New Antidumping And Countervailing Duty Petition On Imports Of Truck Bed Covers From China

Introduction

On Feb. 25, the U.S. domestic producers filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking the imposition of antidumping duties (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on imports of truck bed covers from China (the "subject merchandise").

The period of investigation for the AD investigation at the DOC covers subject merchandise imported from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.

The period of investigation for the CVD investigation at the DOC covers subject merchandise imported from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.

The domestic producers that filed the petition are RealTruck, Inc., Laurmark Enterprises, Inc. (d/b/a BAK Industries), Undercover, Inc., Retrax Holdings, LLC, Truxedo, Inc., Extang Corporation, A.R.E. Accessories LLC, and Roll-N-Lock Corporation (the "Petitioners").

Under U.S. law, a domestic industry may petition the U.S. government to initiate AD or CVD investigations into imports alleged to injure the domestic industry. In an AD investigation, DOC determines whether subject imports are sold in the U.S.at less than fair value (i.e., dumped), while in a CVD investigation, DOC determines whether foreign producers and/or exporters of subject imports received countervailable subsidies. If DOC makes affirmative determinations and the ITC further finds material injury or threat thereof by reason of the subject imports, additional duties may be imposed to offset the dumping and/or subsidization.

If DOC and the ITC both issue affirmative preliminary determinations, U.S. importers may be required to post cash deposits equal to the estimated AD and CVD duties on all subject imports entered into the U.S. on or after the dates DOC publishes its preliminary determinations in the Federal Register. Such duties may be imposed 90 days prior to the date of publication of the preliminary determinations if both the DOC and ITC make affirmative critical circumstances determinations. The preliminary AD and CVD rates may be revised or eliminated in the final phase of the DOC proceeding, particularly where foreign producers/exporters fully participate in the investigation.

Scope

The following describes the imported merchandise that is included within the scope of these investigations:

The scope of the petitions covers truck bed covers ("TBCs"), which are protective shields made of aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, plastic, and/or water-resistant fabric that are sized to span the open-top area of a pickup truck. When fully assembled, truck bed covers have a width between 45 and 75 inches (actual) and a length between 55 and 100 inches (actual), and can be used to secure the cargo area of a pickup truck and/or repel water.

TBCs typically encompass four general configurations — i.e., folding, roll-up, one-piece, and retractable. The scope of the petitions includes not only the cover material, but also any hardware for the mounting or storage of the cover (e.g., rails, latches, straps, clasps, clamps, nuts, bolts, washers, screws, hitch pins, weather strips/seals/gaskets) or other parts (e.g., locks, struts, drain tubes, canisters, motors), provided that such items accompany the cover at the time of importation or are otherwise invoiced together with the cover.

Excluded from the scope are truck caps (also known as camper shells, toppers, or canopies), which are enclosures that can be mounted on truck bed rails to extend the height of a truck bed by at least 12 inches (actual), thus creating a fully-enclosed, lockable storage area for cargo.

Also excluded from the scope of the petitions are any products already covered by the scope of any extant antidumping and/or countervailing duty orders, including Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 76 Fed. Reg. 30650 (May 26, 2011), and Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: Countervailing Duty Order, 76 Fed. Reg. 30653 (May 26, 2011).

The products subject to the petitions are currently classifiable under subheading 8708.29.5160 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the petitions is dispositive.

Foreign Producers Exporters and U.S. Importers of Subject Merchandise

A list of foreign producers and exporters of subject merchandise, as identified in the petition, is provided in Attachment I.

A list of U.S. importers of subject merchandise, as identified in the petition, is provided in Attachment II.

Alleged Dumping Margins and Subsidy Rates

Petitioners allege dumping margins of 150.74% to 274.47% for imports of subject merchandise.

Petitioners also allege that Chinese producers received more than 20 countervailable subsidies covering major materials, energy, land, and capital inputs used in the production of the subject merchandise.

DOC generally assigns duties at the margins and rates alleged by the petitioners to foreign producers and exporters that fail to participate and cooperate during the investigations.

Potential Trade Impact

According to the petition, U.S. imports of subject merchandise totaled $1,205,906,135 in 2025.

Estimated Schedule of AD/CVD Investigations

Foreign producers/exporters and U.S. importers or purchasers of subject merchandise should contact Taft's International Trade practice with any questions about this update.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.