MEXICO CITY — Import duties proposed earlier this year by the Mexican government on passenger and light truck tires from China took effect Oct. 1, according to a statement from the Mexican Ministry of the Economy.
The tariffs, ranging from 5.18% to 32.2%, apply to the imports of radial consumer tires from China with rim diameters of 13 to 22 inches, the Mexican ministry said.
The agency began its investigations into the imports of Chinese tires in November 2022 following a joint petition by Bridgestone de México, Compañía Hulera Tornel, Continental Tire de México, Industrias Michelin and the National Chamber of the Rubber Industry on behalf of the Mexican industry.
The Mexican government issued the proposed tariffs in May.
In its final ruling, the ministry said the domestic tire industry had faced significant challenges, including price suppression, shrinking market share, and reduced profitability due to the influx of cheaper Chinese imports.
During the investigation period, covering July 2021 through June 2022, local companies suffered negative performance, due to unfair trade practices, the ministry said.
The rates vary according to company:
• 32.24% on Wanli Tire, Zhaoqing Junhong, Chongqing Hankook Tire and other producer-exporting companies participated in the procedure.
• 19.37% on Shandong Linglong;
• 14.82% on several other Chinese producers, most notably Giti Tire and Triangle Tire;
• 11.55% on Shandong Haohua Tire;
• 7.16% on Shandong Changfeng Tyres; and
• 5.18% on Zodo Tire;
Other companies subject to the 14.82% duty include: Anhui Jichi Tire; Hankook Tire China/Jiangsu Hankook Tire; Kenda Rubber; Prinx Chengshan (Shandong) Tire; Qingdao Doublestar Tire Industrial; Qingdao Nexen Tire, Qingzhou Rydanz Rubber; Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group; Shandong Changlu Hong Tire; Shandong Fengyuan Tire Manufacturing; Shandong Lu Tai Rubber; Shandong New Continent; Shandong Province Sanli Tire Manufacture; Shandong Wanda Boto; , Shandong Yongfeng Tires; Shandong Yongsheng Rubber Group; Shouguang Firemax Tire; Sichuan Tire & Rubber; Tercelo Tire; Yuanxin Tire; and Zhongyi Rubber.
Imposition of the tariffs coincides with the groundbreaking recently by Chinse tire makers Sailun Group and ZC Rubber Group on tire plants in Mexico.
These new factories — along with a plant being built by Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. — are in addition to three other plants opened in Mexico in the past decade by Goodyear, Group Michelin and Pirelli & C. S.p.A.
The new factories represent over $1 billion in investment and more than 24 million consumer tires annually and coincide with Mexico's emergence as a major U.S. trading partner in the tire sector.
The scale/scope of Chinese passenger/light truck tire imports is not known, but in October 2023 the Tyrexpo Americas 2023 trade show scheduled to take place in Mexico City was canceled by its organizers, who cited exhibitor cancellations in the wake of the then on-going Mexican antidumping investigation of Chinese tires.