President Obama’s decision on Chinese tires met with “strong opposition” in the United States, according to Chinese state media. On September 11, President Obama announced punitive tariffs on all car and light truck tires entering the United States from China. The International Herald Leader under Xinhua, a state-run media outlet, noted that in previous trade cases sanctions against China were ordered by the U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. International Trade Commission. “It is noteworthy that during the eight years of the George W. Bush administration, the U.S. government without exception rejected several requests for punitive damages against China."
Source: Xinhua, September 14, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2009-09/14/content_12048716.htm