WASHINGTON—The United Steelworkers union is pleased with the affirmative final determinations by the U.S. Department of Commerce to set antidumping and countervailing duties against passenger and light truck tires imported from China.
“Today's announcement further validates our allegations made more than a year ago about the unfair trade practices of tire producers in China,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard in a press release on June 12—the day Commerce's ruling was issued.
“They have once again targeted the U.S. market in an attempt to increase employment in China and the cost of job opportunities here in America,” Gerard said. “China is taking advantage of our market but claims that no one is being injured. That's simply not true.”
The USW petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission on May 30, 2014, requesting relief under Sections 701 and 731 of the Trade Act.
The Obama administration previously granted the union three years of high tariffs on Chinese tires under Section 421 of the Trade Act, between September 2009 and September 2012. However, an upsurge in unfairly priced Chinese imports began literally the minute the tariffs ended, the USW said.
On June 12, 2015, Commerce found final dumping margins ranging from 14.35 to 87.99 percent, with most importers coming in at 25.3 percent. Final subsidy rates ranged from 20.73 to 100.77 percent, with most decided at 30.87 percent.
The ITC is set to vote on a final determination of material injury July 14 and to transmit its vote to Commerce July 27.