US agency drops China OTR tire imports probe

Washington—The US International Trade Commission has decided not to continue the investigation of Chinese off-the-road tires, but will continue with its probe against OTR tire imports from Sri Lanka and India.

The agency this morning voted 6-0 against further consideration of both countervailing and anti-dumping duties against the imports from China. Conversely, the ITC voted 6-0 in the affirmative to continue the investigation of OTR tires from Sri Lanka and India.

The commission said it currently is scheduled to complete and file its determinations on 24 Feb, and the views of the agency are scheduled to be completed and filed on 2 March.

The vote was in response to a petition filed by Titan Tire Corp. and the United Steelworkers union seeking antidumping and countervailing duties against mounted and unmounted OTR tires from the three Asian countries.

The groups had claimed that from 2012-15 the three countries had increased their market share from 35.5 to 44 percent, and Titan alleged OTR tires from India were underselling Titan by as much as 70 percent.

Importers of OTR tires from China, India and Sri Lanka claimed at a 29 Jan hearing the petition from Titan and the USW is a gross misinterpretation of the facts, saying a cyclical downturn in the original equipment OTR market—not increased imports from Asia—is responsible for Titan’s reduced OTR tire sales.

Additionally, they’ve contended in testimony at the hearing that lower raw materials costs—not increased imports—caused the decline in OTR tire prices in the US.

There still are antidumping and countervailing duties against unmounted Chinese OTR tires that date back to a 2008 ITC case won by Titan and USW.

Following its decision, the ITC began a preliminary antidumping and countervailing hearing on truck and bus tires imported from China. The USW filed a petition 29 Jan seeking duties on those imports.