Chinese Tiremaker Says It Can't Be Sued In U.S. Court

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) _ A Chinese tire company is asking a judge to declare that it cannot be sued in a United States court for selling defective products. <br/><br/>In a filing in U.S. District Court in Camden

Tuesday, November 6th 2007, 1:17 pm

By: News On 6

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) _ A Chinese tire company is asking a judge to declare that it cannot be sued in a United States court for selling defective products.

In a filing in U.S. District Court in Camden on Monday, Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. argued that a lawsuit should be dismissed because the manufacturer does not do business in New Jersey or anywhere else in the United States.

The company, along with several importers, is being sued for unspecified damages by a Pennsylvania man, Robert McCulley, who says he was exposed to danger when he purchased a set of tires. McCulley is seeking class-action status for the lawsuit.

In June, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a problem with some of the company's tires. The agency said they lacked a safety feature that prevents tread separation.

In August, Foreign Tires Sales Inc., a New Jersey importer that sells some of the Hangzhou, China-based company's tires in the U.S., announced it was recalling 255,000 of Hangzhou Zhongce's tires.

The models recalled are steel-belted radial replacement tires for pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles that consumers bought from early 2004 through mid-2006.