# Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents From Taiwan: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
**AGENCY:**
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
**SUMMARY:**
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Teh Fong Min International Co., Ltd., also known as Teh Fong Ming International Co., Ltd. (TFM), the sole producer and/or exporter subject to this administrative review, made sales of stilbenic optical brightening agents (stilbenic OBAs) at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.
**DATES:**
Applicable September 4, 2025.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Gemma Larsen, AD/CVD Operations, Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-8125.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Background**
On May 10, 2012, Commerce published in the *Federal Register* the antidumping duty (AD) order on stilbenic OBAs from Taiwan. [^1] On May 31, 2024, Archroma, U.S., Inc. (Archroma), a U.S. producer of stilbenic OBAs, timely requested an administrative review of the *Order* covering one producer/exporter of the subject merchandise, TFM. [^2] On July 5, 2024, Commerce published the notice of initiation of an administrative review of the *Order* covering the sole mandatory respondent, TFM. [^3] On July 22, 2024, Commerce tolled certain administrative deadlines in this review by seven days. [^4] On December 9, 2024, Commerce tolled administrative deadlines in this review by an additional 90 days. [^5] On April 8, 2025, Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results. [^6] On July 24, 2025, Commerce further extended the deadline for preliminary results. [^7] Accordingly, the deadline for the preliminary results of this review is September 5, 2025.
[^1]*See Certain Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents from Taiwan: Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty Order,* 77 FR 27419 (May 10, 2012) (Order).
[^2]*See* Archroma's Letter, “Request for Administrative Review,” dated May 31, 2024.
[^3]*See Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews,* 89 FR 55567 (July 5, 2024).
[^4]*See* Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated July 22, 2024.
[^5]*See* Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated December 9, 2024.
[^6]*See* Memorandum. “Extention of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review,” dated April 8, 2025.
[^7]*See* Memorandum. “Second Extnesion of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Antidumpuing Duty Administrative Review,” dated July 24, 2025.
For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this administrative review, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. [^8] 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 made available to the public via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at *https://access.trade.gov.* In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is available at *https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.*
[^8]*See* Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Certain Stilbenic Optical Brightening Agents from Taiwan; 2023-2024,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
**Scope of the Order**
The products covered by the *Order* are stilbenic OBAs. A full description of the scope of the *Order* is contained in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
**Methodology**
Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Export price and constructed export price are calculated in accordance with section 772 of the Act. Normal value is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying these preliminary results, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
**Preliminary Results of the Administrative Review**
As a result of this review, we preliminarily determine that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margin exists for the POR May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2024:
| Producer and/or exporter | Weighted- |
| --- | --- |
| Teh Fong Min International Co., Ltd/Teh Fong Ming International Co., Ltd | 5.84 |
**Disclosure**
We intend to disclose the calculations performed to interested parties in the preliminary results of this administrative review within five days of the public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five days after publication of this notice. [^9]
[^9]*See* 19 CFR 351.224(b).
**Public Comment**
Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. 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. [^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] 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.
[^10]*See* 19 CFR 351.309.
[^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* ).
[^12]*See* 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an executive summary of their brief that should be limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this review, we instead 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 results of this review. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f). [^14]
[^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.
[^14]*See APO and Service Final Rule.*
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. Requests should contain: (1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants; (3) whether any participant is a foreign national; and (4) a list of the issues to be discussed. Issues raised in the hearing will be limited to those raised in the respective case and rebuttal briefs. An electronically filed hearing request must be received successfully in its entirety by Commerce's electronic records system, ACCESS, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce will inform parties of the scheduled date for the hearing. [^15]
[^15]*See* 19 CFR 351.310(d).
**Final Results of Review**
Commerce intends to issue the final results of this administrative review, including the results of its analysis of the issues raised in any written briefs, no later than 120 days after the date of publication of these preliminary results in the *Federal Register* , unless extended, pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).
**Assessment Rates**
Upon completion of the final results, Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise covered by this review. If the weighted-average dumping margin for TFM is not zero or *de minimis* ( *i.e.,* less than 0.50 percent) in the final results of this review, we intend to calculate an importer-specific assessment rate based on the ratio of the total amount of dumping calculated for each importer's examined sales and the total entered value of those same sales in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1). [^16] If TFM's weighted-average dumping margin or an importer-specific assessment rate is zero or *de minimis* in the final results of review, we will instruct CBP to liquidate appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties. [^17]
[^16]*See Antidumping Proceedings: Calculation of the Weighted-Average Dumping Margin and Assessment Rate in Certain Antidumping Duty Proceedings; Final Modification,* 77 FR 8101, 8103 (February 14, 2012).
[^17]*Id.* 77 FR at 8102-03; *see also* 19 CFR 351.106(c)(2).
For entries of subject merchandise during the POR produced by TFM for which it did not know its merchandise was destined for the United States, we will instruct CBP to liquidate such entries at the all-others rate ( *i.e.,* 6.19 percent) [^18] if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction. [^19]
[^18]*See Order,* 77 FR at 27420.
[^19]*See Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Assessment of Antidumping Duties,* 68 FR 23954 (May 6, 2003).
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).
**Cash Deposit Requirements**
The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication in the *Federal Register* of the notice of final results of administrative review for all shipments of stilbenic OBAs from Taiwan entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for TFM will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established in the final results of this administrative review; (2) for merchandise exported by a company not covered in this review but covered in a prior segment of the proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published in the completed segment for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the original investigation but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established in the completed segment for the most recent period for the producer of the merchandise; (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers or exporters will be the all-others rate established in the less-than-fair-value investigation for this proceeding, *i.e.,* 6.19 percent. [^20] These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.
[^20]*See Order,* 77 FR at 27420.
**Notification to Importers**
This notice serves as a preliminary reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this POR. 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**
Commerce is issuing and publishing these preliminary results in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4).
Dated: August 29, 2025.
Abdelali Elouaradia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
**Appendix I**
**List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum**
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Affiliation and Single Entity Treatment
IV. Scope of the *Order*
V. Discussion of the Methodology
VI. Currency Conversion
VII. Recommendation