# Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof From the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures
**AGENCY:**
Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.
**SUMMARY:**
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that certain chassis and subassemblies thereof (chassis) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is July 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.
**DATES:**
Applicable September 29, 2025.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Elizabeth Beuley or Benito Ballesteros, AD/CVD Operations, Office IX, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; telephone: (202) 482-3269 or (202) 482-7425, respectively.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Background**
This preliminary determination is made in accordance with section 733(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). Commerce published the notice of initiation of this investigation on March 24, 2025. [^1] On July 18, 2025, Commerce postponed the preliminary determination of this investigation until September 24, 2025. [^2]
[^1]*See Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof from Mexico, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations,* 90 FR 13457 (March 24, 2025) ( *Initiation Notice* ).
[^2]*See Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof from Mexico, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in the Less-Than-Fair Value Investigations,* 90 FR 33920 (July 18, 2025).
For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this investigation, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. [^3] A list of topics included in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included as Appendix II to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at *https://access.trade.gov.* In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at *https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.*
[^3]*See* Memorandum, “Decision Memorandum for the Preliminary Affirmative Determination in the Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation of Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” dated concurrently with, and hereby adopted by, this notice (Preliminary Decision Memorandum).
**Scope of the Investigation**
The products covered by this investigation are chassis from Vietnam. For a complete description of the scope of this investigation, *see* Appendix I.
**Scope Comments**
In accordance with the *Preamble* to Commerce's regulations, [^4] the *Initiation Notice* set aside a period of time for parties to raise issues regarding product coverage ( *i.e.,* scope). [^5] Certain interested parties commented on the scope of the investigation as it appeared in the *Initiation Notice.* For a summary of the product coverage comments and rebuttal responses submitted to the record for this preliminary determination, and accompanying discussion and analysis of all comments timely received, *see* the Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum. [^6] Commerce is not preliminarily modifying the scope language as it appeared in the *Initiation Notice. See* the scope in Appendix I to this notice.
[^4]*See Antidumping Duties; Countervailing Duties, Final Rule,* 62 FR 27296, 27323 (May 19, 1997) ( *Preamble* ).
[^5]*See Initiation Notice.*
[^6]*See* Memorandum, “Less Than Fair Value and Countervailing Duty Investigations of Certain Chassis and Subassemblies Thereof from Mexico, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum,” dated July 28, 2025 (Preliminary Scope Decision Memorandum).
**Methodology**
Commerce is conducting this investigation in accordance with section 731 of the Act. Commerce has calculated export price in accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. Because Vietnam is a non-market economy (NME), within the meaning of section 771(18) of the Act, Commerce has calculated normal value (NV) in accordance with section 773(c) of the Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying Commerce's preliminary determination, *see* the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.
**Combination Rates**
In the *Initiation Notice,*[^7] Commerce stated that it would calculate producer/exporter combination rates for the respondents that are eligible for a separate rate in this investigation. Policy Bulletin 05.1 describes this practice. [^8]
[^7]*See Initiation Notice,* 90 FR at 13461.
[^8]*See* Enforcement and Compliance's Policy Bulletin No. 05.1, regarding, “Separate-Rates Practice and Application of Combination Rates in Antidumping Investigations involving Non-Market Economy Countries,” (April 5, 2005) (Policy Bulletin 05.1), available on Commerce's website at *https://enforcement.trade.gov/policy/bull05-1.pdf.*
**Separate Rate Companies and the Vietnam-Wide Entity**
In this investigation, Commerce received two separate rate applications, from Thaco Special Vehicles Manufacturing Limited Company and Thaco Industries Trailers and Heavy Steel Structures Manufacturing Limited Liability Company (collectively, Thaco [^9] ), and we are preliminarily granting a separate rate to Thaco. In calculating the rate for non-individually examined separate rate respondents in an NME LTFV investigation, Commerce normally looks to section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, which pertains to the calculation of the all-others rate in a market economy LTFV investigation, for guidance. Pursuant to section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, normally this rate shall be an amount equal to the weighted-average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for those companies individually examined, excluding zero and *de minimis* estimated weighted-average dumping margins and any estimated weighted-average dumping margins based entirely under section 776 of the Act.
[^9] We preliminarily determine that Thaco Special Vehicles Manufacturing Limited Company and Thaco Industries Trailers and Heavy Steel Structures Manufacturing Limited Liability Company should be collapsed and treated as a single entity. *See* Preliminary Decision Memorandum at 5-6.
Thaco is the only respondent that Commerce individually examined in this investigation, and Commerce preliminarily calculated an estimated weighted-average dumping margin for Thaco that is not zero, *de minimis,* or based entirely on facts available. Accordingly, while there are no separate rate respondents in this investigation, because we preliminarily find that the Vietnam-wide entity cooperated in this investigation, we preliminarily assigned the estimated weighted-average dumping margin calculated for Thaco to the Vietnam-wide entity. [^10]
[^10]*See* Preliminary Decision Memorandum at the section, “Separate Rates,” for further discussion.
**Preliminary Determination**
Commerce preliminarily determines that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist:
| Producer | Exporter | Estimated |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thaco Special Vehicles Manufacturing Limited Company; Thaco Industries Trailers and Heavy Steel Structures Manufacturing Limited Liability Company | Thaco Special Vehicles Manufacturing Limited Company; Thaco Industries Trailers and Heavy Steel Structures Manufacturing Limited Liability Company | 511.16 |
| Vietnam-wide Entity | | 511.16 |
**Suspension of Liquidation and Cash Deposit Requirements**
In accordance with section 733(d)(2) of the Act, Commerce will direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of subject merchandise, as described in Appendix I, entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the date of publication of this notice in the *Federal Register* . Further, pursuant to section 733(d)(1)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(d), Commerce will instruct CBP to require a cash deposit equal to the weighted average amount by which NV exceeds U.S. price, as indicated in the chart above as follows: (1) for the producer/exporter combination listed in the table above, the cash deposit rate is equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin listed for that combination in the table; (2) for all combinations of Vietnamese producers/exporters of merchandise under consideration that have not established eligibility for their own separate rate, the cash deposit rate will be equal to the estimated weighted-average dumping margin established for the Vietnam-wide entity; and (3) for all third-county exporters of the merchandise under consideration not listed in the table above, the cash deposit rate is the cash deposit rate applicable to the Vietnam producer/exporter combination (or the Vietnam-wide entity) that supplied that third-country exporter. These suspension of liquidation instructions will remain in effect until further notice.
**Disclosure**
Commerce intends to disclose to interested parties the calculations performed in connection with this preliminary determination within five days of its public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of this notice in the *Federal Register* , accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).
Consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(e), Commerce will analyze and, if appropriate, correct any timely allegations of significant ministerial errors by amending the preliminary determination. However, consistent with 19 CFR 351.224(d), Commerce will not consider incomplete allegations that do not address the significance standard under 19 CFR 351.224(g) following the preliminary determination. Instead, Commerce will address such allegations in the final determination together with issues raised in the case briefs or other written comments.
**Verification**
As provided in section 782(i)(1) of the Act, Commerce intends to verify information relied upon in making its final determination.
**Public Comment**
Case briefs or other written comments may be submitted to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance no later than seven days after the date on which the final verification report is issued in this investigation. [^11] A timeline for the submission of case briefs and written comments will be notified to interested parties at a later date. Rebuttal briefs, limited to issues raised in the case briefs, may be filed not later than five days after the date for filing case briefs. [^12] Interested parties who submit case briefs or rebuttal briefs in this proceeding must submit: (1) a table of contents listing each issue; and (2) a table of authorities. [^13]
[^11]*See* 19 CFR 351.309(c)(1)(i); *see also* 19 CFR 351.303 (for general filing requirements).
[^12]*See* 19 CFR 351.309(d); *see also Administrative Protective Order, Service, and Other Procedures in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings,* 88 FR 67069, 67077 (September 29, 2023) ( *APO and Service Final Rule* ).
[^13]*See* 19 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2).
As provided under 19 CFR 351.309(c)(2) and (d)(2), in prior proceedings we have encouraged interested parties to provide an executive summary of their brief that should be limited to five pages total, including footnotes. In this investigation, we instead request that interested parties provide at the beginning of their briefs a public, executive summary for each issue raised in their briefs. [^14] Further, we request that interested parties limit their executive summary of each issue to no more than 450 words, not including citations. We intend to use the executive summaries as the basis of the comment summaries included in the issues and decision memorandum that will accompany the final determination in this investigation. We request that interested parties include footnotes for relevant citations in the executive summary of each issue. Note that Commerce has amended certain of its requirements pertaining to the service of documents in 19 CFR 351.303(f). [^15]
[^14] We use the term “issue” here to describe an argument that Commerce would normally address in a comment of the Issues and Decision Memorandum.
[^15]*See APO and Service Final Rule.*
Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.310(c), interested parties who wish to request a hearing, limited to issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. Requests should contain the party's name, address, and telephone number, the number of participants, whether any participant is a foreign national, and a list of the issues to be discussed. If a request for a hearing is made, Commerce intends to hold the hearing at a time and date to be determined. Parties should confirm by telephone the date, time, and location of the hearing two days before the scheduled date.
**Postponement of Final Determination and Extension of Provisional Measures**
Section 735(a)(2) of the Act provides that a final determination may be postponed until not later than 135 days after the date of the publication of the preliminary determination if, in the event of an affirmative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is made by exporters who account for a significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise, or in the event of a negative preliminary determination, a request for such postponement is made by the petitioner. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.210(e)(2), Commerce requires that requests by respondents for postponement of the final determination be accompanied by a request for extension of provisional measures from a four-month period to a period not more than six months in duration.
On September 17, 2025, pursuant to section 735(a)(2)(B) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(e), Thaco requested that Commerce postpone the final determination and that provisional measures be extended to a period not to exceed six months. [^16] In accordance with section 735(a)(2)(A) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(2)(ii), because: (1) the preliminary determination is affirmative; (2) the requesting exporter accounts for a significant proportion of exports of the subject merchandise; and (3) no compelling reasons for denial exist, Commerce is postponing the final determination and extending the provisional measures from a four-month period to a period not greater than six months. Accordingly, Commerce will make its final determination no later than 135 days after the date of publication of this preliminary determination.
[^16]*See* Thaco's Letter, “Request to Extend Final Determination,” dated September 17, 2025.
**U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Notification**
In accordance with section 733(f) of the Act, Commerce will notify the ITC of its preliminary determination of sales at LTFV. If the final determination is affirmative, the ITC will determine before the later of 120 days after the date of this preliminary determination or 45 days after the final determination whether imports of the subject merchandise are materially injuring, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry.
**Notification to Interested Parties**
This determination is issued and published in accordance with sections 733(f) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.205(c).
Dated: September 24, 2025.
Christopher Abbott,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Negotiations, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
**Appendix I**
**Scope of the Investigation**
The merchandise covered by this investigation consists of chassis and subassemblies thereof whether finished or unfinished, whether assembled or unassembled, whether coated or uncoated, regardless of the number of axles, for carriage of containers, or other payloads (including self-supporting payloads) for road, marine roll-on/roll-off (RORO) and/or rail transport. Chassis are typically, but are not limited to, rectangular framed trailers with a suspension and axle system, wheels and tires, brakes, a lighting and electrical system, a coupling for towing behind a truck tractor, and a locking system or systems to secure the shipping container or containers to the chassis using twistlocks, slide pins or similar attachment devices to engage the corner fittings on the container or other payload.
Subject merchandise includes, but is not limited to, the following subassemblies:
• Chassis frames, or sections of chassis frames, including kingpin assemblies, bolsters consisting of transverse beams with locking or support mechanisms, goosenecks, drop assemblies, extension mechanisms and/or rear impact guards;
• Running gear assemblies or axle assemblies for connection to the chassis frame, whether fixed in nature or capable of sliding fore and aft or lifting up and lowering down, which may or may not include suspension(s) (mechanical or pneumatic), wheel end components, slack adjusters, dressed axles, brake chambers, locking pins, and tires and wheels; and
• Assemblies that connect to the chassis frame or a section of the chassis frame, such as but not limited to, pintle hooks or B-trains (which include a fifth wheel), which are capable of connecting a chassis to a converter dolly or another chassis.
Importation of any of these subassemblies, whether assembled or unassembled, constitutes an unfinished chassis for purposes of this investigation.
Subject merchandise also includes chassis, whether finished or unfinished, entered with components such as, but not limited to: hub and drum assemblies, brake assemblies (either drum or disc), bare axles, brake chambers, suspensions and suspension components, wheel end components, landing gear legs, spoke or disc wheels, tires, brake control systems, electrical harnesses and lighting systems.
Processing of finished and unfinished chassis and components such as trimming, cutting, grinding, notching, punching, drilling, painting, coating, staining, finishing, assembly, or any other processing either in the country of manufacture of the in-scope product or in a third country does not remove the product from the scope. Inclusion of other components not identified as comprising the finished or unfinished chassis does not remove the product from the scope.
Individual components entered and sold by themselves are not subject to the investigation, but components entered with a finished or unfinished chassis are subject merchandise. A finished chassis is ultimately comprised of several different types of subassemblies. Within each subassembly there are numerous components that comprise a given subassembly.
This scope excludes dry van trailers, refrigerated van trailers and flatbed trailers. Dry van trailers are trailers with a wholly enclosed cargo space comprised of fixed sides, nose, floor and roof, with articulated panels (doors) across the rear and occasionally at selected places on the sides, with the cargo space being permanently incorporated in the trailer itself. Refrigerated van trailers are trailers with a wholly enclosed cargo space comprised of fixed sides, nose, floor and roof, with articulated panels (doors) across the rear and occasionally at selected places on the sides, with the cargo space being permanently incorporated in the trailer and being insulated, possessing specific thermal properties intended for use with self-contained refrigeration systems. Flatbed (or platform) trailers consist of load carrying main frames and a solid, flat or stepped loading deck or floor permanently incorporated with and supported by frame rails and cross members.
The finished and unfinished chassis subject to this investigation are typically classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) at subheadings: 8716.39.0090 and 8716.90.5060. Imports of finished and unfinished chassis may also enter under HTSUS subheading 8716.90.5010. While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise under investigation is dispositive.
**Appendix II**
**List of Topics Discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum**
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Period of Investigation
IV. Affiliation and Single Entity Treatment
V. Discussion of the Methodology
VI. Currency Conversion
VII. Recommendation