WASHINGTON - Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) today confirmed the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to proceed with the case filed jointly by the USW and Titan Tire against new pneumatic off-the-road tires (OTR) from India and Sri Lanka.
“The ITC determined there is a reasonable indication the industry is being injured by OTR tire imports being dumped and subsidized from India and Sri Lanka. We are disappointed the trade commission ruled that imports of these same products mounted on wheels from China are negligible and those investigations will be terminated. However, a previous case was successful on unmounted OTR tires from China.”
Gerard said, “The commission vote puts USW-represented tire workers one step closer to the relief they need from unfairly traded off-the-road tires. Countries around the world are dumping and subsidizing their products to take advantage of our market forcing us to fight unfair trade after injury has already been inflicted. Our government should be initiating action, not us.”
OTR tire products are used on vehicles in the industrial, construction, mining, agricultural and logging industries. A separate trade case against passenger vehicle and light truck tire imports from China was filed by the USW in 2014 and is now covered by duty orders.
Stan Johnson, USW International Secretary-Treasurer who testified in the trade case hearings as union chair of the tire sector stated: “Our nation’s tire manufacturing is world class in large part because of union members’ productivity and the industry investment. But even a world class industry can’t compete against unfairly traded imports.”
He reported that the U.S. Commerce Dept. has initiated a separate investigation on the USW petition filed Jan. 29 against millions of China truck and bus tire imports flooding into the U.S. market threatening American jobs.
“We’re pleased the government is proceeding swiftly with this investigation and we believe the documentation submitted will result in an affirmative preliminary injury determination in mid-March to protect American tire worker jobs.”
SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)
