WASHINGTON (July 22, 2014) — The International Trade Commission voted 6-0 today to continue an antidumping and countervailing duty investigation against certain passenger and light truck tire imports from China, sending the case to its next phase.
The ITC vote came exactly one week after the U.S. Department of Commerce voted to initiate the investigation, which was instigated by petitions submitted June 3 to the ITC by the United Steelworkers union.
The next move in the case — a preliminary determination on the amount of Chinese government subsidies in the countervailing duty investigation — is due from the Commerce Department Sept. 17.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard said he was pleased by the commission vote.
“Today's decision by the ITC to proceed on the Steelworkers' petitions seeking relief from unfairly traded Chinese tires is critical to the thousands of workers in this industry,” Mr. Gerard said in a prepared statement.
The union previously petitioned for relief in April 2009 under Section 421 of the Trade Act, a provision designed specifically to help U.S. industries hurt by upsurges in Chinese imports.
In September 2009, the Obama administration granted relief in the form of elevated tariffs against Chinese tires — 39 percent the first year, 34 percent the second and 29 percent the third before the tariffs reverted to their previous level of 4 percent in September 2012.
“While relief was in place, billions of dollars in investments were made by firms producing tires in the United States,” said USW International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson. “But China's targeting of our industry has injured our members.”
