Preliminary Determination of Certain Freight Rail Couplers from China
Preliminary Affirmative Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from China
On February 28, 2023, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof (freight rail couplers) from China.
PRELIMINARY SUBSIDY RATES:
| COUNTRY | EXPORTER/PRODUCER | SUBSIDY RATE |
|---|---|---|
| China | Chongqing Changzheng Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. | 265.99% |
| Chongqing Tongyao Transportation Equipment Co. | 265.99% | |
| CRRC Qiqihar Co., Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| NanJing Zhongsheng Rolling Stock Components Co. Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| Ningbo Minghui Metal Technology Co., Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| Qingdao Lianshan Casting Co., Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| Qingdao Sanheshan Precision Casting Co., Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| Shaanxi Haiduo Railway Technology Development Co., Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| Shanghai Voith Xiagujin Chuang Coupler Technology Co., Ltd. | 265.99% | |
| All Others | 265.99% |
CASE CALENDAR:
| EVENT | CVD INVESTIGATION |
|---|---|
| Petition Filed | September 28, 2022 |
| Commerce Initiation Date | October 18, 2022 |
| ITC Preliminary Determination | November 14, 2022 |
| Commerce Preliminary Determination | February 27, 2023 |
| Commerce Final Determination | May 15, 2023 |
| ITC Final Determination* | June 29, 2023 |
| Issuance of Order** | July 6, 2023 |
NOTE: Commerce’s preliminary and final determination deadlines are governed by statute. For CVD investigations, the deadlines are set forth in sections 703(b) and 705(a)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).
*This will take place only in the event of a final affirmative determination from Commerce.
**This will take place only in the event of final affirmative determinations from Commerce and the International Trade Commission (ITC).
IMPORT STATISTICS:
| CHINA | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume (KG) | 22,906,629 | 11,924,947 | 15,231,536 |
| Value (USD) | $55,125,601 | $27,949,072 | $35,198,364 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, accessed through IHS Markit’s Global Trade Atlas (Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 8607.30.1000). Imports of freight rail couplers enter under an HTSUS subheading that covers subject and non-subject merchandise. In addition, unfinished merchandise or merchandise that is imported attached to finished rail cars may enter under other HTSUS subheadings. Therefore, publicly available import data may not accurately reflect actual imports of the freight rail couplers covered by the scope of the investigation.
Other Case Information
- The petitioner is the Coalition of Freight Coupler Producers, the members of which are McConway and Torley, LLC (M&T) (Pittsburgh, PA) and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (the USW) (Washington, DC).
- For general information and next steps, please refer to a list of preliminary FAQs.
- Additional case information including the scope of the investigation are on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance’s Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). Once you log in, please refer to case number C-570-146.
- To date, Commerce maintains 664 AD and CVD orders that provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.