The U.S. Department of Commerce has set a preliminary anti-dumping duty of 4.29% on trailer imports from cooperating Canadian manufacturers, a rate far below the roughly 31% margin originally sought in a trade complaint filed by the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition, a group representing domestic builders Great Dane, Stoughton Trailers, and Wabash. The determination applies broadly to Canadian producers cooperating with the investigation, based on a rate calculated from sole mandatory respondent Manac, while non-cooperating manufacturers Collins Manufacturing Company and Gincor Werx were assigned a steeper preliminary rate near 45% under adverse facts available.
The ruling follows Commerce's earlier decision to drop a related countervailing duty investigation into alleged Canadian government subsidies after the coalition withdrew that portion of its complaint. Canadian manufacturers now face only the anti-dumping case, while Mexican trailer makers remain subject to both anti-dumping and countervailing duty proceedings.
One Canadian manufacturer, Vanguard Trailer, was left off the preliminary rate table after Commerce determined its Canadian-assembled trailers use Chinese-origin subassemblies and therefore fall under a separate China-focused investigation rather than the Canadian case.
Once published in the Federal Register, the preliminary duty takes effect immediately, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin collecting cash deposits on covered trailer imports. Commerce plans to issue a final determination later this year. Trade counsel for the domestic coalition called the preliminary rulings a step toward restoring fair competition in the U.S. trailer market.
For fleets across the country, including operators purchasing trailers built north of the border, the outcome could influence equipment costs and availability as the investigation moves toward a final ruling.
Source: Truck News -- https://www.trucknews.com/equipment/us-slaps-preliminary-anti-dumping-duty-on-canadian-trailer-makers/1003219340/