CBP rules against Greenbrier in rail coupler import case

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 18 ruled that the Greenbrier Cos. Inc. evaded antidumping orders in the import of freight-rail couplers (FRC) and rail cars.

A coalition of domestic FRC manufacturers brought the case against Greenbrier under the Enforce and Protect Act. CBP launched an investigation on Aug. 20, 2025.

Greenbrier argues that FRCs — and the rail cars they are attached to — qualify for exemption from import duties as "instruments of international traffic" (IIT). However, CBP determined that the cars and FRCs were entering the United States for the purpose of sale to U.S. consumers, making them ineligible for IIT exemption, according to a press release from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, the law firm representing the FRC coalition.

As a result of CBP's determination of evasion, Greenbrier will be accountable for unpaid duties on all imports of FRCs in violation of the antidumping order. Additionally, CBP determined that Greenbrier must rectify any noncompliance from rail cars with FRCs attached entering the country during the agency's investigation period.

Greenbrier issued a statement strongly disagreeing with CBP's determination. The company is evaluating options, including further administrative and judicial review.

The decision is "disconnected from the real-world functioning of the North American interchange system for more than 80 years, where rail cars routinely move between carriers and across borders under common carrier obligations," company officials said. The recharacterization of rail cars and components is inconsistent with decades of agency practice and legal framework, they added.

Rail cars are not static goods, but mobile transportation equipment that must circulate freely, Greenbrier officials stressed.