US sets antidumping duties for Chinese tyres

Antidumping duties of up to 87.99 per cent will be levied on passenger car and light truck tyres imported from China into the United States, the US Department of Commerce determined yesterday. Its preliminary determination was based on findings that some imports of passenger car and light truck tyres from China were sold in the US at dumping margins ranging from 19.17 per cent to 87.99 per cent.

Giti Tire Global Trading Pte. Ltd. received the lowest antidumping duty of 19.17 per cent while Sailun Group Co., Ltd. will be required to pay 36.26 per cent. A further 65 companies – including most major tyre manufacturers – qualified for a separate rate of 27.72 per cent (click here to see the full list), and those producers/exporters not listed for this rate received a preliminary dumping margin of 87.99 per cent.

Champion of antidumping duties against Chinese imports, the United Steelworkers union, has praised the Department of Commerce’s decision. “The USW appreciates that the Commerce Department found significant antidumping margins on Chinese tyre imports,” stated USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “This second decision in two months by the DOC confirms our belief that Chinese tyre producers engage in massive unfair trade practices.

“Today’s decision, following as it does the decision by Commerce in late November in the countervailing duty investigation, confirms the USW’s concern that imports from China not only are dumped, but also subsidised,” he added. “American workers should not have to compete against illegally traded goods. The imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties is crucial to restoring a level playing field for our tyre industry and for US tyre workers.”

The Department of Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determination on or about 12 June 2015. If it decides the Chinese imports in question have been unfairly dumped in the US market, and the US International Trade Commission rules that these imports harm the domestic tyre industry, the Department of Commerce will issue an antidumping order. The US International Trade Commission will make its final injury determination in July 2015.