Notice2026-19520
Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof From the Czech Republic: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value
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
September 24, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof (freight rail couplers) from the Czech Republic are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60598-60600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19520]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-851-806]
Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof From the Czech
Republic: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair
Value
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that
certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof (freight rail couplers)
from the Czech Republic are being, or are likely to be, sold in the
United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of
investigation (POI) is July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
DATES: Applicable September 24, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Hart, AD/CVD Operations, Office
II, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1058.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 6, 2026, Commerce published in the Federal Register its
preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of
freight rail couplers from the Czech Republic.\1\ In the Preliminary
Determination, Commerce postponed the final determination until
September 18, 2026, and invited interested parties to comment on the
Preliminary Determination. A summary of the events that occurred since
Commerce published its Preliminary Determination, as well as a full
discussion of the issues raised by parties for this final
determination, may be found in the Issues and Decision Memorandum.\2\
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\1\ See Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from the
Czech Republic: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at
Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and
Extension of Provisional Measures, 91 FR 24506 (May 6, 2026)
(Preliminary Determination), and accompanying Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.
\2\ See Memorandum, ``Issues and Decision Memorandum for the
Final Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value
Investigation of Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof
from the Czech Republic,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby
adopted by, this notice (Issues and Decision Memorandum).
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The Issues and Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on
file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System, which is
available to registered users at <a href="https://access.trade.gov">https://access.trade.gov</a>. In addition,
a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be
accessed directly at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/frnotices">https://access.trade.gov/frnotices</a>.
Scope of the Investigation
The product covered by this investigation is freight rail couplers
from the Czech Republic. For a complete description of the scope of
this investigation, see Appendix I.
Scope Comments
Commerce received comments from interested parties on the scope of
the investigation as it appeared in the Preliminary Determination.\3\
For the final determination, Commerce made no changes to the scope of
the investigation from that published in the Preliminary
Determination.\4\
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\3\ See Memorandum, ``Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations of
Certain Freight Couplers and Parts Thereof from the Czech Republic
and India and Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Freight
Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from India: Final Scope Decision
Memorandum,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this
notice.
\4\ Id.
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Verification
As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act), in June 2026, Commerce verified the sales and cost
information submitted by mandatory respondent CKD Kutn[aacute] Hora
A.S. (CKD) for use in the final determination. We used standard
verification procedures, including an examination of relevant sales and
accounting records, and original source documents provided by CKD.\5\
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\5\ See Memoranda, ``Verification of the Sales Responses of CKD
Kutn[aacute] Hora A.S. in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Antidumping Duty
Investigation of Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof
from the Czech Republic,'' dated July 10, 2026; and ``Verification
of the Cost Response of CKD Kutn[aacute] Hora A.S. (CKD) in the
Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Certain Freight Rail Couplers
and Parts Thereof from the Czech Republic,'' dated August 3, 2026.
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Analysis of Comments Received
All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs submitted by
interested parties in this investigation are addressed in the Issues
and Decision Memorandum. A list of the issues addressed in the Issues
and Decision Memorandum is attached to this notice as Appendix II.
Changes Since the Preliminary Determination
We made certain changes to the margin calculations for CKD, since
the Preliminary Determination.\6\ For a discussion of these changes,
see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
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\6\ See Memoranda, ``Final Analysis Memorandum for CKD
Kutn[aacute] Hora A.S.,'' and ``Cost of Production and Constructed
Value Calculation Adjustments for the Final Determination--CKD
Kutn[aacute] Hora A.S.,'' dated concurrently with this notice.
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All-Others Rate
Section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provides that Commerce shall
determine an estimated weighted-average dumping margin, i.e., the all-
others rate, for all exporters and producers not individually examined.
This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the
estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters
and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero and de
minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under section 776
of the Act.
In this investigation, Commerce calculated an individual estimated
weighted-average dumping margin for CKD, the only individually examined
producer in this investigation. Because the only individually
calculated estimated weighted-average dumping margin is not zero, de
minimis, or based entirely on facts otherwise available, the estimated
weighted-average dumping margin calculated for CKD is the estimated
weighted-average dumping margin assigned to all other producers and
exporters, pursuant to section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act.
Final Determination
Commerce determines that the following estimated weighted-average
dumping margins exist for the period, July 1, 2024, through June 30,
2025:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weighted-
average
Exporter or producer dumping
margin
(percent)
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CKD Kutn[aacute] Hora A.S................................... 73.74
All Others.................................................. 73.74
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[[Page 60599]]
Disclosure
Commerce intends to disclose the calculations and analysis
performed in connection with this final determination to interested
parties within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no
public announcement, within five days of the publication of the notice
in the Federal Register, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Continuation of Suspension of Liquidation and Cash Deposit Requirements
In accordance with section 735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, Commerce will
instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to
suspend liquidation of all entries of freight rail couplers, as
described in Appendix I of this notice, which were entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after May 6, 2026, the
date of publication of the Preliminary Determination in the Federal
Register. These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in
effect until further notice.
Pursuant to section 735(c)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.210(d), upon the publication of this notice, we will instruct CBP
to require a cash deposit for estimated antidumping duties for such
entries as follows: (1) the cash deposit rate for subject merchandise
exported by CKD is equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-
average dumping margin listed in the table above; (2) if the exporter
is not listed in the table above, but the producer is, then the cash
deposit rate is equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-
average dumping margin listed for the producer of the subject
merchandise in the table above; and (3) the cash deposit rate for all
other producers and exporters is equal to the all-others estimated
weighted-average dumping margin listed in the table above.
These suspension of liquidation instructions and cash deposit
requirements will remain in effect until further notice.
U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification
In accordance with section 735(d) of the Act, Commerce will notify
the ITC of our final affirmative determination of sales at LTFV.
Because the final determination in this proceeding is affirmative, in
accordance with sections 735(b)(2) of the Act, the ITC will make its
final determination as to whether the domestic industry in the United
States is materially injured, or threatened with material injury, by
reason of imports of freight rail couplers from the Czech Republic no
later than 45 days after this final determination. If the ITC
determines that such injury does not exist, this proceeding will be
terminated, all cash deposits posted will be refunded, and suspension
of liquidation will be lifted. If the ITC determines that such injury
does exist, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order directing CBP
to assess, upon further instruction by Commerce, antidumping duties on
all imports of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from
warehouse, for consumption on or after the effective date of the
suspension of liquidation, as discussed in the ``Continuation of
Suspension of Liquidation'' section above.
Administrative Protective Order (APO)
This notice serves as a final reminder to parties subject to an APO
of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of
proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR
351.305(a)(3), which continues to govern business proprietary
information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written
notification of the return or destruction of APO materials, or
conversion to judicial protective order, is hereby requested. Failure
to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a violation
subject to sanction.
Notification to Interested Parties
This determination and this notice are issued and published in
accordance with sections 735(d) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR
351.210(c).
Dated: September 18, 2026.
Steven Presing,
Executive Director for Policy and Negotiations.
Appendix I
Scope of the Investigation
The scope of this investigation covers certain freight railcar
couplers (also known as ``fits'' or ``assemblies'') and parts
thereof. Freight rail couplers are composed of two main parts,
namely knuckles and coupler bodies but may also include other items
(e.g., coupler locks, lock lift assemblies, knuckle pins, knuckle
throwers, and rotors). The parts covered by this investigation
include: (1) E coupler bodies; (2) E/F coupler bodies; (3) F coupler
bodies; (4) E knuckles; and (5) F knuckles; as set forth by the
Association of American Railroads (AAR). The freight rail coupler
parts are included within the scope of this investigation when
imported individually. Coupler locks, lock lift assemblies, knuckle
pins, knuckle throwers, and rotors are covered merchandise when
imported in an assembly but are not covered by the scope when
imported separately.
Subject freight rail couplers and parts are included within the
scope whether finished or unfinished, whether imported individually
or with other subject or nonsubject parts, whether assembled or
unassembled, whether mounted or unmounted, or if joined with
nonsubject merchandise, such as other nonsubject parts or a
completed railcar. Finishing includes, but is not limited to, arc
washing, welding, grinding, shot blasting, heat treatment,
machining, and assembly of various parts. When a subject coupler or
subject parts are mounted on or to other nonsubject merchandise,
such as a railcar, only the coupler or subject parts are covered by
the scope.
The finished products covered by the scope of this investigation
meet or exceed the AAR specifications of M-211, ``Foundry and
Product Approval Requirements for the Manufacture of Couplers,
Coupler Yokes, Knuckles, Follower Blocks, and Coupler Parts,'' and/
or AAR M-215 ``Coupling Systems,'' or other equivalent domestic or
international standards (including any revisions to the
standard(s)).
The country of origin for subject couplers and parts thereof,
whether fully assembled, unfinished or finished, or attached to a
railcar, is the country where the subject coupler parts were cast or
forged. Subject merchandise includes coupler parts as defined above
that have been further processed or further assembled, including
those coupler parts attached to a railcar in third countries.
Further processing includes, but is not limited to, arc washing,
welding, grinding, shot blasting, heat treatment, painting, coating,
priming, machining, and assembly of various parts. The inclusion,
attachment, joining, or assembly of nonsubject parts with subject
parts or couplers either in the country of manufacture of the in-
scope product or in a third country does not remove the subject
parts or couplers from the scope.
The couplers that are the subject of this investigation are
currently classifiable in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (HTSUS) statistical reporting number 8607.30.1010,
8607.30.1050, and 8607.30.1090. Subject merchandise attached to
finished railcars may also enter under HTSUS statistical reporting
numbers 7326.90.8688, 8606.10.0000, 8606.91.0000, 8606.92.0000,
8606.99.0130, or under subheading 8606.99.0160. Subject merchandise
may also be imported under HTSUS statistical reporting number
7325.99.5000. These HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience
and customs purposes only; the written description of the scope of
this investigation is dispositive.
Appendix II
List of Topics Discussed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Changes Since the Preliminary Determination
IV. Discussion of the Issues
Comment 1: CKD's Revised Sales and Cost Data
[[Page 60600]]
Comment 2: Affiliation of CKD and Wabtec Corporation LLC and
Whether to Use Constructed Export Price
Comment 3: Whether to Revise CKD's Reported Costs
V. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2026-19520 Filed 9-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 24, 2026.
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