WASHINGTON—The U.S. International Trade Commission has initiated a sunset review for elevated anti-dumping and countervailing duties in place since February 2019 on imports of truck and bus tires from China.
The commission posted a notice Jan. 2 in the Federal Register that it aims to determine whether the revocation of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on truck/bus tire imports from China would "lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury."
In February 2019, the Department of Commerce introduced countervailing duties ranging from 21 percent to 63.3 percent and antidumping duties of 9 percent to 22.6 percent on Chinese TBR tires.
The decision was made in response to a 2017 petition by the United Steelworkers union.
Imports of truck/bus tires from China—No. 1 in this category from 2003-18—fell 65.4 percent in 2019 to 3.19 million units and then 56.6 percent more in 2020 to 1.38 million units. Despite the drop, China remained No. 2 among foreign sources of truck tires imported into the U.S., Commerce Department data showed.
Last year, imports from China increased for the first time since 2019, rising 57 percent to 1.73 million units, good for No. 4 among countries exporting truck/bus tires to the U.S.
The notice of intent to conduct a sunset review is an inherent duty of the ITC under provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930, which sets the parameters for determining import duties. Among them is an automatic five-year review procedure.
Technically speaking, antidumping and/or countervailing orders stay in place until they are revoked, but Commerce and the ITC are obligated to conduct sunset reviews on orders every five years based on the anniversary month of the publication of the order.
During a sunset review, Commerce must examine whether dumping or subsidies will continue or recur if an order were revoked. Separately, the ITC examines whether injury will continue or recur if an order were revoked.
Affirmative findings by both Commerce and the ITC are necessary for an antidumping or countervailing duty order to remain in place.
As such the ITC is seeking comment from affected parties. The deadline for filing such responses is on or before 5:15 p.m. EST on Feb. 1.
The ITC will accept only electronic filings, which must be made through the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS).
