China launches anti-dumping probe on acetal resins

Port of Houston

A shipping container at the Port of Houston.

Acetal copolymer resins imported from the U.S., Europe, Japan and Taiwan are the target of an anti-dumping probe from China's commerce ministry.

The probe was launched May 19, according to a report from the Reuters news agency. The ministry said the investigation should be completed in a year, but could be extended for six months, the report said.

A spokesperson for the European Commission, which oversees European Union trade policy, told Reuters it "would carefully study" the contents of the investigation before deciding on any next steps.

News of the Chinese probe came less than a week after the U.S. announced tariff increases on Chinese electric vehicles, computer chips, medical products and other imports. On May 17, the EU also launched a trade investigation into Chinese tinplate steel.

The list of tariffs from President Joe Biden's administration covers some medical products that are key users of plastics. The White House said that tariff rates for syringes and needles will increase from 0 to 50 percent in 2024. Some personal protective equipment, such as masks and respirators, will see tariff rates growing from a range of 0 to 7.5 percent up to 25 percent. Tariffs for medical and surgical gloves will rise to 25 percent in 2026 from 7.5 percent.

"These tariff rate increases will help support and sustain a strong domestic industrial base for medical supplies that were essential to the COVID-19 pandemic response and continue to be used daily in every hospital across the country, the White House said.

Imported plastic syringes also have been the focus of recent scrutiny. In the May 16 alert, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration warned health car providers not to use syringes from four China-based manufacturers "unless use of these syringes is absolutely necessary," and to transition to syringes that are not manufactured in China.

* source : https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/report-china-launches-anti-dumping-probe-acetal-resins