American manufacturers trigger truck “dumping” investigation

Celeste Polidori
December 4, 2025

Foreign trailer manufacturers under investigation for alleged “dumping” in the U.S.

The U.S. truck market is at the center of a trade dispute. After domestic manufacturers reported that companies from Canada, China, and Mexico were engaging in unfair practices harming the local industry, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) opened an investigation to determine whether imported trailers are indeed being sold below fair value and whether they also receive government subsidies.

This practice is known as “dumping,” a technique that severely affects domestic markets. In response, the American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition, made up of companies such as Great Dane, Stoughton, and Wabash, filed an antidumping and countervailing duty petition. The group argues that trailer imports from the three countries have increased significantly, displacing domestic production and causing declines in activity, employment, and profitability among U.S. manufacturers.

Truck trailer dumping: Hyundai and Vanguard in the spotlight

According to the petition, two companies stand out in the investigation: Hyundai Translead and Vanguard National Trailer Corporation.

According to data shared by LandLine, Hyundai Translead has expanded its presence in Mexico since 2016, with an average of nearly 57,000 imported trailers per year between 2017 and 2024, double the volume recorded between 2010 and 2015. Meanwhile, Vanguard’s parent company, China International Marine Containers (CIMC), increased imports of subassemblies from China and, after the U.S. tariffs imposed in 2018, opened a plant in Canada in 2020. Since operations began in 2021, Canadian imports have risen by 147% between 2021 and 2022.

The coalition claims that low-priced imports created an oversupply in 2022 and 2023, causing new trailer orders to drop sharply in 2024. It also warns that as long as the oversupply persists, demand will remain weak, and imports will continue to pressure domestic manufacturers through what it considers “unfair” pricing.

The dumping margins estimated in the petition are significant: nearly 300% for Canada, 1,400% for China, and more than 430% for Mexico. The ITC is expected to issue a preliminary ruling on January 5, while the Department of Commerce will release its own around mid-2026. The final determination is expected by the end of next year, although tariffs could be imposed at any point during the process.

The American Trailer Manufacturers Coalition, created to “protect the U.S. industry from unfair foreign trade practices,” already secured a victory in May, when it requested that truck trailers be included among steel and aluminum derivative products subject to Section 232 tariffs. The request was approved in August, applying a 25% tariff on the value of the steel and aluminum contained in the trailers.

American manufacturers trigger truck “dumping” investigation

Foreign trailer manufacturers under investigation for alleged “dumping” in the U.S.

Truck trailer dumping: Hyundai and Vanguard in the spotlight

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