provided by Thai Paper. <FTNT> <SU>3</SU>   <E T="03">See</E> Memorandum, “Verification of the Sales Questionnaire Responses of Thai Paper Co., Ltd.,” dated September 23, 2024; <E T="03">see also</E> Memoranda, “Verification of the Sales Questionnaire Responses of Go-Pak UK Ltd,” dated October 17, 2024; and, “Verification of the Cost Response of Thai Paper Company Limited,” dated December 2, 2024. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Analysis of Comments Received</HD> All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs submitted by interested parties in this investigation are addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. A list of the issues addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum is attached to this notice as Appendix II. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Final Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part</HD> Commerce preliminarily determined, in accordance with section 733(e)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.206(c)(1), that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports of paper plates from Thailand for the seven companies  <SU>4</SU> <FTREF/> that were non-responsive to our quantity and value (Q&V) questionnaire. For the final determination, pursuant to section 735(a)(3)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, we continue to find that critical circumstances exist for these seven companies. Further, we continue to find that critical circumstances do not exist with regard to Thai Paper, the companies that responded to the Q&V questionnaire ( <E T="03">i.e.,</E> Nirvana Foods & Commerce International Co., Ltd. (Nirvana); Pandora Production Co (Pandora); and SNC Cup Co., Ltd. (SNC Cup)), and all others. <FTNT> <SU>4</SU>  The seven non-responsive companies are: (1) ABC Digital Technology Co Ltd; (2) Beeconcious Co; (3) Dester Co, Ltd; (4) Pimlapas Printing Co., Ltd; (5) Sincerely Cargo; (6) Thai Coconut Co Ltd; and (7) Thai Union Manufacturing Co., Ltd. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Use of Adverse Facts Available (AFA)</HD> As discussed in the <E T="03">Preliminary Determination,</E> Commerce assigned dumping margins on the basis of AFA, pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, to the seven companies that were non-responsive to the Q&V questionnaire. <SU>5</SU> <FTREF/> For this final determination, we continue to find that the application of AFA, pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, is warranted with respect to the seven non-responsive companies. <FTNT> <SU>5</SU>   <E T="03">See Preliminary Determination,</E> 89 FR at 38080. </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Changes Since the Preliminary Determination </HD> We made changes since the <E T="03">Preliminary Determination</E> to use Thai Paper's corrected and verified sales databases. For a discussion of these changes, <E T="03">see</E> the Issues and Decision Memorandum. <HD SOURCE="HD1">All-Others Rate</HD> Section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provides that the estimated weighted-average dumping margin for all other producers and exporters not individually investigated shall be equal to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for individually investigated exporters and producers, excluding rates that are zero, <E T="03">de minimis,</E> or determined entirely under section 776 of the Act, <E T="03">i.e.,</E> facts otherwise available. For the final determination of this investigation, Thai Paper was the only individually examined exporter/producer for which Commerce calculated an individual estimated weighted average dumping margin. Because Thai Paper's dumping margin is the only individually calculated dumping margin that is not zero, <E T="03">de minimis,</E> or based entirely on facts otherwise available, the estimated weighted-average dumping margin calculated for Thai Paper is the margin assigned to all other producers and exporters and the non-selected respondents, Nirvana, Pandora, and SNC Cup. <SU>6</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>6</SU>   <E T="03">See, e.g., Steel Threaded Rod from Thailand: Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Affirmative Preliminary Determination of Critical Circumstances,</E> 78 FR 79670, 79671 (December 31, 2013), unchanged in <E T="03">Steel Threaded Rod from Thailand: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Affirmative Final Determination of Critical Circumstances,</E> 79 FR 14476, 14477 (March 14, 2014). </FTNT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Final Determination</HD> Commerce determines that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist: <GPOTABLE COLS="2" OPTS="L2,tp0,i1" CDEF="s25,9"> <TTITLE> </TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Exporter/producer</CHED> <ENT I="01">Thai Paper Co., Ltd</ENT> <ENT>5.57</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Nirvana Foods & Commerce International Co., Ltd</ENT> <ENT>5.57</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Pandora Production Co</ENT> <ENT>5.57</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">SNC Cup Co., Ltd</ENT> <ENT>5.57</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">ABC Digital Technology Co Ltd</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Beeconcious Co</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Dester Co, Ltd</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Pimlapas Printing Co., Ltd</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Sincerely Cargo</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Thai Coconut Co Ltd</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Thai Union Manufacturing Co., Ltd</ENT> <ENT>* 73.17</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">All Others</ENT> <ENT>5.57</ENT> </ROW> <TNOTE>* Rate based on facts available with adverse inferences.</TNOTE> </GPOTABLE> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Disclosure</HD> Commerce intends to disclose the calculations performed in connection with this final determination to interested parties within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this notice in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). <HD SOURCE="HD1">Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation</HD> In accordance with section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, Commerce will instruct U.S ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 19k characters. 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