Monosodium Glutamate From the Republic of Indonesia: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2018-2019

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that PT. Miwon Indonesia (Miwon) made sales of subject merchandise below normal value, and that PT. Cheil Jedang Indonesia (CJ Indonesia) did not. The period of review (POR) is November 1, 2018, through October 31, 2019.

DATES:

Applicable July 22, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Andrew Huston, AD/CVD Operations, Office VII, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4261.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On March 25, 2021, Commerce published the Preliminary Results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on monosodium glutamate (MSG) from the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesia). For a history of events that have occurred since the Preliminary Results, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Scope of the Order

The merchandise covered by the antidumping duty order is MSG, whether or not blended or in solution with other products. For a complete description of the scope of the order, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Analysis of Comments Received

Commerce addressed all issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. These issues are identified in the appendix to this notice. 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 http://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly on the internet at http://enforcement.trade.gov/frn/index.html.

Changes Since the Preliminary Results

Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made certain changes to the margin calculation for Miwon since the Preliminary Results. We have recalculated Miwon's general and administrative expense ratio and corrected a clerical error in Miwon's home market program. We have made no changes to the margin calculation for CJ Indonesia.

Final Results of Review

As a result of this administrative review, we determine the following weighted-average dumping margins for the period November 1, 2018, through October 31, 2019:

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose the calculations performed for Miwon in these final results to interested parties within five days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). No changes were made to CJ Indonesia's calculations since the Preliminary Results, therefore we will not release the calculations for CJ Indonesia.

Assessment

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise in accordance with the final results of this administrative review. 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).

Where the respondent reported reliable entered values, Commerce calculated importer- (or customer-) specific ad valorem rates by aggregating the dumping margins calculated for all U.S. sales to each importer (or customer) and dividing this amount by the total entered value of the sales to each importer (or customer). Where Commerce calculated a weighted-average dumping margin by dividing the total amount of dumping for reviewed sales to that party by the total sales quantity associated with those transactions, Commerce will direct CBP to assess importer- (or customer-) specific assessment rates based on the resulting per-unit rates. Where an importer- (or customer-) specific ad valorem or per-unit rate is greater than de minimis (i.e., 0.50 percent), Commerce will instruct CBP to collect the appropriate duties at the time of liquidation. Where an importer- (or customer-) specific ad valorem or per-unit rate is zero or de minimis, Commerce will instruct CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.

In accordance with Commerce's “automatic assessment” practice, for entries of subject merchandise that entered the United States during the POR that were produced by CJ Indonesia or Miwon for which the respondent did not know that its merchandise was destined to the United States, Commerce will instruct CBP to liquidate unreviewed entries at the all-others rate of 6.19 percent, if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction.

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the notice of the final results of this administrative review for all shipments of MSG from Indonesia entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results in the Federal Register, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) For the companies covered by this review, the cash deposit rate will be the rates listed above in the section “Final Results of Review”; (2) for merchandise exported by producers or exporters not covered in this administrative review but covered in a prior segment of the proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published in a completed segment for the most recent period of review; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review or in the original investigation, but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding for the producer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will continue to be 6.19 percent, the all-others rate established in the investigation. 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 reminder to parties subject to administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). 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 the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

Notification to Interested Parties

Commerce is issuing and publishing these final results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(5).

Appendix

List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Order

IV. Changes Since the Preliminary Results

V. Discussion of the Issues

Comment 1: Miwon's General and Administrative (G&A) Expense Ratio

Comment 2: Net Price Calculation for Miwon's Home Market Downstream Sales

Comment 3: Level of Trade (LOT) Adjustment or Constructed Export Price (CEP) Offset for Miwon

VI. Recommendation