US launches anti-dumping probe on tyres from India, Sri Lanka

A US investigative body has decided to go ahead with its anti-dumping investigations into a certain category of tyres imported from India and Sri Lanka that may have a damaging effect on domestic industry even as it let China off the hook.

All six commissioners of the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) voted to determine that there is a reasonable indication that the US industry is materially injured by imports of certain new pneumatic off-the-road tyres from India that are allegedly sold in the country at less than fair value and subsidised by the governments of India and Sri Lanka.
According to a statement, the Commission further determined yesterday that imports of these products from China are negligible.

Following the the Commission's affirmative determinations, the US Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its investigations on imported products from India and Sri Lanka, with its preliminary countervailing duty determinations due on April 4 and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on June 16.

As a result of the Commission's finding of negligibility, the investigations on imports of these products from China will be terminated, USITC said.

This is for the first time that anti-dumping investigations have been launched into tyres coming to the US from India, while Chinese tyres have faced a similar probe in the past.