WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Commerce has agreed to review elevated import duties imposed on passenger and light truck tires from South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand in June 2021, but the affected parties might not get a ruling until July 2023.
Commerce said in its notification to the affected parties—published in the Federal Register on Sept. 7—that it intends to issue a determination in the matter no later than July 31, 2023.
Commerce's notice comes after a dozen tire companies from the affected nations petitioned the agency to review the elevated antidumping duties imposed a year ago.
The companies are exercising their right to request an administrative review of import duties each year during the anniversary month of the publication of an antidumping or countervailing duty order.
Interested parties are invited to submit information relevant to their cases to the Commerce Department. Submissions should focus on five categories of factual information: evidence submitted in response to questionnaires; evidence submitted in support of allegations; publicly available information to value factors or to measure the adequacy of remuneration; evidence placed on the record by Commerce; and evidence other than factual information covered by the four other criteria.
The initial decision cemented elevated import duties on nearly $4 billion worth of imports from the affected nations, as determined earlier by the Commerce Department. That ruling was based on its belief that the tires "are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value."
The investigation—done in response to a petition from the United Steelworkers (USW) in May 2020—covered a period from April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020.
