USITC Votes to Continue Investigations on Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from China and Mexico

May 31, 2023

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof from China and Mexico that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value, and subsidized by the government of China.

Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, Randolph J. Stayin, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue its investigations of imports of certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof from China and Mexico, with its preliminary countervailing duty determination due on or about December 22, 2022, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on or about March 7, 2023.

The Commission's public report Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from China and Mexico (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-682 and 731-TA-1592-1593 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 5387, November 2022) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

The report will be available by December 19, 2022; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSIONWashington, DC 20436

FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS

Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from China and MexicoInvestigation Nos. 701-TA-682 and 731-TA-1592-1593 (Preliminary)

Product Description: Certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof ("FRCs") are metal structures used to connect freight rail cars together. FRCs are comprised of two main metal components: knuckles and coupler bodies; in addition to ancillary parts (e.g., coupler locks, coupler lock lifters, knuckle pins, knuckle throwers, and rotors). Knuckles are typically metal castings in the shape of a hook that pivot on a vertical hinge between a "locked" and an "unlocked" position to allow for interlocking with knuckles of adjacent FRCs. Coupler bodies are a metal casting that hold the knuckle and allow it to pivot. FRCs are designed to connect two freight cars together by automatically interlocking the knuckles of both freight rail coupler systems when the freight cars are pushed together.

Status of Proceedings:

U.S. Industry in 2021:

U.S. Shipments of Imports in 2021:

1Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.