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U.S. Commerce Department Delays Preliminary Decisions in Silicon Metal Trade Cases

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The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced a delay in the preliminary determinations for its ongoing countervailing duty (CVD) investigations into silicon metal imports from Australia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), Norway, and Thailand.

The Commerce Department started these investigations on May 14, 2025. The original deadline for the preliminary decisions was July 18, 2025. However, the department received timely requests from the petitioners—Ferroglobe USA, Inc. and Mississippi Silicon LLC—to extend the deadline.

Under U.S. law, Commerce can delay a preliminary determination if the petitioner makes a timely request or if the investigation is especially complex. Petitioners must ask for a delay at least 25 days before the original deadline and explain why they need it. Commerce usually grants the request unless there is a strong reason to deny it.

The petitioners said the extra time was needed because the current schedule does not allow enough time for Commerce to review the subsidies producers and exporters of silicon metal might be receiving in the four countries. The requests were submitted on June 18 and 23, 2025.

Commerce agreed with the petitioners’ reasons and found no reason to deny the request. Because of this, the deadline for the preliminary determinations is now pushed back to September 22, 2025. The new date reflects the need to move the deadline to the next business day, as September 21 falls on a weekend.

The final determinations in these investigations will now come 75 days after the new preliminary determination date.

The notice was signed by Abdelali Elouaradia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, on June 26, 2025. This postponement follows the rules under the Tariff Act of 1930 and the Code of Federal Regulations.

If you want more information about these cases, you can contact:

  • Kyle Clahane for Australia at (202) 482-5449
  • Shane Subler for Laos at (202) 482-6241
  • Mary Kolberg for Norway at (202) 482-1785
  • George McMahon for Thailand at (202) 482-1167

All contacts are at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230.


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