On July 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the final determinations in the anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on imports of L‑Lysine from China.
The final rulings set anti‑dumping rates for Chinese producers/exporters ranging from 73.55% to 139.83%, with AD cash deposit rates after offsetting for countervailing duties ranging from 73.37% to 139.65%. Countervailing duty rates range from 48.21% to 82.11%. With the two duties combined, certain companies face a total tax burden of approximately 188%, which will significantly erode the price competitiveness of Chinese L‑lysine products in the U.S. market.
The case originated on May 28, 2025, when the Coalition for Fair Trade in Lysine and its member companies – Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), CJ Bio America, and Evonik – filed AD and CVD petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce, alleging that Chinese L‑lysine was being dumped and subsidized by the Chinese government. The petition claimed dumping margins as high as 197.1%.
On June 18, 2025, the Department of Commerce formally initiated the AD and CVD investigations. The CVD preliminary determination was issued on January 16, 2026, and the AD preliminary determination on March 3, 2026. The final determinations were originally scheduled for July 20 but were officially released on July 21.
The final AD rates fall into two main tiers. The higher tier (139.83%) applies to companies including Anhui BBCA Biochemical Co., Ltd., Eppen Biotech (Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia), and Shouguang Jinmeng Corn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., when exporting to the U.S. through trading companies such as Zhengzhou Longgu Trading Co., Ltd. and Zhengzhou Heshu Animal Husbandry Development Co., Ltd.
The lower tier (73.55%) applies to Anhui BBCA Biochemical Co., Ltd., Heilongjiang Wanlierunda Bio-technology Co., Ltd., Eppen Biotech, and Shouguang Jinmeng Corn Biotechnology Co., Ltd., when exporting through channels such as Agromate SG Pte. Ltd. and Ainuo (Tianjin) International Trading Co., Ltd.
In the CVD final determination, Heilongjiang Wanlierunda Bio-technology Co., Ltd. and Shouguang Jindi Industrial and Trading Co., Ltd. were assigned rates of 82.11%, while Inner Mongolia Eppen Biotech Co., Ltd. and all other producers/exporters received a rate of 48.21%.
The investigation covers L‑lysine products under U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS) subheading 2922.41.0090.
Before the investigation was initiated, Chinese exports of L‑lysine to the U.S. had been growing rapidly. U.S. data show that in 2024, the U.S. imported approximately $95.954 million (about RMB 650 million) worth of L‑lysine from China, with a volume of about 78,000 metric tons. In 2025, ahead of the expected AD/CVD investigations, the U.S. had become a significant export market for Chinese L‑lysine.
With the final determinations now issued, some Chinese companies face combined duties of up to about 188%, making normal exports to the U.S. commercially unviable. However, the measures will not take effect until the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) makes a final injury determination; if the USITC reaches an affirmative ruling, the AD/CVD orders will be formally imposed.
