Executive Summary
The antidumping and countervailing duty orders on covered small vertical shaft engines and parts from China continue effective October 20, 2026.
Commerce says it will direct CBP to continue collecting cash deposits at the rates in effect when each entry is made, without announcing new numerical rates.
The written scope covers specified spark-ignited, non-road, vertical-shaft, single-cylinder, air-cooled engines from 99 cc to under 225 cc, plus covered parts and certain unfinished-engine subassemblies.
An engine imported mounted on equipment remains covered, but the equipment itself is not covered by these orders.
Small vertical shaft engine AD/CVD orders continue effective October 20, 2026. In its continuation notice, published October 26, Commerce says CBP will keep collecting antidumping and countervailing duty cash deposits at the rates in effect when each entry is made. The notice continues existing orders after Commerce and the International Trade Commission found that revoking them would likely lead to renewed dumping, subsidies and material injury.
Which China Small Vertical Shaft Engines Are Covered?
The orders cover qualifying spark-ignited, non-road, vertical-shaft engines from China with displacement of at least 99 cc but less than 225 cc. They must be single-cylinder, air-cooled internal combustion engines with vertical power take-off shafts. The scope applies whether an engine is finished or unfinished, assembled or unassembled, or mounted or unmounted. Engines are primarily intended for walk-behind lawn mowers, but the notice also identifies other non-hand-held outdoor power equipment, including pressure washers.
EPA certification does not by itself remove an otherwise qualifying engine from the orders. An engine that meets the physical description but is not certified under the identified EPA standards is not excluded on that basis. Engines that may be certified under both the cited standards and other EPA subchapter U standards also remain covered.
The scope reaches qualifying engines produced in China even if they are mounted on outdoor power equipment in a third country. It also applies whether or not the engine arrives with other parts. The written description, rather than an HTSUS classification alone, determines whether merchandise falls within the orders.
Are Mounted Engines and Engine Parts Covered?
A covered engine imported mounted on equipment is subject to the orders, but the equipment itself is not covered. The notice identifies mounted engines on walk-behind lawn mowers and pressure washers as examples. Importers should assess the engine separately rather than treating the equipment’s tariff classification as the answer to the order-scope question.
Certain parts and unfinished-engine subassemblies are also covered. At a minimum, an unfinished engine includes a subassembly of a crankcase, crankshaft, camshaft, piston or pistons, and connecting rod or rods. Importing those components together can constitute an unfinished engine whether assembled or unassembled, and whether or not additional listed components accompany them. Adding spark plugs, ignition devices, or other components in a third country does not necessarily remove the subassembly from scope.
The notice identifies HTSUS 8407.90.1010 for engines and 8409.91.9990 for engine subassemblies, as well as several headings for mounted engines and other possible engine entries. Those numbers are for customs purposes and convenience. The scope’s written description controls.
Which Engines Are Excluded From the Orders?
The notice excludes a defined class of “Commercial” or “Heavy Commercial” engines only when all four stated conditions are met. The engine must be certified under the identified EPA provisions and have displacement of 160 cc or greater, a cast iron cylinder liner, an automatic compression release, and a muffler with at least three chambers and volume greater than 400 cc.
Treat the exclusion as a conjunctive test, not as a general exemption for commercial-use engines. An engine that misses any one of the listed requirements does not meet this express exclusion. The notice does not make engine use, an EPA label, or a tariff number alone a substitute for checking every condition.
What Cash Deposits Apply to China Engine Entries?
Commerce directs CBP to continue collecting AD and CVD cash deposits at the rates in effect when each entry is made. The continuation notice does not announce new numerical deposit rates. Importers should therefore not read the continuation as setting a single new rate or changing the rate applicable to every entry.
The orders continue for imports of subject merchandise, and the relevant deposit treatment is tied to the entry date. Customs teams should confirm the applicable rates for the particular entry rather than infer them from this notice. The notice states that Commerce will instruct CBP to continue collection; it does not describe the timing or contents of the instructions.
When Do the China Engine Order Dates Fall?
The orders’ continuation is effective October 20, 2026, although Commerce published its notice six days later.
- May 4, 2021: Commerce published the original AD and CVD orders.
- October 20, 2026: The ITC published its final determination, and the continuation of the orders is effective from this date.
- October 22, 2026: The continuation notice was dated.
- October 26, 2026: Commerce published the continuation notice in the Federal Register. The notice lists this as its applicable date.
- Next five-year review: Commerce intends to initiate it no later than 30 days before the fifth anniversary of the date of the ITC’s October 20, 2026, determination.
What Should Importers Check for China Engine Entries?
Importers and brokers should review the engine’s physical characteristics, origin, configuration, and entry-date deposit treatment before filing or finalizing entry data.
Match the item to the written scope. Confirm engine displacement, cylinder count, cooling method, shaft orientation, ignition type, and whether the goods are an engine, parts, or an unfinished subassembly.
Separate the engine from mounted equipment. If the engine arrives mounted, identify the engine as the covered component and do not assume the whole equipment assembly is covered by these orders.
Test every exclusion condition. For a claimed commercial-engine exclusion, document each of the four requirements, including displacement, liner, compression release, and muffler features.
Verify deposits by entry date. Confirm the AD and CVD cash deposit rates in effect when each entry is made. Do not treat the continuation notice as a source of new numerical rates.
Use tariff numbers as an initial check only. Compare the merchandise with the written scope because the notice says the HTSUS numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes.
What Does the China Engine Notice Leave Unresolved?
The notice continues the orders but does not publish new numerical AD or CVD deposit rates. It also does not state when CBP will receive or implement Commerce’s instructions. Importers must establish the applicable rate for each entry from the rate in effect on that entry date.
For an item with unusual features or an incomplete subassembly, the notice does not decide its treatment without the product’s full facts. Its HTSUS list is not dispositive, and the written scope controls. The notice also states that Commerce intends to initiate the next five-year review by the stated period, but it does not set out the review’s later schedule.
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