U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Japanese Cranes Sold for Less Than Fair Value

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The U.S. Department of Commerce recently made a final decision on the sale of lattice boom crawler cranes from Japan. They found these cranes are being sold in the United States for less than they should be. This is called selling at “less than fair value” or LTFV.

The Department of Commerce looked at crane sales from Japan from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. The investigation results were first shared on January 16, 2026. Back then, Commerce said they believed Japanese cranes were indeed being sold below fair value.

In their final decision, the Department confirmed that two Japanese companies were involved. These companies are Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Cranes Co., Ltd. Kobelco was found to have a dumping margin of 12.36%, and Sumitomo had a margin of 20.00%. Other companies will have a margin of 16.18%.

This means these companies were marking down prices too low in America, which can harm U.S. businesses selling cranes. So, to fix this, the Department will require extra fees, known as dumping duties, on these cranes when they are brought into the U.S. These extra fees will match the dumping margins found.

Before this final decision, the Department checked documents and visited the company’s sites. They made sure all facts were correct. The changes made after the first findings were small. These changes were shared in a special document, the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Now, the Department will tell the International Trade Commission about their final decision. The Commission will then decide if these low-price sales are hurting U.S. businesses.

If they agree there’s harm, U.S. Customs will start collecting these extra fees. If not, the case will be closed, and no extra fees will be added.

All companies must follow rules about handling private information given during this investigation. This ensures that company secrets stay safe.

This decision is important because it helps keep fair trade between countries. It makes sure that companies in the U.S. can compete fairly with those from other countries.

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This article includes content collected from the Federal Register (federalregister.gov). The content is not an official government publication. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For case-specific consultation, please contact us. Read our full Legal Disclaimer, which also includes information on translation accuracy.