Case Study: Switching from China to Thailand for Overhead Door Springs
For over five years, OverHead Solutions Inc. — a Texas-based manufacturer of garage door systems — sourced its overhead door torsion springs from a supplier in eastern China. The relationship worked well enough in the beginning: pricing was competitive, and the supplier could handle their volume of roughly 50,000 springs per month.
Then things began to change. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce completed anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on overhead door torsion springs from China, imposing final AD rates of 734.33%–779.31% and a CVD rate of 257.46% — effectively banning Chinese ODCTS from the U.S. market entirely. The tariffs alone made it impossible to continue importing from China at a competitive price. Lead times also stretched from 6 weeks to 12–14 weeks as port congestion and container shortages became the norm across the region.
In early 2025, OverHead Solutions made the decision to move their spring sourcing to AOFENG SPRING (THAILAND). The results exceeded expectations.
The Benefits They Gained
1. Tariff Relief
By sourcing from Thailand instead of China, OverHead Solutions entirely avoided the 734%–779% anti-dumping duties and 257% countervailing duties that made Chinese ODCTS uncompetitive. Thailand-made springs enter the US at a standard duty rate of 0–3%, saving the company over $180,000 annually on their spring imports.
2. Supply Chain Diversification
Thailand's port infrastructure is world-class, with Laem Chabang Deep Sea Port offering direct sailings to the US West Coast in 14-16 days, providing a reliable alternative for US-bound cargo. OverHead Solutions now runs a leaner inventory with 40% less safety stock, confident that their supply chain won't be disrupted by single-country risks.
3. Consistent Quality
AOFENG's IATF 16949-certified quality system means every batch meets the same strict specifications. In the first year of partnership, OverHead Solutions reported a 97% reduction in rejected springs and eliminated the need for 100% incoming inspection on most orders.
4. Responsive Communication
With a dedicated English-speaking sales team based in Thailand, OverHead Solutions gets quotes within 24 hours and real-time production updates. Decision-making is faster, and problem resolution happens in days, not weeks.
For OverHead Solutions, switching from China to Thailand wasn't just about avoiding tariffs — it was about building a more resilient, reliable, and cost-effective supply chain for the long term. As one of their purchasing managers put it: "Making the switch to Thailand was the best supply chain decision we've made in a decade."
References & Sources
Federal Register notices — U.S. Department of Commerce final determinations on overhead door torsion springs from China:
- Anti-Dumping Duty Investigation Final Determination (August 15, 2025) AD rates: 734.33%–779.31% — HTS 7320.20.5020, 7320.20.5045, 7320.20.5060
- Countervailing Duty Investigation Final Determination (August 15, 2025) CVD rate: 257.46% — All Chinese producers/exporters