[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 54 (Friday, March 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13568-13573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05535]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-570-223]
Truck Bed Covers From the People's Republic of China: Initiation
of a Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
DATES: Applicable March 17, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Crespo at (202) 482-3693 or
Sofia Pedrelli at (202) 482-4310, AD/CVD Operations, Enforcement and
Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Petition
On February 25, 2026 the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)
received an antidumping duty (AD) petition concerning imports of truck
bed covers from the People's Republic of China (China) filed in proper
form on behalf of RealTruck (the petitioner),\1\ a domestic producer of
truck bed covers.\2\ The AD Petition was accompanied by a
countervailing duty (CVD) Petition concerning imports of truck bed
covers from China.\3\
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\1\ The petitioner is RealTruck, Inc., Laurmark Enterprises,
Inc. (d/b/a BAK Industries), Undercover, Inc., Retrax Holdings, LLC,
Truxedo, Inc., Extang Corporation, A.R.E. Accessories LLC, and Roll-
N-Lock Corporation (collectively, RealTruck).
\2\ See Petitioner's Letter, ``Antidumping and Countervailing
Duty Petitions,'' dated February 25, 2026 (Petition).
\3\ Id.
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Between March 3 and 11, 2026, Commerce requested supplemental
information pertaining to certain aspects of the Petition in
supplemental questionnaires.\4\ Between March 6, and 12, 2026, the
petitioner filed timely
[[Page 13569]]
responses to these requests for additional information.\5\
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\4\ See Commerce's Letters, ``Supplemental Questions,'' dated
March 3, 2026 (First General Issues Questionnaire); ``Supplemental
Questions,'' dated March 3, 2026 (First China AD Supplemental
Questionnaire); ``Supplemental Questions,'' dated March 10, 2026
(Second General Issues Questionnaire); and ``Supplemental
Questions,'' dated March 11, 2026 (Second China AD Supplemental
Questionnaire).
\5\ See Petitioner's Letters, ``Amendments to Antidumping and
Countervailing Duty Petitions; Volume SI--General Issues and
Injury,'' dated March 6, 2026 (First General Issues Supplement);
``Amendments to Antidumping Duty Petition; Volume SII--China AD''
(First China AD Supplement), dated March 6, 2026; ``Amendments to
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions; Volume SSI--General
Issues and Injury,'' dated March 12, 2026 (Second General Issues
Supplement); and ``Amendments to Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Petitions; Volume SSII--China AD,'' dated March 12, 2026 (Second
China AD Supplement).''
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In accordance with section 732(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended (the Act), the petitioner alleges that imports of truck bed
covers from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United
States at less than fair value (LTFV) within the meaning of section 731
of the Act, and that imports of such products are materially injuring,
or threatening material injury to, the truck bed covers industry in the
United States. Consistent with section 732(b)(1) of the Act, the
Petition was accompanied by information reasonably available to the
petitioner supporting its allegations.
Commerce finds that the petitioner filed the Petition on behalf of
the domestic industry, because the petitioner is an interested party,
as defined in section 771(9)(C) of the Act. Commerce also finds that
the petitioner demonstrated sufficient industry support for the
initiation of the requested LTFV investigation.\6\
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\6\ See section on ``Determination of Industry Support for the
Petition,'' infra.
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Period of Investigation
Because the Petition was filed on February 25, 2026, and because
China is a non-market economy (NME) country, pursuant to 19 CFR
351.204(b)(1), the period of investigation (POI) is July 1, 2025
through December 31, 2025.
Scope of the Investigation
The products covered by this investigation are truck bed covers
from China. For a full description of the scope of this investigation,
see the appendix to this notice.
Comments on the Scope of the Investigation
On March 3 and 10, 2026, Commerce requested information and
clarification from the petitioner regarding the proposed scope to
ensure that the scope language in the Petition is an accurate
reflection of the products for which the domestic industry is seeking
relief.\7\ On March 6 and 12, 2026, the petitioner provided
clarifications and revised the scope.\8\ The description of merchandise
covered by these investigation, as described in the appendix to this
notice, reflects these clarifications.
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\7\ See First General Issues Questionnaire; see also Second
General Issues Questionnaire.
\8\ See First General Issues Supplement at 2-7 and Exhibit SI-1;
see also Second General Issues Supplement at 1-4 and Exhibit SSI-1.
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As discussed in the Preamble to Commerce's regulations, we are
setting aside a period for interested parties to raise issues regarding
product coverage (i.e., scope).\9\ Commerce will consider all scope
comments received from interested parties and, if necessary, will
consult with interested parties prior to the issuance of the
preliminary determinations. If scope comments include factual
information,\10\ all such factual information should be limited to
public information. Commerce requests that interested parties provide
at the beginning of their scope comments a public executive summary for
each comment or issue raised in their submission. Commerce further
requests that interested parties limit their public executive summary
of each comment or issue to no more than 450 words, not including
citations. Commerce intends to use the public executive summaries as
the basis of the comment summaries included in the analysis of scope
comments. To facilitate preparation of its questionnaires, Commerce
requests that scope comments be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
(ET) on April 6, 2026, which is 20 calendar days from the signature
date of this notice. Any rebuttal comments, which may include factual
information, and should also be limited to public information, must be
filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on April 16, 2026, which is 10 calendar days from
the initial comment deadline.
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\9\ See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule,
62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) (Preamble); see also 19 CFR
351.312.
\10\ See 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) (defining ``factual
information'').
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Commerce requests that any factual information that parties
consider relevant to the scope of this investigation be submitted
during that period. However, if a party subsequently finds that
additional factual information pertaining to the scope of the
investigation may be relevant, the party must contact Commerce and
request permission to submit the additional information. All scope
comments must be filed simultaneously on the records of the concurrent
LTFV and CVD investigations.
Filing Requirements
All submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically via
Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS), unless an exception
applies.\11\ An electronically filed document must be received
successfully in its entirety by the time and date it is due.
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\11\ See Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings:
Electronic Filing Procedures; Administrative Protective Order
Procedures, 76 FR 39263 (July 6, 2011); see also Enforcement and
Compliance: Change of Electronic Filing System Name, 79 FR 69046
(November 20, 2014) for details of Commerce's electronic filing
requirements, effective August 5, 2011. Information on using ACCESS
can be found at https://access.trade.gov/help.aspx and a handbook
can be found at https://access.trade.gov/help/Handbook_on_Electronic_Filing_Procedures.pdf.
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Comments on Product Characteristics
Commerce is providing interested parties an opportunity to comment
on the appropriate physical characteristics of truck bed covers to be
reported in response to Commerce's AD questionnaires. This information
will be used to identify the key physical characteristics of the
subject merchandise in order to report the relevant factors of
production (FOP) accurately, as well as to develop appropriate product
comparison criteria.
Interested parties may provide any information or comments that
they feel are relevant to the development of an accurate list of
physical characteristics. In order to consider the suggestions of
interested parties in developing and issuing the AD questionnaires, all
product characteristics comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on April
6, 2026 which is 20 calendar days from the signature date of this
notice. Any rebuttal comments must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on April
16, 2026, which is 10 calendar days from the initial comment deadline.
All comments and submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically
using ACCESS, as explained above, on the record of the LTFV
investigation.
Determination of Industry Support for the Petition
Section 732(b)(1) of the Act requires that a petition be filed on
behalf of the domestic industry. Section 732(c)(4)(A) of the Act
provides that a petition meets this requirement if the domestic
producers or workers who support the petition account for: (i) at least
25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product; and
(ii) more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like
product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support
for, or opposition to, the petition. Moreover, section 732(c)(4)(D) of
the Act provides that, if the petition
[[Page 13570]]
does not establish support of domestic producers or workers accounting
for more than 50 percent of the total production of the domestic like
product, Commerce shall: (i) poll the industry or rely on other
information in order to determine if there is support for the petition,
as required by subparagraph (A); or (ii) determine industry support
using a statistically valid sampling method to poll the ``industry.''
Section 771(4)(A) of the Act defines the ``industry'' as the
producers as a whole of a domestic like product. Thus, to determine
whether a petition has the requisite industry support, the statute
directs Commerce to look to producers and workers who produce the
domestic like product. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC),
which is responsible for determining whether ``the domestic industry''
has been injured, must also determine what constitutes a domestic like
product in order to define the industry. While both Commerce and the
ITC must apply the same statutory definition regarding the domestic
like product,\12\ they do so for different purposes and pursuant to a
separate and distinct authority. In addition, Commerce's determination
is subject to limitations of time and information. Although this may
result in different definitions of the like product, such differences
do not render the decision of either agency contrary to law.\13\
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\12\ See section 771(10) of the Act.
\13\ See USEC, Inc. v. United States, 132 F.Supp.2d 1, 8 (CIT
2001) (citing Algoma Steel Corp., Ltd. v. United States, 688 F.Supp.
639, 644 (CIT 1988), aff'd 865 F.2d 240 (Fed. Cir. 1989)).
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Section 771(10) of the Act defines the domestic like product as ``a
product which is like, or in the absence of like, most similar in
characteristics and uses with, the article subject to an investigation
under this title.'' Thus, the reference point from which the domestic
like product analysis begins is ``the article subject to an
investigation'' (i.e., the class or kind of merchandise to be
investigated, which normally will be the scope as defined in the
petition).
With regard to the domestic like product, the petitioner does not
offer a definition of the domestic like product distinct from the scope
of the investigation.\14\ Based on our analysis of the information
submitted on the record, we have determined that truck bed covers, as
defined in the scope, constitute a single domestic like product, and we
have analyzed industry support in terms of that domestic like
product.\15\
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\14\ For a discussion of the domestic like product analysis as
applied to this case and information regarding industry support, see
Checklist, ``Antidumping Duty Investigation Initiation Checklist:
Truck Bed Covers from the People's Republic of China,'' dated
concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (China AD
Initiation Checklist), at Attachment II, Analysis of Industry
Support for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions
Covering Truck Bed Covers from the People's Republic of China
(Attachment II). This checklist is on file electronically via
ACCESS.
\15\ For further discussion, see Attachment II of the China AD
Initiation Checklist.
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In determining whether the petitioner has standing under section
732(c)(4)(A) of the Act, we considered the industry support data
contained in the Petition with reference to the domestic like product
as defined in the ``Scope of the Investigation,'' in the appendix to
this notice. To establish industry support, the petitioner provided its
own 2025 production of the domestic like product and compared this to
the estimated total production of the domestic like product for the
entire domestic industry.\16\ We relied on data provided by the
petitioner for purposes of measuring industry support.\17\
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\16\ Id.
\17\ Id.
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Our review of the data provided in the Petition, the First General
Issues Supplement, and other information readily available to Commerce
indicates that the petitioner has established industry support for the
Petition.\18\ First, the Petition established support from domestic
producers (or workers) accounting for more than 50 percent of the total
production of the domestic like product and, as such, Commerce is not
required to take further action in order to evaluate industry support
(e.g., polling).\19\ Second, the domestic producers (or workers) have
met the statutory criteria for industry support under section
732(c)(4)(A)(i) of the Act because the domestic producers (or workers)
who support the Petition account for at least 25 percent of the total
production of the domestic like product.\20\ Finally, the domestic
producers (or workers) have met the statutory criteria for industry
support under section 732(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Act because the domestic
producers (or workers) who support the Petition account for more than
50 percent of the production of the domestic like product produced by
that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to,
the Petition.\21\ Accordingly, Commerce determines that the Petition
was filed on behalf of the domestic industry within the meaning of
section 732(b)(1) of the Act.\22\
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\18\ Id.
\19\ Id.; see also section 732(c)(4)(D) of the Act.
\20\ See Attachment II of the China AD Initiation Checklist.
\21\ Id.
\22\ Id.
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Allegations and Evidence of Material Injury and Causation
The petitioner alleges that the U.S. industry producing the
domestic like product is being materially injured, or is threatened
with material injury, by reason of the imports of the subject
merchandise sold at LTFV. In addition, the petitioner alleges that
subject imports exceed the negligibility threshold provided for under
section 771(24)(A) of the Act.\23\
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\23\ For further discussion, see China AD Initiation Checklist
at Attachment III, Analysis of Allegations and Evidence of Material
Injury and Causation for the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Petitions Covering Truck Bed Covers from the People's Republic of
China.
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The petitioner contends that the industry's injured condition is
illustrated by a significant increase in the volume of subject imports;
reduced market share; underselling and price depression and/or
suppression; lost sales and revenues; and negative impact on operations
and financial performance.\24\ We assessed the allegations and
supporting evidence regarding material injury, threat of material
injury, causation, as well as negligibility, and we have determined
that these allegations are properly supported by adequate evidence, and
meet the statutory requirements for initiation.\25\
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\24\ Id.
\25\ Id.
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Allegations of Sales at LTFV
The following is a description of the allegations of sales at LTFV
upon which Commerce based its decision to initiate the LTFV
investigation of imports of truck bed covers from China. The sources of
data for the deductions and adjustments relating to U.S. price and
normal value (NV) are discussed in greater detail in the China AD
Initiation Checklist.
U.S. Price
The petitioner based export price (EP) on online price quotes for
truck bed covers produced in China and offered for sale in the U.S.
market during the POI.\26\ The petitioner made certain adjustments to
U.S. price to calculate a net ex-factory U.S. price, where
applicable.\27\
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\26\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
\27\ Id.
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Normal Value
Commerce considers China to be an NME country.\28\ In accordance
with
[[Page 13571]]
section 771(18)(C)(i) of the Act, any determination that a foreign
country is an NME country shall remain in effect until revoked by
Commerce. Therefore, we continue to treat China as an NME country for
purposes of the initiation of this LTFV investigation. Accordingly, we
base NV on FOPs valued in a surrogate market economy country in
accordance with section 773(c) of the Act.
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\28\ See, e.g., Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof
from the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Preliminary
Affirmative Determination of Critical Circumstances, 88 FR 15372
(March 13, 2023), and accompanying Preliminary Decision Memorandum
at 5, unchanged in Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof
from the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Determination
of Sales at Less-Than-Fair Value and Final Affirmative Determination
of Critical Circumstances, 88 FR 34485 (May 30, 2023).
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The petitioner claims that Malaysia is an appropriate surrogate
country for China because Malaysia is a market economy country that is
at a level of economic development comparable to that of China and is a
significant producer of comparable merchandise.\29\ In response to
supplemental questions from Commerce, the petitioner additionally
identified Brazil and Serbia as market economy countries at a level of
economic development comparable to that of China and provided
information indicating that these countries are producers/exporters of
comparable merchandise.\30\ The petitioner provided publicly available
information from Brazil, Malaysia, and Serbia to value all FOPs.\31\
Based on the information provided by the petitioner, we believe it is
appropriate to use Brazil, Malaysia, and Serbia as surrogate countries
for China to value all FOPs for initiation purposes.
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\29\ See Petition at Volume II (pages 8-9 and Exhibits II-11 and
II-12); see also First China AD Supplement at 8-10 and China AD
Initiation Checklist.
\30\ See Petition at Volume II (page 9 and Exhibit II-12); see
also First China AD Supplement at 8-11.
\31\ See Petition at Volume II (pages 9-11 and Exhibits II-13
through II-18); see also First China AD Supplement at 8-19 and
Exhibits SII-13 through SII-12, Second China AD Supplement at 4-9
and Exhibits SSII-6 through SSII-10 and China AD Initiation
Checklist.
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Interested parties will have the opportunity to submit comments
regarding surrogate country selection and, pursuant to 19 CFR
351.301(c)(3)(i), will be provided an opportunity to submit publicly
available information to value FOPs within 30 days before the scheduled
date of the preliminary determination.
Factors of Production
Because information regarding the volume of inputs consumed by
Chinese producers/exporters was not reasonably available, the
petitioner relied on the material inputs and product-specific usage
rates obtained through a physical teardown analysis/deconstruction of
specific Chinese products as well as its own production experience (for
labor usage rates) as a surrogate to value Chinese manufacturers'
FOPs.\32\ Additionally, the petitioner calculated factory overhead,
SG&A, and profit based on the experience of a Malaysian producer of
comparable merchandise.\33\
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\32\ See China AD Initiation Checklist.
\33\ Id.
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Fair Value Comparisons
Based on the data provided by the petitioner, there is reason to
believe that imports of truck bed covers from China are being, or are
likely to be, sold in the United States at LTFV. Based on comparisons
of EP to NV in accordance with sections 772 and 773 of the Act, the
estimated dumping margins for truck bed covers from China range from
116.12-233.06 percent using Malaysia as the primary surrogate
country.\34\
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\34\ Comparisons of EP to NV using Brazil as the primary
surrogate country results in estimated dumping margins ranging from
156.37%-508.77%. Comparisons of EP to NV using Serbia as surrogate
country result in estimated dumping margins ranging from 185.40%-
213.77%. For further discussion of the estimated margins, see China
AD Initiation Checklist.
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Initiation of LTFV Investigation
Based upon the examination of the Petition and supplemental
responses, we find that they meet the requirements of section 732 of
the Act. Therefore, we are initiating a LTFV investigation to determine
whether imports of truck bed covers from China are being, or are likely
to be, sold in the United States at LTFV. In accordance with section
733(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(b)(1), unless postponed, we
will make our preliminary determination no later than 140 days after
the date of this initiation.
Respondent Selection
The petitioner identified 30 companies in China as producers and/or
exporters of truck bed covers.\35\ Our standard practice for respondent
selection in AD investigations involving NME countries is to select
respondents based on Q&V questionnaires in cases where it has
determined that the number of companies is large and it cannot
individually examine each company based upon its resources. Therefore,
considering the number of producers and/or exporters identified in the
Petition, Commerce will solicit Q&V information that can serve as a
basis for selecting exporters for individual examination in the event
that Commerce determines that the number is large and decides to limit
the number of respondents individually examined pursuant to section
777A(c)(2) of the Act. Given the number of producers and/or exporters
identified in the Petition, Commerce has determined that it will issue
Q&V questionnaires to the producers and/or exporters for which there is
complete address information on the record.
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\35\ See Petition at Volume I (pages 14-20); see also First
General Issues Supplement at 1-2.
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Commerce will also post the Q&V questionnaires along with filing
instructions on Commerce's website at https://www.trade.gov/ec-adcvd-qv-questionnaire. Exporters/producers of truck bed covers from China
that do not receive Q&V questionnaires may still submit a response to
the Q&V questionnaire and can obtain a copy of the Q&V questionnaire
from Commerce's website. Responses to the Q&V questionnaire must be
submitted by the relevant producers/exporters no later than 5:00 p.m.
on March 31, 2026, which is two weeks from the signature date of this
notice. An electronically filed document must be received successfully,
in its entirety, by ACCESS no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on the deadline
noted above.
Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under an
administrative protective order (APO) in accordance with 19 CFR
351.305(b). Instructions for filing such applications may be found on
Commerce's website at https://www.trade.gov/administrative-protective-orders.
Separate Rates
In order to obtain separate rate status in an NME investigation,
exporters and producers must submit a separate rate application. The
specific requirements for submitting a separate rate application in an
NME investigation are outlined in detail in the application itself,
which is available on Commerce's website at https://access.trade.gov/Resources/nme/nme-sep-rate.html. Note that Commerce recently
promulgated new regulations pertaining to separate rates, including the
separate rate application deadline and eligibility for separate rate
status, in 19 CFR 351.108.\36\ Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.108(d)(1), the
separate rate application will be due 21 days after publication of this
initiation notice.\37\ Exporters and producers must file a timely
separate rate application if they want to be considered for individual
examination. In addition, pursuant to 19
[[Page 13572]]
CFR 351.108(e), exporters and producers who submit a separate rate
application and have been selected as mandatory respondents will be
eligible for consideration for separate rate status only if they fully
respond to all parts of Commerce's AD questionnaire and participate in
the LTFV proceeding as mandatory respondents.\38\ Commerce requires
that companies from China submit a response both to the Q&V
questionnaire and to the separate rate application by the respective
deadlines to receive consideration for separate rate status. Companies
not filing a timely Q&V questionnaire response will not receive
separate rate consideration.
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\36\ See Regulations Enhancing the Administration of the
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Trade Remedy Laws, 89 FR 101694,
101759-60 (December 16, 2024).
\37\ See 19 CFR 351.108(d)(1).
\38\ See 19 CFR 351.108(e).
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Use of Combination Rates
Commerce will calculate combination rates for certain respondents
that are eligible for a separate rate in an NME investigation. The
Separate Rates and Combination Rates Bulletin states:
{w{time} hile continuing the practice of assigning separate rates
only to exporters, all separate rates that {Commerce{time} will now
assign in its NME investigation will be specific to those producers
that supplied the exporter during the period of investigation. Note,
however, that one rate is calculated for the exporter and all of the
producers which supplied subject merchandise to it during the period
of investigation. This practice applies both to mandatory
respondents receiving an individually calculated separate rate as
well as the pool of non-investigated firms receiving the {weighted
average{time} of the individually calculated rates. This practice
is referred to as the application of ``combination rates'' because
such rates apply to specific combinations of exporters and one or
more producers. The cash-deposit rate assigned to an exporter will
apply only to merchandise both exported by the firm in question and
produced by a firm that supplied the exporter during the period of
investigation.\39\
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\39\ See Enforcement and Compliance's Policy Bulletin No. 05.1,
regarding, ``Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination
Rates in Antidumping Investigation involving NME Countries,'' (April
5, 2005), at 6 (emphasis added), available on Commerce's website at
https://access.trade.gov/Resources/policy/bull05-1.pdf.
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Distribution of Copies of the Petition
In accordance with section 732(b)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR
351.202(f), a copy of the public version of the Petition has been
provided to the Government of China via ACCESS. To the extent
practicable, we will attempt to provide a copy of the public version of
the Petition to each exporter named in the Petition, as provided under
19 CFR 351.203(c)(2).
ITC Notification
Commerce will notify the ITC of our initiation, as required by
section 732(d) of the Act.
Preliminary Determination by the ITC
The ITC will preliminarily determine, within 45 days after the date
on which the Petition was filed, whether there is a reasonable
indication that imports of truck bed covers from China are materially
injuring, or threatening material injury to, a U.S. industry.\40\ A
negative ITC determination will result in the investigation being
terminated.\41\ Otherwise, this LTFV investigation will proceed
according to statutory and regulatory time limits.
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\40\ See section 733(a) of the Act.
\41\ Id.
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Submission of Factual Information
Factual information is defined in 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) as: (i)
evidence submitted in response to questionnaires; (ii) evidence
submitted in support of allegations; (iii) publicly available
information to value factors under 19 CFR 351.408(c) or to measure the
adequacy of remuneration under 19 CFR 351.511(a)(2); (iv) evidence
placed on the record by Commerce; and (v) evidence other than factual
information described in (i)-(iv). Section 351.301(b) of Commerce's
regulations requires any party, when submitting factual information, to
specify under which subsection of 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21) the information
is being submitted \42\ and, if the information is submitted to rebut,
clarify, or correct factual information already on the record, to
provide an explanation identifying the information already on the
record that the factual information seeks to rebut, clarify, or
correct.\43\ Time limits for the submission of factual information are
addressed in 19 CFR 351.301, which provides specific time limits based
on the type of factual information being submitted. Interested parties
should review the regulations prior to submitting factual information
in this investigation.
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\42\ See 19 CFR 351.301(b).
\43\ See 19 CFR 351.301(b)(2).
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Extensions of Time Limits
Parties may request an extension of time limits before the
expiration of a time limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, or as
otherwise specified by Commerce. In general, an extension request will
be considered untimely if it is filed after the expiration of the time
limit established under 19 CFR 351.301, or as otherwise specified by
Commerce.\44\ For submissions that are due from multiple parties
simultaneously, an extension request will be considered untimely if it
is filed after 10:00 a.m. ET on the due date. Under certain
circumstances, Commerce may elect to specify a different time limit by
which extension requests will be considered untimely for submissions
which are due from multiple parties simultaneously. In such a case, we
will inform parties in a letter or memorandum of the deadline
(including a specified time) by which extension requests must be filed
to be considered timely. An extension request must be made in a
separate, standalone submission; under limited circumstances we will
grant untimely filed requests for the extension of time limits, where
we determine, based on 19 CFR 351.302, that extraordinary circumstances
exist. Parties should review Commerce's regulations concerning the
extension of time limits and the Time Limits Final Rule prior to
submitting factual information in this investigation.\45\
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\44\ See 19 CFR 351.301; see also Extension of Time Limits;
Final Rule, 78 FR 57790 (September 20, 2013) (Time Limits Final
Rule), available at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-09-20/html/2013-22853.htm.
\45\ See 19 CFR 351.302; see also, e.g., Time Limits Final Rule.
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Certification Requirements
Any party submitting factual information in an AD or CVD proceeding
must certify to the accuracy and completeness of that information.\46\
Parties must use the certification formats provided in 19 CFR
351.303(g).\47\ Commerce intends to reject factual submissions if the
submitting party does not comply with the applicable certification
requirements.
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\46\ See section 782(b) of the Act.
\47\ See Certification of Factual Information to Import
Administration During Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 17, 2013) (Final Rule). Additional
information regarding the Final Rule is available at https://access.trade.gov/Resources/filing/index.html.
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Notification to Interested Parties
Interested parties must submit applications for disclosure under
APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305. Parties wishing to participate
in this investigation should ensure that they meet the requirements of
19 CFR 351.103(d) (e.g., by filing the required letter of appearance).
Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining
to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).\48\
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\48\ See Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other
Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR
67069 (September 29, 2023).
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This notice is issued and published pursuant to sections 732(c)(2)
and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.203(c).
[[Page 13573]]
Dated: March 17, 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
Scope of the Investigation
The scope of the investigation covers truck bed covers, which
are protective shields made of aluminum, steel, fiberglass, carbon
fiber, plastic, and/or water-resistant fabric that are sized to span
the open-top area of a pickup truck. When fully assembled and
installed, truck bed covers have a width between 45 and 75 inches
(actual) and a length between 55 and 100 inches (actual), and can be
used to secure the cargo area of a pickup truck and/or repel water.
Truck bed covers typically encompass four general
configurations--i.e., folding, roll-up, one-piece, and retractable.
Folding truck bed covers consist of two or more interconnected,
hinged panels which may be made from a rigid material or a soft
material with a rigid frame. Roll-up truck bed covers can be made of
soft material with rigid crossbars, or rigid material such as slats,
which allow the cover to roll forward for access to the truck bed,
and which can be secured with straps, buckles, or other fasteners.
One-piece truck bed covers are rigid covers that open from the
tailgate end of the truck bed using a hinge or pivot, typically with
the assistance of struts for opening and closing. Retractable truck
bed covers are made of interconnected rigid slats or one-piece
aluminum-reinforced polycarbonate that retract into a recessed
canister to allow access to the truck bed. Retractable truck bed
covers may be manually operated or electrically powered with a
motor, and electric models may include additional features such as
fob keys, Bluetooth connectivity, or LED lights.
The scope of the investigation includes not only the cover
material (i.e., the protective shield made of aluminum, steel,
fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, and/or water-resistant fabric),
but also any accompanying hardware for the mounting or storage of
the truck bed cover (e.g., rails, canisters, latches, straps,
clasps, clamps, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, hitch pins, weather
strips/seals/gaskets) or other parts (e.g., locks, struts, drain
tubes, motors), provided that such hardware or other parts are
entered with and invoiced with the cover material. Truck bed covers
are included within the scope whether or not they are accompanied
with such hardware or other parts. Moreover, any hardware for the
mounting or storage of the truck bed cover (e.g., rails, canisters,
latches, straps, clasps, clamps, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, hitch
pins, weather strips/seals/gaskets) or other parts (e.g., locks,
struts, drain tubes, motors) are covered within the scope if such
items are separately entered as a truck bed cover mounting or
installation kit.
Excluded from the scope are truck caps (also known as camper
shells, toppers, or canopies), which are enclosures that can be
mounted on truck bed rails to extend the height of a truck bed by at
least 12 inches (actual), thus creating a fully-enclosed, lockable
storage area for cargo.
Also excluded from the scope of the investigation are any
products already covered by the scope of any extant antidumping and/
or countervailing duty orders, including Aluminum Extrusions from
the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 76 FR 30650
(May 26, 2011), and Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic
of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 76 FR 30653 (May 26, 2011).
The products subject to the investigation are currently
classifiable under subheading 8708.29.5160 of the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading
is provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written
description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.
[FR Doc. 2026-05535 Filed 3-19-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P