Chinese truck tyres: EEC closes dumping loophole

Russia and its friends within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will soon extend the scope of anti-dumping duties applied to truck tyres from China to counter instances of duty avoidance. The Internal Market Protection Department, part of the EAEU’s Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), issued an announcement to this effect on 1 February 2023. China’s Ministry of Commerce also published details of the announcement the following day.

EEC announcement No. 2023/350/AD18R2 relates to the commission’s resolution of 31 January 2023 regarding the dumping of truck tyres originating in China. The EEC has broadened the scope of its anti-dumping rules to include truck tyres mounted on rims as complete assemblies. These products will attract anti-dumping duties of 14.79 per cent to 35.35 per cent as per the resolution of 17 November 2015 that covers truck tyres originating in China. Duties are first payable three months after the measure’s publication on 1 February and apply to tyres for trucks, buses and trolleybuses, dump trucks, truck trailers and semi-trailers.

Investigating dumping since 2014

The EEC’s investigation into the dumping of truck tyres from China began on 1 September 2014 and resulted in Resolution No. 154 taking effect on 18 December 2015, initially for a period of five years. On 2 July 2021, the EEC announced it would maintain anti-dumping duties of 14.79 per cent to 35.35 per cent until 28 June 2026. An investigation into circumvention of these duties commenced on 9 March 2022. The EEC issued a final disclosure on 7 October, noting that the products in question were exported to EAEU countries as tyre and wheel assemblies in order to avoid the payment of anti-dumping duties. The EEC thus recommended that anti-dumping duties also be imposed on these products.

The EEC was established in 2012 and currently represents five countries: The Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation.