EU Imposes Definitive Anti-dumping Duties on Chinese Tiles

The European Union (EU) on September 15, 2011 decided to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made ceramic tiles after slapping provisional duties for six months on Chinese exporters.

In the next five years, Chinese tile exporters will face "punitive duties" ranging from 26.3 percent to 69.7 percent, the EU announced in its official journal.

The EU confirmed findings in the preliminary probe, claiming that Chinese exporters dumped their products on the European market. The EU also rejected the complaints of Chinese companies that taking the United States as an analogue country in the probe is inappropriate.

The EU hoped that the anti-dumping duties would help European producers to cope with closures and reductions in employment.

But analysts said the high duties against Chinese tiles, an obvious pro-protectionism move, could only drive European importers to cheap exports from other non-EU markets, instead of benefiting European producers.