A U.S. trade commission has voted to impose punitive duties on imports of certain passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China. The U.S. International Trade Commission made the announcement on Monday. The decision has now been passed onto the U.S. Commerce Department for review.
The department is expected to back the ruling in an announcement expected next month. The decision from the commission came on the basis of an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation launched by the U.S. Commerce Department last July.
United Steelworkers, a U.S. labor union had requested the investigation into the import of the tires from China. The International Trade Commission decided that the U.S. industry has been "materially injured" by imports of Chinese tires that the U.S. Commerce Department has determined are subsidized and sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
Following the ruling, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce voiced strong opposition to Washington for unfair and discriminative methods used in the investigation.
China has also repeatedly urged the U.S. to strictly comply with international trade rules, prudently use trade remedy measures, and adopt responsible actions to maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.
