Notice2026-02429
Certain Monomers and Oligomers From the Republic of Korea: Amended Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value
Primary source
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Published
February 6, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending its preliminarily affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation of certain monomers and oligomers (monomers and oligomers) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) to correct for significant ministerial errors. The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 25 (Friday, February 6, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5429-5431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02429]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-580-921]
Certain Monomers and Oligomers From the Republic of Korea:
Amended Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending its
preliminarily affirmative determination in the less-than-fair-value
(LTFV) investigation of certain monomers and oligomers (monomers and
oligomers) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) to correct for
significant ministerial errors. The period of investigation (POI) is
January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
DATES: Applicable February 6, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Shaw, AD/CVD Operations, Office
[[Page 5430]]
V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20230; telephone: (202) 482-0697.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On January 5, 2026, Commerce published in the Federal Register its
preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of
monomers and oligomers from Korea.\1\ On January 5, 2026, the
petitioner \2\ timely alleged that Commerce made significant
ministerial errors in the Preliminary Determination.\3\
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\1\ See Certain Monomers and Oligomers from the Republic of
Korea: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than
Fair Value, Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical
Circumstances, in Part, and Postponement of Final Determination, and
Extension of Provisional Measures, 91 FR 244 (January 5, 2026)
(Preliminary Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.
\2\ The petitioner is Arkema Inc.
\3\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Allegation of Ministerial
Error,'' dated January 5, 2026.
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Scope of the Investigation
The products covered by this investigation are monomers and
oligomers from Korea. For a complete description of the scope of this
investigation, see the appendix to this notice.
Framework
A ministerial error is defined as including ``errors in addition,
subtraction, or other arithmetic function, clerical error resulting
from inaccurate copying, duplication, or the like, and any other
similar type of unintentional error which {Commerce{time} considers
ministerial.'' \4\ A ministerial error is considered to be
``significant'' if its correction, either singly or in combination with
other errors, would result in: (1) a change of at least five absolute
percentage points in, but not less than 25 percent of, the weighted-
average dumping margin calculated in the preliminary determination; or
(2) a difference between a weighted-average dumping margin of zero (or
de minimis) and a weighted-average dumping margin of greater than de
minimis or vice versa.\5\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce
``will analyze any comments received and, if appropriate, correct any
significant ministerial error by amending the preliminary
determination.''
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\4\ See section 735(e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended
(the Act); see also 19 CFR 351.224(f).
\5\ See 19 CFR 351.224(g).
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Analysis of Significant Ministerial Errors
In the Preliminary Determination, we find that Commerce made
significant ministerial errors within the meaning of section 735(e) of
the Act and 19 CFR 351.224(f) and (g)(1) in calculating the estimated
weighted-average dumping margins for one of the two mandatory
respondents in this investigation, Miwon Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd.
(Miwon). Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce is
amending its Preliminary Determination to correct for these significant
ministerial errors by revising the weighted-average dumping margins for
Miwon. Because Miwon's weighted-average dumping margin was used to
compute the ``all others'' rate, Commerce is also amending its
Preliminary Determination for all-other producers and/or exporters. For
a detailed discussion of the alleged ministerial errors, as well as
Commerce's analysis, see the Ministerial Error Memorandum.\6\
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\6\ See Memorandum, ``Analysis of Ministerial Error Allegations
for the Preliminary Determination,'' dated concurrently with this
notice (Ministerial Error Memorandum).
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Amended Preliminary Determination
As a result of correcting the significant ministerial errors,
Commerce determines that the following amended preliminary estimated
weighted-average dumping margins exist:
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\7\ The rates for Green Chemical Co., Ltd.; Green Life Science
and Kukdo Chemicals Co. Ltd. remain unchanged from the Preliminary
Determination.
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Weighted-
average
Exporter/producer \7\ dumping
margin
(percent)
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Miwon Specialty Chemical Co., Ltd........................... 25.07
All Others.................................................. 28.52
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Disclosure
We intend to disclose the calculations performed for this amended
preliminary determination to parties within five days after 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).
Amended Cash Deposits and Suspension of Liquidation
The collection of cash deposits and suspension of liquidation will
be revised according to the rates calculated in this amended
preliminary determination, in accordance with section 733(d) of the
Act. Because this amended preliminary determination results in an
increased cash deposit rate, this rate will be effective on the date of
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. These suspension of
liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice.
U.S. International Trade Commission Notification
In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify
the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) of our amended
preliminary determination.
Notification to Interested Parties
This amended preliminary determination is issued and published in
accordance with sections 733(d) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR
351.224(e).
Dated: January 30, 2026.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the
non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix
Scope of the Investigation
The products subject to this investigation are certain
multifunctional acrylate and methacrylate monomers, and acrylated
bisphenol-A epoxy based oligomers (collectively, certain monomers
and oligomers or CMOs) that are derived from chemical reactions
involving the use of acrylic or methacrylic acid. Products within
the scope are listed below and have the following Chemical Abstracts
Service (CAS) numbers:
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CAS No. Description Molecular formula
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109-16-0.............................. Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate C14H22O6.
(TEGDMA).
13048-33-4............................ 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA)... C12H18O4.
42978-66-5............................ Tripropylene glycol diacrylate C15H24O6.
(TPGDA).
3290-92-4............................. Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate C18H26O6.
(TMPTMA).
15625-89-5............................ Trimethylolpropane triacrylate C15H20O6.
(TMPTA).
28961-43-5............................ Ethoxylated trimethylol-propane (C2H4O)n(C2H4O)n(C2H4O)nC15H20O6.
triacrylate (EOTMPTA).
[[Page 5431]]
57472-68-1............................ Dipropylene glycol diacrylate C12H18O5.
(DPGDA).
55818-57-0............................ Bisphenol-A-epichlorohydrin (C15H16O2.C3H5ClO)x.xC3H4O2.
copolymer acrylate (EPOXY
ACRYLATE).
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The monomers are generally known as multifunctional acrylates
(MFAs) or multifunctional methacrylates (MFMAs) depending on whether
the functional groups are acrylate or methacrylate. The monomers
generally contain stabilizers/inhibitors, which include but are not
limited to Hydroquinone, Methyl Hydroquinone, and Butylated Hydroxy
Toluene. The monomers are either difunctional or trifunctional
(having 2 or 3 functional groups/molecule), have viscosities of 9 to
15 centipoise (cPs) at 25 degrees Celsius (if difunctional) or 44 to
110 cPs at 25 degrees Celsius (if trifunctional), have
(meth)acrylate equivalent weights (molecular weight per number of
functional groups) between 99 and 158 and molecular weights between
226 and 472 grams per mol.
The acrylated bisphenol-A epoxy based oligomer is commonly
referred to as epoxy acrylate or acrylated epoxy. In contrast to
epoxy resin, the main characteristic of the epoxy acrylate oligomer
is that it contains acrylate functional groups which make them
curable by free-radical polymerization. The epoxy acrylate has a
molecular weight between 508 to 536 grams per mol and a viscosity of
2400 to 3600 cPs at 65 degrees Celsius. The epoxy acrylate generally
contains stabilizers/inhibitors, which include but are not limited
to Hydroquinone, Methyl Hydroquinone, and Butylated Hydroxy Toluene.
Certain monomers and oligomers are subject to the scope even if
an in-scope monomer or oligomer is blended or mixed with one or more
other in-scope monomers or oligomers. Certain monomers and oligomers
in any blend or mixture are also subject to the scope, so long as
the blend or mixture contains no less than 20 percent by weight of
in-scope CMOs. The scope includes merchandise matching the above
description that has been processed in a third country, including by
commingling, diluting, introducing, or removing ingredients, or
performing any other processing that would not otherwise remove the
merchandise from the scope of the investigations if performed in the
subject country.
The scope also includes CMOs that are commingled, mixed or
blended with in-scope product from sources not subject to this
investigation.
Only the subject component(s) of such blends, mixtures or
commingled products described above is covered by the scope of this
investigation. Subject merchandise contained in a blended, mixed or
commingled product described above will not have undergone a
chemical reaction as a result of being blended, mixed or commingled.
Notwithstanding the above, specifically excluded from the scope
are downstream products, including but not limited to, inks,
coatings and overprint varnishes. For purposes of this exclusion,
the downstream product requires only the application of energy to be
cured, e.g., inks or varnish applied to packaging, coatings applied
to wood flooring, etc. The energy source required to cure the
downstream product to its substrate can be thermal, ultraviolet
radiation, visible light, electron beam radiation, or infrared
radiation.
This merchandise is currently classifiable under Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheadings
2916.12.5050, 2916.14.2050, 3824.99.2900, 3907.29.0000 and
3907.30.0000. Subject merchandise may also be entered under
subheadings 2916.12.1000 and 3824.99.9397. The HTSUS subheadings and
CAS registry numbers are provided for convenience and customs
purposes only; the written description of the scope is dispositive.
[FR Doc. 2026-02429 Filed 2-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 6, 2026.
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