A preliminary finding that Chinese aluminium windows and doors were dumped means importers are now lodging securities of up to 73.3 per cent at the border. No duty has been decided. The cost is already moving.
Since 15 October, anyone importing aluminium windows and doors from China that fall within a trade investigation has had to put money down at the border before the goods are released.
The amount runs from 5.3 to 73.3 per cent of the value of the goods, depending on who made them. It is not a duty. No duty has been decided. But for a builder with imported windows going into a job priced months ago, that distinction may not feel like much.
When we first covered this case in September, the point was that timing would matter more than the rate. The timing has now arrived.
What did the commission find about Chinese aluminium windows?
The Australian Trade Remedies Commission, the recently renamed body that has run this investigation since November 2025, has published its preliminary findings.
The commission found that all Chinese exporters except one sold the goods here below their normal value between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025. Dumping margins ranged from 5.3 to 70.4 per cent, depending on the exporter. Some exporters were also found to have received modest government subsidies.
It put the Australian market at about $2.8 billion over that period. Chinese imports held 19 per cent of sales. Australian product held about 79 per cent, and other countries the remaining 2 per cent.
The commission’s preliminary view is that the imports caused material injury to local manufacturers. It estimated the cost of the undercutting at about $350 million. Half of the tenders and quotes it examined came in about 30 per cent below expected prices, and more than a quarter were undercut by 40 per cent or more.
One thing the commission did not weigh was product quality. It said testing results and other quality and compliance claims were not considered in its preliminary findings. That has been a loud part of the public argument, but it is not what this case turns on.
What is a security, and why does it matter before any duty?
A security is a financial guarantee. The importer lodges it when the goods are cleared through customs, to cover a duty that may become payable later. Whether any duty is imposed is a decision for the Minister after the final report.
The reason it matters sits in the Customs Act. A dumping duty notice generally cannot reach goods that have already been imported. The exception is goods where a security was taken and not cancelled. The security is what keeps the door open for duty on windows landing now.
Security versus dumping duty
A security is a guarantee an importer lodges at the border while a trade investigation is still running. It covers a duty that may become payable later. A dumping duty is the charge itself, imposed only if the Minister publishes a duty notice after the final report. Under the Customs Act, a duty can generally only reach goods already imported where a security was taken and not cancelled.
Capral, an aluminium supplier that supports the case, says the top rate of 73.3 per cent applies to uncooperative exporters and all others not named. A rate of 24.4 per cent applies to cooperating exporters that were not individually examined. By Capral’s count, those two groups account for about 71 per cent of the value of Chinese imports in the investigation.
How much of a security reaches the buyer is up to each importer. Capral has also pointed out that a supplier’s quoted price may not include the new measures.
Which windows and doors are caught by the securities?
The scope covers aluminium windows and doors from China, fully or partially assembled. That includes frames, panels and sashes, with or without glass, and whether or not they are thermally broken.
Partially assembled goods count. A frame or sash imported for glazing or finishing in Australia sits inside the net, not just finished units.
Product from other countries is not covered, and neither is locally made product, which already holds most of the market.
Where does the cost land on a job that is already priced?
The importer is liable at the border. From there the cost moves along the chain, but only as far as each contract lets it.
A builder buying imported windows through a supplier carries whatever the supply terms pass on. A client carries whatever the head contract passes on. On a fixed price contract signed before 15 October, there may be no room to move the cost at all. The rules on price changes in domestic building contracts are also set state by state.
Master Builders Australia raised this exposure in its submission last December. It said builders had already priced and been awarded work, and that an immediate charge would expose them to cost escalation that could cascade down to subcontractors. It asked for any duty to be phased in over four to five years. It also said aluminium window and door prices had already risen 38.8 per cent since the pandemic.
Securities started without a phase in. For anyone who has handled a price rise in the middle of a build, the pattern is familiar: the cost turns up after the price was locked in.
The rate gets the headlines. The date it started is what reaches the job.
Who is on each side of the window dumping case?
The case was brought by window maker Ventora Group and the Australian Glass and Window Association, which represents local manufacturers. The association’s position is that it is not asking government to protect local businesses from competition, but to protect competition from unfair trading.
Master Builders opposes measures. This week its acting chief executive said the group would review the findings, while warning that anything adding to construction costs comes when housing affordability and project feasibility are already under pressure. The group has also argued that the flow of compliant building products into Australia should not be restricted.
Both positions are on the record. The final report will show which one the commission thinks the evidence supports.
When will a final decision be made on window duties?
Interested parties have until 3 November to respond to the preliminary findings. The commission’s final recommendation is due to the Minister by 16 December. The Minister’s decision is expected within 30 days of receiving it.
The timetable has moved before. As recently as June, the preliminary findings were due by 23 September and the final report by 25 November.
Until a decision is made, securities apply to every shipment within scope. If a duty is imposed, the securities are there to cover it. If no duty is imposed, there is nothing for them to cover.
What does this change for builders?
For most builders, nothing directly. Local product holds about 79 per cent of the market.
For those buying Chinese windows and doors, the cost of a possible duty is already in the supply chain, months before anyone decides whether that duty will exist. Windows are one of several building product cases running through the industry this year, and each one follows the same sequence.
The rate gets the headlines. The date it started is what reaches the job.
THE GOOD BUILDER TAKE
Both sides of this fight say they want the same thing: a fair price for windows. Where they part ways is on who carries the cost while the decision is made.
A security that starts the day a preliminary finding lands puts that cost on whoever signed a fixed price before that day. That is not a reason to take a side on dumping. It is a reason to watch the timetable as closely as the rate.
We will report the final recommendation when it is published.
Frequently asked questions
Not yet. Chinese aluminium windows and doors currently face no tariff under the China Australia Free Trade Agreement. Since 15 October 2026, importers of goods within the investigation’s scope have had to lodge securities of between 5.3 and 73.3 per cent of value while the case continues. Any dumping duty is a decision for the Minister after the final report.
The Australian Trade Remedies Commission’s final recommendation is due to the Minister by 16 December 2026. The Minister’s decision is expected within 30 days of receiving it. Submissions on the preliminary findings close on 3 November 2026.
Yes. The scope covers aluminium windows and doors from China whether fully or partially assembled, including frames, panels and sashes, with or without glass. Product made in Australia or imported from other countries is not covered.
A security is a guarantee the importer lodges at the border while the investigation runs. A dumping duty is the charge itself, imposed only if the Minister publishes a duty notice. Under the Customs Act, a duty can generally only reach goods already imported where a security was taken and not cancelled.
Related articles
- Imported Aluminium Windows Are Under Investigation for the First Time. The Next Decision Is Due 23 September.
- When the Price Goes Up Mid-Build, How You Handle It Is Everything
- Master Builders Queensland: What Your Contract Actually Says When Building Costs Spike
Last updated 17 October 2026. Figures are from the commission’s preliminary findings and may change in the final report.
General Information Only: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal, financial, trade or other professional advice. It does not take into account your particular circumstances. Before making decisions about imported products, contracts or pricing, seek advice from a qualified professional.
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