USITC, Commerce Dept. keep tariff orders in place on China off-the-road tire imports

Contact: Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444, wranick@usw.org

Washington, D.C. — The United Steelworkers (USW) said the unanimous affirmative vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to keep existing orders on China imports of off-the-road tire imports from China was a good outcome to provide job security for the hundreds of tire workers who make these same tire products at Titan Bridgestone-Firestone and Goodyear factories in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas and New York.

Leo W. Gerard, USW International President, said: “We welcome recognition that Chinese tire producers continue to benefit from unfair subsidies and the continued relief from these subsidized imports is needed to level the playing field for the domestic tire industry and its workers.”

The ITC action on Monday comes under the five-year sunset review process required by international law. The original case was jointly filed by the USW and Titan Tire Corp., in June 2007. In the review, the U.S. Commerce Dept. found that subsidization is likely to continue or recur.

According to Stewart and Stewart, the USW’s Washington trade counsel, the Commerce Dept. also revised one of the foreign producer’s rates significantly upwards, from 14 percent to 35 percent, based on an administrative review that revealed this producer was benefitting from additional subsidy programs not included in the original investigation.

The USW represents 70 percent of the domestic OTR tire makers with workers employed at Titan production plants employing about 1,355 workers in Des Moines, IA; Freeport, IL; and Bryan, OH; In addition, the USW represents 4,215 workers who make OTR tires at Bridgestone-Firestone in Des Moines and Bloomington, IL; and Goodyear Tire and Rubber in Topeka, KS; and Buffalo, NY.

Off-the-road tires are designed for use on a broad array of agricultural, construction, mining and industrial vehicles. 

For more information: www.usw.org.

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