Anti-Dumping Duty
Trade Agreements & Rates · Trade Remedies
What is Anti-Dumping Duty?
Anti-dumping duty is an extra duty a government imposes on specific imported goods it has determined are being sold below their fair market value in a way that harms domestic producers - a practice known as dumping. It’s layered on top of the standard duty rate for that product.
Anti-dumping duty is investigated and applied on a product-and-origin-specific basis, following a formal process, and rates can be very high compared to standard duty - some categories have faced anti-dumping duties well above 50% on top of the normal rate.
If a foreign manufacturer is selling something abroad for suspiciously less than it costs to make (or less than it sells for at home), anti-dumping duty is the penalty a government adds to level the playing field for its own producers.
When to Use It
Check for anti-dumping duty when a specific product category and country of origin has a known trade dispute - it’s not applied broadly, but where it exists, it can dramatically change the total duty owed compared to the standard rate for that product.
Anti-dumping duty is easy to miss because it applies to narrow, specific product-and-origin combinations rather than being listed alongside a product’s general duty rate - a product’s standard tariff classification can look unremarkable while carrying a large anti-dumping surcharge that only shows up in more specific customs guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anti-Dumping Duty
Is anti-dumping duty the same as a Section 301 tariff?
No - anti-dumping duty follows a formal investigation process establishing that specific goods are priced below fair market value, while measures like Section 301 tariffs are broader trade-policy tools not tied to a dumping finding for a specific product.
Does anti-dumping duty apply to a whole country’s exports?
No - it’s applied to specific products (identified by HS code or similar) from a specific country, based on an investigation into that particular product category, not a country’s exports as a whole.
Can anti-dumping duty be higher than the product’s standard duty rate?
Yes, often dramatically so - some product categories facing anti-dumping measures carry rates well above 50%, layered on top of whatever the standard duty rate already was.
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