Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union approved anti-dumping duties on Chinese titanium dioxide imports, effective by January 11, 2024.
As reported by Reuters, European Union member states cleared the way for the European Union to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of titanium dioxide (TiO2) from China.
It has come to light that some 15 EU nations voted for and eight against duties, with four abstentions. The duties on the product chiefly utilised as a white pigment in paints should be set by Jan. 11 and apply for five years.
Why are Chinese titanium dioxide imports under scrutiny?
The European Commission presented duties of 0.25 euro per kilogramme for Anhui Gold Star Group and 0.74 euro for LB Group, with rates of 0.64 euro for groups considered to have collaborated with the investigation and 0.74 euro for all other companies. In July, the EU levied provisional duties of 14.4% to 39.7%. These will be replaced by the definitive duties, which in percentage terms are barely lower.
The EU Commission, which harmonises EU trade policy, launched its inquiry a year ago after an objection by a coalition of EU producers. They argued unfairly inexpensive Chinese imports had increased sharply to a 22% market share, pushing the profitability of EU producers to unsustainable levels. They also discussed the EU industry could fulfil 90% of EU demand, with imports from other nations, such as Britain, Mexico and the United States.
Furthermore, Chinese TiO2 imports in 2023 stand at just over half a billion euros, Eurostat data revealed. Producers in the European Union include Cinkarna, Kronos, Tronox and Venator. European paints and printing ink association CEPE insisted EU members last week veto the duties, saying TiO2 accounted for approximately 20% of the final cost of finished products and endangered the viability of the 33 billion euro per year EU paints sector. An exemption has been given for TiO2 imports utilised to produce white graphic inks for printing.
