The chief executive officer of Michelin’s Europe North Region has spoken out against “cheap products from Asia and their dumping prices.” In an interview with German newspaper Bild, Anish K. Taneja, who also serves as the president of the German Rubber Manufacturers Association (wdk), emphasised that tyres such as these are not environmentally sustainable, nor are they sustainable for consumers or for local jobs.
Following an investigation covering the period from 1 July to 31 December 2017, the US Department of Commerce has issued a preliminary determination that steel wheels from the People’s Republic of China were (or were likely to have been) sold in the United States at less-than-fair-value. It now invites interested parties to comment on this preliminary determination.
Having published its definitive decision on Chinese-produced truck tyre dumping, the European Union has also rejected claims that Pirelli is not related to either China National Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd (CNRC, which is owned by ChemChina) or Aeolus. Therefore, any tyres made by any of the related companies in China have to be subject to comparable import tariffs.
In addition to announcing its final decision on measures related to Case AD640, its anti-dumping proceeding on new and retreaded truck and bus tyres manufactured in China, the European Commission has commented briefly on Case AS641, the anti-subsidy investigation focusing on these products.
The European Commission has issued notice that it will initiate an anti-dumping proceeding focusing on imports of truck and bus tyres originating in the People’s Republic of China. The Commission is taking this course of action as a result of a complaint received on 30 June by the “coalition against unfair tyres imports,” a group representing the interests of manufacturers who account for more than 45 per cent of all new and retreaded truck and bus tyre production in the European Union.
Days after India’s Directorate General of Anti-Dumping published its final findings into truck and bus tyres imported from China and recommended the introduction of anti-dumping duties for certain products, the chairman and managing director of the country’s largest domestic producer of truck and bus radials supported the measure with comments of his own. During his speech at JK Tyre & Industries Ltd’s annual general meeting on 4 August, Dr Raghupati Singhania declared it is “high time” India’s government undertook such a step.
Days after India’s Directorate General of Anti-Dumping published its final findings into truck and bus tyres imported from China and recommended the introduction of anti-dumping duties for certain products, the chairman and managing director of the country’s largest domestic producer of truck and bus radials supported the measure with comments of his own. During his speech at JK Tyre & Industries Ltd’s annual general meeting on 4 August, Dr Raghupati Singhania declared it is “high time” India’s government undertook such a step.
The body within India’s Department of Commerce established to investigate unfair trade practices has recommended the introduction of anti-dumping duties on certain tyres imported from China. In the recently published findings of its report into truck and bus tyres with rim diameters above 16-inches that originate in or are exported from the People’s Republic, the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping (DGAD) states it is “of the view that imposition of definitive anti-dumping duty is necessary to offset dumping and injury.”
According to Bipaver, the number of truck tyres retreaded in Europe has fallen by a third in the last five years, and it fears this trend will continue unless the European Commission moves quickly to implement legislation that protects against the dumping of low-priced new tyres.
India’s government has begun investigating allegations that Chinese-made truck and bus radials are being sold at dumping prices in India. The Ministry of Commerce’s Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) claims to have found sufficient “prima facie” evidence of dumping activities, and national industry association the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has filed an application for the start of an anti-dumping investigation on behalf of several domestic tyre makers. The ATMA seeks the introduction of anti-dumping duties.
A sobering message has been issued by the Retread Manufacturers Association – the future of 2,500 employees across the UK’s tyre industry is under threat unless something is immediately done to support the local industry. The RMA has spoken out in response to this week’s announcement that Tata Steel is to cut 1,050 jobs in the UK – including 750 at Port Talbot, the country’s biggest steelworks – as a result of a slump in global demand and cheap imports, particularly from China.
Several representatives of the Retread Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the tyre industry have met with Department for Business ministers to discuss the impact of low-cost new tyres on the UK and European retreading industry, and its direct implications for employment in the retread tyre industry, the tyre recovery programme and the environment. The association said it would “press for urgent measures” to address what it argues is evidence of ‘dumping’.
In this month’s magazine (July 2014), as well as our the conclusion of our comprehensive review of the Essen Show (see page 40 onwards) plus features on manufacturing (from page 24) and batteries (page 8+), we report on the potential “Return of US tyre import tariffs” (on page 30). Reading this article, you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped into a time warp to 2009 where proceedings followed a very similar course. This time round, the potential implementation of a second round of import US import tariffs aimed squarely at China have fermented rumours about whether anything similar is likely to happen in Europe. So will it?
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