Notice2026-04000

Hardwood and Decorative Plywood From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances

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
March 2, 2026

Issuing agencies

Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that hardwood and decorative plywood (plywood) from the People's Republic of China (China) is, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation is October 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 40 (Monday, March 2, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 40 (Monday, March 2, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10073-10078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04000]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-211]


Hardwood and Decorative Plywood From the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value and Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical 
Circumstances

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily 
determines that hardwood and decorative plywood (plywood) from the 
People's Republic of China (China) is, or is likely to be, sold in the 
United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of 
investigation is October 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Interested 
parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

DATES: Applicable March 2, 2026.

[[Page 10074]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theodora Mattei, AD/CVD Operations, 
Office II, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4834.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of this investigation in the Federal 
Register on June 16, 2025.\1\ On September 30, 2025, Commerce postponed 
the preliminary determination of this investigation by 50 days.\2\
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    \1\ See Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from the People's 
Republic of China, Indonesia, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations, 90 FR 25212 (June 
16, 2025) (Initiation Notice).
    \2\ See Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from the People's 
Republic of China, Indonesia, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: 
Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair-
Value Investigations, 90 FR 51649 (November 18, 2025).
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    Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, 
on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative 
proceedings by 47 days.\3\ 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.\4\ Accordingly, the deadline for this preliminary 
determination is now February 24, 2026.
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    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the 
Federal Government,'' dated November 17, 2025.
    \4\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of all Case Deadlines,'' dated 
November 24, 2025.
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    For a complete description of the events that followed the 
initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.\5\ A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically 
via ACCESS. ACCESS is available to registered users at <a href="https://access.trade.gov">https://access.trade.gov</a>. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx">https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx</a>.
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    \5\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation 
of Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from the People's Republic of 
China, dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice 
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are plywood from China. 
For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see 
Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    In accordance with the Preamble to Commerce's regulations,\6\ the 
Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise 
issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).\7\ Certain interested 
parties commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in 
the Initiation Notice. For a summary of the product coverage comments 
and rebuttal responses submitted to the record for this investigation, 
and accompanying discussion and analysis of all comments timely 
received, see the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum.\8\ As 
discussed in the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum, Commerce did 
not preliminarily modify the scope language as it appeared in the 
Initiation Notice. In the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum, 
Commerce established the deadline for parties to submit scope case and 
rebuttal briefs.
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    \6\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) (Preamble).
    \7\ See Initiation Notice, 90 FR at 25213.
    \8\ See Memorandum, ``Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from 
Indonesia, the People's Republic of China, and the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam: Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum,'' dated 
concurrently with this notice (Preliminary Scope Decision 
Memorandum).
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with 
section 731 of the Act. Pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, 
Commerce preliminarily has relied upon facts otherwise available, with 
adverse inferences, with respect to the China-wide entity. The China-
wide entity includes Linyi Evergreen Wood Co., Ltd. (Evergreen) and 
Xuzhou Shelter Import and Export Co., Ltd. (Xuzhou Shelter), the 
companies selected for individual examination, because they failed to 
respond to Commerce's antidumping questionnaire, as well as nine other 
producers/exporters \9\ who failed to respond to Commerce's quantity 
and value (Q&V) questionnaire and/or failed to submit a separate rate 
application, as instructed in the Initiation Notice.\10\ For a full 
description of the methodology underlying Commerce's preliminary 
determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    \9\ These companies who failed to respond to our Q&V 
questionnaire are: Celtic Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Zen Bamboo and 
Hardwood Prod. Ltd., Jiangsu High Hope Arser Co., Ltd., Larkcop 
International Co. Ltd., Linyi Dongstar Import & Export Co., Ltd., 
Linyi Jiahe Wood Industry Co., Ltd., Panlinks Company Limited, 
Xuzhou Tianshan Wood Co., Ltd., and Yishui Win-Win Wood Co., Ltd.
    \10\ See Initiation Notice, 90 FR 25212 (``Commerce requires 
that respondents from China and Vietnam submit a response to both 
the Q&V questionnaire and the separate rate application by the 
respective deadlines in order to receive consideration for separate-
rate status'').
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Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances

    In accordance with section 733(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, 
Commerce preliminarily determines that critical circumstances exist 
with respect to imports of plywood from China for the China-wide entity 
(including Linyi Evergreen, Xuzhou Shelter, and the non-responsive 
companies) and respondents that were not individually examined but are 
eligible for a separate rate in this investigation. For a full 
description of the methodology and results of Commerce's analysis, see 
the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Combination Rates

    In the Initiation Notice,\11\ Commerce stated that it would 
calculate producer/exporter combination rates for the respondents that 
are eligible for a separate rate in this investigation. Policy Bulletin 
05.1 describes this practice.\12\
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    \11\ See Initiation Notice, 90 FR at 25217.
    \12\ See Enforcement and Compliance's Policy Bulletin No. 05.1, 
regarding, ``Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination 
Rates in Antidumping Investigations involving Non-Market Economy 
Countries,'' (April 5, 2005) (Policy Bulletin 05.1), available on 
Commerce's website at <a href="https://enforcement.trade.gov/policy/bull05-1.pdf">https://enforcement.trade.gov/policy/bull05-1.pdf</a>.
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Separate Rates

    We have preliminarily granted a separate rate to certain companies 
that we did not select for individual examination.\13\ In calculating 
the rate for non-individually examined separate rate respondents in an 
NME LTFV investigation, Commerce normally looks to section 735(c)(5)(A) 
of the Act, which pertains to the calculation of the all-others rate in 
a market economy LTFV investigation, for guidance. Pursuant to section 
735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, normally this rate shall be an amount equal to 
the weighted-average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins 
established for those companies individually examined, excluding zero 
and de minimis dumping margins, and any dumping margins based entirely 
under section 776 of the Act. The statute further provides that, where 
all margins

[[Page 10075]]

are zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts available, Commerce 
may use ``any reasonable method'' for assigning the rate to non-
selected respondents.\14\
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    \13\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
    \14\ See section 735(c)(5)(B) of the Act.
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    In this investigation, because we preliminarily find that the 
mandatory respondents are ineligible for an individually-calculated 
separate rate and are part of the China-wide entity subject to a rate 
based entirely under section 776 of the Act, we preliminarily applied a 
margin of 187.27 percent to non-selected respondents eligible for a 
separate rate.\15\
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    \15\ See Initiation Notice, 90 FR at 25217; see also 
Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitioner's Submission of Additional 
Surrogate Value Information,'' dated February 17, 2026 (Petitioner's 
Additional SV Information).
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Preliminary Determination

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated 
weighted-average dumping margins exist:

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                                                                                     Estimated     Cash deposit
                                                                                     weighted-    rate (adjusted
                  Producer                                 Exporter                   average       for subsidy
                                                                                  dumping margin     offsets)
                                                                                     (percent)       (percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linyi Xinshancheng Board Factory...........  Linyi Hanbo Import Co., Ltd........          187.27          185.96
Feixian Yukang Board Factory...............  Linyi Hanbo Import Co., Ltd........          187.27          185.96
Feixian Jialun Board Factory...............  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Feixian Shuxin Board Factory...............  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Feixian Dongining Board Factory............  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Linyi Jillklm Wood Industry Co., Ltd.......  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Linyi Linhai Wood Industry Co., Ltd........  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Linyi Lanshan District Caihai Board Factory  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Feixian Haokai Wood Industry Co., Ltd......  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Feixian Chenhui Board Factory..............  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Xuzhou Dingfeng Wood Industry Co., Ltd.....  Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
                                              Ltd.
Fengxian Shuangxingyuan Wood Industry Co.,   Shanghai Brightwood Trading Co.,             187.27          185.96
 Ltd.                                         Ltd.
Shandong Yimeijia New Materials Co., Ltd...  Lianyungang Yuantai International            187.27          185.96
                                              Trade Co., Ltd.
Feixian Jialun Board Factory...............  Lianyungang Yuantai International            187.27          185.96
                                              Trade Co., Ltd.
Linyi Dongfang Fuchao Wood Industry Co.,     Lianyungang Yuantai International            187.27          185.96
 Ltd.                                         Trade Co., Ltd.
Linyi Xinshancheng Wood Co., Ltd...........  Linyi Vata Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd....          187.27          185.96
China-Wide Entity \16\.....................  ...................................        * 187.27          185.96
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* Rate based on facts available with adverse inferences.

Suspension of Liquidation and Cash Deposit Requirements
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    \16\ The China-Wide Entity includes Linyi Evergreen, Xuzhou 
Shelter, Celtic Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Zen Bamboo and Hardwood Prod. 
Ltd., Jiangsu High Hope Arser Co., Ltd., Larkcop International Co. 
Ltd., Linyi Dongstar Import & Export Co., Ltd., Linyi Jiahe Wood 
Industry Co., Ltd., Panlinks Company Limited, Xuzhou Tianshan Wood 
Co., Ltd., and Yishui Win-Win Wood Co., Ltd.
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    In accordance with section 733(d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will 
direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation 
of subject merchandise, as described in Appendix I, entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, as discussed below. 
Further, pursuant to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal 
to the weighted average amount by which normal value exceeds U.S. 
price, as indicated in the chart above as follows: (1) for the 
producer/exporter combinations listed in the table above, the cash 
deposit rate is equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin 
listed for that combination in the table; (2) for all combinations of 
Chinese producers/exporters of merchandise under consideration that 
have not established eligibility for their own separate rates, the cash 
deposit rate will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping 
margin established for the China-wide entity; and (3) for all third-
country exporters of merchandise under consideration not listed in the 
table above, the cash deposit rate is the cash deposit rate applicable 
to the China-wide entity.
    Section 733(e)(2) of the Act provides that, given an affirmative 
determination of critical circumstances, any suspension of liquidation 
shall apply to unliquidated entries of merchandise entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the later of: (a) 
the date that is 90 days before the date on which the suspension of 
liquidation was first ordered; or (b) the date on which notice of 
initiation of the investigation was published. Commerce preliminarily 
finds that critical circumstances exist for imports of subject 
merchandise from the non-selected companies eligible for a separate 
rate and the China-wide entity.\17\ In accordance with section 
733(e)(2)(A) of the Act, the suspension of liquidation shall apply to 
all unliquidated entries of merchandise from all exporters that were 
entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the 
date that is 90 days before the publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register.
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    \17\ See Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
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    To determine the cash deposit rate, Commerce normally adjusts the 
estimated weighted-average dumping margin by the amount of domestic 
subsidy pass-through and export subsidies determined in a companion 
countervailing duty (CVD) proceeding when CVD provisional measures are 
in effect. Accordingly, where Commerce has made a preliminary 
affirmative determination for domestic subsidy pass-through or export 
subsidies, Commerce has offset the calculated estimated weighted-
average dumping margin by the appropriate rate. Any such adjusted rates 
may be found in the ``Preliminary Determination'' section's chart of 
estimated weighted-average dumping margins above.
    Should provisional measures in the companion CVD investigation 
expire prior to the expiration of provisional measures in this LTFV 
investigation, Commerce will direct CBP to begin collecting cash 
deposits at a rate equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping 
margins calculated in this

[[Page 10076]]

preliminary determination unadjusted for the pass-through domestic 
subsidies or for export subsidies at the time the CVD provisional 
measures expire.
    These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect 
until further notice.

Disclosure

    Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations 
performed in connection with a preliminary determination within five 
days of its 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). However, because Commerce 
preliminarily determined that the mandatory respondents should be 
considered to be part of the China-wide entity and assigned the China-
wide entity an AFA rate based solely on the margins provided by the 
petitioner,\18\ there are no calculations to disclose.
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    \18\ See Petitioner's Additional SV Information.
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Verification

    Because the mandatory respondents in this investigation did not 
provide information requested by Commerce and Commerce preliminarily 
determines in accordance with section 776(b) of the Act that each of 
the mandatory respondents has been uncooperative, verification will not 
be conducted.

Public Comment

    Case briefs or other written non-scope-related comments may be 
submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no 
later than 30 days after the date of publication of the preliminary 
determination.\19\ 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.\20\ Interested parties who submit case briefs or 
rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents 
listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.\21\
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    \19\ Case and rebuttal briefs submitted in response to this 
preliminary determination should not include scope-related issues. 
See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(i); see also 19 CFR 351.303 (for general 
filing requirements).
    \20\ 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).
    \21\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
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    As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2)(iii) and (d)(2)(iii), we 
request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their 
briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their 
briefs.\22\ Further, we request that interested parties limit their 
executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not 
including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the 
basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision 
memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this 
investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for 
relevant citations in the 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).\23\
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    \22\ We use the term ``issue'' here to describe an argument that 
Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum.
    \23\ See APO and Service Final Rule.
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    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 date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain 
(1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of 
participants and whether any participant is a foreign national; and (3) 
a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is 
made, Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be 
determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and 
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.

Final Determination

    Section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1) provide that 
Commerce will issue the final determination within 75 days after the 
date of its preliminary determination. Accordingly, Commerce will make 
its final determination no later than 75 days after the signature date 
of this preliminary determination.

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

    In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify 
the ITC of its preliminary determination of sales at LTFV. If the final 
determination is affirmative, the ITC will determine before the later 
of 120 days after the date of this preliminary determination or 45 days 
after the final determination whether imports of the subject 
merchandise are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, 
the U.S. industry.

Notification to Interested Parties

    This determination is issued and published in accordance with 
sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

    Dated: February 24, 2026.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by the investigation is hardwood and 
decorative plywood, and certain veneered panels as described below. 
For purposes of this investigation, hardwood and decorative plywood 
is defined as a generally flat, multilayered plywood or other 
veneered panel, consisting of two or more layers or plies of wood 
veneers in combination with a core or without a core. The veneers 
and, if present, the core are glued or otherwise bonded together. A 
hardwood and decorative plywood panel must have at least either the 
face or back veneer composed of one or more species of hardwood, 
softwood, or bamboo, regardless of any surface coverings. Hardwood 
and decorative plywood may include products that meet the American 
National Standard for Hardwood and Decorative Plywood, ANSI/HPVA HP-
1-2024 (including any revisions to that standard).
    For purposes of the investigation a ``veneer'' is a slice of 
wood regardless of thickness which is cut, sliced or sawed from a 
log, bolt, or flitch. The face and back veneers are the outermost 
veneer of wood irrespective of additional surface coatings or covers 
as described below. The core of hardwood and decorative plywood (for 
those products that include a core) consists of the layer or layers 
of one or more material(s) that are situated between the face and 
back veneers. The core may be composed of a range of materials, 
including but not limited to hardwood, softwood, particleboard, or 
medium density fiberboard (MDF).
    All hardwood and decorative plywood is included within the scope 
of the investigation regardless of whether or not the face and/or 
back veneers are surface coated or covered and whether or not such 
surface coating(s) or covers obscures the grain, textures, or 
markings of the wood. Examples of surface coatings and covers 
include, but are not limited to: ultra violet light cured 
polyurethanes; oil or oil-modified or water-based polyurethanes; 
wax; epoxy-ester finishes; moisture-cured urethanes; paints; stains; 
paper; aluminum; high pressure laminate; MDF; medium density overlay 
(MDO); and phenolic film. Additionally, the face veneer of hardwood 
and decorative plywood may be sanded; smoothed or given a 
``distressed'' appearance through such methods as hand-scraping or 
wire brushing.
    All hardwood and decorative plywood is included within the scope 
even if it is trimmed; cut-tosize; notched; punched; drilled; or has 
undergone other forms of minor processing. All hardwood and

[[Page 10077]]

decorative plywood is included within the scope of the 
investigation, without regard to dimension (overall thickness, 
thickness of face veneer, thickness of back veneer, thickness of 
core, thickness of inner veneers, width, or length). However, the 
most common panel sizes of hardwood and decorative plywood are 1219 
x 1829 mm (48 x 72 inches), 1219 x 2438 mm (48 x 96 inches), and 
1219 x 3048 mm (48 x 120 inches). Subject merchandise also includes 
hardwood and decorative plywood that has been further processed in a 
third country, including but not limited to trimming, cutting, 
notching, punching, drilling, or any other processing that would not 
otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation 
if performed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope product.
    The scope of the investigation excludes the following items: (1) 
structural plywood (also known as ``industrial plywood'' or 
``industrial panels'') that (a) is certified, manufactured, and 
stamped to meet U.S. Products Standard PS 1-09, PS 2-09, PS-1-22, PS 
2-10, or PS 2-18 for Structural Plywood (including any revisions to 
that standard or any substantially equivalent international standard 
intended for structural plywood), including, but not limited to, the 
``bond performance'' requirements and the performance criteria 
detailed in U.S. Products Standard PS 1-09, PS 2-09, PS-1-22, PS 2-
10, or PS 2-18 for Structural Plywood (including any revisions to 
that standard or any substantially equivalent international standard 
intended for structural plywood), and (b) where the relevant 
standard identifies core species requirements, has a core made 
entirely of one or more of the following wood species: Pseudotsuga 
menziesii (Douglas Fir), Larix occidentalis (Western Larch), Tsuga 
heterophylla (Western Hemlock), Abies balsamea (Balsam Pine/Balsam 
Fir), Abies magnifica (California Red Fir), Abies grandis (Grand 
Fir), Abies procera (Noble Fir), Abies amabilis (Pacific Silver 
Fir), Abies concolor (White Fir), Abies lasiocarpa (Subalpine Fir), 
Picea glauca (White Spruce), Picea engelmannii (Engelmann Spruce), 
Picea mariana (Black Spruce), Picea rubens (Red Spruce), Picea 
sitchensis (Sitka Spruce), Pinus banksiana (Jack Pine), Pinus taeda 
(Loblolly Southern Pine), Pinus palustris (Longleaf Southern Pine), 
Pinus echinata (Shortleaf Southern Pine), Pinus elliottii (Slash 
Southern Pine), Pinus serotina (Pond Pine), Pinus resinosa (Red 
Pine), Pinus virginiana (Virginia Pine), Pinus monticola (Western 
White Pine), Picea mariana (Black Spruce), Picea rubens (Red 
Spruce), Picea sitchensis (Sitka Spruce), Pinus contorta (Lodgepole 
Pine), Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine), and Pinus lambertiana 
(Sugar Pine); (2) products which have a face and back veneer of 
cork; (3) hardwood plywood subject to the antidumping and 
countervailing duty orders on hardwood plywood from China. See 
Certain Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of 
China: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 
and Antidumping Duty Order, 83 FR 504 (January 4, 2018); and Certain 
Hardwood Plywood Products from the People's Republic of China: 
Countervailing Duty Order, 83 FR 513 (January 4, 2018); (4) 
multilayered wood flooring, as described in the antidumping duty and 
countervailing duty orders on multilayered wood flooring from China. 
See Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of China: 
Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and 
Antidumping Duty Order, 76 FR 76690 (December 8, 2011); and 
Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of China: 
Countervailing Duty Order, 76 FR 76693 (December 8, 2011), as 
amended by Multilayered Wood Flooring from the People's Republic of 
China: Amended Antidumping and Countervailing Orders, 77 FR 5484 
(February 3, 2012); (5) multilayered wood flooring with a face 
veneer of bamboo or composed entirely of bamboo; (6) plywood which 
has a shape or design other than a flat panel, with the exception of 
any minor processing described above; (7) products made entirely 
from bamboo and adhesives (also known as ``solid bamboo''); and (8) 
Phenolic Film Faced Plyform (PFF), also known as Phenolic Surface 
Film Plywood (PSF), defined as a panel with an ``Exterior'' or 
``Exposure 1'' bond classification as is defined by The Engineered 
Wood Association, having an opaque phenolic film layer with a weight 
equal to or greater than 90g/m3 permanently bonded on both the face 
and back veneers and an opaque, moisture resistant coating applied 
to the edges.
    Also excluded from the scope of the investigation are wooden 
furniture goods that, at the time of importation, are fully 
assembled and are ready for their intended uses. Also excluded from 
the scope of the investigation is ``ready to assemble'' (RTA) 
furniture. RTA furniture is defined as (A) furniture packaged for 
sale for ultimate purchase by an end-user that, at the time of 
importation, includes (1) all wooden components (in finished form) 
required to assemble a finished unit of furniture, (2) all accessory 
parts (e.g., screws, washers, dowels, nails, handles, knobs, 
adhesive glues) required to assemble a finished unit of furniture, 
and (3) instructions providing guidance on the assembly of a 
finished unit of furniture; (B) unassembled bathroom vanity 
cabinets, having a space for one or more sinks, that are imported 
with all unassembled hardwood and hardwood plywood components that 
have been cut-to-final dimensional component shape/size, painted or 
stained prior to importation, and stacked within a singled shipping 
package, except for furniture feet which may be packed and shipped 
separately; or (C) unassembled bathroom vanity linen closets that 
are imported with all unassembled hardwood and hardwood plywood 
components that have been cut-to-final dimensional shape/size, 
painted or stained prior to importation, and stacked within a single 
shipping package, except for furniture feet which may be packed and 
shipped separately.
    Also excluded from the scope of the investigation are kitchen 
cabinets that, at the time of importation, are fully assembled and 
are ready for their intended uses. Also excluded from the scope of 
the investigation are RTA kitchen cabinets. RTA kitchen cabinets are 
defined as kitchen cabinets packaged for sale for ultimate purchase 
by an end-user that, at the time of importation, includes: (1) all 
wooden components (in finished form) required to assemble a finished 
unit of cabinetry; (2) all accessory parts (e.g., screws, washers, 
dowels, nails, handles, knobs, hooks, adhesive glues) required to 
assemble a finished unit of cabinetry; and (3) instructions 
providing guidance on the assembly of a finished unit of cabinetry. 
Excluded from the scope of the investigation are finished table 
tops, which are table tops imported in finished form with pre-cut or 
drilled openings to attach the underframe or legs. The table tops 
are ready for use at the time of import and require no further 
finishing or processing. Excluded from the scope of the 
investigation are finished countertops that are imported in finished 
form and require no further finishing or manufacturing. Also 
excluded from the scope of the investigation are laminated veneer 
lumber (``LVL'') door and window components with (1) a maximum width 
of 44 millimeters, a thickness from 30 millimeters to 72 
millimeters, and a length of less than 2413 millimeters, (2) water 
boiling point exterior adhesive, (3) a modulus of elasticity of 
1,500,000 pounds per square inch or higher, (4) finger-jointed or 
lap-jointed core veneer with all layers oriented so that the grain 
is running parallel or with no more than 3 dispersed layers of 
veneer oriented with the grain running perpendicular to the other 
layers; and (5) top layer machined with a curved edge and one or 
more profile channels throughout.
    Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are certain 
door stiles and rails made of LVL that have a width not to exceed 50 
millimeters, a thickness not to exceed 50 millimeters, and a length 
of less than 2,450 millimeters.
    Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are finished 
two-ply products that are made of one ply of wood veneer and one ply 
of a non-wood veneer material and the two-ply product cannot be 
glued or otherwise adhered to additional plies or that are made of 
two plies of wood veneer and have undergone staining, cutting, 
notching, punching, drilling, or other processing on the surface of 
the veneer such that the two-ply product cannot be glued or 
otherwise adhered to additional plies.
    Imports of hardwood and decorative plywood are primarily entered 
under the following HTSUS numbers: 4412.10.0500; 4412.31.0520; 
4412.31.0540; 4412.31.0560; 4412.31.0620; 4412.31.0640; 
4412.31.0660; 4412.31.2510; 4412.31.2520; 4412.31.2610; 
4412.31.2620; 4412.31.4040; 4412.31.4050; 4412.31.4060; 
4412.31.4070; 4412.31.4080; 4412.31.4140; 4412.31.4150; 
4412.31.4155; 4412.31.4160; 4412.31.4165; 4412.31.4180; 
4412.31.4200; 4412.31.4500; 4412.31.4850; 4412.31.4860; 
4412.31.4863; 4412.31.4865; 4412.31.4866; 4412.31.4869; 
4412.31.4875; 4412.31.4880; 4412.31.5130; 4412.31.5135; 
4412.31.5150; 4412.31.5155; 4412.31.5160; 4412.31.5165; 
4412.31.5170; 4412.31.5175; 4412.31.5235; 4412.31.5255; 
4412.31.5260; 4412.31.5262; 4412.31.5264; 4412.31.5265; 
4412.31.5266; 4412.31.5268; 4412.31.5270; 4412.31.5275; 
4412.31.6000; 4412.31.6100;

[[Page 10078]]

4412.31.9100; 4412.31.9200; 4412.32.0520; 4412.32.0540; 
4412.32.0560; 4412.32.0570; 4412.32.0620; 4412.32.0640; 
4412.32.0670; 4412.32.2510; 4412.32.2520; 4412.32.2530; 
4412.32.2610; 4412.32.2630; 4412.32.3130; 4412.32.3135; 
4412.32.3140; 4412.32.3150; 4412.32.3155; 4412.32.3160; 
4412.32.3165; 4412.32.3170; 4412.32.3175; 4412.32.3185; 
4412.32.3235; 4412.32.3255; 4412.32.3265; 4412.32.3275; 
4412.32.3285; 4412.32.5600; 4412.32.5700; 4412.33.0620; 
4412.33.0640; 4412.33.0670; 4412.33.2630; 4412.33.3235; 
4412.33.3255; 4412.33.3265; 4412.33.3275; 4412.33.3285; 
4412.33.5700; 4412.34.2600; 4412.34.3235; 4412.34.3255; 
4412.34.3265; 4412.34.3275; 4412.34.3285; 4412.34.5700; 
4412.39.4051; 4412.39.4052; 4412.39.4059; 4412.39.4061; 
4412.39.4062; 4412.39.4069; 4412.39.5050; 4412.41.0000; 
4412.42.0000; 4412.51.1030; 4412.51.1050; 4412.51.3111; 
4412.51.3121; 4412.51.3141; 4412.51.3161; 4412.51.3175; 
4412.51.4100; 4412.52.1030; 4412.52.1050; 4412.52.3121; 
4412.52.3161; 4412.52.3175; 4412.52.4100; 4412.91.0600; 
4412.91.1020; 4412.91.1030; 4412.91.1040; 4412.91.3110; 
4412.91.3120; 4412.91.3130; 4412.91.3140; 4412.91.3150; 
4412.91.3160; 4412.91.3170; 4412.91.4100; 4412.92.0700; 
4412.92.1120; 4412.92.1130; 4412.92.1140; 4412.92.3120; 
4412.92.3150; 4412.92.3160; 4412.92.3170; 4412.92.4200; 
4412.94.1020; 4412.94.1030; 4412.94.1040; 4412.94.1050; 
4412.94.3110; 4412.94.3111; 4412.94.3120; 4412.94.3121; 
4412.94.3130; 4412.94.3131; 4412.94.3140; 4412.94.3141; 
4412.94.3150; 4412.94.3160; 4412.94.3161; 4412.94.3170; 
4412.94.3171; 4412.94.3175; 4412.94.4100; 4412.99.0600; 
4412.99.1020; 4412.99.1030; 4412.99.1040; 4412.99.3110; 
4412.99.3120; 4412.99.3130; 4412.99.3140; 4412.99.3150; 
4412.99.3160; 4412.99.3170; 4412.99.4100; 4412.99.5100; 
4412.99.5115; 4412.99.5701; and 4412.99.5710.
    Imports of hardwood and decorative plywood may also enter under 
HTSUS subheadings 4412.10.9000; 4412.94.5100; 4412.94.9500; 
4412.99.6000; 4412.99.7000; 4412.99.8000; 4412.99.9000; 
4412.99.9500; 9403.90.7005; 9403.90.7010; and 9403.90.7080.
    The HTSUS codes are provided for the convenience of the U.S. 
government and customs purposes, and do not define the scope of the 
investigation. The written description of the merchandise under 
investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Discussion of the Methodology
V. Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances
VI. Adjustment to Cash Deposit Rates for Export Subsidies in the 
Companion Countervailing Duty Investigation
VII. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2026-04000 Filed 2-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on March 2, 2026.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.