Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) from the People's Republic of China (China) 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.

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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 72520-72522]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22942]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A-570-227]


Polytetramethylene Ether Glycol From the People's Republic of 
China: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair 
Value

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 
People's Republic of China (China) 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: Daniel Saba or Kate Fracke, AD/CVD 
Operations, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-5849 or (202) 482-3299, 
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 
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).
    \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 in 
the Less-Than-Fair-Value 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 People's Republic of 
China,'' 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 China. 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. Pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, 
Commerce preliminarily has relied upon facts otherwise available, with 
adverse inferences, for the China-wide entity. 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\ In this case, because no respondent 
qualified for a separate rate, producer/exporter combination rates were 
not calculated.
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    \7\ See Initiation Notice, 91 FR at 241626-24167.
    \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://www.trade.gov/enforcement-and-compliance-policy-bulletins-0">https://www.trade.gov/enforcement-and-compliance-policy-bulletins-0</a>.
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Preliminary Determination

    Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated 
weighted-average dumping margin exists:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Estimated weighted-
           Producer                   Exporter          average dumping
                                                       margin (percent)
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China-Wide Entity............  .....................            * 213.44
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* Rate is based on total facts available with adverse inferences.

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 all Chinese producers/
exporters of subject merchandise, which are treated as part of the 
China-wide entity because they

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have not established eligibility for a separate rate, the cash deposit 
rate will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin 
established for the China-wide entity; and (2) for all third-county 
exporters of merchandise under consideration, the cash deposit rate is 
the cash deposit rate applicable to the China-wide entity that supplied 
that third-country exporter.
    These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect 
until further notice.

Disclosure

    Normally, Commerce discloses to interested parties the calculations 
performed in connection with a preliminary determination within five 
days of its 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). However, because Commerce 
preliminarily applied total adverse facts available (AFA) to the China-
wide entity in this investigation, in accordance with section 776 of 
the Act, and the applied AFA rate is based solely on the Petition, 
there are no calculations to disclose.

Verification

    Because no company has established separate rate eligibility, 
verification will not be conducted.

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 14 days after the date of publication of the preliminary 
determination in the Federal Register. 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 19 351.309(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.

Final Determination

    Section 735(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1) provide that 
Commerce will issue the final determination within 75 days after the 
date of its preliminary determination. Accordingly, Commerce will make 
its final determination no later than 75 days after the signature date 
of this preliminary determination.

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 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 (-CH2CH2CH2CH2-) interconnected 
through ether bonds (i.e., a single oxygen atom bonded to two carbon 
atoms), with a chemical formula HO{(CH2)4{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 
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

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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.

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. Application of Facts Available and Use of Adverse Information
VI. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2026-22942 Filed 11-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P


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