The deadline for the United States Department of Commerce's preliminary determination in its countervailing duty investigation of passenger and light truck tires from the People’s Republic of China came and went on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. Or did it?
According to the International Trade Administration (ITC), the determination will be released -- probably in the Federal Register -- on Monday, Nov. 24.
The Department of Commerce (DOC) is not only investigating the issue of tire countervailing duties (i.e., did or did not the Chinese government subsidize consumer tire exports to the detriment of companies and workers in the U.S.?), but also the issue of antidumping (defined as selling at less than fair market value). The deadline for the antidumping duty determination is Jan. 20, 2015.
In July 2014, the ITC determined that consumer tire imports from China may or may soon be "materially" injuring the domestic tire industry.
The ITC's preliminary findings followed an initial determination by the DOC to investigate dumping claims by both the United Steelworkers (USW) and AFL-CIO.
