WASHINGTON—The U.S. International Trade Commission is moving forward with antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of passenger and light truck tires from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam that allegedly are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
The ITC investigations will move into the next phase after the agency's commissioners voted unanimously that there is a "reasonable indication" that the U.S. tire industry is being "materially injured" as a result of these imports.
This decision comes just three weeks after the U.S. Department of Commerce voted to take a similar action. Both decisions are in response to petitions filed in early May by the United Steelworkers union, which claims tire producers from these regions are dumping their products in the U.S. at margins ranging from as low as 5.48 percent (Vietnam) to as high as 217.5 percent (Thailand).
The ITC now has until Aug. 26 to issue its preliminary countervailing duty determination, according to the timeline set by the Department of Commerce in late June. The antidumping duty determination is due on or about Nov. 9.
The ITC's commissioners are: Jason Kearns (chair), Randolph Stayin (vice chair), David S. Johanson, Rhonda Schmidtlein and Amy Karpel.
In late June, 11 U.S. senators signed a letter in support of the USW and the investigations into the imported tires. The letter was addressed to Kearns, who was appointed ITC chair on June 19.
As a result of the ITC's affirmative determinations, Commerce will continue with its investigations into the import situation.
The Commission's public report, "Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam" due to be published in mid-August—will contain the views of the ITC and information developed during the investigations. The case IDs are: 701-TA-647 and 731-TA-1517-1521.