USW Commends Commerce for Preliminary Dumping Findings on Imported Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from China
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This statement was issued today by United Steelworkers (USW) following the U.S. Department of Commerce's (DOC) preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of imports of passenger vehicle and light truck (PVLT) tires from China.
USW International President Leo W. Gerard:
"The USW appreciates that the Commerce Department found significant antidumping margins on Chinese tire imports. This second decision in two months by the DOC confirms our belief that Chinese tire producers engage in massive unfair trade practices.
"Such practices are far too common with China and cost U.S. workers thousands of family-supportive jobs. As in the case with the preliminary countervailing duty determination, American tire workers and producers should note that the government investigation also found apparent efforts by Chinese producers to evade the impact of these investigations by frontloading shipments to the United States.
"It is the Commerce Department's statutory duty to neutralize the negative effects of the dumped imports into the United States. Dumped imports have cost thousands of American tire workers their jobs. Left unchecked, the combination of illegal dumping and subsidization on imported tires from China would cost Americans tens of thousands of additional jobs.
"When we filed our case in June 2014, we made it clear that our intent was to defend more than 28,000 tire workers from China's unfair trade practices. This filing became necessary when Chinese tires again began to flood the U.S. market following the expiration of the Section 421 safeguard relief we won in 2009.
"Today's decision, following as it does the decision by Commerce in late November in the countervailing duty investigation, confirms the USW's concern that imports from China not only are dumped, but also subsidized.
"American workers should not have to compete against illegally traded goods. The imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties is crucial to restoring a level playing field for our tire industry and for U.S. tire workers."
USW International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson, chair of the USW Tire Industry Conference:
"Today the DOC found Chinese producers dumping tires into the U.S. market at margins up to 87.99 percent of the export price. This has undermined competition and gives Chinese companies a significant unfair advantage against domestically produced tires. Our members are united in the fight for their jobs, and we will continue to work to enforce the trade rules to stop these illegal practices."
USW International Vice President Tom Conway, chair of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. bargaining committee:
"After we filed our petitions, the Chinese producers increased the flood of tires into our market to try to escape any additional duties on those tires. As a result of today's decision, which includes a finding of preliminary critical circumstances, it is possible that any duties that do become final may also apply to those tires that entered over the last three months."
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed among industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, plus the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org
CONTACT: Roy Houseman (202) 778-4384
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SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)
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