US to impose antidumping duties on steel wheels from China

Washington – The US Department of Commerce has determined preliminarily that exporters of steel truck wheels from China have been dumping the product in the US at a margin of 231.7%.

As a result, Commerce has instructed US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of certain steel wheels from China based on these preliminary rates.

The anti-dumping duties are in addition to countervailing duties ranging from 48.75 to 172.51% that Commerce announced in August.

The Commerce investigation into this category is in response to a petition brought in April by Accuride Corp. of Evansville, Indiana, and Maxion Wheels Akron LLC of Akron.

The investigation covers on-the-road steel wheels, discs and rims for tubeless tires with nominal rim diameters of 22.5 and 24.5 inches, regardless of width, Commerce said. Such wheels generally are used on Class 6, 7, and 8 commercial vehicles. including tractors, semi-trailers, dump trucks, garbage trucks, concrete mixers, and buses.

In 2017, US imports of the targeted steel wheels from China were valued at an estimated $388 million (€345 million).

Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determination on both antidumping and countervailing duties on or about 8 Jan.

If Commerce's final determination is affirmative, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on 21 Feb.

If Commerce makes affirmative final determination in either or both of the antidumping and countervailing investigations, and the ITC concurs, Commerce will issue orders for import duties.

If Commerce makes a negative final determination in either case, or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.