The United Steelworkers (USW) welcomed a preliminary decision by the U.S. Commerce Department to impose antidumping duties on new pneumatic off-the-road (OTR) tire imports from China.
The decision "will help level the playing field for U.S. workers by requiring Chinese tire imports to be priced fairly," says USW President Leo Gerard. "This case shows the importance of vigorous enforcement of our trade laws as a first line of defense against unfair trade practices that harm American industries and jobs."
As a result of the determination, all importers of OTR tires from China will have to post a bond or cash deposit equal to the margin amounts pending the final determination this June.
The International Trade Commission also will investigate the issue of injury and reach a determination on that issue later.
"The USW will continue to be actively engaged in this on-going investigation to ensure final margins accurately reflect the full scope of dumping that is occurring," says Gerard. "We'll be pushing China and its tire producers to cooperate with the investigation and asking the Commerce Department to fully and fairly enforce the law against dumped imports."
The USW estimates it represents 70% of the domestic OTR tire manufacturers.
