A group of six U.S. senators and four congressmen from Ohio, Arkansas and Mississippi is urging U.S. trade officials to protect the interests of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. in China, where a strike by workers at Cooper's Chengshan (Shandong) Tire Co. Ltd. venture is jeopardizing the tire maker's ability to close a $2.5 billion merger with India's Apollo Tyres Ltd.

U.S. Senators Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, John Boozman, R-Ark., Mark Pryor, D-Ark, Thad Cochran, R-Miss, and Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; along with Congressmen Bob Latta, R-OH, Jim Jordan, R-OH, Tom Cotton, R-Ark, and Alan Nunnelee wrote Dec. 18 to Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Mike Froman urging government official action.

The letter was sent ahead of key meetings of the U.S.-China Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Beijing on Dec, 19-20 chaired by Messrs. Pritzker, Froman and their Chinese counterparts.

The letter followed a conference call led by Messrs. Portman and Brown's staff on Dec. 16 with Administration officials, urging them to raise the issues during the JCCT meetings in Beijing.

Source: tirebusiness.com