12 December 2019, Brussels – the European Federation of Ceramic Table and Ornamental ware (FEPF) welcomes the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2019/2131 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1198 imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of ceramic tableware & kitchenware from China. The anti-circumvention investigation unveiled a clear risk of continuation and risk of recurrence of injurious dumping and found persisting and significant distortions in the Chinese market in this sector by illegal channelling practices of certain Chinese exporters of tableware & kitchenware.
With the ongoing efforts to level the playing field for European ceramic tableware and kitchenware producers, today marks one success of the Commission’s investigation “ex-officio” on the topic. Throughout the investigation, 50 Chinese ceramic tableware and kitchenware companies were examined. The Commission concluded that the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of ceramic tableware & kitchenware from China has been circumvented through channelling practices via certain Chinese exporting producers subject to a lower duty. In the attached final publication, the Commission found that 30 out of the 50 exporting producers were involved in these channelling practices which represent 16% of the total import volumes into the Union during this reporting period.
As a result, a residual anti-dumping duty will be imposed on the Chinese companies engaged in such evasion practices. The amount of anti-dumping duties to be retroactively collected will be the difference between the residual duty of 36,1% and the amount that companies paid when the anti-circumvention investigation and the initiating Regulation went into force on 23 March 2019.
In the Commission’s investigation they confirmed dumping from the following data, inter alia:
To avoid any future circumvention practices of anti-dumping measures on table & kitchenware, the Commission will continue to monitor trade at customs through registration of imports and strengthened requirements including the submission of a series of documents that EU Members will collect at customs. The importers will now be obligated to provide at least one of the following two documents to the customs authorities of the Member States: 1) The commercial invoice (from the trader to the customer within the EU and/or 2) A declaration on the letterhead of the Chinese manufacturing producer, signed by an official of the entity producing the product concerned and issuing the invoice for this transaction to the trader. FEPF and its members will be in close contact with Member States to take all means available to ensure a strong enforcement of anti-circumvention measures at national level.
FEPF salutes the newly published anti-circumvention of anti-dumping measures on China. As FEPF President Roberto Sala states– “In the context of ongoing unfair trade practices, including persistent dumping and unfair trade practices such as the proven circumvention of EU anti-dumping measures, today’s decision is a prosperous sign for the Union industry, which is exposed to a continued threat of injurious dumping from China. Our industry must continue to be protected as it provides over 26,000 high-quality and skilled direct jobs in the EU and keeps the manufacturing and investments within the EU.”