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The Department of Transportation has proposed changes to heavy-duty truck tire safety standards, the first such proposal in 37 years.

An Environmental Protection Agency proposal to designate scrap tires and used oil as solid waste could be extremely costly for the trucking industry, American Trucking Associations said.

The nation’s three largest manufacturers of commercial truck tires have raised prices for the second time this year in reaction to sharp increases in the costs of their primary components — rubber, oil and steel — although world economic developments have taken some of the air out of commodity prices.

Several major commercial tire makers have set price increases due to higher materials and other costs.

There was a time when foreign-based tire manufacturers had to overcome major hurdles to enter the North American market.