Document

Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin From the Sultanate of Oman: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2024-2025

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that OCTAL SAOC FZC (OCTAL), the mandatory respondent in this administrative review of the antidumping duty (...

Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
  1. [A-523-810]

AGENCY:

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

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that OCTAL SAOC FZC (OCTAL), the mandatory respondent in this administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET resin) from the Sultanate of Oman (Oman), did not sell subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025. Interested parties are invited to comment on the preliminary results of this administrative review.

DATES:

Applicable August 6, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dylan Hill, AD/CVD Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1197, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On May 6, 2016, Commerce published the AD order on PET resin from Oman in the Federal Register .[1] On May 5, ( printed page 50781) 2025, Commerce notified interested parties of an opportunity to request an administrative review of the Order covering the POR.[2] Based on timely requests for review, in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), on June 25, 2025, Commerce initiated an administrative review of the Order with respect to OCTAL covering the POR.[3]

Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by 47 days.[4] 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.[5] On March 24, 2026, Commerce extended the deadline for these preliminary results of review until July 31, 2026.[6]

For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this review, see the accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum.[7] A list of the topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is attached as an appendix 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 access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at access.trade.gov/​frnotices.

Scope of the Order

The merchandise covered by the Order is PET resin having an intrinsic viscosity of at least 0.70, but not more than 0.88, deciliters per gram. For a full description of the scope of the Order, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) the Act. In conducting the review, Commerce calculated export and constructed export prices and NV in accordance with sections 772 and 773 of the Act, respectively. For a full description of the methodology underlying the preliminary results of this review, including our reliance, in part, on facts otherwise available with adverse inferences pursuant to sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Results of Review

We preliminarily determine that the following weighted-average dumping margin exists for the period May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025:

Producer/exporter Weighted- average dumping margin (percent)
OCTAL SAOC FZC 0.00

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose its calculations for the preliminary results of review to parties to the proceeding within five days of any public announcement of the preliminary results or, if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Verification

DAK Americas LLC, Indorama Ventures USA, Inc., and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, America (collectively, the petitioners) requested that Commerce verify the information submitted by OCTAL in this administrative review, pursuant to 19 CFR 307(b)(1)(iv), if Commerce does not conduct an on-site verification of OCTAL in the 2023-2024 administrative review of the Order.[8] Commerce verified the information submitted by OCTAL in the 2023-2024 administrative review of the Order[9] and the petitioners did not contend that there was good cause to verify the information submitted by OCTAL in this administrative pursuant to section 782(i)(3)(B) of the Act. Therefore, the petitioners' request does not provide a basis for verification. However, pursuant to 19 CFR 307(b)(1)(iv), Commerce may verify the information submitted by OCTAL if it subsequently determines that there is good cause for verification.

Public Comment

Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.[10] Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(ii), we have modified the deadline for interested parties to submit case briefs to Commerce to no later than 21 days after the date of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register . Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the due date for filing case briefs.[11] 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.[12] All briefs must be filed electronically using ACCESS. An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety in ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the established deadline.

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 public, executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the public, executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final results in this administrative review. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the public, 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).[14]

( printed page 50782)

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register . 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 issues to be discussed at the hearing. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the case and rebuttal briefs. If a hearing is requested, Commerce will announce the date and time of the hearing. Parties should confirm the date and time of the hearing two days before the scheduled hearing date.

Final Results of Review

Unless otherwise extended, Commerce intends to issue the final results of this administrative review, which will include the results of its analysis of issues raised in any briefs, within 120 days of publication of these preliminary results of review in the Federal Register , pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act.[15]

Assessment Rates

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act, Commerce will determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise covered by this review in accordance with the final results of the review.[16] We will calculate importer-specific ad valorem assessment rates for OCTAL, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1),[17] by dividing the total amount of dumping calculated for all reviewed U.S. sales to an importer by the total entered value of the merchandise sold to the importer.[18] Where either OCTAL's ad valorem weighted-average dumping margin is zero or de minimis, or an importer-specific ad valorem assessment rate is zero or de minimis,[19] we will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.

Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register . If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( i.e., within 90 days of publication).

Pursuant to a refinement to Commerce's assessment practice, where OCTAL did not report a sale of subject merchandise in its U.S. sales database that it produced or exported, but the merchandise was entered into the United States for consumption during the POR, Commerce will instruct CBP to liquidate any entries of such merchandise at the all-others rate (in this case 7.62 percent) [20] if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction.[21]

Cash Deposit Requirements

The following cash deposit requirements will be in effect for all shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the notice of the final results of this administrative review in the Federal Register , as provided for by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for OCTAL will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established for the company in the final results of this review, except if the weighted-average dumping margin is less than 0.50 percent, and, therefore, de minimis within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.106(c)(1), the cash deposit rate will be zero; (2) for previously investigated or reviewed companies that are not covered by this review, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company's cash deposit rate from the most recently completed segment of the proceeding in which it was examined; (3) if the exporter is not covered by this review, and does not have a cash deposit rate from a completed segment of this proceeding, but the producer of the subject merchandise does have a cash deposit rate, then the cash deposit rate will be the producer's cash deposit rate from the most recently completed segment of the proceeding in which it was examined; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will continue to be 7.62 percent, the all-others rate established in the less-than-fair-value investigation in this proceeding.[22] These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Notification to Importers

This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in Commerce's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

Notification to Interested Parties

We are issuing and publishing these preliminary results of review in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(2) and 351.221(b)(4).

Dated: July 31, 2026.

Christopher Abbott,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.

Appendix—List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Scope of the Order

IV. Application of Facts Available and use of Adverse Inferences

V. Discussion of the Methodology

VI. Currency Conversion

VII. Recommendation

Footnotes

1.   See Certain Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin from Canada, the People's Republic of China, India, and the Sultanate of Oman: Amended Final Affirmative Antidumping Determination (Sultanate of Oman) and Antidumping Duty Orders, 81 FR 27979 (May 6, 2016) ( Order).

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2.   See Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review and Join Annual Inquiry Service List,90 FR 18692 (May 5, 2025).

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3.   See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews,90 FR 26967, 26973 (June 25, 2025) ( Initiation).

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4.   See Memorandum, “Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the Federal Government,” dated November 14, 2025.

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5.   See Memorandum, “Tolling of all Case Deadlines,” dated November 24, 2025.

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6.   See Memorandum, “Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,” dated March 24, 2026.

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7.   See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin from the Sultanate of Oman; 2024-2025,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).

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8.   See Petitioners' Letter, “Petitioners' Verification Request,” dated October 3, 2025.

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9.   See Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin From the Sultanate of Oman: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024,91 FR 28554 (May 18, 2026).

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11.   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).

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13.  We use the term “issue” here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

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14.   See APO and Service Final Rule.

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15.   See section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act; see also19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).

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16.   See section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act.

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17.  We applied the assessment rate calculation method adopted in Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted-Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping Proceedings: Final Modification,77 FR 8101 (February 14, 2012).

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20.   See Order, 81 FR at 27982.

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21.  For a full discussion of this practice, see Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Assessment of Antidumping Duties,68 FR 23954 (May 6, 2003).

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22.   See Order, 81 FR at 27982.

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[FR Doc. 2026-16009 Filed 8-5-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

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91 FR 50780

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“Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin From the Sultanate of Oman: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2024-2025,” thefederalregister.org (August 6, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-16009/polyethylene-terephthalate-resin-from-the-sultanate-of-oman-preliminary-results-of-antidumping-duty-administrative-revie.