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U.S. Postpones Preliminary Decision in China Polypropylene Corrugated Boxes Investigation

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The United States Department of Commerce has postponed its preliminary decision in a trade investigation about polypropylene corrugated boxes (PCBs) from the People’s Republic of China.

The investigation began on April 7, 2025. The Department of Commerce wants to find out if imports of these boxes from China receive unfair government support, also known as countervailable subsidies.

The original deadline for the preliminary decision was June 11, 2025.

On May 21, 2025, the petitioners asked the Department of Commerce to delay the decision. The petitioners are four companies: CoolSeal USA Inc., Inteplast Group Corporation, SeaCa Plastic Packaging, and Technology Container Corp. They said more time was needed to review early responses and to ask for extra information.

According to the law, the Department of Commerce can extend the deadline for up to 130 days from the start of the investigation. The law also says that the request must be made 25 days or more before the deadline, and the Department must give the delay unless there is a big reason not to.

The Department of Commerce agreed with the petitioners’ reasons and decided to postpone. The new deadline for the preliminary determination is August 15, 2025.

The final decision in the investigation will be due 75 days after the new preliminary decision date.

The notice about this postponement was signed by Christopher Abbott, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, on May 23, 2025.

These steps are required under U.S. trade law and regulations. The Department will keep reviewing information from all parties. The investigation will continue. More updates will follow as new information and decisions become available.


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