Brussels is tightening its anti-dumping measures against China. The European Union has sharply increased tariffs on imports of ceramic kitchenware and tableware from China, arguing that Chinese producers benefit from systemic state support that enables them to sell goods at artificially low prices.
According to a decision published in the Official Journal of the European Union, a new uniform duty of 79 per cent will replace the previous tariff range of 13.1 per cent to 36.1 per cent. The new measures will remain in force for five years.
The decision follows a partial review of anti-dumping measures originally introduced in 2013, focused solely on reassessing the level of dumping rather than the injury caused to EU industry.
The European Commission concluded that dumping by Chinese ceramics producers is structural and persistent, driven by deep state intervention in the sector. According to the Commission’s findings, manufacturers in China benefit from preferential financing, subsidised energy and raw materials, as well as distorted labour costs.
As a result, the Commission did not rely on Chinese domestic cost data. Instead, it constructed a so-called “normal value” using data from Turkey as a representative country, considering it free from “significant market distortions”. The analysis found that Chinese exporters sell ceramic products in the EU at artificially depressed prices.
Part of a broader EU trade pushback against China
The tariff increase forms part of a wider EU strategy aimed at countering what Brussels sees as unfair trade practices by China. Of the 63 trade defence investigations currently conducted by the Commission, 47 involve products originating from China.
Increased tariffs were introduced following a complaint by industry association Cerame-Unie, which represents European producers of tableware and decorative ceramics. According to the organisation, the decision is critical for protecting a sector employing more than 30,000 people across the EU.
“FEPF and Cerame-Unie strongly welcome the decision to adjust the anti-dumping duties, which address the injury sustained by the Union industry resulting from dumping practices and overcapacities in China,” the association said.