United States opened anti-dumping investigations into cardboard boxes from China, Malaysia and T\u00fcrkiye, effective Oct. 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Commerce Department has opened investigations into imports of corrugated cardboard boxes from China, Malaysia and T\u00fcrkiye, in notices published Oct. 26, 2026.<\/p>\n
The Department of Commerce (Commerce) opened three anti-dumping investigations, one for each country, and one subsidy investigation for boxes from T\u00fcrkiye1<\/a><\/sup>. The notices took effect on Oct. 19, 2026, and were published in the Federal Register, the U.S. government’s official journal, a week later2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n In short, no new duty is charged on these boxes yet. But Commerce has started the process that can lead to extra import taxes on boxes from the three countries, and the U.S. makers who asked for it claim prices far below fair value.<\/p>\n The goods are "certain corrugated die-cut cardboard boxes", which Commerce shortens to corrugated die-cut boxes1<\/a><\/sup>. Corrugated board is the strong cardboard with a wavy middle layer. Die-cut means the board is cut to a set shape by a press.<\/p>\n The U.S. companies that asked for the case call themselves the American Pizza Boxes Manufacturers Coalition1<\/a><\/sup>. The full product description sits in an appendix to the Commerce notice, which says the petitioners revised the scope several times between Sept. 21 and Oct. 6, 20261<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Commerce’s fact sheet lists import figures under one customs code: subheading 4819.10.0020<\/strong> of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), the U.S. list of customs codes3<\/a><\/sup>. The fact sheet warns that this code may cover both boxes inside the case and boxes outside it3<\/a><\/sup>. So the code alone does not decide whether a shipment is covered. The written product description does.<\/p>\n An anti-dumping duty<\/strong> is an extra import tax on goods sold abroad below their normal price. Commerce calls such sales "less than fair value"1<\/a><\/sup>. A countervailing duty<\/strong> is an extra import tax that cancels out help a foreign government gives its makers4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The anti-dumping cases cover all three countries1<\/a><\/sup>. The subsidy case covers only T\u00fcrkiye4<\/a><\/sup>. Both kinds of case run together, and comments on product scope must be filed on the records of all of them at the same time1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n These notices only start the cases. Duties can follow only if Commerce finds unfair pricing or subsidies and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the agency that judges injury, finds harm to U.S. industry1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The requests, called petitions, reached Commerce on Sept. 9, 20261<\/a><\/sup>. They were filed on behalf of two groups:<\/p>\n Commerce’s fact sheet says both coalition members are based in Atlanta, Georgia3<\/a><\/sup>. The union represents workers who make these boxes in the United States1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n U.S. law lets Commerce open a case only when enough of the home industry backs it1<\/a><\/sup>. Supporters must make at least 25%<\/strong> of total U.S. production. They must also make more than 50%<\/strong> of the output of those makers who state a view, for or against1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Commerce needed more time to check this. On Sept. 29, 2026, it extended its deadline by 20 days, because the petitions did not make clear whether support was high enough1<\/a><\/sup>. It then sent several sets of follow-up questions between Sept. 11 and Oct. 9, 20261<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n Because 2025 production figures were not available, the petitioners compared their own 2025 shipments with estimated shipments for the whole U.S. industry1<\/a><\/sup>. Commerce accepted shipments as a fair stand-in for production. It found that supporters account for more than 50% of total U.S. production, so it did not need to poll the industry1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The petitioners claim imports are harming the U.S. industry or threaten to harm it1<\/a><\/sup>. They point to a list of signs:<\/p>\n Commerce said these claims are backed by enough evidence to open the cases1<\/a><\/sup>. The ITC will make its own decision on harm.<\/p>\n A dumping margin is the gap between the export price and the fair price, shown as a percentage. The rates below are claims by the petitioners, not duties3<\/a><\/sup>. According to the Commerce fact sheet, the claimed margins are:<\/p>\nWhich cardboard boxes are under investigation?<\/h2>\n
What are anti-dumping and subsidy investigations?<\/h2>\n
Who asked Commerce to act on pizza boxes?<\/h2>\n
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How did Commerce check the industry’s support?<\/h2>\n
Why do the U.S. box makers say they are harmed?<\/h2>\n
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How high are the claimed dumping margins?<\/h2>\n
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Margins and rates claimed by the petitioners<\/h4>\n