Japan's Cranes Deemed Unfair: U.S. Duties Loom for Heavy Lifters
Published Date: 1/16/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Department of Commerce says Japanese lattice boom crawler cranes are being sold in the U.S. for less than their fair price. This means importers from Japan might face extra duties soon, but the final decision is delayed to give everyone more time to weigh in. This affects crane sellers, buyers, and anyone tracking trade fairness, with updates expected after January 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Preliminary Finding: Dumping by Japan
The Department of Commerce preliminarily found that lattice boom crawler cranes from Japan were sold in the U.S. at less than fair value for the period April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025. This preliminary finding (published January 16, 2026) starts a process that can lead to import duties if the final determination is affirmative.
Suspension of Liquidation and Deposit Rates
Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation and require cash deposits for entries of the subject cranes entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after January 16, 2026. The preliminary cash deposit rates announced are: Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. — 2.79%; Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Cranes Co., Ltd. — 0.00%; All Others — 2.79%.
Sumitomo Shipments Excluded From Suspension
Because Commerce preliminarily assigned Sumitomo a zero percent dumping margin, entries produced and exported by Sumitomo and identified in the investigation will not be subject to suspension of liquidation or cash deposit requirements. Shipments exported by Sumitomo in other producer/exporter combinations, or by third parties that sourced from Sumitomo, remain subject to provisional measures at the all-others rate.
Final Determination Postponed; Provisional Measures Extended
Commerce is postponing the final determination and extending provisional measures from a four-month period to a period not greater than six months. Commerce will make its final determination no later than 135 days after the publication date of this preliminary determination (publication date January 16, 2026).
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this federal register document and every other regulation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Take It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in