SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 25, 2016, Commerce published a countervailing duty (CVD) order on CORE from Korea.^[1] On August 22, 2025, based on timely requests for review, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(c)(1)(i), Commerce initiated an administrative review of the Order.^[2] On September 30, 2025, Commerce selected Hyundai Steel Company (Hyundai Steel) and KG Dongbu Steel Co., Ltd (KG Dongbu Steel) as the mandatory respondents in this review.^[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 May 14, 2026, we extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this review until September 30, 2026.^[6] On September 25, 2026, we extended the deadline for the preliminary results of this review an additional five days.^[7] Accordingly, the deadline for these preliminary results is now October 5, 2026.

For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.^[8] A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is provided in Appendix I. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via ACCESS, which 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 product covered by the Order is CORE from Korea. For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Recission of Administrative Review, In Part

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), Commerce will rescind an administrative review, in whole or in part, if all parties that requested the review withdraw their requests within 90 days of the date of publication of the notice of initiation of the requested review. Commerce received a timely-filed withdrawal request with respect to Dongkuk CM. Because the withdrawal request was timely filed, and no other parties requested a review of this ( printed page 64354) company, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.213(d)(1), Commerce is rescinding this review of the Order with respect to Dongkuk CM.

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this administrative review in accordance with 751(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). For each of the subsidy programs found countervailable, Commerce preliminarily determines that there is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an “authority” that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific.^[9] For a full description of the methodology underlying our preliminary results, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Rate for Non-Individually Examined Companies

The Act does not address the establishment of a rate to apply to companies not selected for individual examination when Commerce limits its examination in an administrative review pursuant to section 777A(e)(2) of the Act. However, Commerce's regulation at 19 CFR 351.109(g) states that Commerce will determine the rate for non-selected companies by following the process set forth in 19 CFR 351.109(f)(1)-(2), which generally parallels the process for determining the all-others rate in an investigation under section 705(c)(5) of the Act. Section 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.109(f) state that for companies not investigated, in general, we will determine an all-others rate by weight averaging the countervailable subsidy rates established for each of the companies individually investigated, excluding zero and de minimis rates or any rates based entirely on facts available.

Accordingly, to determine the rate for companies not selected for individual examination, Commerce's practice is to weight-average the net subsidy rates for the selected mandatory respondents, excluding rates that are zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts available.^[10] In this administrative review, we preliminarily calculated countervailable subsidy rates for the mandatory respondents, Hyundai Steel and KG Dongbu Steel, that are not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts available. Accordingly, we are preliminarily assigning to the companies under review that were not selected for individual examination a countervailable subsidy rate equal to the weighted average of the countervailable subsidy rates calculated for Hyundai Steel and KG Dongbu Steel, weighted by the mandatory respondents' publicly ranged sales values for the merchandise under consideration, consistent with the guidance in section 705(c)(5)(A)(i) of the Act.^[11]

Preliminary Results of Review

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(i), we preliminarily determine the following net countervailable subsidy rates exist for the POR, January 01, 2024, through December 31, 2024.

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed to interested parties for these preliminary results 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 the Federal Register , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Public Comment

Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Interested parties will be notified of the timeline for the submission of case briefs and written comments 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.^[15] 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.^[16] 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.^[17] 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 results in this administrative review. 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).^[18]

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. 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. Oral presentations at the hearing will be ( printed page 64355) limited to issues raised in the briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce will inform parties of the scheduled date for the hearing.^[19]

Assessment Rates

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(i), we preliminarily assigned subsidy rates in the amounts shown above for the producers/exporters shown above. Upon completion of the administrative review, consistent with section 751(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(2), Commerce shall determine, and CBP shall assess, countervailing duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review, for the above-listed companies.

For the companies for which this review is rescinded, Commerce will instruct CBP to assess countervailing duties on all appropriate entries at a rate equal to the cash deposit of estimated countervailing duties required at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption, during the period January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(c)(l)(i). We intend to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register .

Cash Deposit Requirements

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.107(e), Commerce intends to instruct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties with regard to shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this review, as follows: (1) the cash deposit rate for the companies listed above will be equal to the company-specific estimated individual countervailable subsidy rates determined in the final results of this review, except if the rate is less than 0.50 percent and, therefore, de minimis within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.106(c)(1), in which case the cash deposit rate will be zero; (2) if both the producer and exporter of the subject merchandise have company-specific estimated subsidy rates assigned, and their rates differ, then the applicable cash deposit rate will be the higher of these two rates; (3) if either the producer or the exporter, but not both, of the subject merchandise has a company-specific estimated subsidy rate assigned, the applicable cash deposit rate will be that company's company-specific rate; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers and exporters will be continue to be 1.19 percent, the all-others subsidy rate established in the investigation.^[20] These cash deposit instructions, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

Final Results

Unless otherwise extended, we intend to issue the final results of this administrative review, which will include the results of our analysis of the issues raised in the case briefs, within 120 days of publication of these preliminary results in the Federal Register , pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h).

Notification to Interested Parties

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

Appendix I

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Period of Review

IV. Scope of the Order

V. Diversification of Korea's Economy

VI. Subsidies Valuation Information

VII. Analysis of Programs

VIII. Recommendation

Appendix II

Non-Selected Companies Under Review

1. POSCO

2. POSCO International

3. POSCO Coated & Color Steel Co., Ltd.

4. POSCO Steeleon Co., Ltd.

5. SeAH Coated Metal

6. SeAH Steel Corporation

7. TCC Steel Corp.

91 FR 64353