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Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an expedited review of the countervailing duty (CVD) order on frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from Ecuador for the producers/exporters that requested a review. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.
Applicable March 10, 2026.
Zachary Shaykin or Stephanie Trejo, AD/CVD Operations, Office IV, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-2638 or (202) 482-4390, respectively.
On December 26, 2024, Commerce published in the Federal Register the CVD order on shrimp from Ecuador.[1] On March 6, 2025, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.214(l)(3)(i), Commerce initiated an expedited review of the Order for six companies that requested a review.[2] Subsequently, two companies withdrew their requests for a review.[3] The period of review is January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.
On August 20, 2025, Commerce extended the deadline for these preliminary results by 118 days.[4] Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown, on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by 47 days.[5] 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.[6] Finally, on February 27, 2026, we extended the preliminary results of this expedited review by two days.[7]
For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.[8] A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included in the appendix to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically 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.
The product covered by the Order is shrimp from Ecuador. For a complete description of the scope of the Order, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.214(f)(1), Commerce will rescind an expedited review for any company that withdraws its request for an expedited review within 60 days after the date of publication of the notice of initiation. The Initiation Notice for this expedited review was published on March 6, 2025.[9] Natluk and Total Seafood timely filed withdrawals of review requests within the 60-day window from this date ( i.e., before May 5, 2025).[10] Therefore, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.214(f)(1), we are rescinding the expedited review of the Order with respect to Natluk and Total Seafood. The expedited review will continue with respect to all other firms for which a review was initiated.
Commerce is conducting this expedited review in accordance with 19 CFR 351.214(l)(3). For each subsidy program found countervailable, we preliminarily find that there is a subsidy, i.e., a financial contribution by an “authority” that gives rise to a benefit to the recipient, and that the subsidy is specific.[11] We calculated a CVD rate for each producer/exporter of the subject merchandise that requested an expedited review with the exception ( printed page 11512) of the producers/exporters for which we are rescinding this review. For a full description of the methodology underlying the preliminary results, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
We preliminarily determine that the following estimated net countervailable subsidy rates exist for the following producers/exporters for which this expedited review is being conducted:
| Producer and/or exporter | Net countervailable subsidy rate (percent ad valorem) |
|---|---|
| Empacadora del Pacifico S.A. and its cross-owned affiliates 12 | 13.73. |
| Nirsa S.A. and Procesadora Posorja S.A. and certain of their cross-owned affiliates 13 | 2.18. |
| Productos Perecibles y Mariscos S.A. and certain of its cross-owned affiliates 14 | 0.28 ( de minimis ).15 |
Commerce intends to disclose its calculations and analysis performed for these preliminary results to interested parties 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 the Federal Register , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Commerce will notify interested parties as to the briefing schedule in this expedited review at a later date to be determined. 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.[16] 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.[17] All briefs must be filed electronically using ACCESS. An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety in ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the established deadline.
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.[18] 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 results in this expedited review. 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).[19] Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, filed electronically via ACCESS by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain: (1) the party's name, address, and telephone number; (2) the number of participants, and whether any participant is a foreign national; and (3) a list of issues to be discussed. Oral presentations at the hearing will be limited to issues raised in the briefs. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce will inform parties of the time and date for the hearing.[20] Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.214(l)(3)(ii), the final results of this expedited review will not be the basis for the assessment of countervailing duties. Upon issuing the final results, Commerce intends to instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits of estimated countervailing duties for the companies subject to this expedited review, at the rates shown above, on shipments of subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of the final results of this expedited review. These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.
Unless extended, Commerce intends to issue the final results of this expedited review, which will include the results of our analysis of the issues raised in the case briefs, within 120 days after the date of publication of these preliminary results in the Federal Register , pursuant to section 751(a)(3)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.214(i)(1).
These preliminary results and notice are issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1), 777(i)(1), and 777A(e) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.214(l).
Dated: March 3, 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.
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Order
IV. Diversification of Ecuador's Economy
V. Subsidies Valuation
VI. Benchmarks
VII. Analysis of Programs
VIII. Recommendation
1. See Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Indonesia: Antidumping Duty Order; Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador, India, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Countervailing Duty Orders,89 FR 104982 (December 26, 2024) ( Order).
Back to Citation2. See Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador: Initiation of Expedited Review of the Countervailing Duty Order,90 FR 11398 (March 6, 2025) ( Initiation Notice).
Back to Citation3. See Natluk S.A. (Natluk)'s Letter, “Natluk S.A. Request for Withdrawal from Expedited Review,” dated April 15, 2025 (Natluk's Letter of Withdrawal); see also Exportadora Total Seafood S.A. (Total Seafood)'s Letter, “Exportadora Total Seafood S.A. Request for Withdrawal from Expedited Review,” dated April 15, 2025 (Total Seafood's Letter of Withdrawal).
Back to Citation4. See Memorandum, “Expedited Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador: Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results,” dated August 20, 2025.
Back to Citation5. See Memorandum, “Tolling of Deadlines for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,” dated November 14, 2025.
Back to Citation6. See Memorandum, “Tolling of all Case Deadlines,” dated November 24, 2025.
Back to Citation7. See Memorandum, “Extension of Deadline for Preliminary Results of Expedited Review of the Countervailing Duty Order of Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador,” dated February 27, 2026.
Back to Citation8. See Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Results of the Expedited Review of the Countervailing Duty Order on Frozen Warmwater Shrimp from Ecuador,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
Back to Citation9. See Initiation Notice.
Back to Citation10. See Natluk's Letter of Withdrawal; and Total Seafood's Letter of Withdrawal.
Back to Citation11. See sections 771(5)(B) and (D) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), regarding financial contribution; section 771(5)(E) of the Act regarding benefit; and section 771(5A) of the Act regarding specificity.
Back to Citation12. We preliminarily determine that the following entities are cross-owned with Empacadora del Pacifico S.A.: Grupacif S.A., Masi S.A., Acuanorte S.A., and Acuicola Mobe Cia Ltda.
13. We preliminarily determine that the following entities are cross-owned with Nirsa S.A. and Procesadora Posorja S.A.: Corporacion Real S.A., Camarones y Langostinos del Mar S.A., Terraquil S.A., Luthorcorp S.A., Promusterra S.A., and Penaeus S.A.
14. We preliminarily determine that the following entity is cross-owned with Productos Perecibles y Mariscos S.A.: Diva S.A.
15. See Designations of Developing and Least Developed Countries Under the Countervailing Duty Law,85 FR 7613, 7615 (February 10, 2020).
Back to Citation16. 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 Procedures).
Back to Citation17. See 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
Back to Citation18. We use the term “issue” here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
Back to Citation19. See APO and Service Procedures.
Back to Citation20. See 19 CFR 351.310(d).
Back to Citation[FR Doc. 2026-04612 Filed 3-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P