Canada probes Chinese truck bodies as imports surge, pressuring domestic builders

Canadian trade officials have launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into Chinese-built truck bodies after imports surged more than tenfold in three years, hammering pricing and order books for Canadian manufacturers.

Chinese suppliers are allegedly selling bodies at deeply discounted prices and benefiting from government support, undercutting domestic builders serving OEM dealers, leasing companies and mid-sized fleets.

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Imports from China represented just 4% of Canada’s truck body volume in 2022. By the first half of 2025, they climbed to 54%. Domestic manufacturers reported price depression, lost sales, reduced capacity utilization and softer hiring as lower-priced imports gained traction.

The CBSA estimates preliminary dumping margins at 51.4% and subsidies worth 36.6% of export prices. It also triggered a Section 20 inquiry, signalling concerns that China’s truck body sector may not operate under market economy conditions — a move that could lead to higher duties.

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The Canadian International Trade Tribunal is reviewing whether the surge in imports is injuring domestic producers. A decision is due by late December. If injury is confirmed, provisional duties could be imposed as early as January, raising costs for importers and potentially tightening supply for fleets relying on lower-cost Chinese van and reefer bodies.

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Currently, there are 158 special import measures in force in Canada, covering a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. In 2024, these measures have directly helped to protect approximately 45,000 Canadian jobs and $18.4 billion in Canadian production.