Chinese tyres

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that a surge of low-priced tyres from China is harming the US tyre industry.

Reacting to the announcement, representatives of the United Steelworkers (USW) union said that the surge in imports had caused major job losses and plant closures in the US.

'Our domestic industries cannot survive unless our government enforces the trade laws that are designed to curb and dissuade anti-competitive practices that cause market disruptions,' said USW president Leo W Gerard.

The United Steelworkers (USW) filed a petition with the ITC in April claiming that imports of consumer tyres from China increased from 2004 to 2008 by 215 per cent in volume and 295 per cent by value.

In 2008, China exported nearly 46 million tyres with a value of more than $1.7bn to the US, making it the largest source of tyre imports.