Department of Commerce imposes 2.35% tariff on Thai truck tires

Responding to a petition by U.S. tire factory union workers that allege Thai rubber companies are undercutting the domestic truck tire market, the Department of Commerce is poised to set a tariff on Thai tire imports.

FleetOwner Staff

May 16, 2024

2 min read

Department of Commerce issued a preliminary ruling to impose a 2.35% tariff on most truck tires imported from Thailand.

The Department of Commerce will impose a 2.35% tariff on most truck tires imported from Thailand, according to a preliminary ruling published May 15.

Bridgestone Corp. is among the rubber companies affected by the ruling, which still faces more federal review before becoming final. Bridgestone and Prinx Chengshan Tire Co. are the largest Thai truck tire exporters.

Prinx apparently proved to the DOC that it hasn’t dumped tires into the U.S. truck market, saving it from the 2.35% tariff the government wants to impose on Bridgestone and other truck tire importers.

The DOC was responding to a petition by the United Steelworkers union alleging that Thai tiremakers were dumping large quantities of tires into the U.S. market. The union said those truck tire makers were undercutting prices by nearly 50% below average market value, injuring domestic truck tire manufacturing.

The union represents workers at five truck tire factories in the U.S. operated by Bridgestone Americas Inc., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and Sumitomo Rubber USA.

Read more details on the truck tire dumping tariffs from Joy Kopcha, managing editor of Modern Tire Dealer, an Endeavor Business Media publication and FleetOwner affiliate.