Tyres & Accessories – The Chinese government has welcomed a U.S. Court of International Trade ruling that the U.S. Department of Commerce imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Hebei Starbright Tyre Co. might result in it paying twice.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the U.S. court ruled that the Department of Commerce should either scrap the countervailing duty or amend its methodologies and procedures of levying anti-dumping measures and countervailing duty on merchandise from China within 90 days.

In September 2008, the Commerce Department launched a series of controversial anti-dumping and countervailing duties on China-produced OTR and ag tyres.

The timing of the court’s ruling, made just days after President Obama signed a decree adding a 35% tariff on Chinese passenger tires imported to the U.S., is likely to fuel to the Chinese government’s complaints that the latest duty increase is unfair.

Xinhua characterised the move as “a breakthrough by China's companies in opposing protectionism and striving for fair treatment from the United States, according to the statement.”

However, the Hebei Starbright case is interesting because although the factory is clearly based in China, on Aug. 11, 2006 North American industrial and OTR tyre specialist GPX International Tire Corp. announced it had bought the Hebei Starbright tyre plant.