WASHINGTON (May 21, 2009)—Six U.S. tire importers are challenging a USW petition asking the International Trade Commission to limit tire imports from China.
Under the new umbrella group—American Coalition for Free Trade in Tires—the importers pursuing strategies to defeat the USW effort include: American Omni Trading Co. of Houston; Del-Nat Tire Corp. of Memphis, Tenn.; Dunlap & Kyle Co. Inc. of Batesville, Miss.; Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. of Findlay, Ohio; Orteck Global Supply & Distribution Co. of Gaithersburg, Md.; and Foreign Tire Sales Inc. of Union, N.J.
“There are thousands of Americans working for small to medium U.S. tire companies whose jobs will be on the line if these quotas are put in place,” Del-Nat President Jim Mayfield said. “Many U.S. companies refuse to make our tire brands anymore and now the unions want to cut off our imports. What's supposed to happen to my company and my workers?”
The coalition is represented by law firm Jochum Shore & Trossevin of Washington, D.C., which has been talking to potential new coalition members and preparing some members to testify before the ITC when it has a hearing on the petition June 2.