Executive Summary
Commerce’s six-point-five-one-percent cash-deposit requirement for covered Norwegian high-purity dissolving pulp took effect upon publication on October 16, 2026.
The deposit rate is six-point-five-one percent for Borregaard AS and for all other exporters and producers not individually examined. If the exporter is not listed but the producer is, use the producer’s company-specific rate.
Commerce continues suspension of liquidation for covered entries entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after May 27, 2026.
The notice says the deposits and suspension remain in effect until further notice. The ITC’s injury determination could lead to termination and refunds or to an antidumping duty order.
Norwegian dissolving pulp antidumping duties now require a six-point-five-one-percent cash deposit on covered entries. The Commerce final determination applies on October 16, 2026, the date it was published, and continues suspension of liquidation for covered entries entered or withdrawn for consumption on or after May 27, 2026.
The rate is a cash-deposit requirement, not an antidumping duty order. The International Trade Commission (ITC) still must decide whether imports materially injure or threaten the U.S. industry.
Which Norwegian Pulp Is Covered by the Antidumping Case?
The scope covers high-purity dissolving pulp from Norway that meets both composition and brightness thresholds, regardless of its form or cellulose source. The pulp must have at least 90 percent alpha cellulose by weight on an oven-dry basis, calculated using the formula and testing method stated in the notice, and brightness of at least 90 percent under the specified ISO method.
The scope includes pulp made from virgin or recycled cellulose fiber, including wood, agricultural sources, and waste. It can be produced by chemical pulping, including kraft or sulfite processes, and shipped as slurry or in dried forms such as flakes, powder, pellets, rolls, or sheets.
Third-country finishing, packaging, commingling, blending, or dilution does not by itself take otherwise covered pulp out of scope. Where covered pulp is blended or commingled with pulp from a source not subject to the investigation, only the subject component is covered. The notice excludes pulp with intrinsic viscosity under 455 milliliters per gram and cotton linters pulp consisting of at least 90 percent cotton linters fibers by weight on an oven-dried basis.
The listed Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States subheadings are 4702.00.0020 and 4702.00.0040. Covered pulp may also enter under 4706.30.0000 or 4706.92.0100. Those classifications are for customs convenience; the written scope description controls.
Who Pays the Six-Point-Five-One-Percent Norwegian Pulp Deposit?
Covered entries face a six-point-five-one-percent cash deposit beginning with publication on October 16, 2026. Commerce assigned that estimated weighted-average dumping margin to Borregaard AS and to all other exporters and producers not individually examined.
The exporter and producer combination matters when the exporter is not identified in the rate table but the producer is. In that situation, use the company-specific rate established for the producer. If neither is listed individually, use the all-others rate, which is six-point-five-one percent in this determination.
Commerce directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to require these deposits upon publication. The notice says the deposit requirement remains in effect until further notice. It does not establish a final duty order at this stage.
Which Norwegian Pulp Entries Remain Suspended?
Suspension of liquidation reaches covered entries entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after May 27, 2026. Commerce says it will instruct CBP to continue suspension for those entries, so the entry-date line predates the October 16 cash-deposit start.
Apply the date to the entry or withdrawal for consumption, not simply to the date of purchase, production, or shipment. Check that the merchandise meets the written scope, then identify its exporter and producer before determining the applicable deposit rate. The notice provides that suspension, like the deposit requirement, remains in effect until further notice.
What Dates Apply to Norwegian Pulp Deposits?
- Investigation period: July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Commerce examined sales during this period.
- Preliminary determination published: May 27, 2026. This is the start date for continued suspension of liquidation on covered entries.
- Final determination dated: October 9, 2026. Commerce signed the determination on this date.
- Publication and deposit start: October 16, 2026. The notice states that it applies on this date and that CBP will require deposits upon publication.
- Calculation disclosure: within five days of a public announcement, or, if there is no announcement, within five days of publication. The notice does not identify whether a separate public announcement occurred.
What Should Importers Do About Norwegian Pulp Entries?
Confirm scope against the written description. Review the pulp’s alpha cellulose percentage, brightness, intrinsic viscosity, and any cotton-linters content. Do not rely on the tariff subheading alone to decide whether it is covered.
Check the entry date. Identify covered merchandise entered or withdrawn for consumption on or after May 27, 2026, and confirm that liquidation remains suspended.
Identify both exporter and producer. Apply the six-point-five-one-percent rate for Borregaard AS or the all-others category as appropriate. If the exporter is not listed but the producer is, use the producer’s company-specific rate.
Apply the deposit from October 16. Coordinate with the customs broker on the required cash deposit for covered entries subject to the published determination. Keep the deposit requirement separate from any later duty assessment.
What Is Unresolved in the Norwegian Pulp Case?
The final determination does not itself resolve whether the U.S. industry has suffered material injury or faces a threat of material injury. The notice says the ITC will make that determination within 45 days. It does not state the starting point for that period or give a calendar decision date.
If the ITC finds no material injury or threat, the proceeding will be terminated, cash deposits will be refunded, and suspension of liquidation will be lifted. If the ITC finds injury or threat, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order directing CBP to assess duties upon further instruction for covered entries entered or withdrawn for consumption on or after the effective date of suspension. Until further notice, the deposit and suspension instructions remain in force.
Sources
- High Purity Dissolving Pulp From Norway: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Federal Register
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