Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 216 (Tuesday, November 10, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72526-72529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22939]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-552-855]


Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol From the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than 
Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension of 
Provisional Measures

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily 
determines that polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) from the 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) is being, or is likely to be, 
sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of 
investigation (POI) is October 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. 
Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary 
determination.

DATES: Applicable November 10, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Janz or Isabella Przybylo, 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) 482-2972 or (202) 
482-1079, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 
733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce 
published the notice of initiation of this investigation on May 5, 
2026.\1\ On August 28, 2026, Commerce postponed the preliminary

[[Page 72527]]

determination of this investigation and the revised deadline is now 
November 4, 2026.\2\
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    \1\ See 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, 91 FR 24162 (May 5, 2026) (Initiation Notice); see 
also 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; 
Correction, 91 FR 27266 (May 14, 2026) (correcting a typographical 
error in the Initiation Notice with respect to the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheadings in the scope of 
the investigations).
    \2\ See Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol from the People's 
Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations of 
Antidumping Duty Investigations, 91 FR 55514 (August 28, 2026).
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    For a complete description of the events that followed the 
initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum.\3\ A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision 
Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The Preliminary 
Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically 
via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty 
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS), 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 Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly 
at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/frnotices">https://access.trade.gov/frnotices</a>.
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    \3\ See Memorandum, ``Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary 
Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation 
of Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol from the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this 
notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Investigation

    The product covered by this investigation is PTMEG from Vietnam. 
For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see 
Appendix I.

Scope Comments

    In accordance with the Preamble to Commerce's regulations,\4\ the 
Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise 
issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope).\5\ Certain interested 
parties commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in 
the Initiation Notice. For a summary of the product coverage comments 
and rebuttal responses submitted to the record for this investigation, 
and accompanying discussion and analysis of all comments timely 
received, see the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum.\6\ Commerce is 
preliminarily not modifying the scope language as it appeared in the 
Initiation Notice. See the scope in Appendix I to this notice.
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    \4\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) (Preamble).
    \5\ See Initiation Notice, 91 FR at 24163.
    \6\ See Memorandum, ``Less-than-Fair-Value Investigations of 
Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol from the People's Republic of China, 
the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and the Socialist Republic of 
Vietnam: Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum,'' dated concurrently 
with this preliminary determination (Preliminary Scope Decision 
Memorandum).
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Methodology

    Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with 
section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export prices and 
constructed export prices in accordance with sections 772(a) and (b) of 
the Act, respectively. Because Vietnam is a non-market economy, within 
the meaning of section 771(18) of the Act, Commerce has calculated 
normal value in accordance with section 773(c) of the Act. For a full 
description of the methodology underlying Commerce's preliminary 
determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Combination Rates

    In the Initiation Notice,\7\ Commerce stated that it would 
calculate producer/exporter combination rates for the respondents that 
are eligible for a separate rate in this investigation. Policy Bulletin 
05.1 describes this practice.\8\
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    \7\ See Initiation Notice, 91 FR at 24167.
    \8\ See Enforcement and Compliance's Policy Bulletin No. 05.1, 
regarding, ``Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination 
Rates in Antidumping Investigations involving Non-Market Economy 
Countries,'' (April 5, 2005) (Policy Bulletin 05.1), available on 
Commerce's website at <a href="https://enforcement.trade.gov/policy/bull05-1.pdf">https://enforcement.trade.gov/policy/bull05-1.pdf</a>.
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Preliminary Determination

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Estimated weighted-
           Producer                   Exporter          average dumping
                                                       margin (percent)
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Hyosung Dong Nai Company       Hyosung Dong Nai                    36.55
 Limited.                       Company Limited.
Vietnam-Wide Entity..........  .....................               36.55
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Suspension of Liquidation

    In accordance with section 733(d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will 
direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation 
of entries of subject merchandise, as described in Appendix I, entered, 
or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Further, pursuant 
to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will 
instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the estimated weighted-
average dumping margin, as follows: (1) for the producer/exporter 
combination listed in the table above, the cash deposit rate is equal 
to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin listed for that 
combination in the table; (2) for all combinations of Vietnamese 
producers/exporters of the merchandise under consideration that have 
not established eligibility for their own separate rates, the cash 
deposit rate will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping 
margin established for the Vietnam-wide entity; and (3) for all third-
county exporters of the merchandise under consideration not listed in 
the table above, the cash deposit rate is the cash deposit rate 
applicable to the Vietnam producer/exporter combination (or Vietnam-
wide entity) that supplied that third-country exporter.
    These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect 
until further notice.

Disclosure

    Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis 
performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination 
within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no public 
announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this 
notice in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
    Consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will analyze and, if 
appropriate, correct any timely allegations of significant ministerial 
errors by amending the preliminary determination. However, consistent 
with 19 CFR 351.224(d), Commerce will not consider incomplete 
allegations that do not address the significance standard under 19 CFR 
351.224(g) following the preliminary determination. Instead, Commerce 
will address such allegations in the final determination together with 
issues raised in the case briefs or other written comments.

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Verification

    As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to 
verify information relied upon in making its final determination.

Public Comment

    Non-scope related case briefs or other written comments may be 
submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no 
later than seven days after the date on which the last final 
verification report is issued in this investigation. A timeline for the 
submission of case briefs and written comments will be notified to 
interested parties at a later date. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues 
raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after 
the date for filing case briefs.\9\ Interested parties who submit case 
briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table 
of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.\10\
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    \9\ See 19 CFR 351.309(d); see also Administrative Protective 
Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 
2023) (APO and Service Final Rule).
    \10\ See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
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    As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2)(iii) and (d)(2)(iii), we 
request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their 
briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their 
briefs.\11\ Further, we request that interested parties limit their 
executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not 
including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the 
basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision 
memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this 
investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for 
relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that 
Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the 
service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).\12\
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    \11\ We use the term ``issue'' here to describe an argument that 
Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and 
Decision Memorandum.
    \12\ See APO and Service Final Rule.
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    Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to 
request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal 
briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for 
Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days 
after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain: 
(1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of 
participants and whether any participant is a foreign national; and (3) 
a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is 
made, Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be 
determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and 
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.

Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional 
Measures

    Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides that a final determination 
may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the date of the 
publication of the preliminary determination if, in the event of an 
affirmative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement 
is made by exporters who account for a significant proportion of 
exports of the subject merchandise, or in the event of a negative 
preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is made by 
the petitioner. Section 351.210(e)(2) of Commerce's regulations 
requires that a request by exporters for postponement of the final 
determination be accompanied by a request for extension of provisional 
measures from a four-month period to a period not more than six months 
in duration.
    On October 21, 2026, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e), Hyosung Dong 
Nai Company Limited (Hyosung Dong Nai) requested that Commerce postpone 
the final determination and that provisional measures be extended to a 
period not to exceed six months.\13\ In accordance with section 
735(a)(2)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) the 
preliminary determination is affirmative; (2) the requesting exporter 
accounts for a significant proportion of exports of the subject 
merchandise; and (3) no compelling reasons for denial exist, Commerce 
is postponing the final determination and extending the provisional 
measures from a four-month period to a period not greater than six 
months. Accordingly, Commerce will make its final determination no 
later than 135 days after the date of publication of this preliminary 
determination.
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    \13\ See Hyosung Dong Nai's Letter, ``Request to Extend Final 
Determination,'' dated October 21, 2026.
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U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

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

Notification to Interested Parties

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

    Dated: November 4, 2026.
Scot Fullerton,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing 
Duty Operations.

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

    The merchandise covered by the investigation is 
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} nOH. 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 
investigation.
    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

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would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the 
investigation 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 investigation.
    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 3404.90.5150. Although the HTSUS subheading and CAS 
registry number are provided for convenience and customs purposes, 
the written description of the scope is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Discussion of the Methodology
V. Currency Conversion
VI. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2026-22939 Filed 11-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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