The South African Tyre Manufacturing Conference (SATMC) made an application to ITAC, for the investigation of allegations that circumvention of anti-dumping measures on new pneumatic tyres, used on motor cars, bakkies, buses, small pick-up trucks and lorries, originating from China, through country hopping via Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia is taking place, causing material injury and threat of material injury to the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) industry.
Circumvention refers to actions taken by exporters to bypass anti-dumping duties that have been legally imposed to address unfair trade practices.
The Applicant (SATMC) is the official industry body and trade association of the local tyre manufacturers, namely, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, and Sumitomo for the SACU tyre industry, which together with its members constitute 100% of the domestic production volumes of the subject products in SACU.
In its Preliminary determination, the Commission determined that:
• Circumvention in the form of country hopping is taking place in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• Sentury Thailand; Huayi Group Thailand; Prinx Chengshan Thailand; Linglong Thailand; General Rubber Thailand; and Sailun Vietnam, are circumventing the original duties through country hopping.
• Vietnam Cofo; Firemax Cambodia; and Haohua Cambodia be excluded from this anti-circumvention review investigation.
• The SACU industry is experiencing material injury and a threat of material injury.
As a result, The Commission decided that provisional measures be imposed for 6 months, pending the finalisation of the anti-circumvention investigation of the subject products originating in or imported from Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Please refer to Report 748 for full details.
ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH AFRICA