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 September 8, 2025.^[1] Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by 47 days.^[2] Additionally, due to a backlog of documents that were electronically filed via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS) during the Federal Government shutdown, on November 24, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by an additional 21 days.^[3] On February 18, 2026, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination of this investigation and the revised deadline is now May 18, 2026.^[4]

For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.^[5] 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 ACCESS. ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/​frnotices.

Scope of the Investigation

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

Scope Comments

In accordance with the Preamble to Commerce's regulations,^[6] the Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage ( i.e., scope).^[7] 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 preliminary determination, and accompanying discussion and analysis of all comments timely received, see the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum.^[8] Commerce is not preliminarily modifying the scope language as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. See the scope in Appendix I to this notice.

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 731 of the Act. Constructed export ( printed page 31419) prices have been calculated in accordance with section 772(b) of the Act. Normal value is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. In addition, Commerce has relied on partial facts available under section 776(a)(1) of the Act and partial adverse facts available under sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act for Bracell Bahia Specialty Cellulose S.A. (BSC) and Bracell SP Celulose Ltda. (BSP) (collectively, Bracell). For a full description of the methodology underlying the preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

All-Others Rate

Sections 733(d)(1)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that in the preliminary determination Commerce shall determine an estimated all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under section 776 of the Act.

Commerce calculated an individual estimated weighted-average dumping margin for Bracell, the only individually examined exporter/producer in this investigation. Because the only individually calculated dumping margin is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts otherwise available, the estimated weighted-average dumping margin calculated for Bracell is the estimated weighted-average dumping margin assigned to all other producers and exporters, pursuant to section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act.

Preliminary Determination

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

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 for estimated antidumping duties, as follows: (1) the cash deposit rate for subject merchandise exported by Bracell will be equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-average dumping margin determined in this preliminary determination; (2) if the exporter is not a company identified above, but the producer is, then the cash deposit rate will be equal to the company-specific estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for that producer of the subject merchandise; and (3) the cash deposit rate for all other producers and exporters will be equal to the all-others estimated weighted-average dumping margin.

Commerce normally adjusts cash deposits for estimated antidumping duties by the amount of export subsidies countervailed in a companion countervailing duty (CVD) proceeding, when CVD provisional measures are in effect. Accordingly, where Commerce preliminarily made an affirmative determination for countervailable export subsidies, Commerce has offset the estimated weighted-average dumping margin by the appropriate CVD rate. Any such adjusted cash deposit rate may be found in the “Preliminary Determination” section above.

Should provisional measures in the companion CVD investigation expire prior to the expiration of provisional measures in this LTFV investigation, Commerce will direct CBP to begin collecting estimated antidumping duty cash deposits unadjusted for countervailed export subsidies at the time that the provisional CVD measures expire. 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.

Verification

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

Public Comment

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 verification report is issued in this investigation.^[10] 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.^[11] Interested parties who submit case or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities.^[12]

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.^[13] 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 ( printed page 31420) the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).^[14]

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 May 12, 2026, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e), Bracell requested that Commerce postpone the final determination and that provisional measures be extended to a period not to exceed six months.^[15] 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.

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. 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 these imports 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).

Appendix I

Scope of the Investigation

The merchandise subject to this investigation is high purity dissolving pulp, which is a dissolving pulp with an alpha cellulose percentage of 90 percent by weight or higher on an oven dry basis, as calculated by: alpha cellulose percentage = (100−S10) + 0.5 * (S10−S18) where S10 and S18 values are determined by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 692:1982, and having a brightness level of 90 percent or higher, as measured by ISO 2470-1:2016. High purity dissolving pulp may be derived from any virgin or recycled cellulose fiber source (including, but not limited to, those sourced from hardwoods, softwoods, woody crops, agricultural crops/byproducts/residue, and agricultural/industrial/other waste). High purity dissolving pulp may be produced from a chemical pulping process including without limitation a kraft (sulfate) pulping and/or sulfite pulping process.

High purity dissolving pulp can be shipped in any form, including, but not limited to, a liquid slurry or in any dried form such as flakes, powder, granules, pellets, shreds, rolls and sheets.

The scope includes merchandise matching the above description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise processed in a third country, including but not limited to processes such as commingling, blending, diluting, repackaging, or any other process that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the subject country. The scope also includes high purity dissolving pulp that is commingled or blended with high purity dissolving pulp from sources not subject to this investigation. Only the subject component of such commingled or blended products is covered by the scope of this investigation.

Excluded from the scope is high purity dissolving pulp with an intrinsic viscosity under 455 milliliters per gram (mL/g), as measured by ISO 5351:2010.

Also excluded from the scope is cotton linters pulp that consists of at least 90 percent by weight, on an oven-dried basis, of cotton linters fibers.

High purity dissolving pulp products are classified under subheadings 4702.00.0020 and 4702.00.0040 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). High purity dissolving pulp products may also enter under subheadings 4706.30.0000 or 4706.92.0100. Reference to the HTSUS classifications is provided for convenience and customs purposes, and the written description of the merchandise under investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Period of Investigation

IV. Affiliation and Single Entity Treatment

V. Application of Facts Available and Use of Adverse Inference

VI. Discussion of the Methodology

VII. Adjustments to Cash Deposit Rates for Export Subsidies in the Companion Countervailing Duty Investigation

VIII. Currency Conversion

IX. Recommendation

91 FR 31418