Certain Wooden Fence Components From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation

Issuing agencies

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 215 (Monday, November 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 215 (Monday, November 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70851-70856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22763]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-243]


Certain Wooden Fence Components From the People's Republic of 
China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation

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

DATES: Applicable November 3, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Schmitt, Office III, AD/CVD 
Operations, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4880.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Petition

    On September 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
received an antidumping duty (AD) petition concerning imports of 
certain wooden fence components \1\ from the People's Republic of China 
(China), filed in proper form on behalf of the American Alliance of 
Wooden Fence Producers (the petitioner),\2\ the members of which are 
domestic producers of certain wooden fence components.\3\ The AD 
Petition was accompanied by a countervailing duty (CVD) petition 
concerning imports of certain wooden fence components from China.\4\
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    \1\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Notice of Change in Case Name,'' 
dated November 2, 2026; see also Memorandum, ``Product Name 
Change,'' dated November 3, 2026.
    \2\ The individual members of the American Alliance of Wooden 
Fence Producers (Alliance) are Alta Forest Products, Sierra Pacific 
Industries, and Mendocino Forest Products.
    \3\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Petitions for the Imposition of 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duties,'' dated September 24, 2026 
(Petition).
    \4\ Id.
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    On October 13, 2026, Commerce extended the initiation deadline by 
20 days to further examine the issue of industry support, because it 
was not clear from the Petition whether the industry support criteria 
had been met.\5\
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    \5\ See 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, 91 
FR 66106 (October 19, 2026) (Initiation Extension Notice).
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    Between September 29 and October 14, 2026, Commerce requested 
supplemental information pertaining to certain aspects of the Petition 
in supplemental questionnaires.\6\ Between October 4 and 21, 2026, the 
petitioner filed timely responses to these requests for additional 
information.\7\
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    \6\ See Commerce's Letters, ``General Issues Supplemental 
Questions,'' dated September 29, 2026 (First General Issues 
Supplemental Questionnaire); ``Second General Issues Supplemental 
Questions,'' dated October 8, 2026 (Second General Issues 
Supplemental Questionnaire); ``Third Supplemental Questions,'' dated 
October 14, 2026 (Third General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire); 
``Supplemental Questions,'' dated October 1, 2026 (First China AD 
Supplemental Questionnaire); and ``Second Supplemental Questions,'' 
dated October 14, 2026 (Second China AD Supplemental Questionnaire).
    \7\ See Petitioner's Letters, ``Petitioner Response to the 1st 
Supplemental Questionnaire Regarding Common Issues and Injury Volume 
I of the Petition,'' dated October 4, 2026 (First General Issues 
Supplement); ``Petitioner Response to the 2nd Supplemental 
Questionnaire Regarding Common Issues and Injury Volume I of the 
Petition,'' dated October 9, 2026 (Second General Issues 
Supplement); ``Petitioner Response to the 3rd Supplemental 
Questionnaire Regarding Common Issues and Injury Volume I of the 
Petition,'' dated October 19, 2026; ``Petitioner's Response to the 
1st Supplemental Questionnaire Regarding the People's Republic of 
China Volume II of the Petition,'' dated October 6, 2026 (First 
China AD Supplement); and ``Petitioner's Response to the 2nd 
Supplemental Questionnaire Regarding the People's Republic of China 
Volume II of the Petition,'' dated October 21, 2026 (Second China AD 
Supplement).
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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 certain 
wooden fence components from China 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 certain 
wooden fence components industry in the United States. Consistent with 
section 732(b)(1) of the Act, the Petition was accompanied by 
information reasonably available to the petitioner supporting its 
allegations.
    Commerce finds that the petitioner filed the Petition on behalf of 
the domestic industry, because the petitioner is an interested party, 
as defined in section 771(9)(F) of the Act.\8\ Commerce also finds that 
the petitioner demonstrated sufficient industry support for the 
initiation of the requested LTFV investigation.\9\
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    \8\ The members of the Alliance are interested parties within 
the meaning of section 771(9)(C) of the Act.
    \9\ See section on ``Determination of Industry Support for the 
Petition,'' infra.
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Period of Investigation (POI)

    Because the Petition was filed on September 24, 2026, and because 
China is a non-market economy (NME) country pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.204(b)(1), the POI for the LTFV investigation is January 1, 2026, 
through June 30, 2026.

Scope of the Investigation

    The products covered by this investigation are certain wooden fence 
components from China. For a full description of the scope of this 
investigation, see the appendix to this notice.

Comments on the Scope of the Investigation

    Between September 29 and October 14, 2026, Commerce requested 
information and clarification from the petitioner regarding the 
proposed scope to ensure that the scope language in the Petition is an 
accurate reflection of the products for which the domestic

[[Page 70852]]

industry is seeking relief.\10\ Between October 4 and 19, 2026, the 
petitioner provided clarifications and/or revised the scope.\11\ The 
description of merchandise covered by this investigation, as described 
in the appendix to this notice, reflects these clarifications.
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    \10\ See First General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire; see 
also Second General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire and Third 
General Issues Supplemental Questionnaire.
    \11\ See First General Issues Supplement at 1-8 and Exhibits I-
Supp-2 through Exhibit I-Supp-6; see also Second General Issues 
Supplement at 1-2; and Third General Issues Supplemental 
Questionnaire at 1.
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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).\12\ 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 determination. If scope comments include factual 
information, all such factual information should be limited to public 
information.\13\ 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 November 23, 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 December 3, 2026, which is 10 calendar days 
from the initial comment deadline.
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    \12\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) (Preamble); see also 19 CFR 
351.312.
    \13\ 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 this investigation be submitted 
during that period. However, if a party subsequently finds that 
additional factual information pertaining to the scope of the 
investigation 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 and CVD 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.\14\ An electronically filed document must be received 
successfully in its entirety by the time and date it is due.
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    \14\ 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/ACCESS%20Handbook%20on%20Electronic%20Filing%20Procedures_March2026.pdf">https://access.trade.gov/ACCESS%20Handbook%20on%20Electronic%20Filing%20Procedures_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 certain wooden fence 
components 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) accurately, as well as to develop 
appropriate product comparison criteria.
    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 November 23, 
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 December 3, 
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 LTFV investigation.

Determination of Industry Support for the Petition

    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,\15\ 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.\16\
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    \15\ See section 771(10) of the Act.
    \16\ 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 the investigation.\17\ Based on our analysis of

[[Page 70853]]

the information submitted on the record, we have determined that 
certain wooden fence components, as defined in the scope, constitute a 
single domestic like product, and we have analyzed industry support in 
terms of that domestic like product.\18\
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    \17\ For a discussion of the domestic like product analysis as 
applied to this case and information regarding industry support, see 
Checklist, ``Antidumping Duty Investigation Initiation Checklist: 
Certain Wooden Fence Components from the People's Republic of 
China,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice 
(China AD Initiation Checklist), at Attachment II, Analysis of 
Industry Support for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Petitions Covering Certain Wooden Fence Components from the People's 
Republic of China (Attachment II). This checklist is on file 
electronically via ACCESS.
    \18\ For further discussion, see Attachment II of the China AD 
Initiation Checklist.
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    As noted above, on October 13, 2026, Commerce extended the 
initiation deadline by 20 days to further examine the issue of industry 
support. 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 Petition with reference to the domestic like 
product as defined in the ``Scope of the Investigation,'' in the 
appendix to this notice. To establish industry support, the petitioner 
provided the 2025 production of the domestic like product for the U.S. 
producers that support the Petition and compared this to the estimated 
total production of the domestic like product by the U.S. certain 
wooden fence components industry.\19\ We relied on data provided by the 
petitioner for purposes of measuring industry support.\20\
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    \19\ Id.
    \20\ For further discussion, see Attachment II of the China AD 
Initiation Checklist.
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    Our review of the data provided in the Petition, the First General 
Issues Supplement, Third General Issues Supplement, and other 
information readily available to Commerce indicates that the petitioner 
has established industry support for the Petition.\21\ First, the 
Petition 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).\22\ 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 
Petition account for at least 25 percent of the total production of the 
domestic like product.\23\ 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 Petition 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 Petition.\24\ 
Accordingly, Commerce determines that the Petition was filed on behalf 
of the domestic industry within the meaning of section 732(b)(1) of the 
Act.\25\
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    \21\ Id.
    \22\ Id.; see also section 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act.
    \23\ See Attachment II of the China AD Initiation Checklist.
    \24\ Id.
    \25\ 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 threshold provided for under 
section 771(24)(A) of the Act.\26\
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    \26\ For further discussion, see China AD Initiation Checklist 
at Attachment III, Analysis of Allegations and Evidence of Material 
Injury and Causation for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Petitions Covering Certain Wooden Fence Components from the People's 
Republic of China.
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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; 
significant market share by subject imports and reduced market share 
for the domestic industry; underselling and price depression and 
suppression; negative impact on financial performance; lost sales and 
revenue; declines in production, U.S. shipments, capacity utilization, 
and employment variables; and the magnitude of the alleged dumping 
margins.\27\ We assessed the allegations and supporting evidence 
regarding material injury, threat of material injury, causation, as 
well as negligibility, and we have determined that these allegations 
are properly supported by adequate evidence, and meet the statutory 
requirements for initiation.\28\
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    \27\ Id.
    \28\ 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 investigation 
of imports of certain wooden fence components from China. 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 China AD 
Initiation Checklist.

U.S. Price

    The petitioner based export price (EP) on pricing information for 
certain wooden fence components produced in China and sold or offered 
for sale in the U.S. market.\29\ The petitioner made certain 
adjustments to U.S. price to calculate a net ex-factory U.S. price, 
where applicable.\30\
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    \29\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
    \30\ Id.
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Normal Value

    Commerce considers China to be an NME country.\31\ 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 as an NME country for 
purposes of the initiation of the LTFV investigation. 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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    \31\ See, e.g., 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, Mexico, and the Republic of 
T[uuml]rkiye (T[uuml]rkiye) 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.\32\ The petitioner provided 
publicly available information from Brazil, Mexico, and T[uuml]rkiye to 
value all FOPs.\33\ Based on the information provided by the 
petitioner, we believe it is appropriate to use Brazil, Mexico, and 
T[uuml]rkiye as surrogate countries for China to value all FOPs for 
initiation purposes.
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    \32\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
    \33\ 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 determination.

[[Page 70854]]

Factors of Production

    Because information regarding the volume of inputs consumed by 
Brazilian, Mexican, and Turkish producers/exporters was not reasonably 
available, the petitioner used the production experience and product-
specific consumption rates of a U.S. producer of certain wooden fence 
components as a surrogate to value Chinese manufacturers' FOPs.\34\ 
Additionally, the petitioner calculated factory overhead, selling, 
general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses, and profit based on the 
experiences of Brazilian and Turkish producers of comparable 
merchandise.\35\
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    \34\ Id.
    \35\ Id.
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Fair Value Comparisons

    Based on the data provided by the petitioner, there is reason to 
believe that imports of certain wooden fence components from China 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, after accounting for certain revisions made by Commerce, the 
estimated dumping margins for certain wooden fence components from 
China covered by this initiation range from (1) China (Brazil 
surrogate) 217.40 to 232.23 percent; (2) China (Mexico surrogate) 
122.64 to 131.81 percent; and (3) China (T[uuml]rkiye surrogate) 109.01 
to 117.41 percent.\36\
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    \36\ Id.
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Initiation of LTFV Investigation

    Based upon the examination of the Petition and supplemental 
responses, we find that they meet the requirements of section 732 of 
the Act. Therefore, we are initiating an LTFV investigation to 
determine whether imports of certain wooden fence components from China 
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 
determination no later than 140 days after the date of this initiation.

Respondent Selection

    In the Petition, the petitioner identified 80 companies in China as 
producers and/or exporters of certain wooden fence components.\37\ Our 
standard practice for respondent selection in an AD investigation 
involving an NME country is to select respondents based on quantity and 
value (Q&V) questionnaires in cases where Commerce 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 Petition, Commerce has determined that it will issue 
Q&V questionnaires to the largest producers and/or exporters that are 
identified in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection entry data for 
which there is complete address information on the record.\38\
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    \37\ See Petition at Volume I (pages 9-10 and Exhibit I-8); see 
also First General Issues Supplement at 1 and Exhibit I-Supp-1.
    \38\ See Memorandum, ``Release of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection Entry Data,'' dated November 3, 2026.
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    Commerce will 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>. Producers/exporters of certain wooden fence 
components from China 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 Chinese producers/
exporters no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on November 17, 2026, which is two 
weeks from the signature date of this notice. All Q&V questionnaire 
responses must be filed electronically via ACCESS. 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 
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>.

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.\39\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 
351.108(d)(1), the separate rate application will be due 21 days after 
publication of this initiation notice.\40\ Exporters and producers must 
file a timely separate rate application if they 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.\41\ Commerce requires that 
companies from China 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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    \39\ See Regulations Enhancing the Administration of the 
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Trade Remedy Laws, 89 FR 101694, 
101759-60 (December 16, 2024).
    \40\ See 19 CFR 351.108(d)(1).
    \41\ 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.\42\
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    \42\ 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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[[Page 70855]]

Distribution of Copies of the Petition

    In accordance with section 732(b)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 
351.202(f), a copy of the public version of the Petition has been 
provided to the Government of China via ACCESS. To the extent 
practicable, we will attempt to provide a copy of the public version of 
the Petition to each exporter named in the Petition, 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 Determination by the ITC

    The ITC will preliminarily determine, within 25 days after the date 
on which the ITC receives notice from Commerce of initiation of the 
investigation, whether there is a reasonable indication that imports of 
certain wooden fence components from China are materially injuring, or 
threatening material injury to, a U.S. industry.\43\ A negative ITC 
determination will result in the investigation being terminated.\44\ 
Otherwise, this LTFV investigation will proceed according to statutory 
and regulatory time limits.
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    \43\ See section 733(a) of the Act.
    \44\ 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 \45\ 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.\46\ 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 this investigation.
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    \45\ See 19 CFR 351.301(b).
    \46\ See 19 CFR 351.301(b)(2).
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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.\47\ 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 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 this investigation.\48\
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    \47\ 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>.
    \48\ 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 or CVD proceeding 
must certify to the accuracy and completeness of that information.\49\ 
Parties must use the certification formats provided in 19 CFR 
351.303(g).\50\ Commerce intends to reject factual submissions if the 
submitting party does not comply with the applicable certification 
requirements.
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    \49\ See section 782(b) of the Act.
    \50\ See Certification of Factual Information to Import 
Administration During Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 17, 2023) (Final Rule). Additional 
information regarding the Final Rule is available at <a href="https://www.trade.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/FAQ%20for%20Certifications.pdf?v=1787683944756">https://www.trade.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/FAQ%20for%20Certifications.pdf?v=1787683944756</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 this investigation 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).\51\
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    \51\ 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: November 3, 2026.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.

Appendix

Scope of the Investigation

    The scope of this investigation includes certain wooden fence 
components (commonly referred to as pickets), finished and 
unfinished, whether assembled or unassembled. Wooden fence pickets 
included in this scope are made of one or more wood species, 
typically from Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese Cedar or Sugi), but 
can also be made from other wood species, including but not limited 
to Western Red Cedar, Redwood, Incense Cedar, Douglas Fir, Western 
Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese Fir). 
Wooden fence pickets are included within the scope of this 
investigation regardless of form or shape, including, but not 
limited to flat top (also known as square or square top), pointed, 
dog ear, gothic (including but not limited to French gothic, French 
gothic blunt point) and stockade.
    Generally, assembled wooden fence pickets contain at least one 
fence picket attached to one or more cross rails, framing lumber, or 
other fencing materials, and can include fully pre-assembled fence 
panels. Unassembled wooden fence pickets consist of one or more 
wooden fence pickets, not attached to any framing lumber, whether 
sold individually, bundled, or in a kit with framing lumber.
    The finished products covered by the scope of this investigation 
have the following dimensions: a thickness of no more than 1 inch, a 
width of no more than 12 inches, and a length of at least 3 feet. 
The products covered by the scope are typically a length of 5 feet, 
6 feet, or 8 feet when finished.
    Wooden fence pickets are included within the scope of this 
investigation regardless of whether they have been painted, stained, 
pressure-treated, or otherwise coated or

[[Page 70856]]

treated. Subject merchandise also includes wooden fence pickets that 
have been further processed in a third country, including but not 
limited to trimming, cutting, notching, sanding, planing or any 
other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise 
from the scope of this investigation if performed in the country of 
manufacture of the in-scope product.
    Excluded from the scope of this investigation are wooden fence 
pickets made exclusively of bamboo (including, but not limited to, 
Phyllostachys edulis, Bambusa textilis, and Bambusa oldhamii), 
Brazilian Pine (Paran[aacute] pine), or Southern Yellow Pine 
(including Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata), Slash Pine (Pinus 
ellioti), Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris), or Loblolly Pine (Pinus 
taeda)).
    Also excluded from the scope of this investigation are wood 
mouldings and millwork products covered by the antidumping and 
countervailing duty orders on wood mouldings and millwork products 
from the People's Republic of China. See Wood Mouldings and Millwork 
Products from the People's Republic of China: Amended Final 
Antidumping Duty Determination and Antidumping Duty Order, 86FR 9486 
(February 16, 2021) (amended final antidumping duty determination 
and antidumping duty order); Wood Mouldings and Millwork Products 
from the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 86 
FR 9484 (February 16, 2021) (countervailing duty order).
    Imports of subject merchandise are typically classified under 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) statistical 
numbers 4404.10.0040, 4407.19.0092, 4421.99.7020, and 4421.99.7040. 
Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and 
customs purposes, the written description of the scope of this 
investigation is dispositive.

[FR Doc. 2026-22763 Filed 11-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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