On April 28, 2026, the U.S. International Trade Commission formally denied a request to institute a Section 751(b) changed circumstances review for antidumping and countervailing duty orders on coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics from Indonesia. The denial, published in the Federal Register on May 11, 2026, means existing duty orders under Investigation Nos. 701-TA-471 (countervailing duty) and 731-TA-1170 (antidumping) remain in full effect with no modification.
The original AD/CVD orders became effective November 17, 2010, following the Commission's determination that the U.S. industry was threatened with material injury by reason of Indonesian imports sold at less than fair value and subsidized by the Indonesian government. These orders have already survived two five-year sunset reviews, with Commerce issuing continuations effective January 6, 2017 and June 13, 2022.
The review request, filed December 3, 2025 by Indonesian producers PT. Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills and PT. Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk, argued that structural changes in the Indonesian coated paper industry warranted reconsideration. Specifically, the requestors claimed a "significant" and "permanent" reduction in Indonesian production capacity—asserting the industry has contracted to only two producers—and a "marked shift away from exports toward home market sales." They characterized these changes as driven by market factors rather than the direct result of the subject duty orders.
The Commission solicited public comments via a January 14, 2026 Federal Register notice. By the March 4, 2026 deadline, Billerud Americas Corporation and Sappi North America (successor-in-interest to original petitioner NewPage Corp.) filed opposition comments. Despite the Indonesian producers' arguments, the Commission declined to find sufficient changed circumstances under 19 U.S.C. 1675(b) to warrant instituting a review.
Classification Impact: The denied review means no changes to AD/CVD duty rates for HTS subheadings covering coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses from Indonesia. Compliance systems must continue applying existing duty calculations without modification.
For trade compliance engineering teams, this decision reinforces the importance of monitoring not just duty rate changes but also review denials. A denied Section 751(b) request signals regulatory stability—but only until the next five-year sunset review cycle. Systems pulling AD/CVD data must account for the distinction between active orders and orders under review, as rate caching logic differs significantly between these states.
The practical compliance engineering challenge here is twofold: first, ensuring your HTS classification workflows correctly flag products subject to Investigation Nos. 701-TA-471 and 731-TA-1170; second, maintaining accurate duty calculations that reflect the uninterrupted continuation of these 2010-era orders. Any system that incorrectly anticipated a changed circumstances review instituting new rates would now require rollback logic.
Next Review Cycle: Following the June 13, 2022 continuation, the third five-year sunset review will likely initiate in early 2027. Engineering teams should prepare data pipelines for potential rate modifications during that review period.
The Federal Register notice (FR Doc No: 2026-09240) provides the authoritative record. Contact for further information: Celia Feldpausch, Office of Investigations, at 202-205-2387.