Commerce Department Finds Chinese Chassis Parts Imported by AXN Fall Under AD/CVD Orders

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Date: 2026-01-26

The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a preliminary determination as part of a covered merchandise inquiry regarding certain chassis and subassembly parts imported from China by FEMC LLC, previously known as AXN Heavy Duty LLC.

This action follows a referral from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Commerce began its investigation on April 3, 2025, to determine if certain products are subject to antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders established against Chinese-sourced chassis and subassemblies.

Commerce initially planned to issue its final findings on December 29, 2025, but the decision was postponed due to a lapse in federal funding and a subsequent government shutdown. As a result, all administrative deadlines were extended by 68 days, moving the preliminary determination date to March 9, 2025.

Scope of the Orders

The AD/CVD orders apply to certain chassis and subassemblies imported from China. Details about the scope are provided in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum, accessible via ACCESS (Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System) at https://access.trade.gov.

Products Examined

Commerce reviewed the following merchandise imported by AXN:

  • Axle beams intended for chassis, regardless of whether AXN:
    • Assembled them into axles using Chinese parts.
    • Used U.S.-sourced parts to complete them.
    • Combined both Chinese and U.S. parts.
    • Imported them without further assembly.
  • Slider boxes as imported.
  • Landing gear sets as imported.
  • Any other imported components that can be used on chassis, including those sold for final assembly into trailers, even if shipped individually.

Preliminary Determination

Commerce preliminarily finds:

  • Axle beams used on chassis and assembled by AXN using any combination of Chinese or U.S. parts (scenarios 1[a]–1[c]) are covered by the AD/CVD orders.
  • Slider boxes and landing gear sets imported by AXN are also covered.
  • Other components like individual landing gear legs shipped alone and sold to trailer manufacturers are not classified as covered merchandise, even if intended for chassis use.

Suspension of Liquidation

Based on these findings, Commerce will direct CBP to take the following actions:

  • Continue suspending liquidation of affected items already under suspension.
  • For entries made on or after April 3, 2025, require AD/CVD cash deposits at applicable rates.
  • For entries made before April 3, 2025, that have not been suspended yet, begin suspension and apply applicable AD/CVD cash deposit rates.

These actions are specific to items imported by AXN.

Public Comment

Interested parties may submit written comments (case briefs) by February 9, 2026. Rebuttal briefs are due by February 16, 2026. Parties submitting briefs must include an executive summary of each issue, limited to 450 words, with citations included via footnotes.

Requests for a hearing on the issues raised in the briefs must be submitted by February 9, 2026. Hearings, if requested, will be scheduled at a later date. Parties should confirm event details by phone two days before.

Legal Authority

This inquiry is conducted under 19 U.S.C. § 1517 (Section 517 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended) and 19 CFR 351.227.

The full Preliminary Decision Memorandum is available at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

Signed,

Christopher Abbott
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations
Performing the non-exclusive duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance

Federal Register Citation: 91 FR 3119 (January 26, 2026)
Document Number: 2026-01447


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