Titan International Inc. subsidiary Titan Tire Corp. and the United Steelworkers (USW) are co-petitioners in a trade case filed this week that accuses China of dumping OTR tires into the American market.
The case was filed with Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission.
"The USW and Titan seek to have the government impose duties to offset unfair Chinese imports of off-highway tires produced for use on vehicles and equipment in agricultural construction and industrial applications," say union officials.
According to the petition, China imports have increased from 11.2 million tires worth $166.35 million in 2004 to nearly 15 million tires worth $374.25 million in 2006.
USW President Leo Gerard says "we are seeing the predatory policies of China chopping away at our domestic tire manufacturing industry."
"Under the anti-dumping and countervailing duty statutes, the Commerce Department will determine whether to initiate an investigation in 20 days," say union officials.
"The Trade Commission will make a preliminary injury determination by the beginning of August 2007. Commerce could issue preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty and anti-dumping duty cases in early November 2007, but such deadlines are subject to extensions."
