CHINA Tire Holdings, controlled by Hong Kong's China Strategic Holdings, is suing Goodyear Tire and Rubber of the United States for US$1 billion, alleging that it unfairly won a controlling interest in its rubber factory, it was revealed yesterday. A lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in California by China Tire - a New York-listed company with interests in tyre factories in China - and affiliates, claiming Goodyear had unfairly won a controlling interest in Dalian International Nordic Tire Co (Nordic). Nordic is a radial tyre factory in the port city of Dalian, in Liaoning province. Also claiming the losses are a China Tire subsidiary, Orion Tire Corp, and China Strategic. The case, expected to be up for hearing in the spring of next year, charged Goodyear 'with tortuous interference with prospective economic advantages, tortuous interference with contractual relationship, civil conspiracy to induce breach of contract' and more. The suit is the second legal action by the China Tire companies to settle the dispute involving Dalian Rubber Factory, a state-owned enterprise, and Goodyear. The dispute arose last year as Goodyear set up a joint venture giving it 75 per cent holding of Nordic, despite China Tire and its joint-venture partner Dalian Rubber already owning 70 per cent in Nordic. China Tire's Los Angeles lawyer, Peter McNulty, said: 'This action by Goodyear was contended to be a violation of pre-existing rights enjoyed by the plaintiffs. 'There is no difference between Goodyear's action and piracy on the high seas except these pirates used a corporate jet.' In November last year, an arbitration panel in Shenzhen decided that China Tire's contract with Dalian Rubber was valid. It also said that the transfer of shares in Nordic to Goodyear from Dalian Rubber breached the contract. China Tire and its partner hold the 70 per cent interest in Nordic through a joint venture, Dalian CSI Rubber, owned 75 per cent by China Tire and 25 per cent by Dalian Rubber Factory. China Tire effectively has a 52.5 per cent interest in Nordic.