Notice of Extension of the Deadline for Determining the Adequacy of the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions: Certain Wooden Fence Pickets from the People's Republic of China

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 66106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21285]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-243, C-570-244]


Notice of Extension of the Deadline for Determining the Adequacy 
of the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions: Certain Wooden 
Fence Pickets from the People's Republic of China

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

DATES: Applicable October 13, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Schmitt at (202) 482-4880 (the 
People's Republic of China (China) AD); and Suresh Maniam at (202) 482-
0176 (China CVD), AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Extension of Initiation of Investigations

The Petitions

    On September 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
received antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions 
on imports of certain wooden fence pickets (wooden fences) from China 
filed in proper form on behalf of the American Alliance of Wooden Fence 
Producers (the petitioner),\1\ the members of which are domestic 
producers of wooden fences.\2\
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    \1\ The individual members of the American Alliance of Wooden 
Fence Producers are Alta Forest Products, Sierra Pacific Industries, 
and Mendocino Forest Products.
    \2\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petition for the Imposition of 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duties,'' dated September 24, 2026 
(Petition).
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Determination of Industry Support for the Petitions

    Sections 702(b)(1) and 732(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
amended (the Act), require that a petition be filed by or on behalf of 
the domestic industry. To determine that the petition has been filed by 
or on behalf of the industry, sections 702(c)(4)(A) and 732(c)(4)(A) of 
the Act require that 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, sections 702(c)(4)(D) and 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act provide 
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) if there is a 
large number of producers, determine industry support using a 
statistically valid sampling method to poll the industry.

Extension of Time

    Sections 702(c)(1)(A) and 732(c)(1)(A) of the Act provide that 
within 20 days of the filing of an AD or CVD petition, Commerce will 
determine, inter alia, whether the petition has been filed by or on 
behalf of the U.S. industry producing the domestic like product. 
Sections 702(c)(1)(B) and 732(c)(1)(B) of the Act provide that the 
deadline for the initiation determination, in exceptional 
circumstances, may be extended by 20 days in any case in which Commerce 
must ``poll or otherwise determine support for the petition by the 
industry.'' Because it is not clear from the Petitions whether the 
industry support criteria have been met, Commerce has determined it 
should extend the time period for determining whether to initiate the 
AD and CVD investigations in order to further examine the issue of 
industry support.
    Commerce will need additional time to gather and analyze additional 
information regarding industry support. Therefore, it is necessary to 
extend the deadline for determining the adequacy of the Petitions by an 
additional 20 days. As a result, in accordance with sections 
702(c)(1)(B) and 732(c)(1)(B) of the Act, Commerce's initiation 
determinations will now be due no later than November 3, 2026.

International Trade Commission Notification

    Commerce will contact the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) 
and will make this extension notice available to the ITC.

    Dated: October 13, 2026.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.
[FR Doc. 2026-21285 Filed 10-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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