Wiley’s International Trade Victory on Behalf of U.S. Chassis Producers Draws Media Coverage

May 4, 2021

Wiley’s International Trade Practice drew media coverage after securing a favorable decision from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on behalf of U.S. manufacturers of intermodal container chassis.

As noted in an article published by WisBusiness, the trade proceeding has made it possible for a Wisconsin-based company to ramp up its production of chassis products. The company, Stoughton Trailers, LLC, is one of five leading U.S. producers of chassis that comprise the Coalition of American Chassis Manufacturers, which Wiley represents in the proceeding.

The ITC’s determination, issued on April 13, paved the way for countervailing duties on unfairly traded imports from China that have harmed the U.S. chassis industry.

The trade proceeding was initiated last year after Wiley, on behalf of the Coalition, filed petitions charging that the state-supported Chinese industry is selling container chassis in the United States at less than fair value, distorting the U.S. market and resulting in the loss of significant domestic manufacturing jobs.

As a result of the ITC proceeding, Stoughton Trailers is hiring hundreds of assemblers, welders, and supervisors at its Evansville, WI plant, according to the article. The Evansville facility had previously suffered significant declines in production as a result of Chinese competitors’ unfair trade practices.

Robert E. DeFrancesco, III, partner in Wiley’s International Trade Practice, serves as counsel to the Coalition, whose other member companies are Cheetah Chassis Corporation, Hercules Enterprises, LLC, Pitts Enterprises, Inc., Pratt Industries, Inc.

The article can be found here. Wiley’s news release on the April 13 ITC determination is here.