US puts duties on Indian and Sri Lankan OTR tyres

On 4 January 2017The US Department of Commerce (DOC) made final determinations in the countervailing duty investigations of imported off-the-road (OTR) tyres from India and Sri Lanka. In the India countervailing duty investigation, the DOC calculated a final subsidy rate of 5.36 per cent for mandatory respondent Balkrishna Industries and a final subsidy rate of 4.9 per cent for mandatory respondent ATC Tires. The government agency established a subsidy rate of 5.06 per cent for all other producers/exporters in India. In the Sri Lanka countervailing duty investigation, the DOC calculated a final subsidy rate of 2.18 per cent for mandatory respondent Camso Loadstar and for all other producers/exporters in Sri Lanka.

In the India antidumping duty investigation, the DOC found that mandatory respondents ATC Tires and Balkrishna Industries had not sold pneumatic OTR tires in the US at less than fair value and the investigation has been terminated. As a result of the affirmative final countervailing duty determinations, if the US International Trade Commission (ITC) issues affirmative injury determinations, the DOC will require cash deposits for countervailing duties equal to the final subsidy rates established during the investigation.

Titan Tire and the United Steelworkers union petitioned the ITC in January 2016 for relief, requesting formal investigations of OTR tires from China, India and Sri Lanka under Sections 701 and 731 of the Trade Act.