According to the United Steelworkers union, the U.S. Commerce Department decided in its favor yesterday, granting the USW legal standing to pursue additional duties on imported China-produced consumer tires.

The Commerce Department ruling came three days prior to the established deadline for it to determine the union’s legal standing to seek such government action.

“The USW is pleased that the Commerce Department has completed a poll of domestic companies involved in the manufacture of passenger vehicle and light truck tires,” said USW International president Leo Gerard in a press release issued last night. “That poll verified the union has official legal standing to bring the anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions in a trade case against passenger and light truck tire imports from China.”

The next step, according to the union, is a review and vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which is slated to make a preliminary injury determination on or about Aug. 1. Should the ITC favor the union’s position and rule that imported China-produced consumer tires “materially injure” the U.S. tire industry, the Commerce Department could issue a preliminary countervailing duty ruling sometime in September, and make a preliminary decision on the union’s antidumping petition in December.

On June 3, the USW filed with the Commerce Department petitions seeking additional antidumping and countervailing duties on China-produced consumer tires exported to the U.S.

TIA has come out against further additional tariffs on China-produced consumer tires in the U.S. The RMA has been silent on the matter, even though many of its members actively import tires they produce in China. Some importers and private branders, meanwhile, have voiced strong opposition to additional duties.