U.S. ITC to probe steel trailer wheels from China

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has opened preliminary anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into steel trailer wheels from China.

The investigation will determine whether there is a "reasonable indication" that the U.S. steel-wheel industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by imports of steel trailer wheels from China.

The opening of these investigations are in response to a petition filed by Dexstar Wheel Co. Ltd., an Elkhart, Ind.-based manufacturer of steel wheels owned by Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.

Dexstar produces wheels for trailers in sizes covering 12- to 16.5-inch rim diameters used on towed trailers, recreation vehicles, manufactured housing, lawn and garden tractors and mowers and farm equipment.

Imports of the targeted products were valued at $87.2 million last year, according to Dexstar's petition, and are on target to exceed $95 million this year.The scope of the investigation will include rims and discs for certain on-the-road steel wheels —whether imported as an assembly, unassembled or separately — as well as certain wheels with discs in either a "hub-piloted" or "stud-piloted" mounting configuration.

The ITC has scheduled a conference in connection with these investigations for Aug. 29 at the U.S. ITC Building in Washington. Requests to appear at the conference should be emailed to preliminaryconferences@usitc.gov on or before Aug 27.

The conference is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.

Parties in support of and opposing the imposition of duties in these investigations each will be allocated one hour collectively within which to make an oral presentation at the conference.

Any nonparties who have testimony that may aid the commission's deliberations may request permission to present a short statement at the conference.