U.S. Finds China Exporter Violating Trade Rules
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The U.S. Department of Commerce has released the final results of its review on the sale of a chemical from China. This review covered the period from March 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024.
A company called Zhejiang Sanmei Ind. Co., Ltd., or Sanmei, was found to be selling a chemical, named pentafluoroethane or R-125, to the U.S. at unfairly low prices. This means they were selling it below what the normal price should be.
An investigation started in July 2025 with preliminary results shared in the Federal Register. Important data collection was disrupted due to a U.S. government shutdown during the investigation. This required extensions on deadlines for completing the review.
Sanmei has to follow the rules set by the U.S. for antidumping duties. This means Sanmei’s customers must now pay a special fee when they import R-125 from China. The new rate of this fee is 48.67%.
Another company, Zhejiang Yonghe Refrigerant Co., Ltd., known as Yonghe, was considered as part of a larger group of companies based in China. This is because Yonghe couldn’t get a separate rate. The group’s rate is high—267.51%—and this rate will remain because there was no special investigation into the bigger group.
The Department of Commerce keeps careful records of these investigations. They use a system called ACCESS to store information about these cases. Anyone interested in detailed information can visit their website.
These findings have important effects. Now, the companies that buy R-125 from China will need to pay extra fees to bring the chemical into the U.S. This is to make sure that everyone plays fair in business and that U.S. industries are treated fairly by their overseas competitors.
The U.S. plans to keep an eye on these companies in the future. This helps to ensure fair trade continues between the U.S. and other countries. It is important for businesses to remember their responsibilities to avoid getting into trouble with the law.
The new rules for buying R-125 from these companies in China will start right away. Importers of this chemical must pay close attention to these changes to avoid any issues with customs.
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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.
