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Australia's anti-dumping investigation into specified aluminium windows and doors from China is still open. On 11 September 2026, the Anti-Dumping Commission extended the timetable: the Statement of Essential Facts is now due by 14 October and the final report by 16 December.
For importers, the extension creates a longer period of commercial uncertainty. It does not prove dumping, create a final duty rate or decide that every aluminium window or door product from China is covered.
What changed on 11 September
Anti-Dumping Notice 2026/132 changed two dates in investigation 691:
- Statement of Essential Facts: now due on or before 14 October 2026, previously 23 September;
- final report and recommendation to the Minister: now due on or before 16 December 2026, previously 25 November; and
- responses to the Statement of Essential Facts: due within 20 days after it is placed on the public record.
The Commission says it requested the extension because of the number of submissions and the complexity of the matters raised.
The case 691 public record remains the authoritative place to check later notices and documents.
An extension is not a final anti-dumping measure
An investigation can examine whether goods were dumped or subsidised and whether Australian industry suffered material injury. The extended timetable allows that process to continue.
Importers should not describe the 11 September notice as:
- a finding that Chinese aluminium windows or doors were dumped;
- a new general tariff on Chinese building products;
- a final duty rate;
- proof that every frame, panel or assembly is within scope; or
- a ministerial decision.
The commercial issue is uncertainty, not a confirmed final outcome. Quotes and contracts that run across the 14 October and 16 December milestones need a method for dealing with change.
Which goods are described in case 691
The Commission's published case page describes aluminium windows and doors exported from China, whether fully or partially assembled. The description includes their frames, panels and sashes, with or without glass, with or without thermal breaks, and with or without hardware, within the stated maximum dimensions.
The page defines a partial assembly broadly enough to include a fabricated aluminium frame, panel or sash supplied individually or connected to other assemblies before it becomes a complete window or door unit. Curtain wall products are expressly excluded from the published scope.
Those words are a summary of the public record, not a classification of a particular shipment. Product names used by a supplier, catalogue images and an HS code alone may not resolve scope. Dimensions, construction, degree of assembly and the actual goods documentation matter.
Importers most likely to need a current check
- builders and developers sourcing window or door packages;
- facade, glazing and building-envelope contractors;
- distributors of fabricated aluminium window and door systems;
- modular-building and prefabrication businesses;
- importers buying frames, panels, sashes or partial assemblies; and
- buyers whose supplier quotes a fixed DDP or landed price across the investigation timetable.
Five controls before the order is locked
1. Identify the legal manufacturer and exporter
Record the company that manufactured the goods and the legal entity that exports them. Do not rely only on a sales contact, website brand or trading-company name. Exporter identity can affect anti-dumping treatment.
2. Compare the goods with the published scope
Give the broker or adviser drawings, dimensions, assembly state, materials, glazing, hardware, thermal-break details and intended product description. Ask for a written scope assessment or a clearly recorded qualification where certainty is not possible.
3. Separate customs duty from anti-dumping exposure
A ChAFTA preference or ordinary customs-duty rate does not settle anti-dumping liability. OPL's anti-dumping duty check explains the separate product, exporter and current-measure checks.
4. Test what the DDP quote actually covers
DDP describes the seller's delivery responsibility under the sale contract, but it does not remove the Australian importer's exposure if customs treatment is wrong or the contract is unclear. Ask who will be importer of record, who calculated any duty, which exporter was checked and what happens if the case position changes. See Does DDP Cover Anti-Dumping Duty in Australia?.
5. Use an agreed duty-change mechanism
For orders that may ship after a case milestone, avoid silence. The contract can identify who bears a new or changed trade-remedy amount, what evidence is required, whether the buyer may delay or cancel, and how a price adjustment will be calculated. Legal wording should be reviewed for the actual transaction.
Dates to put in the import file
- 14 October 2026: Statement of Essential Facts due on or before this date.
- 20 days after publication: response window identified in ADN 2026/132.
- 16 December 2026: final report and recommendation due on or before this date.
- After the final report: the Minister's decision remains a separate step.
Set reminders to reopen the case record before finalising the supplier contract, before shipment and before import entry. If a new notice changes the timetable or scope, use the newer primary source.
Price the uncertainty before it becomes a border cost
The safest response to investigation 691 is neither panic nor assumption. Record the goods and parties precisely, get the current scope and duty position checked, and make the contract address change.
If you need help comparing the supplier's quote with the full landed-cost and compliance file, contact Ocean Port Link before the order is committed.