BILLING CODE: 3510-DS-P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-570-937]
Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts from the People’s Republic of China: Preliminary
Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that
RZBC Group Co., Ltd., RZBC Co., Ltd., RZBC Import & Export Co., Ltd., and RZBC (Juxian)
Co., Ltd. (collectively, RZBC) did not make sales of citric acid and certain citrate salts (citric
acid) from the People’s Republic of China (China) at less than normal value during the period of
review (POR) May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on
these preliminary results of review.
DATES: Applicable [Insert date of publication in the Federal Register].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maisha Cryor, AD/CVD Operations, Office
IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 4825831.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 29, 2009, Commerce published in the Federal Register the antidumping duty
order on citric acid from China.1 On May 2, 2023, Commerce published in the Federal Register

See Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts from Canada and the People’s Republic of China: Antidumping Duty
Orders, 74 FR 25703 (May 29, 2009) (Order).
a notice of opportunity to request an administrative review of the Order.2 On July 12, 2023,
based on a timely request for an administrative review, Commerce initiated the administrative
review of the Order.3 The administrative review covers a single mandatory respondent, RZBC.4
On January 4, 2024, Commerce extended the deadline for these preliminary results until
May 30, 2024.5 For a complete description of the events that occurred since the initiation of this
review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. 6 The Preliminary 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 https://access.trade.gov. A list of topics discussed in
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included in an appendix to this notice. In addition, a
complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be found at
https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.
Scope of the Order
The product covered by this Order is citric acid from China. A full description of the
scope of the Order is contained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.7

2 See

Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request
Administrative Review and Join Annual Inquiry Service List, 88 FR 27445 (May 2, 2023).
3 See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 88 FR 44262 (July 12, 2023)
(Initiation Notice).
4 See Memorandum, “Respondent Selection,” dated July 28, 2023.
5 See Memorandum, “Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,”
dated January 4, 2024.
6 See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative
Review of Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts from the People’s Republic of China; 2022-2023,” dated
concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
7 Id.

China-Wide Entity
Commerce’s policy regarding the conditional review of the China-wide entity applies to
this administrative review.8 Under this policy, the China-wide entity will not be under review
unless a party specifically requests, or Commerce self-initiates, a review of the entity. Because
no party requested a review of the China-wide entity in this review, the entity is not under
review, and the entity’s assessment rate (i.e., 156.87 percent) is not subject to change.9
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) Tariff Act
of 1930, as amended (the Act). For a full description of the methodology underlying our
conclusions, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated weighted-average
dumping margin exists for the administrative review covering the period May 1, 2022, through
April 30, 2023:
Exporter
RZBC Group Co., Ltd., RZBC Co., Ltd., RZBC Import &
Export Co., Ltd., and RZBC (Juxian) Co., Ltd.

Weighted-Average
Dumping Margin (percent)
0.00

Disclosure and Public Comment
Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed to interested parties
for these preliminary results 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 accordance with 19
CFR 351.224(b). 10
As stated below, Commerce intends to verify the information upon which it will rely in

See Antidumping Proceedings: Announcement of Change in Department Practice for Respondent Selection in
Antidumping Duty Proceedings and Conditional Review of the Nonmarket Economy Entity in NME Antidumping
Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 65963 (November 4, 2013).
9 See Order.
10 See 19 CFR 351.224(b)
making its final determination. Interested parties may submit case briefs within seven days after
issuance of the verification report. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may
be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs.11 Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.309(d)(2), rebuttal briefs must be limited to issues raised in the case briefs.12 Interested
parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) table of
contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.13
As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior proceedings, we have
encouraged interested parties to provide an executive summary of their brief that should be
limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this review, we instead request that interested
parties provide, at the beginning of their briefs, a public executive summary for each issue raised
in their briefs.14 Further, we request that interested parties limit their public executive summary
of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the public
executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision
memorandum that will accompany the final results in this administrative review. We request
that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the public executive summary of
each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the service
of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).15
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited
to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant
Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days after
the publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party’s name, address, telephone
number, the number of participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the

11 See

19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping
and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) (APO and Service Final Rule).
12 See 19 CFR 351.309; see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements).
13 See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2); see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements).
14 We use the term “issue” here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the
Issues and Decision Memorandum.
15 See APO and Service Final Rule.

issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce will announce the date and
time of the hearing.
Verification
As provided in section 782(i)(3) of the Act, we intend to verify the information upon
which we will rely in determining our final results of review with respect to the mandatory
respondent, RZBC.
Final Results of Review
Unless extended, Commerce intends to issue the final results of this review, including the
results of its analysis of the issues raised in any written briefs, no later than 120 days after the
date of publication of this notice, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.213(h).
Assessment Rates
Upon issuing the final results, Commerce will determine, and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this
review.16
For each individually examined respondent in this review whose weighted-average
dumping margin in the final results of review is not zero or de minimis (i.e., less than 0.5
percent), Commerce intends to calculate importer/customer-specific assessment rates.17 Where
the respondent reported reliable entered values, Commerce intends to calculate
importer/customer-specific ad valorem assessment rates by aggregating the amount of dumping
calculated for all U.S. sales to the importer/customer and dividing this amount by the total
entered value of the merchandise sold to the importer/customer.18 Where the respondent did not
report entered values, Commerce will calculate importer/customer-specific assessment rates by

See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
See Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in
Certain Antidumping Proceedings: Final Modification, 77 FR 8101 (February 14, 2012) (Final Modification).
18 See 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1).
16
dividing the amount of dumping for reviewed sales to the importer/customer by the total
quantity of those sales. Commerce will calculate an estimated ad valorem importer/customerspecific assessment rate to determine whether the per-unit assessment rate is de minimis;
however, Commerce will use the per-unit assessment rate where entered values were not
reported.19 Where an importer/customer-specific ad valorem assessment rate is not zero or de
minimis, Commerce will instruct CBP to collect the appropriate duties at the time of liquidation.
Where either the respondent’s weighted average dumping margin is zero or de minimis, or an
importer/customer-specific ad valorem assessment rate is zero or de minimis, Commerce will
instruct CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.20
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). In accordance with section
751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, the final results of this review shall be the basis for the assessment of
antidumping duties on entries of merchandise covered by the final results of this review and for
future deposits of estimated antidumping duties, where applicable.
Cash Deposit Requirements
The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication of the final
results of this review for shipments of the subject merchandise from China entered, or withdrawn
from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as provided by section
751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) for the subject merchandise exported by the company listed above
that has a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be equal to the weighted-average dumping
margin established in the final results of this administrative review (except, if the rate is zero or

19
Id.
See Final Modification, 77 FR at 8103.

de minimis, then zero cash deposit will be required); (2) for previously investigated or reviewed
Chinese and non-Chinese exporters not listed above that received a separate rate in a prior
segment of this proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the existing exporterspecific rate; (3) for all Chinese exporters of subject merchandise that have not been found to be
entitled to a separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be that for the China-wide entity; and (4) for
all non-Chinese exporters of subject merchandise which have not received their own rate, the
cash deposit rate will be the rate applicable to the Chinese exporter that supplied that nonChinese exporter. These deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further
notice.
Notification to Importers
This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19
CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping and/or
countervailing 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 double antidumping duties.
Notification to Interested Parties
Commerce is issuing and publishing these preliminary results of this review in
accordance with sections 751(a)(1)(B), 751(a)(3) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(h)
and 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: May 30, 2024.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.

Summary
Background
Scope of the Order
Discussions of the Methodology
Adjustment Under Section 777A(f) of the Act
Currency Conversion
Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2024-12349 Filed: 6/5/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/6/2024]