Notice2026-01447
Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Determination of Covered Merchandise Inquiry
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentInternational Trade Administration
Abstract
In response to a covered merchandise referral by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that certain merchandise subject to the inquiry imported into in the United States is covered under the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) orders on certain chassis and subassemblies thereof from the People's Republic of China (China).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 16 (Monday, January 26, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 16 (Monday, January 26, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3119-3121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01447]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
[A-570-135, C-570-136]
Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof From the People's
Republic of China: Preliminary Determination of Covered Merchandise
Inquiry
AGENCY: Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
SUMMARY: In response to a covered merchandise referral by U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce)
preliminarily determines that certain merchandise subject to the
inquiry imported into in the United States is covered under the
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty (AD/CVD) orders on certain chassis
and subassemblies thereof from the People's Republic of China (China).
DATES: Applicable January 26, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacob Keller, AD/CVD Operations,
Office I, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-4849.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 3, 2025, Commerce initiated a covered merchandise inquiry
to determine whether certain merchandise imported by FEMC LLC's,
formerly known as AXN Heavy Duty LLC (AXN) from China is covered
merchandise subject to the Orders on chassis from China.\1\
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\1\ See Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof from the
People's Republic of China: Notice of Covered Merchandise Referral
and Initiation of Covered Merchandise Inquiry, 90 FR 14639 (April 3,
2025) (Initiation Notice); see also Certain Chassis and
Subassemblies Thereof from the People's Republic of China:
Antidumping Duty Order, 86 FR 36093 (July 8, 2021) and Certain
Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof from the People's Republic of
China: Countervailing Duty Order and Amended Final Affirmative
Countervailing Duty Determination, 86 FR 24844 (May 10, 2021),
respectively (collectively, the Orders).
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On July 30, 2025, Commerce postponed the final determination of
this inquiry, and the revised deadline is now December 29, 2025.\2\
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\2\ See Commerce's Letter, ``Deadline Extension for Covered
Merchandise Final Determination,'' dated July 30, 2025.
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Due to the lapse in appropriations and Federal Government shutdown,
on November 14, 2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative
proceedings by 47 days.\3\ Additionally, due to a backlog of documents
that were electronically filed via Enforcement and Compliance's
Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service
System (ACCESS) during the Federal Government shutdown, on November 24,
2025, Commerce tolled all deadlines in administrative proceedings by an
additional 21 days.\4\ Accordingly, the deadline for this preliminary
determination is now March 9, 2025.
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\3\ See Memorandum, ``Deadlines Affected by the Shutdown of the
Federal Government,'' dated November 14, 2025.
\4\ See Memorandum, ``Tolling of all Case Deadlines,'' dated
November 24, 2025.
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[[Page 3120]]
For a complete description of the events that followed the
initiation of this investigation, see the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.\5\ A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum is included as Appendix I to this notice. The Preliminary
Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically
via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to
registered users at <a href="https://access.trade.gov">https://access.trade.gov</a>. In addition, a complete
version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly
at <a href="https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx">https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx</a>.
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\5\ See Memorandum, ``Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof
from the People's Republic of China: Decision Memorandum for the
Preliminary Results of Covered Merchandise Inquiry--EAPA Inv.
7839,'' dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice
(Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
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Scope of the Orders
The merchandise covered by the Orders are certain chassis and
subassemblies from China. For a complete description of the scope of
the Orders, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Merchandise Subject to the Covered Merchandise Inquiry
The merchandise subject to this inquiry are: (1) the axle beams
imported by AXN that can be used on chassis, whether (a) incorporated
into an axle assembly by AXN by adding Chinese-origin parts; (b)
incorporated into an axle assembly by AXN by adding domestically (i.e.,
U.S.) sourced parts; (c) incorporated into an axle assembly by AXN by
adding a mix of Chinese-origin and domestically sourced parts; and/or
(d) not incorporated into an axle assembly by AXN (i.e., as imported);
(2) Slider boxes that can be used on chassis, as imported by AXN; (3)
Landing gear sets, as imported by AXN; and (4) Any merchandise imported
by AXN that can be used on chassis, including, but not limited to, axle
beams, slider boxes, and landing gear leg components/landing gear sets,
that, even if considered individual components, were imported by AXN
``with or for further assembly with a finished or unfinished chassis''
by virtue of their intended sale by AXN to manufacturers for use in the
production of completed trailers.
Methodology
Commerce is conducting this covered merchandise inquiry in
accordance with section 517 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the
Act) and 19 CFR 351.227. For a full description of the methodology
underlying Commerce's preliminary results, see the Preliminary Decision
Memorandum.
Preliminary Determination
Commerce preliminarily determines: (1) the axle beams imported by
AXN that can be used on chassis, regardless if incorporated into an
axle assembly via scenarios (1)(a)-(c), are covered merchandise; (2)
slider boxes that can be used on chassis, as imported by AXN, are
covered merchandise; (3) landing gear sets that can be used on chassis,
as imported by AXN, are covered merchandise; and (4) any other
merchandise considered individual components, such as the landing gear
legs, imported by AXN and entered and sold by themselves would not be
considered subject merchandise even if the intended sale is to
manufacturers for use in the production of completed trailers. For a
full description of the methodology underlying our conclusions, see the
Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
Suspension of Liquidation
As stated above, Commerce preliminarily determines that AXN's
imported axle beams, slider boxes, and landing gear sets for use on
chassis are subject merchandise. These affirmative in-scope findings
are importer-specific to AXN pursuant to 19 CFR 351.227(m)(1)(i).
Therefore, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.227(l)(2), Commerce will
direct CBP to: (1) continue the suspension of liquidation of previously
suspended entries and apply the applicable AD and CVD cash deposit
rates; (2) begin the suspension of liquidation and require a cash
deposit of estimated duties, at the applicable rate, for each
unliquidated entry of the product not yet suspended, entered, or
withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after April 3, 2025,
the date of publication of the notice of initiation of this covered
merchandise inquiry in the Federal Register; and (3) begin the
suspension of liquidation and require a cash deposit of estimated
duties, at the applicable rate, for each unliquidated entry of the
product not yet suspended, entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for
consumption prior to April 3, 2025.\6\
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\6\ See Initiation Notice.
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Public Comment
Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the
Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance. Pursuant to 19 CFR
351.227(d)(3) interested parties may submit case briefs no later than
14 days after the date of publication of this notice. Rebuttal briefs,
limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later
than seven days after the date of filing for case briefs.
As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2)(iii) and (d)(2)(iii), we
request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their
briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their
briefs.\7\ Further, we request that interested parties limit their
executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not
including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the
basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision
memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this
investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for
relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that
Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the
service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f).\8\
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\7\ We use the term ``issue'' here to describe an argument that
Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and
Decision Memorandum.
\8\ See Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other
Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 88 FR
67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023).
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Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to
request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal
briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 14 days
after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain
the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of
participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list
of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made,
Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be
determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and
location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.
Notification to Interested Parties
This determination is issued and published in accordance with
section 517 of the Act and 19 CFR 351.227(e)(1).
[[Page 3121]]
Dated: January 21, 2026.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the
non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for
Enforcement and Compliance.
Appendix I
List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Scope of the Orders
IV. Merchandise Subject to this Inquiry
V. Legal Framework
VI. Analysis
VII. Recommendation
[FR Doc. 2026-01447 Filed 1-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P
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