Chemical from EU Latest to See Tariffs

 
China will impose anti-dumping tariffs of up to 36.9 percent on a chemical imported from the European Union in the latest row with its largest trading partner, the Ministry of Commerce said on June 27, 2013.

Starting from June 28, 2013 and over the next five years, the government will levy the punitive duties on EU-made toluidine, which is used to produce dyes, medicines, pesticides and other products.

Except for LANXESS Deutschland GmbH which is levied a tariff rate of 19.6 percent, all others have to pay 36.9 percent anti-dumping duties for their toluidine exports to China, the ministry said.

"After a year-long investigation, we found the product was dumped in China and our toluidine industry has suffered material injury," the ministry said.

The ruling came after trade disputes between China and the EU escalated, covering products including solar panels, telecom equipment, wine and steel pipes.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, imposed an average tariff of 11.8 percent earlier this month on solar panel imports from China. They will rise to more than 47 percent in August if talks fail to resolve the row. China then unveiled an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy inquiry into European wine.