Commerce boosts duties against Chinese truck, bus tires

WASHINGTON (Jan. 23, 2017) — The U.S. Department of Commerce final ruling on import duties on truck and bus tires from China includes a doubling of countervailing duties on most companies from the preliminary level, although it also includes some cuts to the antidumping duties.

Final countervailing duty levels were doubled or even tripled from the preliminary levels issued June 28. 

Commerce raised rates for all but a pair of companies — Double Coin Holdings Ltd. and Guizhou Tyre Co. Ltd. —  to 52.04 percent from 20.22 percent.

Double Coin's countervailing duty rate jumped to 38.61 percent from 17.06 percent, while the rate for Guizhou Tyre Co. Ltd. nearly tripled to 65.46 percent from 23.36 percent.

As for antidumping duties, the agency maintained the China-wide antidumping rate of 22.57 percent it found in its preliminary determination Aug. 29.

However, it cut its antidumping duty against Prinx Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Co. to 9 percent from the preliminary level of 20.87 percent; the rate for non-selected respondents eligible for a separate rate also was decreased to 9 percent, from 22.57 percent.

The case is still under review by the International Trade Commission (ITC),  which is scheduled to issue its final determination March 6.

If the ITC issues an affirmative injury determination, cash deposits will again be required and antidumping deposits will be adjusted.

In its petition for relief from Chinese truck and bus tire imports, the United Steelworkers union alleged critical circumstances, Commerce noted.

The agency found critical circumstances against all importers in the antidumping duty investigation, but only against Guizhou in the countervailing duty investigation, it said.

The findings mean that Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection  to collect cash deposits from the Chinese truck and bus tire importers.

However, countervailing duty deposits are not required for now because provisional measures in that investigation have lapsed, Commerce said. For the same reason, the agency said, it will not adjust antidumping cash deposits to reflect offsets for certain subsidies.

Commerce announced its final determinations the evening before the ITC was scheduled to hold its final hearing on whether Chinese truck and bus imports are causing material injury to the U.S. truck and bus tire industry.