US Antidumping Duties on Hard Empty Capsules: The 2026 Rates Explained

On 23 February 2026 the United States published antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on hard empty capsules from Brazil, China, India and Vietnam. For anyone importing empty capsules into the United States these orders change the landed-cost arithmetic considerably, and the details matter more than the headline numbers.

The scope is defined by material rather than by brand or intended use: unfilled cylindrical shells composed of at least 80 percent water-soluble polymer. That definition is broader than many buyers assume. It captures gelatin capsules and HPMC vegetarian capsules alike, so changing a specification from gelatin to HPMC does not move a shipment outside the scope of these orders.

Antidumping and countervailing duties are assessed separately and stack on top of one another. For Brazil the antidumping margin is 77.63 percent and the countervailing rate 10.67 percent, a combined 88.30 percent. For Vietnam the figures are 47.12 percent and 2.45 percent, a combined 49.57 percent.

For India the all-others antidumping margin is 18.68 percent with a countervailing rate of 7.06 percent, a combined 25.74 percent. For China the all-others antidumping margin is 18.71 percent with a countervailing rate of 6.90 percent, a combined 25.61 percent.

Two company-specific points deserve attention, because blanket statements about "Chinese capsules" or "Indian capsules" are inaccurate. Shanxi JC Biological Technology Co., Ltd. was excluded from the antidumping order at 0.00 percent, although the 8.81 percent countervailing rate still applies to it. In India the rates vary by producer: ACG Associated Capsules and related entities carry 26.69 percent, while HealthCaps India Limited carries 10.66 percent.

Bangladesh was not named in the petitions and is not subject to these antidumping or countervailing duty orders. That point should be stated precisely, because it is easy to overstate. It does not mean capsules of Bangladeshi origin enter the United States duty-free; normal customs duties and all standard import requirements continue to apply. What it means is narrower: the additional AD and CVD charges described above do not attach to Bangladeshi origin.

Before committing to a supply arrangement, buyers should confirm country of origin from shipping documentation rather than from the address of the trading company, since origin follows where the capsules were manufactured. It is also worth asking whether a supplier is a named respondent with a company-specific rate or falls under the all-others rate, because the difference can be substantial.

Two further practical points: check the current cash deposit rate rather than the final margin, as the two are not always the same figure, and remember that these orders remain in force for five years from publication, subject to administrative and sunset review.

Zhaofeng Gelatin Limited manufactures empty hard gelatin capsules in Dhamrai, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in sizes 0# through 5#, produced from our own bovine bone gelatin. The plant holds a GMP certificate issued by the Directorate General of Drug Administration of Bangladesh in the format recommended by the World Health Organization, together with Halal certification from the Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh. Buyers reviewing their options in light of these orders are welcome to contact us for specifications, samples and documentation.

Sources: US Federal Register, Antidumping Duty Orders (2026-03484) and Countervailing Duty Orders (2026-03485), both published 23 February 2026; United States International Trade Commission final injury determination.