On the morning of September 27, the Department of Trade Remedies, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that on September 26, 2024, the Department received information that the Republic of South Africa had officially initiated an investigation into anti-dumping tax evasion on car, bus and truck tires originating or imported from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, with allegations of evading anti-dumping tax currently applied to China.

Car, bus and truck tires originating or imported from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are accused of evading anti-dumping duties imposed on China. Illustrative photo

Items under investigation: Car, bus and truck tyres classified under the Republic of South Africa import commodity 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 plaintiff is the South African Tyre Manufacturers Association; the investigation initiation date is 20/9/2024; the anti-dumping investigation period is 1/11/2023 - 31/5/2024; the anti-dumping duty evasion investigation period is: 1/3/2022 - 30/9/2022; 1/10/2022 - 30/4/2023; 1/4/2023 - 31/10/2023 and 1/11/2023 - 31/5/2024. The alleged dumping margin for Vietnam is 84%.

Previously, according to the Trade Remedies Authority, in May 2023, the International Anti-dumping Commission of South Africa (ITAC) issued a decision to impose anti-dumping duties on car, bus and truck tires originating or imported from China, at rates ranging from 7.18% to 43.60%.

Regarding the investigation procedure, the Trade Defense Department said that documents related to the case (including the public version of the Investigation Request File, the Notice of Initiation) and the Investigation Questionnaire will be sent by ITAC to relevant Vietnamese manufacturing and exporting enterprises within 7 days from the date of initiation of the investigation, which is September 27, 2024.

The relevant manufacturing and exporting enterprises are obliged to submit the Response to the Questionnaire before 15:00 on 28/10/2024 (South African time) by post to the address: The Senior Manager, Trade Remedies II, Private Bag X753, PRETORIA, 0001, South Africa. In case of any arguments or comments related to the case, the relevant manufacturing and exporting enterprises can also send them by post to the above address.

Accordingly, the South African International Management Commission will issue preliminary conclusions, final conclusions, on-site inspections, and hearings to verify information to serve the decision-making on evasion, damage to the domestic industry, and causal relationships.

The Trade Defense Department recommends the Association and related manufacturing and exporting enterprises to do the following: Carefully study the Application Document, the Notice of Initiation and the instructions and regulations; fully and comprehensively cooperate to answer the Investigation Questionnaire, provide information as requested by the South African International Management Committee; diversify export markets, in case of a decision to impose anti-dumping duties, it is very likely that member countries of the Southern African Customs Union (including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland) will have similar actions; regularly provide information and exchange information with the Trade Defense Department to receive timely support.