Anti-dumping duties
Additional customs duties imposed on imported goods that are priced below their normal value in the exporter's domestic market. Anti-dumping orders can add 10–250% to your landed cost and apply on top of standard MFN tariffs.
What anti-dumping duties are
Dumping occurs when a foreign manufacturer exports goods at a price below the price charged in their home market, or below the cost of production. Anti-dumping (AD) duties are corrective tariffs designed to offset this price difference and prevent domestic industries from being undercut.
AD duties are permitted under the WTO Anti-Dumping Agreement (Article VI of GATT). They are product- and country-specific: a duty order on Chinese steel does not automatically apply to Vietnamese steel or to Chinese aluminium.
How anti-dumping investigations work
An investigation is typically initiated by a domestic industry petition or by the government authority acting on its own initiative. The process follows a standard sequence across most jurisdictions:
- Domestic industry files a petition with the trade authority (US ITC/DOC, EU Commission, UK TRA)
- Authority determines whether to initiate an investigation (usually within 20 days)
- Preliminary determination: provisional AD duties may be imposed within 60–120 days
- Full investigation: questionnaires sent to foreign exporters, on-site verification
- Final determination: AD duty rate calculated for each exporter (others receive an "all others" rate)
- Duty order published and enforced at the border for up to 5 years
- Sunset review: order may be extended if dumping is likely to recur
Duties are assessed as a percentage of the customs value. Different exporters from the same country can receive different rates based on their cooperation and pricing evidence.
Major current anti-dumping orders
Chinese steel and aluminium (US)
Section 232 national security tariffs (25% steel, 10% aluminium) layer on top of existing AD/CVD orders. Many Chinese steel products face combined duties exceeding 200%.
Chinese solar panels (US and EU)
US: AD duties of 20–240% on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells. EU: minimum import price obligations replaced earlier AD duties; separate safeguard measures apply.
Chinese ceramic tiles (EU)
EU imposed definitive AD duties of 26.3–69.7% on Chinese ceramic tiles following an investigation. Orders have been renewed through successive sunset reviews.
Chinese wooden bedroom furniture (US)
One of the longest-running US AD orders, in place since 2005. Duty rates vary by exporter; the all-others rate is approximately 216%.
Vietnamese and Indonesian footwear (EU)
Anti-dumping measures on leather footwear from Vietnam and Indonesia have been in effect in various forms since the mid-2000s, targeting footwear with leather uppers.
How to check whether your product faces AD duties
You need to know your product's HS code and country of origin before searching AD databases. Orders apply to specific HS subheadings — a product classified at the 8-digit level may be subject to an order while a closely related product at the same 6-digit chapter is not.
Searchable list of all active US anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders. Search by HS code, country, or product description.
The EU's integrated tariff database. Filter by country of origin to see applicable AD measures, rates, and relevant regulations.
UK-specific AD and safeguard investigations and measures, maintained separately from the EU since January 2021.
Countervailing duties (CVD)
Countervailing duties (CVD) are a closely related instrument. Where AD duties address private pricing decisions by exporters, CVD duties target government subsidies — grants, loans at below-market rates, tax concessions, or cheap inputs — that give exporters an unfair advantage.
CVD investigations are governed by the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement). In the United States, AD and CVD investigations are often conducted in parallel, and both sets of duties can apply to the same product simultaneously. For example, Chinese steel products commonly face both AD and CVD duties, plus Section 232 tariffs, resulting in very high combined duty rates.
AD duties vs Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs
These instruments are frequently confused because they all result in additional US duties on imports, but they have different legal bases and rationales:
| Instrument | Legal Basis | Rationale | Who Initiates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Dumping | GATT Art. VI / Tariff Act 1930 | Exporter prices below normal value | Industry petition |
| CVD | GATT Art. VI / SCM Agreement | Foreign government subsidies | Industry petition |
| Section 301 | Trade Act 1974 §301 | Unfair trade practices / IP theft | USTR (executive) |
| Section 232 | Trade Expansion Act 1962 §232 | National security threat | DOC / President |
All four can apply simultaneously to the same product. When calculating landed cost on Chinese steel, for example, you must add MFN duty, Section 232, Section 301, AD, and CVD to obtain the total duty burden.
AD and CVD duty rates change frequently as new investigations are initiated, existing orders are reviewed, and individual exporters receive revised rates. Always verify current rates through the relevant customs authority database before finalising a sourcing decision.