Today's (23 November) issue of the Official Journal of the European Union contains the European Commission's Regulation extending import duties on Chinese ceramic tiles. The measure, aimed at restoring fair competition in European markets, has led to a 77% reduction in ceramic tile imports from China since 2011.

 

The regulation published in the Official Journal maintains the levels of duties already in force (varying between 30.6% and 69.7% depending on the behaviour of the Chinese exporters during the preliminary investigation) and the five-year duration of the measure, extending the new expiry date to November 2022. 

Confindustria Ceramica, together with the European Ceramic Tile Manufacturers' Federation CET, instigated the action and played an active role in all steps of the more than year-long preliminary investigation, which confirmed the risk of a recurrence of dumping of Chinese imports and potentially serious damage to European ceramic companies if the measure had not been renewed. 

 

The findings of the European Commission's investigation supported the evidence and arguments put forward by the European ceramic industry, confirming in particular the persistence of dumping on the part of Chinese exporters, along with a vast production overcapacity that stands at four times the entire output of the EU. Moreover, several other countries have introduced trade protection measures on Chinese exports, potentially leading to these trade flows being redirected towards the European market if the antidumping duties had not been extended. 

 

“This is a vital measure for the Italian and European ceramic industries because it ensures a level playing field in terms of trade amongst all companies operating in the EU market,” said Confindustria Ceramica's Chairman Vittorio Borelli. “The extension of duties will create a stable reference framework for the Italian ceramic industry at a time when it is making major investments in new plants and technologies, giving it greater confidence to tackle the growing competitive challenges in international markets.”