US sets final import hearings for January

Washington – The International Trade Commission (ITC) has scheduled final-phase hearings in January for two major investigations of tire imports.

The ITC will convene 4 Jan for a hearing connected with the final phase of its countervailing and antidumping duty investigations of pneumatic off-the-road tires imported from India and Sri Lanka, and then again on Jan. 24 for the final-phase hearing in the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of truck and bus tires imported from China.

Both investigations were triggered early this year by petitions to the ITC by the United Steelworkers union. In the case of the OTR tires, the USW was joined by Titan Tire Inc.

In both cases, the petitioners alleged that the tire imports were being sold at less than fair value in the US and that tire manufacturers in the involved countries were receiving government subsidies.

The ITC voted 6-0 on 19 Feb to drop the investigation of Chinese OTR tires. In August, the agency determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue antidumping duty action against Indian OTR tires, though the Commerce Department continued its antidumping investigation and plans to reveal its final determination Jan. 4, the day of the final hearing.

Countervailing duty findings were small: 4.7 percent against Indian OTR tire producer Balkrishna Industries Ltd., 7.64 percent against Indian tire make ATC Tires Pvt. Ltd. and 2.9 percent against all Sri Lankan producers.

The Commerce Department found much bigger margins against Chinese truck and bus tire manufacturers. The agency levied countervailing duty margins ranging from 17.06 to 23.38 percent on 28 June, and antidumping duty margins of 20.87 to 22.57 percent on 29 Aug.

Commerce has ordered US Customs and Border Protection to start collecting cash deposits on the Chinese truck and bus tires, retroactive 90 days from the countervailing and antidumping findings. This means that most of the Chinese tire producers and importers in the investigation are now being charged total duties of around 40 percent.

Commerce’s final antidumping duty determination in the Chinese truck and bus case is due Jan. 17, one week before the ITC hearing.

Both hearings will start at 9:30 a.m. at ITC headquarters in Washington. In the Indian and Sri Lankan OTR case, prehearing briefs are due 28 Dec, and posthearing briefs 11 Jan. All those who wish to testify at the 4 Jan hearing should plan to attend a 3 Jan prehearing conference at the ITC.

In the Chinese truck and bus case, prehearing briefs are due 12 Jan, and posthearing briefs 31 Jan On 14 Feb, the ITC will make available all information on which parties have not had a chance to comment; comments on this information is due 16 Feb.