In the on-going trade “war” between China and the US, the Office of the US Trade Representative has stated that almost all tyres imported from China, as well as quite a few rubber products, polymers and other raw materials important that are vital for the rubber industry, will be subjected to a 10% tariff as proposed by the current US administration.
This latest notice in July will supersede the original June proposal that proposed 25% tariffs on up to US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods and will add 10% tariffs on up to US$200 billion of additional goods.
The latest action by the US government is in response to China placing 26% duties on US$50 billion worth of goods from the US.
The 205-page notice lists a number of goods that will be subject to a 10% tariffs, including but not limited to:
- Natural rubber latex, natural rubber smoked sheets, technically specified rubber, other forms of natural rubber, guayule, styrene-butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, reclaimed rubber and many other types of rubber;
- Tubes, pipes, hoses, conveyor belts and V-belts made of rubber;
- New pneumatic tyres for every kind of vehicle, used tyres, retreaded tyres, tyre treads and inner tubes;
- Rubber medical and seamless gloves, rubber clothing, floor coverings and mats, gaskets, washers, seals, boat and dock fenders, and miscellaneous articles of hard or noncellular vulcanised synthetic rubber; and
- Rubber accelerators, antidegradants and other chemicals.