China rubber group to appeal anitidumping duties

The China Rubber Industry Association is organizing an appeal by domestic tire makers against the recent U.S. decision to impose heavy antidumping duties on passenger and light truck tires imported from China.

“To issue such high duty rates would impair China’s tire manufacturing sector as well as harm the interests of American consumers,” CRIA said in a recent release.

CRIA said the decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce was based on an investigation that did not involve any U.S. company claiming damage compensation against overseas firms.

This, the statement said, is “unheard of in Sino-US trade relations.”

“Over the past three years, U.S. tire manufacturers registered over $3.8 billion of profit, and no damage was caused to the industry by China’s tire export,” CRIA said.

CRIA said a research on 46 of its tire maker members—covering various contributing factors including the U.S. tariffs—showed that tire production of the companies dropped 17 percent year-on-year in January 2015 compared to the same period the previous year.