Notice2026-03481
Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof From the Czech Republic and India: 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 23, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8423-8424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03481]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-851-806, A-533-940]
Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof From the Czech
Republic and India: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the
Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
DATES: Applicable February 23, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sofia Pedrelli at (202) 482-4310, or
Andrew Hart at (202) 482-1058, Office II (the Czech Republic), Eliza
DeLong (202) at 482-3878, or Colin Thrasher at (202) 481-3004, Office V
(India), 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 August 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)
initiated less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigations of imports of
certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof (freight rail couplers)
from the Czech
[[Page 8424]]
Republic and India.\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
9, 2026.\4\
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\1\ See Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from the
Czech Republic and India: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value
Investigations, 90 FR 40059 (August 18, 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.
\4\ Commerce's practice dictates that where a deadline falls on
a weekend or federal holiday, the appropriate deadline is the next
business day. See Notice of Clarification: Application of ``Next
Business Day'' Rule for Administrative Determination Deadlines
Pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930, As Amended, 70 FR 24533 (May 10,
2005).
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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)(A)(b)(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 December 9, 2025, the petitioner \5\ submitted a timely request
that Commerce postpone the preliminary determinations in these LTFV
investigations.\6\ The petitioner stated that it requests postponement
so that Commerce can fully analyze the forthcoming questionnaire
responses of the mandatory respondents and issue supplemental
questionnaires, as necessary.\7\
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\5\ The petitioner is the Coalition of Freight Coupler
Producers.
\6\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Request to Postpone Preliminary
Determination,'' dated December 9, 2025.
\7\ Id.
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For the reasons stated above and because there are no compelling
reasons to deny the request, in accordance with section 733(c)(1)(A) of
the Act, Commerce is postponing the deadline for the preliminary
determinations by 50 days (i.e., 190 days after the date on which these
investigations were initiated plus an additional 68 days from
tolling).\8\ As a result, Commerce will issue its preliminary
determinations no later than April 27, 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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\8\ See Memoranda, ``Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the
Federal Government,'' dated November 14, 2025; and ``Tolling of All
Case Deadlines,'' dated November 24, 2025.
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Notification to Interested Parties
This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 733(c)(2)
of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).
Dated: February 17, 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. 2026-03481 Filed 2-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 23, 2026.
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