US agency votes to proceed with consumer tire import investigations

Washington — The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is moving forward with antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of passenger and light truck tires from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam that allegedly are being sold in the US at less than fair value.

The ITC investigations will move into the next phase after the agency's commissioners vote unanimously that there is a "reasonable indication" that the US tire industry is being "materially injured" by reason of said imports. 

The ITC's decision follows by three weeks the similar action taken the US Department of Commerce.

The agencies' decisions are in response to petitions filed in early May by the United Steelworkers union (USW), which claim tire producers from these regions are dumping their products in the US at margins ranging from as low as 5.48% (Vietnam) to as high as 217.5% (Thailand).

The ITC now has until 26 Aug to issue its preliminary countervailing duty determination, according to the timeline set by the Department of Commerce in late June. The antidumping duty determination is due on or about 9 Nov.

The ITC's commissioners are: Jason Kearns (chair), Randolph Stayin (vice chair), David Johanson, Rhonda Schmidtlein and Amy Karpel. Kearns was appointed chair on 19 June.

As a result of the ITC's affirmative determinations, Commerce will continue with its investigations into the import situation.

The Commission's public report, "Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam" — due to be published in mid-August — will contain the views of the ITC and information developed during the investigations. The case IDs are: 701-TA-647 and 731-TA-1517-1521.