SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On April 28, 2026, Commerce published in the Federal Register its preliminary affirmative determination in the LTFV investigation of solar cells from Laos.^[1] On April 29, 2026, the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade (the petitioner) timely alleged that Commerce made significant ministerial errors in calculating Solarspace Technology (Laos) Sole Co., Ltd.'s (Solarspace's) preliminary estimated weighted-average dumping margin.^[2]

Scope of the Investigation

The products covered by this investigation are solar cells from Laos. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, see the Preliminary Determination.^[3]

Legal Framework

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will correct any significant ministerial error by amending the preliminary determination. A ministerial error is defined as including errors “in addition, subtraction, or other arithmetic function, clerical error resulting from inaccurate copying, duplication, or the like, and any other similar type of unintentional error which {Commerce} considers ministerial.” ^[4] A ministerial error is considered to be “significant” if its correction, either singly or in combination with other errors, would result in: (1) a change of at least five absolute percentage points in, but not less than 25 percent of, the weighted-average dumping margin calculated in the preliminary determination; or (2) a difference between a weighted-average dumping margin of zero (or de minimis) and a weighted-average dumping margin of greater than de minimis or vice versa.^[5]

Analysis of Significant Ministerial Errors

The petitioner alleges that Commerce: (1) erred by relying on surrogate value (SV) data for a 12-month period, instead of the six-month POI; and (2) failed to convert the truck freight SV reported on a per-kilogram basis to the same square meter basis as the SV for solar glass.^[6] We find that the petitioner's allegations constitute significant ministerial errors within the meaning of section 735(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.224(f) and (g)(1), because correcting for these errors increases Solarspace's preliminary weighted-average dumping margin from 22.46 to 33.57 percent, which is a change that is at least five absolute percentage points in, but not less than 25 percent of, the weighted-average dumping margin calculated for Solarspace in the Preliminary Determination. Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.224(e), we are amending the Preliminary Determination to correct these significant ministerial errors and revise the weighted-average dumping margin for Solarspace.

Further, because we assigned Solarspace's weighted-average dumping margin to the non-individually examined separate rate respondents and the Laos-wide entity, Commerce is also amending its Preliminary Determination for the non-examined separate rate companies and the Laos-wide entity. For a detailed discussion of the alleged significant ministerial errors, as well as Commerce's analysis, see the Ministerial Error Memorandum.^[7]

Finally, we are correcting the name of the producer of the merchandise exported by separate rate respondent SolarSpace Technology (Hong Kong) Limited to be Solarspace Technology (Laos) Sole Co., Ltd. in the producer/exporter combination listed in the table below.^[8]

Amended Preliminary Determination

As a result of correcting these significant ministerial errors, Commerce determines the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist: ( printed page 30620)

Disclosure

We intend to disclose the calculations performed for this amended preliminary determination to parties within five days after 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).

Amended Cash Deposits and Suspension of Liquidation

The collection of cash deposits and suspension of liquidation will be revised according to the rates established in this amended preliminary determination, in accordance with section 773(d) of the Act. Because this amended preliminary determination results in increased cash deposit rates, these rates will be effective on the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register . These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice.

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification

In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, we intend to notify the ITC of our amended preliminary determination.

Notification to Interested Parties

This amended preliminary determination is issued and published in accordance with sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.224(e).

91 FR 30619