WASHINGTON (September 2025) – Buchanan secured a victory for domestic freight rail coupler (FRC) manufacturers in their efforts to combat unfairly priced imports of FRCs from the Czech Republic and India. In a unanimous vote, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced its preliminary affirmative decision on September 5, 2025, that there is a reasonable indication that the domestic FRC industry has been materially injured as a result of the imports sold at less than fair value from both the Czech Republic and India.
The ITC's vote comes in response to antidumping duty and countervailing duty petitions filed on July 22, 2025, by the Coalition of Freight Coupler Producers. The petitions allege that both the Czech and Indian FRC's are being imported into the United States at unfairly low prices injuring the domestic industry and American workers.
This is not the first antidumping and countervailing duty investigation as to whether unfairly low-priced imports of FRCs are harming the U.S. industry. In 2023, the ITC affirmatively determined that imports of FRCs from China and Mexico caused material harm to the domestic FRC industry.
"The ITC determined that imports from China and Mexico were injuring the U.S. industry. After the U.S. government decided to provide relief from these dumped and subsidized products, Indian and Czech producers took the opportunity to surge into the U.S. market, further harming American producers. This unanimous vote brings the domestic FRC industry closer to ensuring they can compete on a level playing field," said Daniel B. Pickard, lead counsel to the petitioner and Buchanan's International Trade and National Security Practice Group Leader. "U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws must be enforced to protect U.S. companies from unfair trade practices."
On August 12, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced the initiation of antidumping duty investigations into imports of FRCs from the Czech Republic and India. The estimated dumping margins are as high as 119%. On the same day, Commerce also initiated a countervailing duty investigation into the subsidies provided to the FRC industry in India.
The ITC's affirmative preliminary determination clears a path for Commerce to move ahead with its investigations. Commerce is expected to issue its preliminary countervailing duty determination as to India at the end of October and its preliminary antidumping determinations at the end of December. Should Commerce reach affirmative preliminary determinations in these cases, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will start collecting cash deposits based on the preliminary margins calculated by Commerce.
The ITC's final phase investigation will likely occur in the summer of 2026. Should both the ITC and Commerce issue affirmative final determinations, antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of FRCs from the Czech Republic and India will be issued, imposing duties on the unfairly low-priced imports for a minimum of five years. Commerce will conduct reviews every five years to determine whether to continue the orders.
The Buchanan team representing the Petitioner also includes Milton Koch, Joseph Pickard, Claire Webster, Amanda Wetzel, Brandon Custard, Natan Tubman, Grace Welborn, Carson Easterling, Miriam Taylor, and Christopher Hargett.