BRUSSELS—The European Commission has released details of the provisional antidumping duties to be imposed on imports of new and retreaded truck and bus tires sourced from China.
The provisional duties announcement single out four companies with specific dumping margins—Aeolus Group at 151.2 percent; Giti Group at 98.7 percent; Hankook Group at 80.4 percent; and Xingyuan Group at 166.7 percent.
Other cooperating companies are grouped at 110.3 percent, while all other companies will be assessed at 166.7 percent, the EC said.
The move follows an investigation launched in August 2017 in response to a complaint by European Union producers of new and retreaded TBR tires. It covered a period from Jan. 1, 2014, to June 30, 2017.
In its findings, the EC cited Eurostat data showing that import volumes from China increased 32 percent during the investigation period, to around 4.6 million tires from 3.5 million. The market share of Chinese imports, meanwhile, increased to 21.3 percent from 17.1 percent.
Despite growth in the market, it added, EU tire sales remained stable so that European tire makers saw their market share fall to 66.8 percent from 72 percent over the period considered.
However, sales volumes of Chinese "dumped" products increased by 1.1 million of tires over the same timescale.
The provisional dumping margins have been announced ahead of conclusions of the full EC investigation to be published in November.
The duties are expected to be backdated to Feb. 3, the date from when all new and retreaded TBR tires imported into the EU from China have had to be registered.