China has announced steep anti-dumping duties of up to 74.9% on plastic imports from the United States, European Union, Japan, and Taiwan, following an investigation into alleged unfair trade practices.
The tariffs target polyformaldehyde copolymer, a versatile plastic widely used in automotive, medical, and household appliances. The new duties, which range from 3.8% to 74.9%, came into effect on Monday, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce released on Sunday.
The ministry stated the measure was in response to significant damage caused to the domestic industry by the dumping of the material.
China has frequently used anti-dumping investigations as tools in broader trade disputes. Just last month, it imposed tariffs on EU brandy imports—directly impacting France’s cognac exports.
This latest move suggests Beijing is prepared to use trade enforcement mechanisms to counter what it views as unfair trade practices, even amid diplomatic efforts. The announcement comes shortly after the US and China agreed to a temporary 90-day reduction in tariffs, a fragile truce in their prolonged trade war that has rattled global markets and supply chains.
