Wearing out their welcome? (exporting of used tires)

Used tires are a steady source of income domestically, but just try exporting them

All but a few U.S. tire dealers sell at least some used tires. It's the nature of the business. You sell a customer new tires, then must deal with the leftovers. Most "trade-ins" are scrapped. Some with little tread left may be sold to retreaders or casing jockeys.

But tires with sufficient tread depth still have market value. And as long as the tire is road-worthy, the federal government appears to have no problems with dealers putting it back in circulation. But trying to export those same tires can be another matter.

Banning or limiting imported used tires is becoming fashionable on the international level.

It's all the rage in Latin America, which has caused a great deal of concern among U.S. tire exporters.

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory faced with a scrap tire problem, is trying to legislate a $10 tax on imported used tires. Such a tax would effectively keep them out.

Various tire-related organizations in the United Kingdom are calling for a country-wide ban on used tire sales.

Why all the fuss when used tire sales are legal in the United States? Safety and health issues appear to be at the heart of the problem in every instance.

Domestic market

There are no federal safety standards that apply directly to the sale of used passenger and light truck tires in this country.

A "regrooved tire" -- defined as a …