Finishers will be seeing more than a 40% rise in the cost of hexavalent chromium chemicals after the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a preliminary affirmative ruling in its antidumping investigation.
The Commerce agency issued a preliminary affirmative ruling in its countervailing duty investigation into imports of chromium trioxide from India. In contrast, a companion antidumping investigation involving imports from both India and Turkey continues toward a final determination later this summer.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register on May 14, Commerce preliminarily determined that “countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of chromium trioxide from India.” The investigation covers imports of chromium trioxide, which is used extensively in metal finishing, plating, and surface treatment applications.
Commerce assigned a preliminary countervailing duty rate of 2.44% ad valorem to India-based producer Vishnu Chemicals Limited, as well as to all other Indian exporters covered under the investigation.
The agency determined that Vishnu Chemicals was selling its chromium trioxide at 14.44% below the normal price, and that Türkiye Şişe ve Cam Fabrikaları A.Ş. was selling to the U.S. at 40.88% below normal value.
The ruling means that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will suspend liquidation of covered entries and begin requiring cash deposits equal to the preliminary subsidy margins on imports of chromium trioxide from India entering the United States after publication of the notice in the Federal Register.
“Commerce has instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to require cash deposits on imported merchandise in amounts equal to the preliminary dumping/subsidy rates (see case-specific fact sheet),” the agency says. “CBP will be instructed to impose provisional, or temporary, measures on the date of publication of the preliminary determination in the Federal Register. The provisional measures period is limited by law to no more than four months after publication of an affirmative preliminary determination.”
The agency says no trade groups added input on the investigation during the comment period, even though finishing operations might see increased costs.
Commerce said the final countervailing duty determination has been aligned with the companion antidumping investigation at the request of petitioner American Chrome & Chemical, Inc. The final determination in both cases is currently scheduled for no later than Aug. 3, 2026, unless postponed.
The broader trade case involves allegations that chromium trioxide imports from India and Turkey are being sold in the United States at unfairly low prices while also benefiting from government subsidies. Antidumping investigations focus on whether imported products are sold below fair market value, while countervailing duty investigations determine whether foreign producers receive unfair government assistance.
Chromium trioxide is a critical raw material used throughout the finishing and coatings industry for hard chrome plating, anodizing, conversion coatings, and other surface treatment processes. The Commerce Department’s investigation covers chromium trioxide in both dry and solution forms, including pellets, flakes, powders, and blended products containing 90% or more chromium trioxide by total formula weight.
The product is commonly marketed under several names, including chromic acid, chromic anhydride, and chromium (VI) oxide, according to the Federal Register notice. The compounds are used to generate hexavalent chromium that is used in metal finishing operations; the decision does not affect trivalent chromium, which does not use chromium trioxide.
Commerce identified Vishnu Chemicals Limited as the sole individually examined exporter and producer in the Indian countervailing duty investigation. The agency also noted that Vishnu Life Sciences Limited was found to be cross-owned with Vishnu Chemicals.
The investigation stems from a petition filed by American Chrome & Chemical, Inc., which requested both antidumping and countervailing duty relief. Commerce initiated the countervailing duty investigation on Jan. 5, 2026.
Interested parties will have an opportunity to submit case briefs and rebuttal comments before the final ruling is issued. If Commerce issues affirmative final determinations and the U.S. International Trade Commission also determines that the imports materially injure or threaten injury to the domestic industry, permanent antidumping and countervailing duty orders could be imposed on chromium trioxide imports from India and Turkey.
