Certain Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Changed Circumstances Reviews

Jeffrey I. Kessler
Department of Commerce
13 March 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 50 (Friday, March 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14638-14639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05180]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-016, C-570-017]


Certain Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires From the People's 
Republic of China: Final Results of Changed Circumstances Reviews

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Commerce) continues to find that: 
(1) Sailun Group Co., Ltd. (Sailun Group) is the successor-in-interest 
to Sailun Jinyu Group Co., Ltd. (Sailun Jinyu); (2) Sailun (Dongying) 
Tire Co., Ltd. (Sailun Dongying) is the successor-in-interest to 
Shandong Jinyu Industrial Co., Ltd. (Shandong Jinyu); and (3) Sailun 
Group (Hong Kong) Co., Limited. (Sailun HK) is the successor-in-
interest to Sailun Jinyu Group (Hong Kong) Co., Limited. (Sailun Jinyu 
HK). As a result, Sailun Group, Sailun Dongying and Sailun HK are 
entitled to the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) cash 
deposit rates of Sailun Jinyu, Shandong Jinyu and Sailun Jinyu HK, 
respectively.

DATES: Applicable March 13, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toni Page at (202) 482-1398 (AD) or 
Andrew Huston at (202) 482-4261 (CVD), Office VII, Enforcement and 
Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Background

    On August 10, 2015, Commerce published in the Federal Register the 
AD and CVD Orders on passenger tires from China.\1\ On January 29, 
2020, Commerce initiated changed circumstances reviews (CCRs) and made 
preliminary findings that Sailun Group, Sailun Dongying and Sailun HK 
were the successors-in-interest to Sailun Jinyu, Shandong Jinyu and 
Sailun Jinyu HK, respectively, and, as a result, these entities should 
be accorded the same treatment previously accorded to this company 
group.\2\ We provided interested parties the opportunity to comment on 
the Preliminary Results. No interested parties submitted case briefs. 
Sailun Group, Sailun Dongying, and Sailun HK submitted a letter 
requesting that the Preliminary Results be adopted as the final 
results.\3\
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    \1\ See Certain Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from the 
People's Republic of China: Amended Final Affirmative Antidumping 
Duty Determination and Antidumping Duty Order, and Amended Final 
Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Countervailing 
Duty Order, 80 FR 47902 (August 10, 2015) (collectively, Orders).
    \2\ See Notice of Initiation and Preliminary Results of Changed 
Circumstances Reviews: Certain Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck 
Tires from the People's Republic of China, 85 FR 5193 (January 29, 
2020) (Preliminary Results).
    \3\ See Sailun Group, Sailun Dongying and Sailun HK's Letter, 
``Sailun Letter in Lieu of Brief: Changed Circumstances Review in 
Certain Passenger and Light Truck Tires from the People's Republic 
of China, Case Nos. A-570-016, C-570-017,'' dated February 12, 2020.
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Scope of the Orders

    The scope of these Orders is passenger vehicle and light truck 
tires. Passenger vehicle and light truck tires are new pneumatic tires, 
of rubber, with a passenger vehicle or light truck size designation. 
Tires covered by this order may be tube-type, tubeless, radial, or non-
radial, and they may be intended for sale to original equipment 
manufacturers or the replacement market.
    Subject tires have, at the time of importation, the symbol ``DOT'' 
on the sidewall, certifying that the tire conforms to applicable motor 
vehicle safety standards. Subject tires may also have the following 
prefixes or suffix in their tire size designation, which also appears 
on the sidewall of the tire:
    Prefix designations:

P--Identifies a tire intended primarily for service on passenger cars
LT--Identifies a tire intended primarily for service on light trucks

    Suffix letter designations:

LT--Identifies light truck tires for service on trucks, buses, 
trailers, and multipurpose passenger vehicles used in nominal highway 
service.

    All tires with a ``P'' or ``LT'' prefix, and all tires with an 
``LT'' suffix in their sidewall markings are covered by this 
investigation regardless of their intended use.
    In addition, all tires that lack a ``P'' or ``LT'' prefix or suffix 
in their sidewall markings, as well as all tires that include any other 
prefix or suffix in their sidewall markings, are included in the scope, 
regardless of their intended use, as long as the tire is of a size that 
is among the numerical size designations listed in the passenger car 
section or light truck section of the Tire and Rim Association Year 
Book, as updated annually, unless the tire falls within one of the 
specific exclusions set out below.
    Passenger vehicle and light truck tires, whether or not attached to 
wheels or rims, are included in the scope. However, if a subject tire 
is imported attached to a wheel or rim, only the tire is covered by the 
scope.

[[Page 14639]]

    Specifically excluded from the scope are the following types of 
tires:
    (1) Racing car tires; such tires do not bear the symbol ``DOT'' on 
the sidewall and may be marked with ``ZR'' in size designation;
    (2) new pneumatic tires, of rubber, of a size that is not listed in 
the passenger car section or light truck section of the Tire and Rim 
Association Year Book;
    (3) pneumatic tires, of rubber, that are not new, including 
recycled and retreaded tires;
    (4) non-pneumatic tires, such as solid rubber tires;
    (5) tires designed and marketed exclusively as temporary use spare 
tires for passenger vehicles which, in addition, exhibit each of the 
following physical characteristics:
    (a) The size designation and load index combination molded on the 
tire's sidewall are listed in Table PCT-1B (``T'' Type Spare Tires for 
Temporary Use on Passenger Vehicles) of the Tire and Rim Association 
Year Book,
    (b) the designation ``T'' is molded into the tire's sidewall as 
part of the size designation, and,
    (c) the tire's speed rating is molded on the sidewall, indicating 
the rated speed in MPH or a letter rating as listed by Tire and Rim 
Association Year Book, and the rated speed is 81 MPH or a ``M'' rating;
    (6) tires designed and marketed exclusively for specialty tire (ST) 
use which, in addition, exhibit each of the following conditions:
    (a) The size designation molded on the tire's sidewall is listed in 
the ST sections of the Tire and Rim Association Year Book,
    (b) the designation ``ST'' is molded into the tire's sidewall as 
part of the size designation,
    (c) the tire incorporates a warning, prominently molded on the 
sidewall, that the tire is ``For Trailer Service Only'' or ``For 
Trailer Use Only'',
    (d) the load index molded on the tire's sidewall meets or exceeds 
those load indexes listed in the Tire and Rim Association Year Book for 
the relevant ST tire size, and
    (e) either
    (i) the tire's speed rating is molded on the sidewall, indicating 
the rated speed in MPH or a letter rating as listed by Tire and Rim 
Association Year Book, and the rated speed does not exceed 81 MPH or an 
``M'' rating; or
    (ii) the tire's speed rating molded on the sidewall is 87 MPH or an 
``N'' rating, and in either case the tire's maximum pressure and 
maximum load limit are molded on the sidewall and either
    (1) both exceed the maximum pressure and maximum load limit for any 
tire of the same size designation in either the passenger car or light 
truck section of the Tire and Rim Association Year Book; or
    (2) if the maximum cold inflation pressure molded on the tire is 
less than any cold inflation pressure listed for that size designation 
in either the passenger car or light truck section of the Tire and Rim 
Association Year Book, the maximum load limit molded on the tire is 
higher than the maximum load limit listed at that cold inflation 
pressure for that size designation in either the passenger car or light 
truck section of the Tire and Rim Association Year Book;
    (7) tires designed and marketed exclusively for off-road use and 
which, in addition, exhibit each of the following physical 
characteristics:
    (a) The size designation and load index combination molded on the 
tire's sidewall are listed in the off-the-road, agricultural, 
industrial or ATV section of the Tire and Rim Association Year Book,
    (b) in addition to any size designation markings, the tire 
incorporates a warning, prominently molded on the sidewall, that the 
tire is ``Not For Highway Service'' or ``Not for Highway Use'',
    (c) the tire's speed rating is molded on the sidewall, indicating 
the rated speed in MPH or a letter rating as listed by the Tire and Rim 
Association Year Book, and the rated speed does not exceed 55 MPH or a 
``G'' rating, and
    (d) the tire features a recognizable off-road tread design.
    The products covered by this order are currently classified under 
the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) 
subheadings: 4011.10.10.10, 4011.10.10.20, 4011.10.10.30, 
4011.10.10.40, 4011.10.10.50, 4011.10.10.60, 4011.10.10.70, 
4011.10.50.00, 4011.20.10.05, and 4011.20.50.10. Tires meeting the 
scope description may also enter under the following HTSUS subheadings: 
4011.99.45.10, 4011.99.45.50, 4011.99.85.10, 4011.99.85.50, 
8708.70.45.45, 8708.70.45.60, 8708.70.60.30, 8708.70.60.45, and 
8708.70.60.60. While HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and 
for customs purposes, the written description of the subject 
merchandise is dispositive.

Final Results of Changed Circumstances Reviews

    Because the record contains no information or evidence that calls 
into question the Preliminary Results, for the reasons stated in the 
Preliminary Results, Commerce continues to find that: (1) Sailun Group 
is the successor-in-interest to Sailun Jinyu; (2) Sailun Dongying is 
the successor-in-interest to Shandong Jinyu; and (3) Sailun HK is the 
successor-in-interest to Sailun Jinyu HK, and, as a result, these 
entities should be accorded the same treatment previously accorded to 
this company group.\4\
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    \4\ See Orders.
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Instructions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Based on these final results, we will instruct U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection to collect estimated AD and CVD duties for all 
shipments of subject merchandise exported by Sailun Group, Sailun 
Dongying, and Sailun HK at the AD and CVD cash deposit rates applicable 
to Sailun Jinyu, Shandong Jinyu, and Sailun Jinyu HK (i.e., 2.96% for 
all three companies for AD, and 30.61% for all three companies for 
CVD). These cash deposit requirements shall remain in effect until 
further notice.

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 terms of an APO is a sanctionable 
violation.
    We are issuing and publishing these results in accordance with 
sections 751(b) and 777(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and 
19 CFR 351.216 and 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3).

    Dated: March 9, 2020.
Jeffrey I. Kessler,
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-05180 Filed 3-12-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P