October 24, 2023
News Release 23-092
Inv. No(s). 731-TA-1593 (Final)
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819
Freight Rail Couplers from Mexico Injure U.S. Industry, Says USITC

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof from Mexico that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.

Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative. Chairman David S. Johanson voted in the negative.

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order on imports of this product from Mexico.

The Commission’s public report, Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from Mexico (Inv. No. 731-TA-1593 (Final), USITC Publication 5470, November 2023) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

The report will be available by December 4, 2023; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436

FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Certain Freight Rail Couplers and Parts Thereof from Mexico
Investigation No. 731-TA-1593 (Final)

Product Description: Certain freight rail couplers and parts thereof ("FRCs") are metal structures used to connect freight rail cars together. FRCs are comprised of two main metal components: knuckles and coupler bodies; in addition to ancillary parts (e.g., coupler locks, coupler lock lifters, knuckle pins, knuckle throwers, and rotors). Knuckles are typically metal castings in the shape of a hook that pivot on a vertical hinge between a "locked" and an "unlocked" position to allow for interlocking with knuckles of adjacent FRCs. Coupler bodies are a metal casting that hold the knuckle and allow it to pivot. FRCs are designed to connect two freight cars together by automatically interlocking the knuckles of both freight rail coupler systems when the freight cars are pushed together.

Status of Proceedings:

  1. Type of investigation:  Antidumping duty investigation.1
  2. Petitioners: McConway and Torley, LLC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; United Steel, Paper & Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC.
  3. USITC Institution Date:  Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
  4. USITC Hearing Date:  Thursday, May 18, 2023.
  5. USITC Vote Date:  Tuesday, October 24, 2023.
  6. USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Monday, November 06, 2023.

U.S. Industry in 2022:

  1. Number of U.S. producers:  2.
  2. Location of producers’ plants:  Illinois and Pennsylvania.
  3. Production and related workers:  2
  4. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments:  2
  5. Apparent U.S. consumption:  2
  6. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption:  2

U.S. Imports in 2022:

  1. Subject imports:  2
  2. Nonsubject imports:  2
  3. Leading import sources:  China and Mexico.

1 The Commission voted on its countervailing and antidumping investigations on FRC from China (Inv. Nos. 701-682 and 731-1592) on June 14, 2023, and notified Commerce of its affirmative determinations on July 3, 2023.

2 Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.

 

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