Shutdown Delays Lead to Duties on Chinese Cooling Chemical
Published Date: 3/20/2026
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Department of Commerce found that two Chinese companies, Zhejiang Yonghe and Sanmei, got unfair government help while selling Pentafluoroethane (R-125) in 2023. Because of this, extra duties (taxes) will apply to their products starting March 20, 2026, to keep things fair for U.S. businesses. Deadlines were pushed back several times due to government shutdowns, but now the final decision is official and ready to roll.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Extra Duties on Two Chinese R-125 Sellers
Commerce found countervailable subsidies and set extra import duties on Pentafluoroethane (R-125) from two Chinese companies: Zhejiang Yonghe at 10.11% ad valorem and Zhejiang Sanmei at 3.02% ad valorem. These duties apply to those companies' shipments beginning March 20, 2026. The rates were calculated for the period January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 and will be enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Cash Deposit Requirement Starts on Publication
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect cash deposits equal to the estimated countervailing duties for the companies listed above on shipments entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after the publication date. These cash deposits take effect upon publication of the final results and will remain in effect until further notice. The instruction covers the company-specific amounts shown in the notice.
Timing of Duty Assessment and Liquidation
Commerce will instruct Customs to assess duties on appropriate entries in accordance with the final rates and intends to issue assessment instructions no earlier than 35 days after publication. If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, Customs will be instructed not to liquidate relevant entries until the statutory injunction period (within 90 days of publication) has expired. This affects when duties are actually assessed and when entries are liquidated.
Final Ruling Intended to Support U.S. Businesses
The notice states the duties on these Chinese R-125 shipments are being applied to keep things fair for U.S. businesses. The final results were published March 20, 2026, and the duties are intended to offset subsidies identified for the period January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. U.S. firms competing with these imports are the intended beneficiaries of the action.
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Key Dates
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