Press Call on Today's Affirmative 5-1 Vote by U.S. Trade Commission on China Tire Imports - Washington, DC, August 15, 2008

  JOINT USW-TITAN TIRE PRESS CALL TODAY - 1:00 PM (ET); 12:00 Noon (CT)

  WHO: U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL-17)

  Maurice M. Taylor, Chairman and CEO, Titan Tire Corp.; Quincy, IL

Leo W. Gerard, International President, United Steelworkers (USW); Pittsburgh, PA

  Ron Hoover, International Vice President, USW; Pittsburgh, PA

  Steven Vanderheyden, President, USW Local 745, Titan Tire; Freeport, IL

  

WHAT: Comments on U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Vote to Place Anti-Subsidy Duties for First Time on China Tire Imports

  WHEN:  Today, Aug. 15, at 1:00 pm, ET (12:00 Noon, CT)

  DIAL-IN:  1-800-762-4717 (U.S.)
  480-629-9025 (International)

(Advise operator you are seeking the press call for the "USW-Titan Tire Trade Case")

BACKGROUND:

Titan Tire and the USW filed petitions against China imports of "Off-The-Road" (OTR) tires on Jun. 18, 2007. The U.S. Commerce Dept. determined on Jul. 8, 2008 -- the same day of the ITC's final hearing -- that the Chinese government was unfairly subsidizing Chinese OTR tire producers with subsidy rates ranging up to 14% and final dumping margins calculated to be up to a massive 210%. Last summer, the ITC preliminarily determined that the domestic OTR tire industry is being materially injured by dumped and subsidized China imports. From 2004-2006, the volume of OTR imports from China increased 33% and were valued at approximately $339.9 million in 2006.

This will be the first case involving a tire/rubber product where the CVD law is being applied to China.

U.S. TIRE PLANT LOCATIONS: Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, New York

The USW represents four of the seven domestic producers -- or about 70% of the workers employed at American OTR tire making plants. This includes about 1,355 workers employed at Titan production plants in Des Moines, IA; Freeport, IL; and Bryan, Ohio; plus a total of about 4,215 employed at tire plants of Bridgestone-Firestone in Des Moines and Bloomington, IL; Denman Tire in Leavittsburg, OH; and Goodyear Tire and Rubber in Topeka, KS, and Buffalo, NY.