Refrigerant imports from China keep their 167.02% duty

For companies that buy or sell 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, better known as R-134a, the practical effect is simple: the extra border cost stays in place. In Washington, the Commerce Department said Monday, June 22, 2026, that Zhejiang Sanmei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Sanmei Chemicals Co., Ltd. and Fujian Qingliu Dongying Chemical Ind. Co. Ltd., along with 23 other companies under review, did not qualify for separate rates.

That keeps covered entries subject to the China-wide antidumping rate of 167.02% as of June 22, 2026. R-134a is used in cooling and refrigeration, so the duty can ripple into pricing and contract terms well beyond the port.

The company-level escape hatch

Separate rates are the way an exporter can pull itself out from under a broader countrywide duty. Commerce said Sanmei and the other reviewed companies did not provide the documentation needed to show they belonged on their own rate.

Without that escape hatch, they are treated as part of the China-wide entity. For importers, that usually means a steeper landed cost and less room to absorb swings in a market where price matters from the first sale to the final buyer.

From customs to contracts

This kind of trade ruling does not stay abstract for long. Refrigerant costs can move through supply agreements, inventory planning and downstream pricing for businesses that rely on R-134a.

The notice covers the 2024-2025 review period and applies immediately to covered entries.

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