Oleoresin Paprika from India Preliminary Less Than Fair Value Determination

Content

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that oleoresin paprika from India is being, or is likely
to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2024, through
March 31, 2025. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

DATES:

Applicable April 2, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Matthew Palmer or Elizabeth Talbot Russ, AD/CVD Operations, Office III, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-1678 or (202) 482-5516,
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).
Commerce published the notice of initiation of this investigation on July 22, 2025. (1) Based on the petitioner's request, (2) on January 27, 2026, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination, pursuant to section 733(c)(1)(A) of the Act and 19
CFR 351.205(e). (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)]() As a result, the revised deadline for this proceeding is now March 30, 2026.

For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. (6) A list of topics included 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 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 can be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

Scope of the Investigation

The product covered by this investigation is oleoresin paprika from India. For a complete description of the scope of this
investigation, see Appendix I.

Scope Comments

In accordance with the preamble to Commerce's regulations, (7) the Initiation Notice set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage (i.e., scope). (8) No interested party commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. Therefore, Commerce is not preliminarily modifying the scope language as it appeared in the Initiation Notice. See the scope in Appendix I to this notice.

Methodology

Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export prices
in accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Constructed export prices have been calculated in accordance with section 772(b)
of the Act. Normal value is calculated in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology
underlying the preliminary determination, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

All-Others Rate

Sections 733(d)(1)(A)(ii) and 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act provide that in the preliminary determination Commerce shall determine
an estimated all-others rate for all exporters and producers not individually examined. This rate shall be an amount equal
to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters and producers individually
investigated, excluding any zero and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely under section 776 of the Act.

In this investigation, Commerce calculated estimated weighted-average dumping margins for Mane Kancor and Synthite that are
not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts otherwise available. Commerce calculated the all-others rate using a weighted average of the estimated
weighted-average dumping margins calculated for the examined respondents using each company's publicly-ranged values for the
merchandise under consideration. (9)

Preliminary Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

In accordance with section 733(e) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.206, Commerce preliminarily finds that critical circumstances
do not exist for Mane Kancor, Synthite, and all other producers/exporters. For a full description of the methodology and results
of Commerce's critical circumstances analysis, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Preliminary Determination

Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist:

| Exporter/producer | Weighted-
averagedumpingmargin(percent) | Cash deposit rate
(adjusted for subsidyoffset(s))(percent) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mane Kancor Ingredients Private Ltd. 10 | 3.33 | 0.00 |
| Synthite Industries Pvt. Ltd. 11 | 5.66 | 0.00 |
| All Others 12 | 4.60 | 0.00 |

Suspension of Liquidation

In accordance with section 733(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 Appendix I, 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 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash
deposit equal to the estimated weighted average dumping margin 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 weighted-average dumping margins determined in this preliminary determination;
  (2) if the exporter is not a respondent identified above, but the producer is, then the cash deposit rate will be equal to
  the company-specific estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for that producer of the subject merchandise, except
  as explained below; and (3) the cash deposit rate for all other producers and exporters will be equal to the all-others estimated
  weighted-average dumping margin.

Commerce normally adjusts cash deposits for estimated antidumping duties by the amount of export subsidies countervailed in
a companion countervailing duty (CVD) proceeding, when CVD provisional measures are in effect. Accordingly, where Commerce
preliminarily made an affirmative determination for countervailable export subsidies, Commerce has offset the estimated weighted-average
dumping margin by the appropriate CVD rate. Any such adjusted cash deposit rate may be found in the “Preliminary Determination”
section above.

Should provisional measures in the companion CVD investigation expire prior to the expiration of provisional measures in this
LTFV investigation, Commerce will direct CBP to begin collecting estimated antidumping duty cash deposits unadjusted for countervailed
export subsidies at the time that the provisional CVD measures expire. These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain
in effect until further notice.

Disclosure

Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed to interested parties in this preliminary determination
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 accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

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

As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify the information relied upon in making its final determination.

Public Comment

Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later
than seven days after the date on which the last verification report is issued in this investigation. 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. (13) 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. (14)

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. (15) 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 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). (16)

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, 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, 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.
Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.

Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional Measures

Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides that a final determination may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the
date of the publication of the preliminary determination if, in the event of an affirmative preliminary determination, a request
for such postponement is made by exporters who account for a significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise,
or in the event of a negative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is made by the petitioner. Section
351.210(e)(2) of Commerce's regulations requires that a request by exporters for postponement of the final determination be
accompanied by a request for extension of provisional measures from a four-month period to a period not more than six months
in duration.

On March 18, 2026, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e), Mane Kancor and Synthite requested that Commerce postpone the final determination
and that provisional measures be extended to a period not to exceed six months. (17) In accordance with section 735(a)(2)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) the preliminary determination
is affirmative; (2) the requesting exporters account for a significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise; and
(3) no compelling reasons for denial exist, Commerce is postponing the final determination and extending the provisional measures
from a four-month period to a period not greater than six months. Accordingly, Commerce will make its final determination
no later than 135 days after the date of publication of this preliminary determination.

U.S. International Trade Commission Notification

In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) of its preliminary
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 these imports are materially injuring,
or

  threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry.

Notification to Interested Parties

This determination is issued and published in accordance with sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(c).

Dated: March 30, 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 merchandise covered by the scope of this investigation is the coloring additive oleoresin paprika. Oleoresin paprika is
a viscous, highly colored liquid in various shades of red or orange made from the extract of Capsicum peppers. Covered merchandise
includes all oleoresin paprika, regardless of pepper variety, with an American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) value of at
least 500 or a color unit (CU) value of at least 20,000 as determined by spectrophotometric measurement. The Chemical Abstracts
Service (CAS) Registry numbers for oleoresin paprika are 68917-78-2 and 84625-29-6; the Center for Food Safety and Applied
Nutrition (CFSAN) number is 977006-45-3; the Flavoring Extract Manufacturers' Association (FEMA) number is 2834; and the E
number is E160c. Subject oleoresin paprika may also be referred to by other product names, including, but not limited to,
paprika oleoresin, oleoresin of paprika, paprika extract, extract of paprika, paprika oil, or paprika essential oil.

Subject oleoresin paprika may be blended with oil or water prior to importation or may be imported in its crude or unstandardized
form. Subject oleoresin paprika may also be blended with emulsifiers or preservatives. The scope includes all oleoresin paprika
meeting the specifications above regardless of whether or not blended with or soluble in oil or water, and regardless of weight,
pungency, quality, solvent content, or additives. Further, the scope includes crude or unstandardized oleoresin paprika that
has been blended, finished, packaged, or otherwise processed in a third country, if the blending, finishing, packaging, or
processing performed would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope. Oleoresin paprika that is otherwise subject
to this investigation is not excluded when commingled with oleoresin paprika from sources not subject to this investigation,
or when commingled with other oleoresins. Only the subject component of such commingled products is covered by the scope of
this investigation.

The merchandise subject to this investigation is classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)
under subheadings 3203.00.8000 and 3301.90.1010. Subject merchandise may also enter under HTSUS subheading 1301.90.9190, 1302.19.9140,
and 3205.00.0500. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description
of the scope of this investigation is dispositive.

Appendix II

List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum

I. Summary

II. Background

III. Period of Investigation

IV. Affiliation and Single Entity Treatment

V. Discussion of the Methodology

VI. Preliminary Negative Determination of Critical Circumstances

VII. Adjustments to Cash Deposit Rates for Export Subsidies in the Companion Countervailing Duty Investigation

VIII. Currency Conversion

IX. Recommendation

[FR Doc. 2026-06450 Filed 4-1-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P

Footnotes

(1) See Oleoresin Paprika from India: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation, 90 FR 34419 (July 22, 2025) (Initiation Notice).

(2) See Petitioner's Letter, “Request for Extension of the Preliminary Determination,” dated January 14, 2026.

(3) See Oleoresin Paprika from India: Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation, 91 FR 3434 (January 27, 2026).

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

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

(6) See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of
Oleoresin Paprika from India,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).

(7) See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule, 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997).

(8) See Initiation Notice.

(9) With two respondents under examination, Commerce normally calculates: (A) a weighted-average of the estimated weighted-average
dumping margins calculated for the examined respondents; (B) a simple average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins
calculated for the examined respondents; and (C) a weighted-average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins calculated
for the examined respondents using each company's publicly-ranged U.S. sales values for the merchandise under consideration.
Commerce then compares (B) and (C) to (A) and selects the rate closest to (A) as the most appropriate rate for all other producers
and exporters. See, e.g., Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom: Final Results of Antidumping
Duty Administrative Reviews, Final Results of Changed-Circumstances Review, and Revocation of an Order in Part, 75 FR 53661, 53662 (September 1, 2010), and accompanying Issues and Decision Memorandum at Comment1. As complete publicly
ranged sales data were available, Commerce based the all-others rate on the publicly ranged sales data of the mandatory respondents.
For a complete analysis of the data, see the All-Others Rate Calculation Memorandum.

(10) See Memorandum, “Preliminary Determination Calculations for Mane Kancor,” dated January 29, 2026.

(11) See Memorandum, “Preliminary Determination Calculations for Synthite Industries Pvt. Ltd,” dated January 29, 2026.

(12) See Memorandum, “Calculation of Subsidy Rate for All Others,” dated January 29, 2026.

(13) 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).

(14) See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).

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

(16) See APO and Service Final Rule.

(17) See Mane Kancor's and Synthite's Letter, “Mane Kancor's and Synthite's Request to Postpone Final Determination,” dated March 18,
2026.

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