# Unwrought Palladium From the Russian Federation: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination
**AGENCY:**
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
**SUMMARY:**
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of unwrought palladium (palladium) from the Russian Federation (Russia). The period of investigation is January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.
**DATES:**
Applicable March 11, 2026.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Kelsie Hohenberger or Olivia Woolverton, AD/CVD Operations, Office V, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-2517 or (202) 482-7452.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Background**
This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 703(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). On August 22, 2025, Commerce published the notice of initiation of this countervailing duty (CVD) investigation in the *Federal Register* . [^1] On September 30, 2025, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination until December 29, 2025. [^2]
[^1]*See Unwrought Palladium from the Russian Federation: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigation,* 90 FR 41039 (August 22, 2025) ( *Initiation Notice* ).
[^2]*See Unwrought Palladium from the Russian Federation: Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation,* 90 FR 46791 (September 30, 2025).
Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by 47 days. [^3] 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. [^4] Accordingly the deadline for this preliminary determination is now March 5, 2026.
[^3]*See* Memorandum, “Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the Federal Government,” dated November 14, 2025.
[^4]*See* Memorandum, “Tolling of all Case Deadlines,” dated November 24, 2025.
For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. [^5] A list of topics discussed 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/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.*
[^5]*See* Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Affirmative Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Unwrought Palladium from the Russian Federation,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
**Scope of the Investigation**
The product covered by this investigation is palladium from Russia. 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] No interested parties commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the *Initiation Notice.* Accordingly, Commerce is not preliminarily modifying the scope language as it appeared in the *Initiation Notice.*
[^6]*See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties; Final Rule,* 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) ( *Preamble* ).
[^7]*See Initiation Notice,* 90 FR at 41039.
**Methodology**
Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 701 of 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. [^8] For a full description of the methodology underlying our preliminary determination, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
[^8]*See* sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Act regarding financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.
Commerce notes that, in making these findings, we relied on facts available and, because we find that certain respondents did not act to the best of their ability to respond to Commerce's requests for information, we drew an adverse inference where appropriate in selecting from among the facts otherwise available. [^9] For further information, *see* the “Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences” section in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
[^9]*See* sections 776(a) and (b) of the Act.
**All-Others Rate**
Sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that, in the preliminary determination, Commerce shall determine an estimated all-others rate for companies not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated subsidy rates established for those companies individually examined, excluding any zero and *de minimis* rates and any rates based entirely under section 776 of the Act.
Pursuant to section 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act, if the individual estimated countervailable subsidy rates established for all exporters and producers individually examined are zero, *de minimis,* or determined based entirely on adverse facts available (AFA), Commerce may use “any reasonable method” to establish the estimated subsidy rate for all other producers or exporters. In this investigation, no company respondent participated and all rates are based entirely on AFA under section 776 of the Act. Therefore, the AFA rate is the only rate available in this proceeding to assign as the all-others rate. Consequently, pursuant to sections 703(d) and 705(c)(5)(A)(ii) of the Act, Commerce established the all-others rate by applying the countervailable subsidy rate assigned to the non-responsive mandatory respondents listed below.
**Preliminary Determination**
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated countervailable subsidy rates exist:
| Company | Subsidy rate |
| --- | --- |
| JSC Urals Innovative Technologies | * 109.10 |
| Prioksky Plant of Non Ferrous Metals | * 109.10 |
| All Others | 109.10 |
**Suspension of Liquidation**
In accordance with section 703(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 the scope of the investigation section 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 703(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.107(e), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the estimated company-specific countervailable subsidy rate or the estimated all-others rate, as follows: (1) the cash deposit rate for the respondents listed above will be equal to the company-specific estimated individual countervailable subsidy rates determined in this preliminary determination; (2) if both the producer and exporter of the subject merchandise have company-specific estimated subsidy rates determined in this preliminary determination, 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 have a company-specific estimated subsidy rate determined in this preliminary determination, 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 equal to the estimated all-others subsidy rate.
**Disclosure**
Normally, Commerce discloses its calculations performed in connection with the preliminary determination to interested parties within five days of its public announcement, or if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of the notice, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). However, because Commerce preliminarily applied total AFA for the calculation of the benefit for the mandatory respondents, and the applied AFA rates are based on rates calculated in prior proceedings, there are no company-specific calculations to disclose.
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**
Because the examined company respondents in this investigation did not provide information requested by Commerce and Commerce preliminarily determines each of these respondents have been uncooperative, it will not conduct verification.
**Public Comment**
Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than 30 days after the date of publication of the preliminary determination. [^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]
[^10]*See* 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(i); *see also* 19 CFR 351.303 for general filing requirements
[^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)(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 public 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 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, 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 via ACCESS within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants and whether any participant is a foreign national, and 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.
**U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification**
In accordance with section 703(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify the ITC of its 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 imports of palladium from Russia are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry.
**Notification to Interested Parties**
This determination is issued and published pursuant to sections 703(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c).
Dated: March 5, 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 I**
**Scope of the Investigation**
The scope of this investigation is unwrought palladium. Unwrought palladium includes palladium, whether or not refined, in the form of ingots, blocks, lumps, billets, cakes, slabs, pigs, cathodes, anodes, briquettes, cubes, sticks, grains, sponge, pellets, shot, powder, and similar primary forms.
Unwrought palladium is covered by the scope regardless of production method. The scope includes unwrought palladium produced through ore extraction, unwrought palladium produced by recycling palladium-containing scrap, unwrought palladium produced by any other method, and blends of unwrought palladium produced by different methods.
The scope includes unwrought palladium that is commingled with unwrought palladium from sources not subject to this investigation or commingled with other metals. Only the subject unwrought palladium component of such commingled products is covered by the scope of this investigation.
Subject merchandise includes merchandise matching the above description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise processed in a third country, including by refining, grinding, commingling, adding or removing additives (such as other metals), or performing any other finishing, packaging, or processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigation if performed in the subject country.
The covered merchandise is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) at subheading 7110.21.0000. Unwrought palladium meeting the scope description may also enter under HTSUS subheading 7110.29.0000. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and for customs purposes, the written description of the subject merchandise is dispositive.
**Appendix II**
**List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum**
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Injury Test
V. Use of Facts Otherwise Available and Adverse Inferences
VI. Analysis of Programs
VII. Recommendation