The United Steelworkers (USW) union issued the following statement in response to today's decision by the International Trade Commission (ITC) to maintain anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on certain passenger vehicle and light truck (PVLT) tires imported from China:
The USW today welcomed the final results of the ITC's first sunset review of PVLT tires from China and hailed the decision as essential to protecting U.S. workers from the devastating effects of unfair trade.
"For too long, domestic tire makers have been forced to grapple Chinese efforts to undercut their products and undermine their jobs," said USW International President Tom Conway. "It's essential that we continue holding bad actors to account, even as we take strategic, long-term steps to fix our broken trade system."
The USW successfully filed the original AD and CVD petitions on Chinese PVLT tires in 2015. The ITC's vote today determined the domestic industry would be "materially injured" if duties were lifted.
"As our country seeks to regain its economic footing in the wake of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, it's more important now than ever that American companies and workers can compete on a level playing field," said Kevin Johnsen, who chairs the USW's Rubber and Plastics Industry Conference. "These orders will help ensure they can focus on what they do best: making tires."
The USW is the largest North American union in tire manufacturing, representing workers at the following U.S. PVLT tire plants: Cooper Tire's plants in Findlay, Ohio and Texarkana, Ark.; Goodyear's plants in Fayetteville, N.C., and Topeka, Kan.; Michelin's plants in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Sumitomo's plant in Tonawanda, N.Y.; and Yokohama's plant in Salem, Va.
The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.
