Chinese OTR tire maker challenges Commerce Dept. in court

NEW YORK (May 3, 2016) — A Chinese manufacturer of OTR tires has filed a complaint before the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT), claiming the U.S. Department of Commerce made serious legal errors in calculating antidumping duties against the company.

Qingdao Qihang Tyre Co. Ltd. filed its complaint before the CIT April 29, asking the court to remand Commerce's 79.86-percent antidumping duty finding for Qihang, with instructions to issue a new determination, along with any further relief the courts deems just and proper.

The complaint stems from the April 20 Federal Register order from Commerce releasing the final results of an administrative review of antidumping duties on OTR tires imported from China between Sept. 1, 2013, and Aug. 31, 2014.

Commerce calculated importer-specific antidumping duty assessment amounts against Qihang and another importer, Xuzhou Xugong Tyres Co. Ltd., Commerce said in the notice. Those amounts were based on the ratio of the total amount of dumping duties calculated for the sales of the OTR tires in question to the total sales quantity of those tires.

According to Qihang, the criteria Commerce used to calculate antidumping duties against the company were not supported by evidence and thus contrary to law.

Qingdao, Shandong-based Qingdao Qihang Tyre was founded in 2000 and produces agricultural, industrial, forklift, OTR and bias trailer and truck trailer tires at its plant in Pingdu City, Shandong, under the Road Guider, Forerunner, Safeguard and Superguider brands, according to information posted on its website.