logo
China announces anti-dumping duties on plastics from US, EU, Japan and Taiwan

China announces anti-dumping duties on plastics from US, EU, Japan and Taiwan

Reuters18-05-2025

BEIJING, May 18 (Reuters) - China's commerce ministry on Sunday levied anti-dumping duties of as high as 74.9% on imports of POM copolymers, a type of engineering plastic, from the European Union, the United States, Japan and Taiwan, according to an official announcement.
The highest anti-dumping rates of 74.9% were levied on imports from the United States, while European shipments will face 34.5% duties.
China also slapped 35.5% duties on Japanese imports, except in the case of Asahi Kasei Corp, which was given a company-specific rate of 24.5%.
General duties of 32.6% were placed on imports from Taiwan, but Formosa Plastics and Polyplastics Taiwan received lower rates of 4% and 3.8%, respectively.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Boeing: What does the Air India crash mean for the plane maker?
Boeing: What does the Air India crash mean for the plane maker?

BBC News

time14 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Boeing: What does the Air India crash mean for the plane maker?

Last month, Boeing celebrated carrying its billionth passenger on the 787 Dreamliner - an impressive feat given it only launched 14 years ago. Until today's tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the model was a mainstay of intercontinental travel and had an exemplary safety is a different plane from the Boeing 737 Max, which was in the headlines after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed hundreds of people in 2018 and 2019 respectively. A software fault was found to have caused those incidents and the model was grounded worldwide for 18 far, there is nothing to suggest any fault on Boeing's side today in India. A much fuller picture will come once the plane's black boxes - the electronic recording devices that store vital flight information - have been theories have been posited as to what could have caused the crash in Ahmedabad, but one pilot I spoke to said that nowadays it's rare for a manufacturer fault to cause a fatal incident. Barring the very notable exception of the Boeing 737 Max crashes, he said, most were down to human error in the cockpit. Follow live updates on this storyWhat we know so far about Air India flight AI171At the scene: 'Everyone is running trying to save lives'Verified video shows moment of crash It's also important to remember that when you fly commercially, you will almost always either be on a Boeing or an Airbus model as the plane-making industry operates as an effective so, Boeing has found its name associated with yet another tragic aviation company said its "thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected" and added that it was working with Air India to gather more information on the stock markets opened in New York on Thursday, Boeing shares dropped 5%. The tragedy is another problem for a firm that lost nearly $1bn a month last year, as it grappled with a safety crisis, quality control issues, as well as a damaging seven-week long workers' strike. After one of its doors flew off midway through an Alaska Airlines flight in 2024, Boeing was forced to pay $160m (£126m) in compensation. Before that, the company also reached a $428m settlement with Southwest Airlines for the financial damages caused by the long-term grounding of its 737 Max addition to severe financial issues, Boeing has faced serious questions over its safety practices. In April, the company said it had seen "improved operational performance" from "our ongoing focus on safety and quality".In 2019, a former employee told the BBC that under-pressure workers had been deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line. John Barnett, who worked as a quality control manager during his more than 30 years at Boeing, took his own life in March last year. Boeing denied his whistleblower, engineer Sam Salehpour, told US politicians that he was harassed and threatened after he raised concerns about the safety of Boeing's planes. Boeing said retaliation was "strictly prohibited" and it had seen a "more than 500% increase" in reports from employees since January, "which signals progress toward a robust reporting culture that is not fearful of retaliation".Boeing has also been embroiled in a series of legal battles related to the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Last month, the firm narrowly avoiding criminal prosecution by coming to an agreement with the US Department of Justice (DoJ).To the dismay of victims' families, the DoJ said Boeing would admit to "conspiracy to obstruct and impede" an investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration and would pay more than $1.1bn in Boeing's top executive team has undergone a pretty significant shake-up over the past couple of years. Its new boss, Kelly Ortberg, came out of retirement a year ago to try to revive the ailing company. He has promised an improvement to Boeing's safety culture and recently said he was confident the aviation giant would soon return to he faces more awful news to navigate.

Lithium supplies will not keep up with demand for electric cars, experts warn
Lithium supplies will not keep up with demand for electric cars, experts warn

The Independent

time34 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Lithium supplies will not keep up with demand for electric cars, experts warn

Europe, the US and China will be unable to extract enough lithium domestically to meet their demands for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to a study. Researchers from East China Normal University in Shanghai and Sweden's Lund University described this as a 'looming crisis' that could cause 'delays in meeting critical climate and energy goals'. They warned that domestic lithium production could grow as much as 10 times in some areas of Europe, the US and China by 2030 but still fall short of the 'soaring demand' without technological innovations or increasing imports. Lithium, an element which is generally obtained by mining, is a critical component in most EV batteries. EVs are seen as vital to decarbonising road transport, and demand for them is surging in Europe, the US and China. Pure battery electric new cars held a 20.9% market share for the first five months of this year, up from 16.1% during the same period in 2024. Sale of conventionally-fuelled new cars will be banned in the UK from 2030. The report found that under 'most scenarios' for the future levels of lithium production and the amount required, domestic supplies in Europe, the US and China – where 80% of the world's EVs are sold – 'cannot meet demand'. This would lead to those regions 'requiring trade to fill the gap', the study added. Researchers estimated that Europe might need 792,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent – a measure of lithium content – by 2030. Based on existing and proposed lithium-mining projects, production in Europe could reach 325,000 metric tons at that point. Measures to tackle the shortfall suggested by the authors of the study included shifting focus from producing personal EVs to promoting the use of public transport, and adopting battery technologies that use less or no lithium. The UK imports all the lithium it currently uses from countries such as China and the US, but several companies are developing plans to extract reserves in Cornwall and the North East of England. Portugal is the only European Union member to mine and process lithium. Qifan Xia, of East China Normal University, author of the study published in journal Cell Reports Sustainability, said: 'Lithium today is as important as gasoline in the industrial revolution. 'While lithium reserves are substantial around the world, they are distributed unevenly across different countries. 'Our study showed that without immediate action to expand mining, diversify suppliers, and rethink how we manage demand, the world risks delays in meeting critical climate and energy goals.' Ben Nelmes, founder of green consultancy New AutoMotive, said: 'Lithium will be a key part of the economy, from mining and refining through to cell manufacturing and recycling. 'It is therefore vital that European policymakers send positive signals to investors by maintaining ambitious targets for electric cars and a supportive environment for mining projects.' Separate analysis by the organisation estimated that up to a quarter of a million jobs in Europe could be created in the next five years through EV battery production and the supply chain. These include roles in sectors such as mining, gigafactories – large sites where EV batteries are produced – and recycling.

China strikes cautious tone after Trump claims trade deal is 'done'
China strikes cautious tone after Trump claims trade deal is 'done'

Sky News

timean hour ago

  • Sky News

China strikes cautious tone after Trump claims trade deal is 'done'

China will "always honour its commitments" when it comes to negotiating trade disagreements with the US, according to a spokesperson for the Chinese government. But when pushed by Sky News, he refrained from confirming what those commitments are. The reluctance is at odds with President Trump, who declared on his Truth Social account that "our deal with China is done", while also claiming that China has agreed to supply rare earth metals to the US"upfront", and to a 55% tariff rate on its goods. The comments follow high-stakes talks between delegations from the two countries in London aimed at stabilising the relationship amid an escalating trade and supply chain war. China's refusal to confirm these details has raised speculation that, contrary to what the US side is claiming, there may still be significant disagreements and some details yet to be worked out. The continued silence comes after two days of negotiations between delegations from the US and China in the UK. While both sides confirmed that they had agreed a "framework" to implement the "consensus" reached at previous talks in Geneva last month, as well as during a phone call between President Xi and President Trump on 5 June, the delegations were supposed to be taking the agreement to their respective leaders for sign-off. When asked by Sky News if any of the details in Trump's Truth Social post reflected what China understood to be in the deal, Lin Jian, China's foreign ministry spokesperson said "the two sides achieved new progress in addressing the concerns on economic and trade issues". "We always honour our commitments. Since we've reached common understandings, the two sides need to follow them." 👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 When pushed by Sky News on whether China agrees with Trump's Truth Social assessment that the US-China relationship is "excellent", Lin declined to agree, saying simply: "Our position on relations with the United States has been consistent and clear". Such lukewarm language is not uncommon in China but there will likely be significant displeasure at the way Trump is unilaterally publishing details that may not yet have been officially signed off. It is in stark contrast to China's communication landscape which is highly scripted and controlled, and if it was designed to force China into an agreement it could well backfire. Indeed, if everything in Trump's Truth Social post is true it would represent quite a coup for the US, and that feels a little unlikely given the valuable bargaining chips China has, particularly over rare earth metals. 0:54 This will likely have been a crunch point in negotiations. China has the vast majority of the world's rare earth metals which are vital in the production of everything from cars to weaponry, and recent export controls imposed in response to Trump's tariffs have brought some production lines to the brink of standstill. In response, the Trump administration imposed extra export controls on high-tech chips, chip development technology and parts needed to make jet engines, as well as moving to revoke student visas for Chinese nationals. President Trump indicated in his Truth Social post that the measures to revoke visas will be rowed back. When pushed by Sky News, Lin refrained from commenting on whether Trump's communications on this matter have undermined the relationship more broadly, but the stakes remain enormously high, with the unfolding supply chain war set to do significant damage to the economies of both nations.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store