Peter T. Leach, Senior Editor | Dec 14, 2011 10:30AM EST
China plans to impose anti-dumping duties on some vehicles imported from the U.S. after failing to block a U.S.-imposed tariff on Chinese tires, according to Bloomberg News.
China will impose punitive duties as high as 12.9 percent for autos from General Motors and 8.8 percent for Chrysler, according to the announcement on China’s commerce ministry website on Wedneday.
Imports of BMWs and Mercedes Benzes produced in U.S. plants will face duties of 2 percent and 2.7 percent respectively, it said.
The move comes three months after the World Trade Organization rejected China’s appeal of a ruling backing U.S. duties on tire imports. The taxes affect vehicles with engines that are more than 2.5 liters, according to the ministry’s website. China currently imposes tariffs of 25 percent on imported cars.
The WTO in September rejected China’s appeal of a ruling by WTO judges last December that found tariffs on $1.8 billion of car and light-truck tires from China were legal. President Obama imposed the duties of as much as 35 percent in September 2009 under a so-called safeguard provision designed to protect U.S. producers from a surge in imports.
Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com.