Europe likely to impose duties on Chinese glass fiber

PLASTICS NEWS REPORT
Posted January 25, 2011
BRUSSELS (Jan. 25, 12:45 p.m. ET) – As expected, the European Commission is likely to propose duties of 13.8 percent on Chinese glass fiber imports, according to composites industry association EuCIA.

The duties are lower than the 43.6 percent temporary duty imposed on Sept. 17 for a period of six months.

Brussels-based EuCIA has lobbied for lower duties, arguing that even the 13.8 percent rate would “remain harmful for the European users and will trigger negative impacts on the employment and innovation within the sector.”

EuCIA said if the duties are approved, they would be imposed starting March 17 for a period of five years.

According to EuCIA, in a preliminary vote last week four of the 27 European Union member states said they supported the duties, while most abstained.

“It is surprising to see how the EU executive body can pass its proposal through the member states when only four countries support the duties in a Europe of 27 member states,” said Alexandre Dangis, managing director EuPC, a trade group for European plastics processors, in a news release.

“The impact of this case on many [small- and medium-sized companies] has clearly been underestimated and not understood properly by the large number of EU member states that abstained. I call on these member states, the EU commission and the council of ministers to review the proposal once again and terminate the investigation without any anti-dumping measures.”