The AD/CVD orders covering steel welded wire mesh from Mexico will remain in force following their first sunset reviews. Importers, distributors, concrete contractors, and precast producers must continue managing cash deposits, scope documentation, landed cost exposure, and the separation of antidumping and countervailing duties from drawback-eligible ordinary duties.
What Continuation of the AD/CVD Orders Means
The Department of Commerce determined that revoking the antidumping and countervailing duty orders would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping and countervailable subsidies. The U.S. International Trade Commission also determined that revocation would likely result in the continuation or recurrence of material injury to the domestic industry within a reasonably foreseeable period.
Together, these findings support continuation of antidumping order A-201-853 and countervailing duty order C-201-854. The continuation applies as of September 23, 2026. Formal publication of the continuation notice is scheduled for October 26, 2026.
The antidumping order was originally issued in August 2021, while the countervailing duty order was issued in April 2021. Their continuation means importers cannot treat the measures as a temporary historical issue or remove them from sourcing and landed cost models.
Cash Deposits Continue at Entry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue collecting AD and CVD cash deposits at the rates in effect when covered merchandise enters the United States. The applicable rate may depend on the producer, exporter, entry date, and instructions governing the relevant case.
Cash deposits are generally not the same as final assessed liability. Antidumping and countervailing duties may remain subject to administrative review, liquidation instructions, and other case developments. Importers should therefore preserve transaction-level records and avoid treating the deposited amount as a permanently fixed cost until liquidation is complete.
The next five-year reviews will generally be initiated no later than 30 days before the fifth anniversary of the ITC's latest determination. Until another proceeding changes or revokes the orders, affected parties should assume that the current compliance framework remains active.
Determining Whether Imported Wire Mesh Is In Scope
Scope analysis is the central compliance issue for importers of reinforcement wire mesh from Mexico. Classification under a listed tariff provision may help identify potentially covered entries, but tariff classification alone does not determine whether merchandise is subject to an AD/CVD order. The written product description controls.
The orders generally cover uncoated standard welded steel reinforcement wire mesh produced to ASTM A1064/A1064M. Covered merchandise may be imported in rolls or sheets. All rolled wire mesh meeting the written description is included regardless of roll length.
Covered Styles and Product Characteristics
The written scope includes the following styles, along with their equivalent D designations:
- 6X6 W1.4/W1.4
- 6X6 W2.1/W2.1
- 6X6 W2.9/W2.9
- 6X6 W4/W4
- 6X12 W4/W4
- 4X4 W2.9/W2.9
- 4X4 W4/W4
Importers should compare mill certificates, purchase specifications, invoices, product drawings, coating records, and physical characteristics against this language. Commercial descriptions such as construction mesh, concrete reinforcement mesh, or welded wire fabric may be useful operationally, but they do not replace a documented scope analysis.
Excluded Coated Merchandise
Galvanized wire mesh with a zinc coating meeting ASTM A641/A641M is excluded. Epoxy-coated wire mesh is also excluded. These exclusions make coating evidence particularly important for merchandise that would otherwise match a listed style and specification.
A purchase order stating that a product is galvanized may not be sufficient by itself. Importers should generally retain coating certificates, technical specifications, supplier declarations, test results when available, and records connecting the supporting documentation to the specific shipment.
HTSUS subheadings 7314.20.0000 and 7314.39.0000 are listed for convenience. Merchandise classified elsewhere may still be covered if it meets the written scope, while merchandise entered under a listed subheading may be excluded if it falls outside that scope.
Compliance, Landed Cost, and Drawback Implications
Continued AD/CVD coverage affects more than entry filing. It influences supplier selection, purchasing contracts, customer pricing, inventory valuation, financial reserves, and post-entry compliance. Importers should keep antidumping and countervailing duty exposure visible in landed cost models rather than combining it with ordinary customs duty or other border charges.
Because deposit rates can differ by producer or exporter, supply chain teams should confirm the actual manufacturer and export channel before purchase commitments are finalized. Vendor names, trading company relationships, and country-of-origin representations should be validated against entry records and commercial documentation.
Practical Controls for Importers and Brokers
A defensible compliance process should generally include the following actions:
- Confirm the mesh style, wire size, spacing, specification, coating, form, producer, and country of origin before entry.
- Match supplier documentation to the written scope rather than relying only on an HTSUS number or invoice description.
- Preserve evidence supporting any galvanized or epoxy-coated exclusion.
- Verify the applicable AD and CVD case numbers and cash deposit rates for each entry.
- Include both deposit categories in landed cost forecasts and financial controls.
- Maintain entry-level records through liquidation and any applicable review period.
- Monitor instructions and case developments that may affect assessment or liquidation.
AD/CVD Duties and Duty Drawback
Antidumping and countervailing duties are not eligible for duty drawback under 19 U.S.C. 1677h. Importers and drawback filers must exclude those amounts from refund calculations, even when the underlying merchandise is later exported, destroyed, or used to manufacture an exported article.
Ordinary customs duties paid on the same entry may still qualify for drawback when the transaction satisfies the applicable requirements. Claim calculations should therefore separate ordinary customs duty from AD duties, CVD duties, fees, and other amounts. This separation reduces the risk of overstated claims and helps preserve legitimate refund opportunities that remain available despite the AD/CVD orders.
- On October 26, 2026, the Department of Commerce published a notice continuing the antidumping (A-201-853) and countervailing duty (C-201-854) orders on standard steel welded wire mesh from Mexico after the first sunset reviews. The continuation is effective September 23, 2026, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue collecting cash deposits at existing rates. The notice was dated October 19, 2026, and placed on public inspection October 23, 2026.
- The U.S. International Trade Commission completed its expedited five-year reviews on September 21, 2026, and published its affirmative determination on September 23, 2026 (91 FR 60414). The ITC found that revocation of the orders would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to the U.S. industry within a reasonably foreseeable time. The reviews were expedited after finding domestic interested party responses adequate and respondent responses inadequate.
- Commerce issued its expedited final sunset review results in early July 2026, determining that revocation would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping (weighted-average margins up to 110.42 percent) and countervailable subsidies (1.03 percent for Aceromex S.A. de C.V. and all others, 102.10 percent for Deacero S.A.P.I. de C.V.). These findings, combined with the ITC determination, supported the continuation.
- No specific practitioner discussions on X or substantial additional industry news covering this exact continuation were identified in the past 30 days. Broader U.S.-Mexico steel trade developments, including ongoing tariff negotiations and a separate October 24, 2026, Commerce announcement of an antidumping investigation on steel wire from Mexico (among other countries), continue to receive attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are All Wire Mesh Imports From Mexico Covered?
No. Coverage depends on whether the merchandise satisfies the written scope. Product style, wire dimensions, spacing, specification, coating, and form are relevant. Galvanized mesh meeting ASTM A641/A641M and epoxy-coated mesh are expressly excluded. Importers should document the analysis for each product rather than treating all Mexican wire mesh as covered or excluded.
Do HTSUS Codes Determine AD/CVD Coverage?
No. HTSUS subheadings 7314.20.0000 and 7314.39.0000 are provided for convenience, but the written scope is dispositive. A product entered under another classification may still be covered, and a product classified under a listed subheading may be outside the order. Classification and scope analysis should be conducted as related but distinct compliance functions.
Will CBP Continue Collecting Cash Deposits?
Yes. CBP will continue collecting antidumping and countervailing duty cash deposits at the rates in effect at the time of entry. Importers should verify the applicable producer and exporter combination, case number, and deposit rate. Deposits should also be distinguished from the final duty assessment, which may depend on subsequent review and liquidation instructions.
Can AD and CVD Payments Be Recovered Through Drawback?
No. Antidumping and countervailing duties are not eligible for drawback. Ordinary customs duties paid on the same entries may still qualify if the merchandise is exported or destroyed, or is used in manufacturing exported merchandise, and all other drawback requirements are met. Claimants should keep each duty component separate in their records and calculations.
What Documentation Supports a Coating Exclusion?
Importers should generally retain mill certificates, coating specifications, supplier declarations, test reports when available, invoices, purchase orders, and records linking the evidence to the imported shipment. Documentation should establish that the product is galvanized in conformity with ASTM A641/A641M or is epoxy-coated. Generic marketing language is less persuasive than shipment-specific technical evidence.
How Stable Software Can Help
Keep Eligible Duties Separate From AD/CVD Amounts
Customs brokers managing drawback for importers need a clear distinction between potentially refundable ordinary customs duties and ineligible antidumping or countervailing duties. Stable Software's DrawbackAI duty drawback software supports a broker-controlled model for providing drawback services to importer clients.
DrawbackAI is white-labeled by U.S. customs brokers, who file claims under their own filer code and maintain the client relationship. Stable Software charges a flat software license and never takes a percentage of the refund. Brokers evaluating how to expand drawback services while preserving control over filing and economics can explore the platform to determine whether it fits their operating model.
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