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.