On September 9, 2026, the American Pizza Boxes Manufacturers Coalition (comprised of Smurfit Westrock plc and Pratt Industries, Inc.) and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) (collectively Petitioners) filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping duties on imports of corrugated pizza boxes from the People’s Republic of China (China), Malaysia, and the Republic of Türkiye (Turkey), and countervailing duties on imports from Turkey.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
The proposed scope of these investigations is as follows:
The merchandise covered by this investigation is certain corrugated food service boxes, which are commonly referred to as pizza boxes. Corrugated food service boxes are a type of box or carton manufactured from paper, paperboard, and/or cardboard for use in the food service industry, including to hold pizza pies. Corrugated food service boxes are often shipped or delivered flat in bundles of corrugated cardboard die-cut blanks, which are in a ready-to-assemble state such that they can be easily folded by the end user into a ready-to-use food service box. The corrugated food service boxes covered by this investigation include corrugated cardboard die-cut blanks, whether finished or unfinished and assembled or unassembled.
Corrugated food service boxes are produced from corrugated cardboard sheets that are made from recycled or virgin paper or paperboard materials, which may be bleached or unbleached. These cardboard sheets are “corrugated” or “fluted,” meaning they contain at least two outer layers of paper or paperboard and an inside layer of fluted paper or paperboard, such that the inside layer contains channels or pockets of air that make the cardboard sheet lightweight while retaining strength and durability. The subject merchandise includes corrugated food service boxes of B-flute, C-flute, D-flute, and E-flute design, as well as any equivalent types of corrugation or fluting. The country of origin of a subject corrugated food service box is determined by where the corrugated cardboard sheet is produced.
A finished and assembled subject corrugated food service box has a length of at least five inches and a width of at least five inches, with no maximum length or width, and a height of no greater than four inches. The scope covers such boxes regardless of shape, with or without color, printing, coating, or lining, and with or without ventilation holes, perforations, or features for holding condiments or other foods. The scope also covers merchandise that has undergone further processing in a third country that would not otherwise remove it from the scope if performed in the country of manufacture.
The merchandise subject to this investigation is typically classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under subheading 4819.10.0020. This subheading is provided for convenience and customs purposes only, and the written description of the scope is dispositive.
PETITIONERS
| Smurfit Westrock plc 1000 Abernathy Rd. NE Atlanta, GA 30328 (770) 448-2193 | Pratt Industries, Inc. 4004 Summit Blvd NE, Suite 1000 Atlanta, GA 30319 (470) 704-6986 |
| United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union 60 Blvd. of the Allies, Rm. 807 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412) 400-8716 | |
COUNSEL FOR PETITIONERS
| WILEY REIN LLP 2050 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 719-7000 |
NAMED PRODUCERS/EXPORTERS
For a list of foreign producers/exporters alleged by Petitioners, please see Attachment I.
NAMED IMPORTERS
For a list of importers alleged by the Petitioners, please see Attachment II.
ESTIMATED SCHEDULE
| Event | Earliest Date |
| Petition Filed | September 9, 2026 |
| DOC Initiation | September 29, 2026 |
| ITC Preliminary Investigation: | |
| Questionnaires Due | September 23, 2026 |
| Request to appear at hearing | September 28, 2026 |
| Hearing | September 30, 2026 |
| Briefs | October 3, 2026 |
| ITC Vote | October 24, 2026 |
| Critical Circumstances (Turkey CVD only): | |
| Critical Circumstances (CVD) | September 4, 2026 |
| Critical Circumstances (AD) | November 18, 2026 |
| DOC Investigation Schedule: | |
| DOC Preliminary Countervailing Determination (Turkey only) | December 3, 2026 |
| DOC Preliminary Antidumping Determination | February 16, 2027 |
| DOC Final Countervailing Determination (Turkey only) | February 16, 2027 |
| DOC Final Antidumping Determination | May 2, 2027 |
| ITC Final Investigation: | |
| ITC Final CVD Determination (Turkey only) | April 2, 2027 |
| ITC Final AD Determination | June 16, 2027 |
ALLEGED DUMPING MARGINS
China: 96.62% – 568.50%
Malaysia: 110.73%
Turkey: 120.65% – 210.37%
ALLEGED COUNTERVAILING DUTY MARGINS
Turkey: Above de minimis
No countervailing duty petition was filed against China or Malaysia.
ALLEGED SUBSIDIES
For a list of alleged subsidies by the Petitioners, please see Attachment III.
IMPORTS OF SUBJECT MERCHANDISE
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| China | |||
| Quantity (Pounds) | 25,446,914 | 29,744,815 | 17,392,087 |
| Value ($1,000 USD) | 20,903 | 20,977 | 14,224 |
| Malaysia | |||
| Quantity (Pounds) | 22,778 | 4,016,269 | 13,412,701 |
| Value ($1,000 USD) | 16 | 2,521 | 8,424 |
| Turkey | |||
| Quantity (Pounds) | 14,770,251 | 29,372,348 | 61,552,083 |
| Value ($1,000 USD) | 12,297 | 23,555 | 45,633 |
| Subject Subtotal | |||
| Quantity (Pounds) | 40,239,943 | 63,133,432 | 92,356,871 |
| Value ($1,000 USD) | 33,216 | 47,053 | 68,281 |
| World (All Sources) | |||
| Quantity (Pounds) | 68,073,947 | 96,416,911 | 155,113,842 |
| Value ($1,000 USD) | 56,830 | 73,458 | 118,670 |
CONTACT US
For more information concerning this petition and how it may affect your business, please contact Nithya Nagarajan or Stephen Brophy.