US Trailer Coalition Wins Trade Case as 260% Duties Target Chinese Imports

A trade ruling in Washington has handed American trailer builders a major victory. The US International Trade Commission issued an affirmative injury determination that clears the path for duties exceeding 260% on van-type trailers coming from China, a move the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition described as long overdue.

The coalition’s members — Great Dane, Stoughton Trailers and Wabash — first filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions in November 2025 against China, Canada and Mexico. With the China case now moving forward, the US Department of Commerce is expected to issue formal orders in October 2026, and those measures would also reach Chinese subassemblies and kits routed through Canada.

The picture is less settled for America’s northern and southern neighbors. Commerce has not yet wrapped up its antidumping and countervailing duty findings for Mexico, nor its antidumping finding for Canada, and a second USITC vote is required before any duties take effect there. The coalition expects those final decisions in early 2027.

Robert E. DeFrancesco III, counsel to the coalition, framed the outcome as a corrective to years of lost market share, arguing that domestic manufacturers can compete successfully when trade is fair. The coalition notes that the orders run for at least five years and can be adjusted upward through annual reviews, and it points to roughly 10,000 direct US jobs tied to the sector.