US imposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese tires

Washington — The US Commerce Department’s international trade administration has determined preliminary antidumping duties for passenger and light truck tires imported from China.

The preliminary China-wide rate for Chinese tire exporters and producers was 87.99 percent, said the department.

Giti Tire Global Trading Pte. Ltd and its subsidiaries were found to have a dumping rate of 19.17 percent, announced the Commerce Department.

Sailun Group Co. Ltd and its subsidiaries had a dumping rate of 36.26 percent, the agency added.

Commerce found 65 “separate rate companies” to have dumping margins of 27.72 percent. These companies, included Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Bridgestone Corp., Goodyear Dalian Tire Co. Ltd, Hankook Tire China Co. Ltd and Pirelli Tyre Co. Ltd.

Commerce is instructing US Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits from Chinese tire exporters, based on these preliminary rates. The agency said it would announce its final determination in the anti-dumping case on or about 12 June.

The International Trade Commission is expected to make its final determination on whether the dumped tires caused material injury to the US tire industry in July 2015. If both Commerce and the ITC make final affirmative determinations in the case, the antidumping duties will become official.

The United Steelworkers union filed petitions with the ITC in June 2014, asking for antidumping and countervailing duties against Chinese passenger and light truck tires under Sections 701 and 731 of the Trade Act.

The department levied a 12.03-percent countervailing duty, lowered from the original 15.29 percent, on Chinese tires in December 2014.