Australia's Anti-Dumping Investigation into Chinese Aluminum Windows and Doors: Where It Stands and What Buyers Should Watch
Australia's Anti-Dumping Commission is in the middle of a formal investigation into aluminum windows and doors imported from China, known as Investigation 691.
It is the first case in this area to target finished windows and doors rather than raw aluminum extrusions, which have been subject to trade measures for more than a decade.
For anyone sourcing fenestration products for Australian projects, the timeline matters well before any final decision lands.
How the case got here
The investigation was initiated on 25 November 2025 after a joint application from Ventora Group and the Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA). It covers fully and partly fabricated aluminum windows and doors; curtain wall products are excluded from the scope.
The Commission is examining export prices, normal values, countervailable subsidies, import volumes, and conditions in the Australian market, and it is assessing injury from 1 July 2021.
Industry data submitted to the Commission shows imports of Chinese aluminum windows and doors rose by more than two-thirds in the three years to November 2025. Trade press reported in late July that imports rose a further 30 percent after the investigation began.
The case has drawn more than 400 submissions from businesses, industry associations, and unions, including submissions from importers opposing measures.
What has happened so far
In its Day 60 status report on 27 January 2026, the Commissioner did not make a preliminary affirmative determination (PAD), so no interim securities were being collected at that point. A PAD can still be made later in the investigation.
The deadlines have been extended. The Statement of Essential Facts (SEF) moved from 16 March 2026 to on or before 23 September 2026, and the final report to the Minister moved from 29 April 2026 to on or before 25 November 2026.
AGWA and the applicants have asked for temporary duties while the investigation continues.
The SEF is not a final decision, but it is the first formal indication of the Commission's direction. After the final report, the Minister decides whether to publish a duty notice. Readers should check the Commission's public record for the most recent status, since dates in cases like this can move again.
Why this matters beyond duty rates
Alongside the trade case, the compliance debate has intensified. Trade press reported in July on testing by a NATA-accredited facility, cited by the applicant and AGWA, in which seven of eight imported aluminum windows and doors did not meet minimum residential standards for Australia, even where supplier marketing claimed compliance.
AGWA has urged builders and consumers to check the Window Energy Rating Scheme (WERS) for AS2047 test compliance before buying. These are the applicants' claims, not findings of the investigation, but they show where buyer scrutiny is heading: toward documentation that can be verified, not just claimed.
What this means for buyers and specifiers
Duty liability sits with the importer at the border. Whether a cost passes to the builder depends on supply terms, and whether it passes to the client depends on the head contract.
Duties are not retrospective to the start of the investigation. Securities can only apply from a preliminary determination date, so fixed-price contracts signed during the investigation carry timing risk if measures arrive later.
Check which products are in scope. Curtain wall is excluded, but windows and doors within a facade package may not be. Confirm scope with the supplier and, where needed, a customs adviser.
Ask for verifiable compliance documentation. Test reports to AS2047 should be traceable back to the issuing laboratory, and WERS listings should be checked directly.
Write supply terms with duty scenarios in mind. Price validity, duty pass-through, and delivery timing are worth settling before the final report, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Does Investigation 691 apply to curtain wall systems?
No. Curtain wall products are excluded from the scope of the investigation. Window and door products supplied alongside a curtain wall package may still fall within scope and should be checked individually.
Are duties already being charged?
As of the last confirmed status in the sources reviewed, no preliminary affirmative determination had been made and no securities were being collected. Check the Commission's public record for any change since.
Does a duty outcome change compliance requirements?
No. Trade measures and building compliance are separate. AS2047 and the National Construction Code requirements apply regardless of how the case concludes.
This is general information from public sources and trade press, not legal, customs, or commercial advice. For buyers, the practical takeaway is to treat both price and documentation as live variables on Australian window and door supply until the final report is published.
FOWALL will continue tracking regulatory developments across Australian and New Zealand markets and reporting on what they mean for buyers evaluating curtain wall, window, and door suppliers.
