❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration announced significant trade penalties on disposable food containers imported from China and Vietnam, citing unfair competition and safety concerns.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Trump administration, U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), Department of Commerce, and Yohai Baisburd of the American Molded Fiber Coalition.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The ITC ruling was issued on Monday, December 22, 2025, with duties expected in the coming weeks. The ITC report is due by January 23.
💬KEY QUOTE: “America continues to thrive when fair competition occurs. The Trump Administration is using every tool in the toolbox to enforce U.S. trade laws, and cheaters beware because they are coming after you.” – Yohai Baisburd
🎯IMPACT: U.S. manufacturers will benefit from a level playing field and increased ability to reinvest in operations and workers, while addressing health concerns over “forever chemicals.”
The Trump administration announced that it is taking action against the import of cheap disposable food containers from China and Vietnam by imposing significant trade penalties. These measures aim to protect American companies from unfair competition and ensure safer products for American consumers.
Yohai Baisburd, an attorney representing the American Molded Fiber Coalition, praised the administration’s efforts, stating, “The Trump Administration is using every tool in the toolbox to enforce U.S. trade laws, and cheaters beware because they are coming after you.”
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) recently ruled that imports of thermoformed molded fiber products from these nations are materially injuring U.S. industry.
These products, which include disposable bowls, plates, and take-out containers made from natural fibers and recycled materials, have been “dumped” into the U.S. market at unfairly low prices, according to the ITC. As a result, the Commerce Department will issue final antidumping and countervailing duty orders, with duties reaching as high as 540 percent on certain Chinese producers and over 260 percent on Vietnamese producers.
The ITC’s ruling allows for at least five years of duties on these imports, with retroactive duties also authorized on Vietnamese products. Baisburd noted, “U.S. workers/companies can compete against anyone, anywhere. What they can’t do is outcompete Chinese and Vietnamese government subsidies that violate U.S. trade laws.”
The duties are separate from the Trump administration’s tariffs and are legally binding enforcement mechanisms. In addition to economic concerns, health risks from “forever chemicals” such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in imported containers have also been highlighted. The ITC reported that while some foreign producers claim their products are PFAs-free, U.S. manufacturers generally produce safer alternatives.
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