On 06/02/2006, the Department of Commerce published in the Federal Register its notice of an affirmative preliminary determination of later developed merchandise circumvention of the petroleum wax candles antidumping duty order.

The scope of the antidumping duty order includes certain scented or unscented petroleum wax candles made from petroleum wax and having the fiber or paper-cored wicks. They are sold in the following shapes: tapers, spirals, and straight-sided dinner candles; rounds, columns, pillars, votives; and various wax-filled containers.

The products covered by the order are currently classifiable under the Harmonized Tariff of the United States (HTSUS) item 3405.00.00.

The products subject to this anticirumvention inquiry are mixed wax candles containing petroleum wax and over fifty percent palm and/or other vegetable oil- based waxes (Mixed waxed candles) from the People’s Republic of China.

Excluded from the scope of the anticircumvention inquiry are candle containing either 100% pal and/or vegetable oil-based wax or more than 50% beeswax.

The Department of Commerce has preliminarily determined that all entries from all companies of mixed wax candles containing no more than 87.80% palm and/or other vegetable oil-based waxes mixed with petroleum wax produced are subject to the antidumping duty order on petroleum wax candles from the PRC.

Therefore, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall suspend liquidation of such shipments entered, or withdrawn from a warehouse, for consumption on or after 02/25/05, which is the initiation for this anticircumvention inquiry. All entries set for liquidation need to be unset immediately. Effective 02/25/05, CBP shall require, for all such entries from all companies, cash deposit equal to 108.30%.