Fight on: Trade battles, the freight slump, and realignment in the trailer market
Unfair competition, or just freight cycles and business as usual? The trailer trade war entered has its final stages as the U.S. Department of Commerce issued preliminary affirmative determinations and set countervailing (CVD) and antidumping (AD) duties earlier this summer, and has given trailer OEMs one more chance to argue for or against the findings.
The U.S. International Trade Commission on August 27 held an in-person final-phase hearing and received voluminous supporting documentation, but little of the evidence presented by either side differed significantly from the initial ITC hearing on the matter, held Dec. 11, 2025.
Except now it's getting real.
The scorecard
The petition alleging unfair trade was filed November 20, 2025, by the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition (formed by Great Dane LLC, Stoughton Trailers LLC, and Wabash Corporation) targeting subject importers (the largest OEMs pushing back are Hyundai de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (Hyundai Translead), Utility Trailer Manufacturing de México (UTMC), and Vanguard Global Trailer Holdings (Vanguard), which is affiliated with China-based CIMC, a global transportation equipment manufacturing giant.
On June 5, Commerce calculated countervailing duties on imports for China that ranged from 82.3% to 128.7%. Responding brands CIMC Baowell Industries Co. Ltd. and Qingdao CIMC Reefer Trailer Co. Ltd. were assessed at the lower rate. The preliminary determination for imports from Mexico were 1.90% for Hyundai and 1.95% for UTMC.
The final determinations for China are currently scheduled to be issued on August 24, and the final determinations for Mexico are currently scheduled to be issued on October 13.
On July 30, Commerce found that van-type trailers imported from Mexico were sold at less than fair value and imposed preliminary AD duties ranging from 3.21% to 79.92%. The weighted average dumping margin for Hyundai de Mexico S.A. de C.V. was set at 10.19%, while Utility Trailer Manufacturing de México came in at 3.21%.
The final determinations of these AD investigations should be announced on or around December 16.
Domestic OEMs contend the importers have used unfair pricing to undercut long-established American companies and rapidly seize market share. The importers reject the argument, countering that domestic OEMs have suffered due to the covid-related freight surge and subsequent collapse—as have importers—and that imports' gain in market share is based on product quality not price.
Industry-shaping final rulings are expected by the end of the year.
See the September print edition of TBB for coverage of the final-phase hearing.
About the Author
Kevin Jones
Editor
Kevin has served as editor-in-chief of Trailer/Body Builders magazine since 2017—just the third editor in the magazine’s 60 years. He is also editorial director for Endeavor Business Media’s Commercial Vehicle group, which includes FleetOwner, Bulk Transporter, Refrigerated Transporter, American Trucker, and Fleet Maintenance magazines and websites.
Working from Beaufort, S.C., Kevin has covered trucking and manufacturing for nearly 20 years. His writing and commentary about the trucking industry and, previously, business and government, has been recognized with numerous state, regional, and national journalism awards.