Notice2026-08727
Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol From the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of 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
May 5, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 86 (Tuesday, May 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24162-24168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08727]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-570-227, A-580-922, A-583-882, A-552-855]
Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol From the People's Republic of
China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
DATES: Applicable April 28, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Delgado at (202) 482-1468 (the
People's Republic of China (China)), Matthew Palmer at (202) 482-1678
(the Republic of Korea (Korea)), Jacob Waddell at (202) 482-1369
(Taiwan), and Rebecca Janz at (202) 482-2972 (the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam (Vietnam)), AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance,
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Petitions
On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)
received antidumping duty (AD) petitions concerning imports of
polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) from China, Korea, Taiwan, and
Vietnam, filed in proper form on behalf of BASF Corporation (the
[[Page 24163]]
petitioner), a domestic producer of PTMEG.\1\
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\1\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitions for the Imposition of
Antidumping Duties,'' dated April 8, 2026 (Petitions).
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Between April 13 and 22, 2026, Commerce requested supplemental
information pertaining to certain aspects of the Petitions in
supplemental questionnaires.\2\ Between April 16 and 23, 2026, the
petitioner filed timely responses to these requests for additional
information.\3\
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\2\ See Commerce's Letters, ``Supplemental Questions,'' dated
April 13, 2026 (First General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire);
Country-Specific AD Supplemental Questionnaires: China AD
Supplemental, dated April 13, 2026; First Korea AD Supplemental,
First Taiwan AD Supplemental and First Vietnam AD Supplemental,
dated April 14, 2026; ``Second Supplemental Questions,'' (Second
General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire), dated April 21, 2026;
and Country-Specific AD Supplemental Questionnaires: Second Korea AD
Supplemental, Second Taiwan AD Supplemental, and Second Vietnam AD
Supplemental, dated April 22, 2026.
\3\ See Petitioner's Letters, ``Response to the April 13, 2026,
China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, Volume I Supplemental
Questions,'' dated April 16, 2026 (First General Issues Supplement);
Country-Specific AD Supplemental Responses: China AD Supplement,
dated April 16, 2026, and First Korea AD Supplement, First Taiwan AD
Supplement, and First Vietnam AD Supplement, dated April 20, 2026;
``Petitioner's Response to the April 21, 2026, China, South Korea,
Taiwan, and Vietnam, Volume I Supplemental Questions,'' dated April
22, 2026 (Second General Issues Supplement); and Country-Specific AD
Supplemental Responses: Second Korea AD Supplement, Second Taiwan AD
Supplement, and Second Vietnam AD Supplement, dated April 23, 2026.
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In accordance with section 732(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act), the petitioner alleges that imports of PTMEG from
China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam are being, or are likely to be, sold
in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) within the meaning
of section 731 of the Act, and that imports of such products are
materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, the PTMEG
industry in the United States. Consistent with section 732(b)(1) of the
Act, the Petitions were accompanied by information reasonably available
to the petitioner supporting its allegations.
Commerce finds that the petitioner filed the Petitions on behalf of
the domestic industry, because the petitioner is an interested party,
as defined in section 771(9)(C) of the Act. Commerce also finds that
the petitioner demonstrated sufficient industry support for the
initiation of the requested LTFV investigations.\4\
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\4\ See section on ``Determination of Industry Support for the
Petitions,'' infra.
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Periods of Investigation
Because the Petitions were filed on April 8, 2026, pursuant to 19
CFR 351.204(b)(1), the period of investigation (POI) for Korea and
Taiwan LTFV investigations is April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026.
Because China and Vietnam are non-market economy countries, pursuant to
19 CFR 351.204(b)(1), the POI for the China and Vietnam LTFV
investigations is October 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026.
Scope of the Investigations
The product covered by these investigations is PTMEG from China,
Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. For a full description of the scope of
these investigations, see the appendix to this notice.
Comments on the Scope of the Investigations
Between April 13 and 21, 2026, Commerce requested information and
clarification from the petitioner regarding the proposed scope to
ensure that the scope language in the Petitions is an accurate
reflection of the products for which the domestic industry is seeking
relief.\5\ Between April 16 and 22, 2026, the petitioner provided
clarifications and revised the scope.\6\ The description of merchandise
covered by these investigations, as described in the appendix to this
notice, reflects these clarifications.
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\5\ See First General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire; see
also Second General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire.
\6\ See First General Issues Supplement at 2-6 and Exhibits I-S2
through I-S5; see also Second General Issues Supplement at 1-3 and
Exhibit I-SS1.
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As discussed in the Preamble to Commerce's regulations, we are
setting aside a period for interested parties to raise issues regarding
product coverage (i.e., scope).\7\ Commerce will consider all scope
comments received from interested parties and, if necessary, will
consult with interested parties prior to the issuance of the
preliminary determinations. If scope comments include factual
information, all such factual information should be limited to public
information.\8\ Commerce requests that interested parties provide at
the beginning of their scope comments a public executive summary for
each comment or issue raised in their submission. Commerce further
requests that interested parties limit their public executive summary
of each comment or issue to no more than 450 words, not including
citations. Commerce intends to use the public executive summaries as
the basis of the comment summaries included in the analysis of scope
comments. To facilitate preparation of its questionnaires, Commerce
requests that scope comments be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
(ET) on May 18, 2026, which is 20 calendar days from the signature date
of this notice. Any rebuttal comments, which may include factual
information, and should also be limited to public information, must be
filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 28, 2026, which is 10 calendar days from
the initial comment deadline.
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\7\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule,
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) (Preamble); see also 19 CFR
351.312.
\8\ See 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) (defining ``factual
information'').
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Commerce requests that any factual information that parties
consider relevant to the scope of these investigations be submitted
during that period. However, if a party subsequently finds that
additional factual information pertaining to the scope of the
investigations may be relevant, the party must contact Commerce and
request permission to submit the additional information. All scope
comments must be filed simultaneously on the records of the concurrent
LTFV investigations.
Filing Requirements
All submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically via
Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS), unless an exception
applies.\9\ An electronically filed document must be received
successfully in its entirety by the time and date it is due.
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\9\ See Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings:
Electronic Filing Procedures; Administrative Protective Order
Procedures, 76 FR 39263 (July 6, 2011); see also Enforcement and
Compliance; Change of Electronic Filing System Name, 79 FR 69046
(November 20, 2014), for details of Commerce's electronic filing
requirements, effective August 5, 2011. Information on using ACCESS
can be found at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/help">https://access.trade.gov/help</a> and a handbook can be
found at: <a href="https://access.trade.gov/help/Handbook_on_Electronic_Filing_Procedures_March2026.pdf">https://access.trade.gov/help/Handbook_on_Electronic_Filing_Procedures_March2026.pdf</a>.
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Comments on Product Characteristics
Commerce is providing interested parties an opportunity to comment
on the appropriate physical characteristics of PTMEG to be reported in
response to Commerce's AD questionnaires. This information will be used
to identify the key physical characteristics of the subject merchandise
in order to report the relevant factors of production (FOP) or cost of
production (COP) accurately, as well as to develop appropriate product
comparison criteria.
Interested parties may provide any information or comments that
they feel are relevant to the development of an accurate list of
physical characteristics. Specifically, they may provide comments as to
which characteristics are appropriate to use as: (1) general product
characteristics; and (2) product comparison criteria. We note that it
is
[[Page 24164]]
not always appropriate to use all product characteristics as product
comparison criteria. We base product comparison criteria on meaningful
commercial differences among products. In other words, although there
may be some physical product characteristics utilized by manufacturers
to describe PTMEG, it may be that only a select few product
characteristics take into account commercially meaningful physical
characteristics. In addition, interested parties may comment on the
order in which the physical characteristics should be used in matching
products. Generally, Commerce attempts to list the most important
physical characteristics first and the least important characteristics
last.
In order to consider the suggestions of interested parties in
developing and issuing the AD questionnaires, all product
characteristics comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 18, 2026,
which is 20 calendar days from the signature date of this notice. Any
rebuttal comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on May 28, 2026, which
is 10 calendar days from the initial comment deadline. All comments and
submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically using ACCESS, as
explained above, on the record of the each of the LTFV investigations.
Determination of Industry Support for the Petitions
Section 732(b)(1) of the Act requires that a petition be filed on
behalf of the domestic industry. Section 732(c)(4)(A) of the Act
provides that a petition meets this requirement if the domestic
producers or workers who support the petition account for: (i) at least
25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product; and
(ii) more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like
product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support
for, or opposition to, the petition. Moreover, section 732(c)(4)(D) of
the Act provides that, if the petition does not establish support of
domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of
the total production of the domestic like product, Commerce shall: (i)
poll the industry or rely on other information in order to determine if
there is support for the petition, as required by subparagraph (A); or
(ii) determine industry support using a statistically valid sampling
method to poll the ``industry.''
Section 771(4)(A) of the Act defines the ``industry'' as the
producers as a whole of a domestic like product. Thus, to determine
whether a petition has the requisite industry support, the statute
directs Commerce to look to producers and workers who produce the
domestic like product. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC),
which is responsible for determining whether ``the domestic industry''
has been injured, must also determine what constitutes a domestic like
product in order to define the industry. While both Commerce and the
ITC apply the same statutory definition regarding the domestic like
product,\10\ they do so for different purposes and pursuant to a
separate and distinct authority. In addition, Commerce's determination
is subject to limitations of time and information. Although this may
result in different definitions of the like product, such differences
do not render the decision of either agency contrary to law.\11\
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\10\ See section 771(10) of the Act.
\11\ See USEC, Inc. v. United States, 132 F.Supp.2d 1, 8 (CIT
2001) (citing Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. v. United States, 688 F.Supp.
639, 644 (CIT 1988), aff'd Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. v. United
States, 865 F.2d 240 (Fed. Cir. 1989)).
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Section 771(10) of the Act defines the domestic like product as ``a
product which is like, or in the absence of like, most similar in
characteristics and uses with, the article subject to an investigation
under this title.'' Thus, the reference point from which the domestic
like product analysis begins is ``the article subject to an
investigation'' (i.e., the class or kind of merchandise to be
investigated, which normally will be the scope as defined in the
petition).
With regard to the domestic like product, the petitioner does not
offer a definition of the domestic like product distinct from the scope
of these investigations.\12\ Based on our analysis of the information
submitted on the record, we have determined that PTMEG, as defined in
the scope, constitutes a single domestic like product, and we have
analyzed industry support in terms of that domestic like product.\13\
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\12\ For a discussion of the domestic like product analysis as
applied to these cases and information regarding industry support,
see Checklists, ``Antidumping Duty Investigation Initiation
Checklists: Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol from the People's
Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted
by, this notice (Country-Specific AD Initiation Checklists), at
Attachment II, Analysis of Industry Support for the Antidumping Duty
Petitions Covering Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol from the People's
Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the Socialist
Republic Vietnam (Attachment II). These checklists are on file
electronically via ACCESS.
\13\ For further discussion, see Attachment II of the Country-
Specific AD Initiation Checklists.
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In determining whether the petitioner has standing under section
732(c)(4)(A) of the Act, we considered the industry support data
contained in the Petitions with reference to the domestic like product
as defined in the ``Scope of the Investigations,'' in the appendix to
this notice. To establish industry support, the petitioner provided its
own production of the domestic like product in 2025.\14\ The petitioner
identified itself as the only producer of PTMEG in the United States;
therefore, the Petitions are supported by 100 percent of the U.S.
industry.\15\ We relied on data provided by the petitioner for purposes
of measuring industry support.\16\
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\14\ Id.
\15\ Id.
\16\ Id.
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Our review of the data provided in the Petitions, the First General
Issues Supplement, and other information readily available to Commerce
indicates that the petitioner has established industry support for the
Petitions.\17\ First, the Petitions established support from domestic
producers (or workers) accounting for more than 50 percent of the total
production of the domestic like product and, as such, Commerce is not
required to take further action in order to evaluate industry support
(e.g., polling).\18\ Second, the domestic producers (or workers) have
met the statutory criteria for industry support under section
732(c)(4)(A)(i) of the Act because the domestic producers (or workers)
who support the Petitions account for at least 25 percent of the total
production of the domestic like product.\19\ Finally, the domestic
producers (or workers) have met the statutory criteria for industry
support under section 732(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Act because the domestic
producers (or workers) who support the Petitions account for more than
50 percent of the production of the domestic like product produced by
that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to,
the Petitions.\20\ Accordingly, Commerce determines that the Petitions
were filed on behalf of the domestic industry within the meaning of
section 732(b)(1) of the Act.\21\
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\17\ Id.
\18\ Id.; see also section 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act.
\19\ See Attachment II of the Country-Specific AD Initiation
Checklists.
\20\ Id.
\21\ Id.
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Allegations and Evidence of Material Injury and Causation
The petitioner alleges that the U.S. industry producing the
domestic like product is being materially injured, or is threatened
with material injury, by reason of the imports of the subject
merchandise sold at LTFV. In addition, the petitioner alleges that
subject imports exceed the negligibility
[[Page 24165]]
threshold provided for under section 771(24)(A) of the Act.\22\
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\22\ For further discussion, see Country-Specific AD Initiation
Checklists at Attachment III, Analysis of Allegations and Evidence
of Material Injury and Causation for the Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Petitions Covering Polytetramethylene Ether
Glycol from the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea,
Taiwan, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
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The petitioner contends that the industry's injured condition is
illustrated by a significant increase in the volume of subject imports;
reduced market share; underselling and price depression and/or
suppression; lost sales and revenues; declines in production, capacity
utilization, and U.S shipments; and negative impact on financial
performance.\23\ We assessed the allegations and supporting evidence
regarding material injury, threat of material injury, causation,
cumulation, as well as negligibility, and we have determined that these
allegations are properly supported by adequate evidence, and meet the
statutory requirements for initiation.\24\
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\23\ Id.
\24\ Id.
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Allegations of Sales at LTFV
The following is a description of the allegations of sales at LTFV
upon which Commerce based its decision to initiate LTFV investigations
of imports of PTMEG from China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The sources
of data for the deductions and adjustments relating to U.S. price and
normal value (NV) are discussed in greater detail in the Country-
Specific AD Initiation Checklists.
U.S. Price
For China, the petitioner based export price (EP) on pricing
information for PTMEG produced in China and offered for sale in the
U.S. market.\25\ For Taiwan, the petitioner based EP on: (1) pricing
information for PTMEG produced in Taiwan and offered for sale in the
U.S. market; and (2) transaction-specific average unit values (AUVs)
(i.e. month- and port-specific AUVs) derived from official import
statistics tied to ship manifest data.\26\ For Korea and Vietnam, the
petitioner based EP on transaction-specific AUVs (i.e. month- and port-
specific AUVs) derived from official import statistics tied to ship
manifest data.\27\ The petitioner made certain adjustments to U.S.
price to calculate a net ex-factory U.S. price, where applicable.\28\
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\25\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
\26\ See Taiwan AD Initiation Checklist.
\27\ See Country-Specific AD Initiation Checklists.
\28\ Id.
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Normal Value <SUP>29</SUP>
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\29\ In accordance with section 773(b)(2) of the Act, for the
Korea and Taiwan investigations, Commerce will request information
necessary to calculate the constructed value (CV) and COP to
determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe or sales
of the foreign like product have been made at prices that represent
less than the COP of the product.
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For Korea and Taiwan, the petitioner based normal value (NV) on
home market pricing information it obtained for PTMEG produced in and
sold, or offered for sale, in the respective countries during the
applicable time period.\30\ For both countries, the petitioner provided
information indicating that the prices for PTMEG sold or offered for
sale in the respective home markets were below the COP.\31\ Therefore,
for both countries, the petitioner calculated NV based on constructed
value (CV).\32\ For further discussion of CV, see the section ``Normal
Value Based on Constructed Value.''
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\30\ See Country-Specific AD Initiation Checklists.
\31\ Id.
\32\ Id.
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Commerce considers China and Vietnam to be NME countries.\33\ In
accordance with section 771(18)(C)(i) of the Act, any determination
that a foreign country is an NME country shall remain in effect until
revoked by Commerce. Therefore, we continue to treat China and Vietnam
as NME countries for purposes of the initiation of these LTFV
investigations. Accordingly, we base NV on FOPs valued in a surrogate
market economy country in accordance with section 773(c) of the Act.
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\33\ See, e.g., Raw Honey from the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances
Review, 89 FR 64411 (August 7, 2024), and accompanying NME Analysis
Memorandum at 5; see also Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts
Thereof from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Preliminary
Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, 88 FR 15372
(March 13, 2023), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum
at 5, unchanged in Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof
from the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Determination
of Sales at Less-Than-Fair Value and Final Affirmative Determination
of Critical Circumstances, 88 FR 34485 (May 30, 2023).
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The petitioner claims that Brazil, Malaysia, and Mexico are
appropriate surrogate countries for China because they are market
economy countries that are at a level of economic development
comparable to that of China and are significant producers of comparable
merchandise.\34\ The petitioner provided publicly available information
from Brazil, Malaysia, and Mexico to value all FOPs.\35\ Based on the
information provided by the petitioner, we believe it is appropriate to
use Brazil, Malaysia, and Mexico as surrogate countries for China to
value all FOPs for initiation purposes.
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\34\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
\35\ Id.
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The petitioner claims that El Salvador, Indonesia, and Jordan are
appropriate surrogate countries for Vietnam because they are market
economy countries that are at a level of economic development
comparable to that of Vietnam.\36\ The petitioner provided publicly
available information from El Salvador, Indonesia, and Jordan to value
all FOPs.\37\ Based on the information provided by the petitioner, we
believe it is appropriate to use El Salvador, Indonesia, and Jordan as
surrogate countries for Vietnam to value all FOPs for initiation
purposes.
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\36\ See Vietnam AD Initiation Checklist.
\37\ Id.
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Interested parties will have the opportunity to submit comments
regarding surrogate country selection and, pursuant to 19 CFR
351.301(c)(3)(i), will be provided an opportunity to submit publicly
available information to value FOPs within 30 days before the scheduled
date of the preliminary determinations.
Factors of Production
Because information regarding the volume of inputs consumed by
Chinese and Vietnamese producers/exporters was not reasonably
available, the petitioner used its own production experience and
product-specific consumption rates as a surrogate to value Chinese and
Vietnamese manufacturers' FOPs.\38\ For China, the petitioner
calculated factory overhead, selling, general, and administrative
(SG&A), and profit based on the experiences of Brazilian, Malaysian,
and Mexican producers of comparable merchandise.\39\ For Vietnam, the
petitioner calculated factory overhead, SG&A, and profit based on the
experience of an Indonesian producer of comparable merchandise.\40\
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\38\ See Country-Specific AD Initiation Checklist.
\39\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
\40\ See Vietnam AD Initiation Checklist.
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Normal Value Based on Constructed Value
As noted above for Korea and Taiwan, the petitioner provided
information indicating that the prices for PTMEG sold or offered for
sale in the respective home markets were below the COP. Therefore, for
both countries, the petitioner calculated NV based on CV.\41\
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\41\ See Country-Specific AD Initiation Checklists.
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For Korea and Taiwan, in calculating the cost of manufacturing, the
petitioner relied on its own production experience
[[Page 24166]]
and input consumption rates, valued using publicly available
information applicable to Korea and Taiwan.\42\ In calculating SG&A
expenses, financial expenses, and profit ratios, the petitioner relied
on the 2025 financial statement of a producer of comparable merchandise
domiciled in Korea and the 2024 financial statement of a producer of
comparable merchandise domiciled in Taiwan, respectively.\43\
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\42\ Id.
\43\ Id.
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Fair Value Comparisons
Based on the data provided by the petitioner, there is reason to
believe that imports of PTMEG from China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam
are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at LTFV.
Based on comparisons of EP to NV in accordance with sections 772 and
773 of the Act, the estimated dumping margins for PTMEG from each of
the countries covered by this initiation are as follows: (1) China
(Brazil surrogate)--197.44 to 339.69 percent; China (Malaysia
surrogate)--184.34 to 212.10 percent; China (Mexico surrogate) 174.95
to 209.66 percent; (2) Korea--49.79 to 137.64 percent; (3) Taiwan--6.17
to 206.12 percent; (4) Vietnam (El Salvador surrogate)--138.11 to
201.99 percent; Vietnam (Indonesia surrogate)--149.88 to 212.32
percent; and Vietnam (Jordan surrogate)--100.61 to 151.47 percent.\44\
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\44\ Id.
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Initiation of LTFV Investigations
Based upon the examination of the Petitions and supplemental
responses, we find that they meet the requirements of section 732 of
the Act. Therefore, we are initiating LTFV investigations to determine
whether imports of PTMEG from China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam are
being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at LTFV. In
accordance with section 733(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.205(b)(1), unless postponed, we will make our preliminary
determinations no later than 140 days after the date of this
initiation.
Respondent Selection
China and Vietnam
The petitioner identified 21 companies in China and one company in
Vietnam as producers and/or exporters of PTMEG.\45\ Our standard
practice for respondent selection in AD investigations involving NME
countries is to select respondents based on Q&V questionnaires in cases
where it has determined that the number of companies is large and it
cannot individually examine each company based upon its resources.
Therefore, considering the number of producers and/or exporters
identified in the Petition, Commerce will solicit Q&V information that
can serve as a basis for selecting exporters for individual examination
in the event that Commerce determines that the number is large and
decides to limit the number of respondents individually examined
pursuant to section 777A(c)(2) of the Act. Given the number of
producers and/or exporters identified in the Petitions, for China and
Vietnam, Commerce has determined that it will issue Q&V questionnaires
to the producers and/or exporters for which there is complete address
information on the record.
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\45\ See Petitions at Volume I (Exhibit I-14); see also First
General Issues Supplement at 1 and Exhibit I-S1; and First Vietnam
AD Supplement at 1-2 and Exhibit V-S2.
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Commerce will also post the Q&V questionnaires along with filing
instructions on Commerce's website at <a href="https://www.trade.gov/ec-adcvd-qv-questionnaire">https://www.trade.gov/ec-adcvd-qv-questionnaire</a>. Exporters/producers of PTMEG from China and Vietnam
that do not receive Q&V questionnaires may still submit a response to
the Q&V questionnaire and can obtain a copy of the Q&V questionnaire
from Commerce's website. Responses to the Q&V questionnaire must be
submitted by the relevant producers/exporters no later than 5:00 p.m.
on May 12, 2026, which is two weeks from the signature date of this
notice. An electronically filed document must be received successfully,
in its entirety, by ACCESS no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on the deadline
noted above.
Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under an
administrative protective order (APO) in accordance with 19 CFR
351.305(b). Instructions for filing such applications may be found on
Commerce's website at <a href="https://www.trade.gov/administrative-protective-orders">https://www.trade.gov/administrative-protective-orders</a>.
Korea and Taiwan
In the Petitions, the petitioners identified two companies in Korea
(i.e., BASF Company Ltd. and Korea PTG Co., Ltd.) and two companies in
Taiwan (i.e., Dairen Chemical Corporation and Formosa Asahi Spandex
Co., Ltd.) as producers/exporters of PTMEG and provided independent
third-party information as support.\46\ We currently know of no
additional producers/exporters of PTMEG from Korea and Taiwan.
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\46\ See Petitions at Volume I (Exhibit I-14).
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Accordingly, Commerce intends to individually examine the only two
producers/exporters in Korea and Taiwan (i.e., the companies cited
above) in the investigations. We invite interested parties to comment
on this issue. Such comments may include factual information within the
meaning of 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21). Parties wishing to comment must do so
within three business days of the publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. Comments must be filed electronically using ACCESS.
An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its
entirety via ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. ET on the specified deadline. Because
we intend to examine all known producers/exporters in Korea and Taiwan,
if no comments are received or if comments received further support the
existence of these producers/exporters, we do not intend to conduct
respondent selection and will proceed to issuing the initial AD
questionnaire to the companies identified. However, if comments are
received which create a need for a respondent selection process, we
intend to finalize our decision regarding the respondent selection
within 20 days of publication of this notice.
Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under an
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(b). Instructions for filing such
applications may be found on Commerce's website at <a href="https://www.trade.gov/administrative-protective-orders">https://www.trade.gov/administrative-protective-orders</a>.
Separate Rates
In order to obtain separate rate status in an NME investigation,
exporters and producers must submit a separate rate application. The
specific requirements for submitting a separate rate application in an
NME investigation are outlined in detail in the application itself,
which is available on Commerce's website at <a href="https://www.trade.gov/non-market-economy-separate-rate-applications-and-certifications">https://www.trade.gov/non-market-economy-separate-rate-applications-and-certifications</a>. Note that
Commerce recently promulgated new regulations pertaining to separate
rates, including the separate rate application deadline and eligibility
for separate rate status, in 19 CFR 351.108.\47\ Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.108(d)(1), the separate rate application will be due 21 days after
publication of this initiation notice.\48\ Exporters and producers must
file a timely separate rate application if they
[[Page 24167]]
want to be considered for individual examination. In addition, pursuant
to 19 CFR 351.108(e), exporters and producers who submit a separate
rate application and have been selected as mandatory respondents will
be eligible for consideration for separate rate status only if they
fully respond to all parts of Commerce's AD questionnaire and
participate in the LTFV proceeding as mandatory respondents.\49\
Commerce requires that companies from China and Vietnam submit a
response both to the Q&V questionnaire and to the separate rate
application by the respective deadlines to receive consideration for
separate rate status. Companies not filing a timely Q&V questionnaire
response will not receive separate rate consideration.
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\47\ See Regulations Enhancing the Administration of the
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Trade Remedy Laws, 89 FR 101694,
101759-60 (December 16, 2024).
\48\ See 19 CFR 351.108(d)(1).
\49\ See 19 CFR 351.108(e).
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Use of Combination Rates
Commerce will calculate combination rates for certain respondents
that are eligible for a separate rate in an NME investigation. The
Separate Rates and Combination Rates Bulletin states:
{w{time} hile continuing the practice of assigning separate
rates only to exporters, all separate rates that {Commerce{time}
will now assign in its NME investigation will be specific to those
producers that supplied the exporter during the period of
investigation. Note, however, that one rate is calculated for the
exporter and all of the producers which supplied subject merchandise
to it during the period of investigation. This practice applies both
to mandatory respondents receiving an individually calculated
separate rate as well as the pool of non-investigated firms
receiving the {weighted average{time} of the individually
calculated rates. This practice is referred to as the application of
``combination rates'' because such rates apply to specific
combinations of exporters and one or more producers. The cash-
deposit rate assigned to an exporter will apply only to merchandise
both exported by the firm in question and produced by a firm that
supplied the exporter during the period of investigation.\50\
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\50\ See Enforcement and Compliance's Policy Bulletin No. 05.1,
regarding, ``Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination
Rates in Antidumping Investigation involving NME Countries,'' (April
5, 2005), at 6 (emphasis added), available on Commerce's website at
<a href="https://www.trade.gov/enforcement-and-compliance-policy-bulletins-0">https://www.trade.gov/enforcement-and-compliance-policy-bulletins-0</a>.
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Distribution of Copies of the Petitions
In accordance with section 732(b)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.202(f), copies of the public version of the Petitions have been
provided to the Governments of China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam via
ACCESS. To the extent practicable, we will attempt to provide a copy of
the public version of the Petitions to each exporter named in the
Petitions, as provided under 19 CFR 351.203(c)(2).
ITC Notification
Commerce will notify the ITC of our initiation, as required by
section 732(d) of the Act.
Preliminary Determinations by the ITC
The ITC will preliminarily determine, within 45 days after the date
on which the Petitions were filed, whether there is a reasonable
indication that imports of PTMEG from China, Korea, Taiwan, and/or
Vietnam are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, a
U.S. industry.\51\ A negative ITC determination for any country will
result in the investigation being terminated with respect to that
country.\52\ Otherwise, these LTFV investigations will proceed
according to statutory and regulatory time limits.
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\51\ See section 733(a) of the Act.
\52\ Id.
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Submission of Factual Information
Factual information is defined in 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) as: (i)
evidence submitted in response to questionnaires; (ii) evidence
submitted in support of allegations; (iii) publicly available
information to value factors under 19 CFR 351.408(c) or to measure the
adequacy of remuneration under 19 CFR 351.511(a)(2); (iv) evidence
placed on the record by Commerce; and (v) evidence other than factual
information described in (i)-(iv). Section 351.301(b) of Commerce's
regulations requires any party, when submitting factual information, to
specify under which subsection of 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) the information
is being submitted \53\ and, if the information is submitted to rebut,
clarify, or correct factual information already on the record, to
provide an explanation identifying the information already on the
record that the factual information seeks to rebut, clarify, or
correct.\54\ Time limits for the submission of factual information are
addressed in 19 CFR 351.301, which provides specific time limits based
on the type of factual information being submitted. Interested parties
should review the regulations prior to submitting factual information
in these investigations.
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\53\ See 19 CFR 351.301(b).
\54\ See 19 CFR 351.301(b)(2).
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Particular Market Situation Allegation
Section 773(e) of the Act addresses the concept of particular
market situation (PMS) for purposes of CV, stating that ``if a
particular market situation exists such that the cost of materials and
fabrication or other processing of any kind does not accurately reflect
the COP in the ordinary course of trade, the administering authority
may use another calculation methodology under this subtitle or any
other calculation methodology.'' When an interested party submits a PMS
allegation pursuant to section 773(e) of the Act (i.e., a cost-based
PMS allegation), the submission must be filed in accordance with the
requirements of 19 CFR 351.416(b), and Commerce will respond to such a
submission consistent with 19 CFR 351.301(c)(2)(v). If Commerce finds
that a cost-based PMS exists under section 773(e) of the Act, then it
will modify its dumping calculations appropriately.
Neither section 773(e) of the Act, nor 19 CFR 351.301(c)(2)(v),
sets a deadline for the submission of cost-based PMS allegations and
supporting factual information. However, in order to administer section
773(e) of the Act, Commerce must receive PMS allegations and supporting
factual information with enough time to consider the submission. Thus,
should an interested party wish to submit a cost-based PMS allegation
and supporting new factual information pursuant to section 773(e) of
the Act, it must do so no later than 20 days after submission of a
respondent's initial section D questionnaire response
We note that a PMS allegation filed pursuant to sections
773(a)(1)(B)(ii)(III) or 773(a)(1)(C)(iii) of the Act (i.e., a sales-
based PMS allegation) must be filed within 10 days of submission of a
respondent's initial section B questionnaire response, in accordance
with 19 CFR 351.301(c)(2)(i) and 19 CFR 351.404(c)(2).
Extensions of Time Limits
Parties may request an extension of time limits before the
expiration of a time limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, or as
otherwise specified by Commerce. In general, an extension request will
be considered untimely if it is filed after the expiration of the time
limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, or as otherwise specified by
Commerce.\55\ For submissions that are due from multiple parties
simultaneously, an extension request will be considered untimely if it
is filed after 10:00 a.m. ET on the due date. Under certain
circumstances, Commerce may elect to specify a different time limit by
which extension requests will be considered untimely for submissions
which are due from multiple parties simultaneously. In such a case, we
will inform parties in a letter or
[[Page 24168]]
memorandum of the deadline (including a specified time) by which
extension requests must be filed to be considered timely. An extension
request must be made in a separate, standalone submission; under
limited circumstances we will grant untimely filed requests for the
extension of time limits, where we determine, based on 19 CFR 351.302,
that extraordinary circumstances exist. Parties should review
Commerce's regulations concerning the extension of time limits and the
Time Limits Final Rule prior to submitting factual information in these
investigations.\56\
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\55\ See 19 CFR 351.301; see also Extension of Time Limits;
Final Rule, 78 FR 57790 (September 20, 2013) (Time Limits Final
Rule), available at <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-09-20/html/2013-22853.htm">https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-09-20/html/2013-22853.htm</a>.
\56\ See 19 CFR 351.302; see also, e.g., Time Limits Final Rule.
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Certification Requirements
Any party submitting factual information in an AD proceeding must
certify to the accuracy and completeness of that information.\57\
Parties must use the certification formats provided in 19 CFR
351.303(g).\58\ Commerce intends to reject factual submissions if the
submitting party does not comply with the applicable certification
requirements.
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\57\ See section 782(b) of the Act.
\58\ See Certification of Factual Information to Import
Administration During Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 17, 2023) (Final Rule). See also
frequently asked questions regarding the Final Rule, available at
<a href="https://enforcement.trade.gov/tlei/notices/factual_info_final_rule_FAQ_07172013.pdf">https://enforcement.trade.gov/tlei/notices/factual_info_final_rule_FAQ_07172013.pdf</a>.
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Notification to Interested Parties
Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. Parties wishing to participate
in these investigations should ensure that they meet the requirements
of 19 CFR 351.103(d) (e.g., by filing the required letter of
appearance). Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements
pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).\59\
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\59\ See Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other
Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR
67069 (September 29, 2023).
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This notice is issued and published pursuant to sections 732(c)(2)
and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.203(c).
Dated: April 28, 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 Investigations
The merchandise covered by the investigations is
polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), which is a polymer
consisting of linear diols (i.e., organic chemical compound that has
two hydroxyl (-OH) functional groups) with a molecular backbone of
repeating tetramethylene units (-
CH<INF>2</INF>CH<INF>2</INF>CH<INF>2</INF>CH<INF>2</INF>-)
interconnected through ether bonds (i.e., a single oxygen atom
bonded to two carbon atoms), with a chemical formula
HO{(CH<INF>2</INF>)<INF>4</INF>{time} <INF>n</INF>OH. PTMEG is also
referred to as Polytetrahydrofuran, PTHF, Polytetramethylene ether
glycol, PTMG, and Polybutylene glycol. PTMEG is typically blended
with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or another stabilizer such as
higher molecular weight hindered phenols or phosphoric acid. In
addition to a stabilizer, PTMEG is sometimes blended with a modifier
or additive, such as phosphoric acid or sulfuric acid. The scope
includes all blends consisting of PTMEG and stabilizers, modifiers,
and/or additives, where the stabilizers, modifiers, and/or additives
collectively account for no more than two percent of the total
weight of the PTMEG blend. PTMEG is normally associated with
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number 25190-06-1.
The scope includes all forms of PTMEG, regardless of physical
form, purity, molecular weight, number of hydroxyls, number of
acids, color, density, softening point, glass transition point,
flash point, water content, viscosity, and packaging. PTMEG that has
been blended with other products is included within this scope when
such blends include constituent parts that have been intermingled
but that have not been chemically reacted with each other to produce
a different product. For such blends, only the PTMEG component of
the mixture, inclusive of any stabilizers, modifiers, and/or
additives collectively accounting for no more than two percent of
the combined weight of the PTMEG component and the stabilizers,
modifiers, and/or additives, is covered by the scope of the
investigations.
The scope includes merchandise matching the above description
that has been processed in a third country, including by
commingling, diluting, introducing, or removing stabilizers,
modifiers, or additives, 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 PTMEG that is commingled or blended with PTMEG from sources
not subject to the investigation. Only the subject component of such
commingled products is covered by the scope of the investigations.
The subject merchandise is classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under subheading 3907.29.0000.
Subject merchandise may also be imported under HTSUS subheadings
2932.11.0000 and 3404.91.5150. Although the HTSUS subheading and CAS
registry number are provided for convenience and customs purposes,
the written description of the scope is dispositive.
[FR Doc. 2026-08727 Filed 5-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 5, 2026.
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