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For Immediate Release: February 7, 2006

FACT SHEET


Preliminary Determinations in the Countervailing Duty Investigations on

Imports of Certain Lined Paper Products from India and Indonesia

On February 7, the Department of Commerce announced its preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on imports of certain lined paper products from India and Indonesia. We preliminarily found that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers/exporters of certain lined paper products from India, with net subsidy rates ranging from 2.20 to 7.17 percent, and to producers/exporters of certain lined paper products from Indonesia, with a net subsidy rate of 33.31 percent. As a result of these preliminary determinations, the Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise and to collect a cash deposit or bond based on the preliminary rates.

Next Steps: The Department will consider all submitted comments from interested parties along with other record evidence before making its final determinations, currently scheduled for April 2006. If the Department finds that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers/ exporters from India and/or Indonesia, and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes a final affirmative determination that imports from India and/or Indonesia materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry, the Department will issue countervailing duty orders and instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits on imports of subject merchandise.

Critical Circumstances: The petitioners alleged that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports of subject merchandise from India and Indonesia. The Department has preliminarily determined that there is not sufficient evidence to warrant a finding that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports from producers/exporters subject to these investigations.

Companion Antidumping Investigations: The Department’s preliminary determinations in the antidumping investigations of imports of certain lined paper products from India, Indonesia, and the People’s Republic of China are scheduled to be announced on March 21, 2006.

Petitioners: The petitions requesting these investigations were filed by the Association of American School Paper Suppliers, an ad hoc trade association whose members are located in Nebraska, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Product Description: The scope of these investigations includes certain lined paper products, typically school supplies, composed of or including paper that incorporates straight horizontal and/or vertical lines on ten or more paper sheets, including but not limited to such products as single- and multi-subject notebooks, composition books, wireless notebooks, looseleaf or glued filler paper, graph paper, and laboratory notebooks. Merchandise subject to these investigations is typically imported under headings 4820.10.2050, 4810.22.5044, 4811.90.9090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The tariff classifications are provided for convenience and customs purposes; however, the written description of the scope of the investigations is dispositive. For a complete scope description, see the CVD preliminary determination notices.


Preliminary Net Countervailable Subsidy Rates:

COUNTRY

PRODUCER/EXPORTER

PRELIMINARY RATE

INDIA

Aero Exports

6.92%

 

Kejriwal Paper Limited

2.20%

 

Navneet Publications

7.17%

 

All Others

5.99%

INDONESIA

PT. Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia Tbk

33.31%

 

All Others

33.31%

 

Case Calendar:

Event

Date

Petition Filed

September 9, 2005

AD/CVD Initiation Date

September 29, 2005

ITC Preliminary Determinations

October 24, 2005

ITA Preliminary Determinations

February 6, 2006

ITA Final Determinations*

April 24, 2006

ITC Final Determinations**

June 8, 2006

Issuance of Order***

June 15, 2006

* This deadline may be extended under the governing statute.

** This will take place only in the event of a final affirmative determinations from the Department of Commerce.

*** This will take place only in the event of final affirmative determinations by both the Department and the ITC.

 

Import Statistics:

COUNTRY

2002

2003

2004

INDIA

 

 

 

Volume (units)

28,761,808

37,407,759

37,290,761

Value ($US)

11,754,930

14,196,954

12,418,696

 

 

 

 

INDONESIA

 

 

 

Volume (units)

34,621,227

43,981,874

36,342,264

Value ($US)

15,706,846

15,518,181

11,231,117

Source: U.S. ITC DataWeb under HTSUS subheadings 4820.10.2050, 4810.22.5044, and 4811.90.9000. In calculating the import volume for HTSUS subheadings 4811.90.9000 and 4810.22.5044, the Department converted import data obtained from the DataWeb into a unit basis by dividing the reported total weight (in kilograms) by 0.491262 kilograms, the per unit weight of the most common filler paper product (150-count filler paper), as indicated by Petitioner. See Petition, Volume I, page 9, Footnote 1. HTSUS subheading 4820.10.2050 did not require conversion.