Notice2026-03196
High Purity Dissolving Pulp From Brazil and Norway: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 18, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 32 (Wednesday, February 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 18, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 7445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03196]
[[Page 7445]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-403-808, A-351-866]
High Purity Dissolving Pulp From Brazil and Norway: Postponement
of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-Value
Investigations
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
DATES: Applicable February 18, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ian Riggs at (202) 482-3810 (Brazil);
or Braeden Lowe at (202) 482-9124 (Norway), AD/CVD Operations,
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20230.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)
initiated less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations of imports of high
purity dissolving pulp from Brazil and Norway.\1\ Due to the lapse in
appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, on November 14, 2025,
Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by 47
days.\2\ Additionally, due to a backlog of documents that were
electronically filed via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS)
during the Federal Government shutdown, on November 24, 2025, Commerce
tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by an additional 21
days.\3\ Currently, the preliminary determinations are due no later
than March 30, 2026.
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\1\ See High Purity Dissolving Pulp from Brazil and Norway:
Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 90 FR 43168
(September 8, 2025) (Initiation Notice).
\2\ See Memorandum, ``Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the
Federal Government,'' dated November 14, 2025.
\3\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of all Case Deadlines,'' dated
November 24, 2025.
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Postponement of Preliminary Determinations
Section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the
Act), requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in an
LTFV investigation within 140 days after the date on which Commerce
initiated the investigation. However, section 733(c)(1) of the Act
permits Commerce to postpone the preliminary determination until no
later than 190 days after the date on which Commerce initiated the
investigation if: (A) the petitioner makes a timely request for a
postponement; or (B) Commerce concludes that the parties concerned are
cooperating, that the investigation is extraordinarily complicated, and
that additional time is necessary to make a preliminary determination.
Under 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioner must submit a request for
postponement 25 days or more before the scheduled date of the
preliminary determination and must state the reasons for the request.
Commerce will grant the request unless it finds compelling reasons to
deny the request.
On January 20, 2026, the petitioners submitted a timely request
that Commerce postpone the preliminary determinations in these LTFV
investigations.\4\ The petitioners stated that they request
postponement ``given the size and complexity of the investigations, the
extensions of time {Commerce{time} has already granted to respondents,
and the fact that in the Norway investigation {Commerce{time} has yet
to select a comparison country market.'' \5\ Additionally, the
petitioners stated that an extension of time will allow the petitioners
``adequate time to comment on responses and will allow {Commerce{time}
adequate time to issue supplemental questionnaires and to conduct
thorough analyses of all issues identified.'' \6\
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\4\ The petitioners are Rayonier Advanced Materials, Inc. and
the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy,
Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO.
See Petitioners' Letter, ``Petitioners' Request to Fully Extend the
Preliminary Determinations for Antidumping Duty Investigations,''
dated January 20, 2026.
\6\ Id.
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For the reasons stated above and because there are no compelling
reasons to deny the request, Commerce, in accordance with section
733(c)(1)(A) of the Act, is postponing the deadline for the preliminary
determinations by 50 days.\7\ As a result, Commerce will issue its
preliminary determinations no later than May 18, 2026. In accordance
with section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the
deadline for the final determinations of these investigations will
continue to be 75 days after the date of the preliminary
determinations, unless postponed at a later date.
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\7\ Commerce is extending the time period for the preliminary
determinations to 190 days after the initiation date of this
investigation (i.e., September 2, 2025). However, because Commerce
tolled certain deadlines in this investigation as a result of the
Federal Government shutdown, the deadline is now May 18, 2026.
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This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 733(c)(2)
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).
Dated: February 11, 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.
[FR Doc. 2026-03196 Filed 2-17-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 18, 2026.
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