The Trade Remedies Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) announced that on March 27, 2026, the South African International Trade Administration (ITAC - South Africa's trade remedy investigation agency) published in the Official Gazette the termination of the anti-circumvention investigation of anti-dumping duties on automobile, bus, and truck tires imported from Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Specifically, on September 20, 2024, ITAC initiated an investigation at the request of the Petitioner – the South African Tire Manufacturers Association. The goods under investigation are car, bus, and truck tires under HS codes 4011.10.01, 4011.10.03, 4011.10.05, 4011.10.07, 4011.10.09, 4011.20.16, 4011.20.18, and 4011.20.26. The anti-dumping investigation period is from November 1, 2022, to May 31, 2024; the anti-dumping circumvention investigation period is from August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2024.

Regarding the businesses involved in this case, ITAC identified six Vietnamese companies that responded to the initial investigation questionnaire. However, ITAC subsequently sent requests for additional information (Deficiency Letters) to these six companies, and only three Vietnamese businesses submitted responses. Consequently, two out of three companies that fully cooperated were subjected to on-site verification by ITAC in February 2025.

According to the Trade Remedies Department, on May 30, 2025, ITAC issued its preliminary findings in the case. Specifically, two-thirds of the companies that cooperated and fully answered the questionnaire were concluded not to have evaded anti-dumping duties because they were not established during the initial investigation with China and did not sell domestically or export the investigated products to SACU during the investigation period; the remaining company was concluded to have evaded anti-dumping duties and was subject to a duty rate of 8.78%. The remaining Vietnamese companies, due to their lack of full cooperation with ITAC, received the nationwide duty rate of 41.47% as in the original investigation with China.

In its Notice of Termination of Investigation, ITAC stated that the reason for this was that the Minister of Trade, Industry and the Commission had not approved the Commission's recommendation but instead directed that the case be referred back for consideration.

Because the 18-month period stipulated for completing the anti-circumvention review under the South African Anti-Dumping Regulations has expired, the Minister has further directed that the process be restarted from scratch. The detailed reasons for the Minister's decision will be published alongside the ITAC's Final Conclusion. Therefore, under the Anti-Dumping Regulations, ITAC is not permitted to continue the investigation or apply anti-dumping duties on the product in question.

This termination takes effect immediately from the date of this notice, and the investigation is thus formally concluded. As a result of this termination, no anti-circumvention duties will apply to imports of new rubber pneumatic tires for automobiles, buses, or trucks transshipped from China via Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. If necessary, the South African Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition may request ITAC to consider restarting the investigation process. (Notice No. 54419 is available at: www.gpwonline.co.za).

The termination of the ITAC investigation is a positive outcome for Vietnamese export businesses. However, businesses also need to monitor the possibility of ITAC restarting the case as directed by the Minister. Therefore, the Trade Remedies Department recommends that relevant associations and manufacturing and exporting businesses proactively monitor the possibility of ITAC restarting the case as directed by the South African Minister and prepare contingency plans if necessary. They should also continue to cooperate and update the Trade Remedies Department to receive timely support should the South African investigating authority restart the investigation process.

Source: Vietnam.vn