EU or restart anti-dumping investigation of Chinese ceramics

The voice of China-Europe leaders jointly proposing opposition to trade protection in Beijing is not far. The European Union has recently launched anti-dumping investigations on ceramic kitchen utensils. The China Ceramic Industry Association recently revealed that the European Commission has already paid attention to the Chinese Mission to the European Union on anti-dumping investigations, and it is likely to formally file a case during the month. Last year, China's total exports of EU kitchen utensils exceeded US$700 million. Once anti-dumping duties are imposed, this will be the most influential Chinese ceramic anti-dumping case after the anti-dumping of Indonesian ceramics utensils this year. The number of enterprises involved will exceed 2,000.

Lan Weibing, director of the Foshan Ceramics Office of the China Ceramic Industry Association, pointed out that if the anti-dumping investigation is filed, it will indicate that the EU has initiated a comprehensive anti-dumping investigation of various types of ceramics, including ceramic tiles, mosaics, and ceramic kitchen utensils.

China's output accounts for 50% of the EU's ceramic kitchen utensils, commonly known as daily-use ceramics. According to statistics from China Ceramic Industry Association, the cumulative amount of tableware exported by China to EU ceramics last year exceeded 700 million U.S. dollars. Once anti-dumping duties are imposed, the Chinese ceramic exports will have the most serious impact ever. At present, China is the largest producer of ceramic kitchen utensils and its output accounts for about 70% of the world's total. At the same time, the share of Chinese ceramic kitchen utensils in the EU market has approached 50%, making it the largest importer of European ceramic kitchen utensils.

Tile mosaic was first hit by the Chinese ceramics industry last year has encountered "events." Since June 2011, Chinese ceramic tiles have been subject to anti-dumping in South Korea, Argentina, Peru, and other countries, as well as direct tariff increases in Brazil. In particular, the European Commission decided in September that a formal anti-dumping duty should be levied on tiles imported from China. The maximum tax rate is 69.7%, and this anti-dumping duty may continue to prolong after 2016 when it expires.

The Blue Guards said that relative to architectural ceramics, ceramic kitchen utensils that may be initiated anti-dumping are more dependent on overseas markets. He pointed out that China's building ceramics exports to the EU each year is about 300 million US dollars, accounting for only about 1% of the total exports of architectural ceramics, coupled with the growing domestic building ceramics market, exports account for a smaller proportion of ceramic production, the impact is not Great.

Industry or before the air**

However, ceramics for daily use are more dependent on the overseas market, accounting for 11% of total exports. In addition, the mechanization of daily-use ceramics is very low and it is a labor-intensive industry. The number of affected workers is even greater. Yang Yuli, sales manager of Guangdong Shunxiang Ceramics Co., Ltd., one of the largest domestic ceramics production companies, said that due to the decline in domestic spending power caused by the EU debt crisis, exports to the EU daily ceramics have declined by around 15% year-on-year. If there is further anti-dumping, the export situation is not optimistic.

China's efforts to cancel the case China Ceramic Industry Association issued an announcement on the 14th, reminding the provinces and cities Ceramic Association and the export of EU ceramic companies concerned about the relevant anti-dumping investigations, do a good job in response to preparations. The Blue Guards stated that on the one hand, Chinese enterprises should actively participate in the investigation. After the sample survey, they should actively participate in responding in order to obtain the lowest tax rate. On the other hand, they must closely contact the relevant EU authorities to coordinate this case with a view to canceling the anti-dumping case.

In addition, according to the website of the Ministry of Commerce, on the 16th, the European Commission announced the initiation of an anti-dumping investigation on Ma Steel Pipe Parts exported to Europe from China.