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EPPA meets with Trade Injury Team about anti-dumping duty ceramic

19-02-2013 EPPA meets with Trade Injury Team about anti-dumping duty ceramic


EPPA meets with Trade Injury Team about anti-dumping duty ceramicMid-November last year the European Commission Directorate-General for Trade imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware originating from the People’s Republic of China. This commission regulation is also known under number 1072/2012. After the European Commission enforced the provisional anti-dumping duty, EPPA filed an official comment to the EU Trade Commissioner Mr. Karel de Gucht and got invited to be heard officially by the Trade Injury Team, who is charge of the anti-dumping investigation.

The hearing took place yesterday afternoon in Brussels. EPPA was able to explain thoroughly what the expected consequences for our industry will be, if the provisional measures are definitively imposed. These are:

  • Promotional products importers within the Union will move their production facilities to other low-wage countries. This will provide a huge risk regarding CSR and product safety and food regulations. In the current business climate, these issues are well controlled due to the expertise in the People’s Republic of China.
  • The ceramic tableware and kitchenware that is produced within the European Union, is mostly high quality ceramic and porcelain. Our industry sells mainly low cost products. Production facilities within the European Union are not capable to meet the demand, price, delivery times  and consistency of the low cost articles our industry uses.  
  • Expected decrease of turnover in this specific product category as customers will choose other products due to the high prices. This expectation will not support the overall goal of the anti-dumping duty, which is to stimulate production of ceramic tableware and kitchenware within the Union. 
  • Another threat is that customers will choose to use other forms of advertisement instead of promotional products which does not benefit our industry either.

The Trade Injury Team heard our arguments and will take these under consideration. They will write their definitive findings over the next couple of weeks, after which all interested parties (including EPPA) will have ten days to comment on the findings. Finally the European Commission will propose to the European Council to either impose the measures definitively or terminate the case without any measures. The Council will make their final decision during the Council meeting on May 22nd.

Click here to read Commission Regulation 1072/2012.