BOWIE, Md. (Sept. 13, 2010)—The Tire Industry Association marked the first anniversary of the Obama administration's tariffs on passenger and light truck tires imported from China by calling for an end to the tariffs.
If the administration won't rescind the tariffs, TIA said, the International Trade Commission should at least fulfill its obligation under Section 421 of the Trade Act and collect accurate, objective data on the effects the tariffs have had on the U.S. tire business, including retailing and wholesaling as well as manufacturing.
“Certain parties with a clear agenda are claiming they have data that demonstrates the success of the tariffs,” Roy Littlefield, TIA executive vice president, said in a statement. “We know that most of this data is, in reality, anecdotal, and we believe they are also distorting other data by obscuring critical details.”
The United Steelworkers petitioned the ITC for relief from Chinese tire imports in April 2009, under Section 421. The ITC found that domestic tire manufacturers and workers were suffering material injury because of the imports. In September 2009, President Obama approved tariffs on Chinese tires totaling 39 percent the first year, 34 percent the second and 29 percent the third. In September 2012, the tariff amount will revert to the previous figure of 4 percent.
Earlier this month, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a group partly funded by the USW, released a report stating that available data showed the tariffs were working to increase tire production and tire manufacturing employment in the U.S.