ITC Issues Lower Duty For Some Chinese Off-Road Tires

In its final results published to the Federal Register Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration allowed four Chinese off-road tire exporters relief from steep antidumping duties imposed on the majority of off-road tires originating from the country.

The ITA found that three of the companies that appealed the status-quo made a sufficient argument that they should be eligible for a separate rate of 11.3 percent, rather than the 105.3 percent dumping margin imposed on China’s government-run pneumatic off-the-road tire company.

A fourth company didn’t export any tires during the relevant review period, which was the year leading up to Aug. 31, 2013, and a fifth company that appealed the going rate, Double Coin Holdings Ltd., did not qualify for a separate rate because it failed to prove it is not a government-run entity, the ITA said.

“For the non-examined separate rate companies, we will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to liquidate all appropriate entries at 11.34 percent,” the decision said. “For the PRC-wide entity, including Double Coin, we will instruct CBP to liquidate all appropriate entries at 105.31 percent.”

The petition for antidumping duties was brought before the ITA by Titan Tire Corp. and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC, and the trade administration implemented an administrative review in accordance with Section 751 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in response, according to Wednesday’s decision.

Companies that requested separate rates included Double Coin Holdings Ltd., Guizhou Tyre Co. Ltd. and its affiliate Guizhou Tyre Import and Export Co. Ltd., as well as non-examined respondents Zhongce Rubber Group Company Ltd., Weihai Zhongwei Rubber Co. Ltd. and Trelleborg Wheel System China Co. Ltd.

“We continue to find that GTC [Guizhou] made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value; that Zhongce and Zhongwei are eligible for separate rates; that Double Coin failed to demonstrate eligibility for separate rate status and thus has been included in the People’s Republic of China-wide entity; and that Trelleborg had no shipments during the period of review,” Wednesday’s decision said.

Double Coin failed to demonstrate absence of de facto government control over export activities due to the fact that its controlling shareholder is wholly-owned by the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the ITA found.

The decision is Certain New Pneumatic Off-the-Road Tires from the People’s Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2012- 2013, case number C–570–913, before the International Trade Administration.