China's aluminum foil finds backdoor to the US? Vietnam & Thailand under DOC's scanner

But in general, US also imported significant amount of aluminum foil from other Asian nations like Japan and South Korea. In 2024, as per OEC data, US imported around $14 million aluminum foils from South Korea and $78.8 million from Japan. So, why the probe was launched only upon Vietnam and Thailand?

According to the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam, the probe is based on suspicions that aluminum foil produced in China is being shipped to countries, processed into finished products, and then exported to the US effectively bypassing the existing anti-dumping and countervailing duties on similar Chinese products.

Now here comes the question – Why the products are being shipped to countries like Vietnam and Thailand? Secondly, how will China be benefitted from it?

For the unversed, there were already antidumping and countervailing duties in place on aluminum containers coming directly from China. Now since China cannot send their foil products directly to the US, they decided to bypass it through Vietnam and Thailand – as a result evading those duties (a practice known as "circumvention").

If we analyse recent data, it can be seen that in 2023, US imports of aluminum foil products from China closed at $276 million, while imports from Thailand stood at $61.9 million. However, 2024 revealed a notable shift, where imports from China dropped slightly to $264 million (a fall of $12 million), while imports from Thailand saw a significant surge of $72.1 million, rising to $134 million.

This sharp rise in imports from Thailand further proves the point and is believed to support the ongoing concerns raised by US authorities. Previously in March, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) concluded that disposable aluminum containers, pans, trays, and lids imported from China were being sold in the US at unfairly low prices. As a result, the DOC imposed final anti-dumping duties ranging from 193.90% to 287.80%, along with countervailing duties of 317.85%.

While the DOC has yet to designate mandatory respondents, it is expected to base its findings on data provided by US Customs and Border Protection. Under US trade law, a preliminary decision is anticipated by December 4, 2025, with a final determination expected by May 4, 2026.

In the meantime, the Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam has advised domestic exporters to closely examine their sourcing and export practices, align with US trade compliance requirements, and extend full cooperation during the investigation to safeguard their legal and commercial interests.