U.S. to Impose Duties on Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese Chassis Imports

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to finalize countervailing and antidumping duties on intermodal chassis and subassemblies from Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam. The duties, which will remain effective for at least five years, were imposed after a coalition led by Stoughton Trailers and Cheetah Chassis Corp. accused manufacturers in the three countries of selling their products below market prices and receiving anticompetitive government support. The ITC determined that U.S. manufacturers were materially injured by the imports, which totaled nearly $1 billion in 2024, with over $950 million arriving from Mexico. The duties will be applied on top of Section 232 duties on steel derivative products, and the rates will be reassessed annually. The decision is seen as a victory for domestic manufacturers, who suffered declines in production, shipments, and employment due to the alleged business practices. The ITC’s findings and investigation details will be made public by July 1.

Commerce finalized its affirmative subsidy determinations in April, with Mexican producers assessed countervailing duty rates of 76.91%. Thai duties will be between 9.65% and 10.72%, while antidumping duties will range from 72.85% to 129.63% for Thailand and 186.84% for Vietnam. The ruling sends a clear message that the U.S. government will not allow unfair trade practices to undermine U.S. manufacturing and U.S. workers. Stoughton Trailers CEO Bob Wahlin expressed optimism about the future, believing the decision will help create a healthier environment for continued investment, growth, and innovation across the domestic intermodal container chassis industry. The federal government shutdown in November 2025 delayed proceedings by 47 days, while a backlog in filings added 21 more days to the timeline. Commerce announced preliminary affirmative determinations in the countervailing duty investigations of chassis from Mexico and Thailand in June 2025, with subsidy rates for all Mexican entities under investigation at 133.18%. Thai companies subject to the complaint received uniform subsidy assessments, ranging from 2.24% to 9.42%.

In September 2025, Commerce made public its preliminary affirmative determinations in the antidumping duty investigations of Mexican-, Thai-, and Vietnamese-origin chassis, with manufacturers in Mexico assessed a dumping margin of 32.37%. Thai entities Dee Siam and Panus were assessed margins of 46.12% and 181.57%, respectively, while all other exporters were assessed at 46.12%. The ITC concluded in an April 2025 preliminary determination that there was a reasonable indication to support the petitions. The petition argued that domestic manufacturers suffered declines in production, shipments, and employment as a result of the alleged business practices. According to U.S. import data, the value of imports of chassis and subassemblies from the three countries at the center of the complaint totaled almost $1 billion in 2024. Of this total, more than $950 million in imports arrived from Mexico, while imports valued at more than $26.85 million were shipped from Thailand and more than $18.57 million from Vietnam. Since the investigation began, Hyundai Translead has announced plans to