U.S. Sets Antidumping Duties on Molded Fiber Products from China and Vietnam
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — On January 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new antidumping duty (AD) orders on thermoformed molded fiber products from the People’s Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
These duties follow final findings by both the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Both agencies confirmed that imports of these products from China and Vietnam are being sold in the United States at less than fair value. These sales caused material injury to a U.S. industry.
The orders apply to molded fiber products formed with cellulose fibers. These are shaped using heated molds and dried or cured while in the mold. Items affected include plates, bowls, trays, lids, food packaging, and other packaging made of molded fiber.
The products are dense, with a fiber density above 0.5 grams per cubic centimeter. They may come from many types of fiber sources. These include wood, crops, and recycled materials. The products may also have added features like anti-bacterial or flame-resistant chemicals. They may be finished or processed in various ways—including dyeing, cutting, trimming, printing, or coating.
The Department of Commerce stated that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will collect antidumping duties on unliquidated entries of the covered goods. These include imports from May 12, 2025, the date the preliminary determinations were published. However, this does not include entries imported after November 8, 2025, when the provisional measures expired and before the ITC final determination was published.
CBP will now reinstate the suspension of liquidation for products from China and Vietnam. It will also require cash deposits equal to dumping margins adjusted for subsidy offsets. These margins were listed in Commerce’s final determinations on September 30, 2025.
Commerce extended the standard four-month suspension period to six months upon request of major exporters from both countries. The extended suspension period ran from May 12, 2025, to November 8, 2025. Entries that came in after November 8, 2025, but before the January 27, 2026 order publication, will not be subject to antidumping duties.
The scope of the orders also includes molded fiber products that are finished or processed in a third country. As long as the product was originally made in China or Vietnam and the second-country processing does not change the product’s basic character, it stays under the order’s scope.
Some exclusions apply. These include packaging that surrounds non-subject merchandise when imported, like molded fiber used to hold electronics. Also excluded are products already covered under other specific AD and countervailing duty (CVD) orders, such as paper plates.
The Department of Commerce will also maintain an annual inquiry service list for each order. Parties interested in appearing on the list must file an entry of appearance in the ACCESS system within 30 days of the order’s publication. This list helps ensure that all relevant parties are notified of scope rulings and actions related to the order.
The Governments of China and Vietnam, and the original petitioners, will be placed on the annual inquiry service list automatically in future years. But they must initially submit their entries following this notice.
These orders are now in full effect. Further updates and instructions will be published on the ACCESS website or posted through official Federal Register notices.
The commerce action stems from investigations under case numbers A-570-182 (China) and A-552-845 (Vietnam). All entries of affected products from these countries will now be subject to U.S. antidumping law.
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