CBP Confirms Greenbrier Evaded Antidumping Orders on Rail Couplers

On May 18, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a notice of determination confirming that Greenbrier Companies intentionally evaded antidumping and countervailing duty orders on freight rail couplers imported from Mexico and China.

Greenbrier entered merchandise subject to three active duty orders without filing formal entries or applying required cash deposits. Specifically, the company imported Mexican-origin FRCs in violation of antidumping duty order A-201-857, and Chinese-origin FRCs in violation of antidumping duty order A-570-145 and countervailing duty order C-570-146. According to CBP, "substantial evidence demonstrates that The Greenbrier Companies entered both Mexican-origin and Chinese-origin FRCs and failed to declare entry for the merchandise even though the merchandise was subject to the AD/CVD orders."

"As a result, no formal entries were filed, and no cash deposits were applied to the subject merchandise at the time of entry as instructed by the Department of Commerce."

Freight rail couplers are components used in railroad cars, and imports of these items from Mexico and China have been subject to antidumping protection for several years. By failing to declare entries or post duties, Greenbrier circumvented these protections entirely.

CBP's enforcement response is comprehensive. The agency will:

• Suspend all entries covered by the investigation until instructed to liquidate
• Rate-adjust and reclassify previously extended entries to type 03 (suspension pending liquidation)
• Require formal entries for all FRCs subject to the active duty orders, with proper entry documentation and duty payments
• Evaluate and potentially revoke continuous bonds held by the importer
• Require Greenbrier to rectify non-compliance with admission provisions during the investigation period

This case underscores CBP's focus on duty evasion through entry manipulation—a practice where importers attempt to avoid AD/CVD orders by misclassifying shipments, failing to disclose subject merchandise, or entering goods under false origins. Evasion Preliminary Affirmative Determination (EAPA) investigations are initiated when there is reasonable suspicion that an importer has evaded duties, and a notice of determination signals CBP's formal finding that evasion occurred.

What this means for shippers

Importers purchasing freight rail couplers or similar components from Mexico or China must ensure all entries are filed formally with correct country-of-origin declarations and subject to applicable AD/CVD duties. Failure to comply—whether intentional or through negligent misclassification—can result in entry suspension, bond forfeiture, and penalties. Review your supply chain now: if you import FRCs or similar products covered by antidumping orders, verify your entries are compliant and duty deposits are current. Check /hs-codes/search to confirm proper classification and country-of-origin rules for your freight rail components.