Union Calls for Safeguard Action to Move Action against China and Tyres which is Killing US Tyre Industry

Ø India Named for Causing Import Surge in US

[ABS News Service/15.09.2026]

The United Steelworkers union is calling on the Administration to initiate an import safeguard investigation on imported tires.

In a letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the union urged a Section 201 investigation, saying that domestic tire production has declined by roughly 40 percent since 2000.

Nine US tire plants have announced closures in the past two years alone, resulting in the loss of more than 7,000 jobs.

“The domestic tire industry is in crisis,” said USW International President Roxanne Brown. “This is not localized to a single part of the country or a certain product. These devastating losses are widespread and require immediate attention so that we can rebuild production.”

The USW’s letter notes that as domestic market share falls, countries like China have been rapidly expanding their capacity and targeting the US market, with China’s overall capacity estimated to be more than 1 billion tires.

Import Surge

“This surge in imports threatens our economic and national security, impacting not just transportation but also industrial, mining and agricultural operations. We call on USTR to institute measures that will help strengthen the domestic industry,” according to the letter.

“Specifically, we urge that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) call for the initiation of an investigation under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 to limit tire imports, develop relief measures that will strengthen the sector, and save domestic jobs and production. The United Steelworkers is the primary union representing organized workers in the tire sector.”

“The US is being targeted by competitors seeking not only a foothold in our market, but as an outlet for the overcapacity they built in their own markets,” the union said. “The injury inflicted on US workers in the tire sector continues. Shipments from across Asia, supplemented by increasing tire imports from Mexico and elsewhere continue to displace domestic production. These shipments cover all segments of the tire industry.”

“Section 201 is a powerful tool that, with the right relief measures, could stabilize the industry and fuel growth. Time is of the essence: major tire companies have closed, or are closing, facilities in several states. Investments to revitalize existing production lines is waning. Imports across the sectors are increasing, and without strong actions, outsourcing and offshoring production will accelerate. A properly designed Section 201 initiation would cover not only passenger vehicle and light truck tires, but truck and bus tires, off the road tires, and aircraft tires,” the union said.

It called for relief in the form of graduated import limits and measures to retain and grow production through capital costs, preferential procurement strategies and other measures.