US Opens Duty Probes on Chinese Amine Compounds, Ruling Due 13 November

United States trade officials opened anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into amine compounds from China on Sept. 29, 2026, with a first ITC ruling due by Nov. 13, 2026.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Sept. 29, 2026 opened anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into imports of amine compounds from China, with a first ruling due by Nov. 13, 2026¹.

The ITC is the U.S. agency that decides whether imports hurt American industry. Its notice was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 5, 2026¹.

In short, two U.S. chemical makers have asked for extra import taxes on Chinese amine compounds entered under four tariff codes. No new duty applies yet, but the case could lead to duties on these shipments later.

What has the ITC started on amine compounds?

The ITC has opened two cases at once. Both cover the same goods: amine compounds made in China¹.

The first is an anti-dumping investigation. Anti-dumping duty is an extra import tax on goods sold abroad below their normal price. The ITC case number is 731-TA-1809¹.

The second is a countervailing duty investigation. A countervailing duty is an extra import tax that cancels out help a foreign government gives its producers. Here the claim is that the Government of China subsidises the goods. The case number is 701-TA-808¹.

At this first stage, the ITC asks one question. Is there a "reasonable indication" that U.S. industry is hurt, or threatened, by these imports¹? The notice also covers the case where a new U.S. industry is held back from starting¹.

Which amine compound imports are covered?

The notice names the goods by their place in the U.S. tariff list, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. It lists four statistical reporting numbers¹:

• 2909.11.00.00
• 2921.29.00.55
• 2922.19.96.90
• 2934.99.90.01

These are the 10-digit codes an importer gives to customs for each line of a shipment. A shipment of Chinese goods entered under one of these codes falls inside the case¹.

The goods are chemicals. The ITC notice does not describe their uses or the exact chemical names. It does not list any products left out of the case.

Who asked for the amine compounds case?

The case answers a petition filed on Sept. 29, 2026¹. A petition is a formal request by U.S. producers for trade protection.

Two companies filed it together¹:

• Evonik Corporation, of Piscataway, New Jersey
• Huntsman International LLC, of The Woodlands, Texas

The petition claims two things. First, that Chinese amine compounds are sold in the United States at "less than fair value", which means below a fair market price¹. Second, that the Chinese government subsidises them¹.

The ITC opened its cases on the same day the petition was filed¹. The notice was issued by order of the Commission on Sept. 30, 2026, and signed by its secretary, Lisa Barton¹.

How do the two U.S. agencies share the work?

A U.S. trade remedy case has two parts, run by two agencies. The ITC decides whether U.S. industry is hurt. The Department of Commerce decides whether the goods are dumped or subsidised, and by how much¹.

The ITC acts under sections 703(a) and 733(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930¹. Its work follows its own rules of practice, in parts 201 and 207 of title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations¹.

The steps run in this order:

1. U.S. producers file the petition.
2. The ITC opens its preliminary case and gathers facts from parties.
3. The ITC holds a staff conference, a meeting where parties give evidence.
4. Parties and others send written briefs.
5. The ITC decides whether there is a reasonable sign of injury.
6. The ITC sends its views to Commerce.

Each step has a fixed date in the ITC notice, set out below.

The notice says Commerce can extend the time it takes to open its own case. If it does, the ITC dates move too¹.

When is the ITC vote on amine compounds?

The law gives the ITC 45 days for its first ruling. In this case that deadline is Nov. 13, 2026¹.

The ITC must then send its views to Commerce within five business days. That means by Nov. 20, 2026¹.

Both dates hold "unless" Commerce extends the time to open its case¹. The ITC notice does not give dates for Commerce’s later rulings.

How can companies take part in the case?

Any company that wants to be a formal party must file an "entry of appearance" with the ITC. The deadline is seven days after Oct. 5, 2026, the day the notice was published¹.

Industrial users of the goods have the right to take part as parties¹. Consumer groups may also take part if the goods are sold in shops¹. The ITC secretary will then publish a list of all parties.

Some evidence in these cases is confidential business information. Lawyers for the parties can see it under a protective order, a court-style promise to keep it secret. They must apply within the same seven days¹.

All filings go through the ITC’s online filing system, called EDIS. The ITC will not accept paper filings¹. Each filing must also be sent to every other party, with proof that it was sent¹.

Anyone who gives information must certify that it is accurate and complete¹.

What happens at the Oct. 20 staff conference?

The ITC’s Office of Investigations will hold the staff conference at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2026¹. The ITC calendar says it will take place in person, in the main hearing room of the ITC building in Washington².

Anyone entering the building who is 18 or older must show a physical REAL ID-compliant driver’s licence, a REAL ID-compliant identity card or a valid passport². The ITC calendar also gives a WebEx link for people who want to follow the meeting online².

Requests to speak at the conference must be sent by email by noon on Oct. 16, 2026, under the Federal Register notice¹. Parties must file their written testimony by 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2026¹.

Companies that are not parties may also ask to speak. They must send a short statement on how their testimony would help the ITC¹.

After the conference, any person may send the ITC a written brief. The deadline is 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2026¹.

Who is affected by the amine compounds case?

U.S. importers of the four tariff codes from China are most directly affected. If the case ends in duties, these importers would pay them on each shipment.

Chinese makers and exporters may lose price advantage in the U.S. market. They can defend themselves by taking part in the ITC case and, later, the Commerce case.

U.S. buyers of these chemicals, including factories that use them, can take part as industrial users¹. Their evidence can show whether the imports really harm U.S. producers.

Customs brokers will need to watch the four codes. A shipment entered under one of them may later need a cash deposit if duties follow.

How did a similar Chinese chemical case end?

A recent case shows where a full investigation can lead. It is a separate case, on different goods.

In June 2025, Commerce issued anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on certain alkyl phosphate esters from China³. That followed a final ITC ruling on June 2, 2025, that U.S. industry was hurt by those imports³.

Under those orders, customs collects cash deposits, money paid at the border while the final duty is worked out. The anti-dumping rate for Chinese companies not named in that order was 269.02%³. The countervailing duty rate for "all others" was 91.07%³.

These rates belong to the alkyl phosphate esters case only. The amine compounds case has no duty rates yet.

Key points on the amine compounds investigation

The table below sums up the case as the ITC notice sets it out.

No duty applies to amine compound shipments from China yet. The next fixed date is the staff conference on Oct. 20, 2026, and the ITC must rule by Nov. 13, 2026 on whether the case goes on¹.

Sources

1. ↩ Federal Register :: Amine Compounds From China; Institution of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigations and Scheduling of Preliminary Phase Investigations https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/05/2026-20286/amine-compounds-from-china-institution-of-antidumping-and-countervailing-duty-investigations-and
2. ↩ Preliminary Conference — IN-PERSON — Amine Compounds from China | United States International Trade Commission https://www.usitc.gov/calendarpad/events/preliminary_conference_in_person_amine_compounds_102026.htm
3. ↩ Federal Register :: Certain Alkyl Phosphate Esters From the People’s Republic of China: Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/11/2025-10630/certain-alkyl-phosphate-esters-from-the-peoples-republic-of-china-antidumping-and-countervailing