Happy Earth Day!
In honor of the occasion, we ask that you read this posting online and not print paper copies. It’s a small thing, but the small things do add up!
Speaking of Earth Day, today the RMA is exhibiting at "Just Check It Tire Sustainability Fair" in Sacramento. The event is sponsored by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycles).
The RMA is there to tout the importance proper tire care, particularly checking and maintaining tire inflation pressure as a means to reduce fuel consumption.
Plenty of vehicles are wasting fuel, RMA says, and in its 2009 tire pressure survey, the RMA found that some 50% of all vehicles had at least one underinflated tire. “Worse, nearly 20% had at least one tire underinflated by 8 psi,” RMA says.
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We can now probably out to rest any thoughts any of us had about the Obama Administration rolling back its heavy added tariffs on consumer tires imported from China.
The trade war (well, no one is really calling it that yet. Yet) between the U.S. and China has reached a new level. Call it “TradeCom 4.”
Instead of coming to the table and talking things out, both sides are getting tariff slap-happy.
Yesterday, the Commerce Department launched an investigation into extruded aluminum products from China.
China, in turn, said it was imposing anti-dumping duties of up to 96.5% on imports of nylon 6 from the U.S. Europe, Russia and Taiwan. Oh, and it is now investigating optical fiber imported from the U.S.
All of this came after both sides took turns complaining about or levying tires, steel, chicken parts, music, movies and a bunch of other stuff.
As long as the U.S. and China continue to trade bow-shots like this, there is little chance the Administration will back off on the tire tariffs.
