Reuters – EU duties against China

EU poised to extend tariffs on Chinese bicycle imports

June 11, 2019

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is poised to extend for a further five years anti-dumping duties on Chinese bicycles on the basis that input costs are distorted by state intervention and that any lifting of measures would lead to a flood of imports.

The European Commission has completed a review of whether such measures are still warranted and concluded that they are, according to a document seen by Reuters. Assuming EU governments do not oppose this finding, tariffs will be rolled over for a further five years.

The extended duties would be the latest in a series of EU measures against Chinese exports ranging from solar panels to steel, which have sparked strong words from Beijing.

Imported Chinese bicycles, subject to anti-dumping duties since 1993, currently face an import tariff of 48.5%. The measures also extend to bicycles from Cambodia, Philippines, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Pakistan, albeit with some exemptions.

The European Union also imposed duties at the start of the year of up to 79.3% on imports of Chinese electronic bicycles.

EU consumers buy around 18 million bicycles per year, with just over 60% supplied by local manufacturers. Chinese imports make up only about 4% of the EU market.

However, Chinese producers have spare capacity to make an extra 37 million bicycles, the European Commission wrote in a “disclosure document” made available to interested parties. Bicycles were also identified as a key industry in China’s current five-year plan and its Made in China 2025 initiative.

This meant, the document said, that there was a “strong likelihood” that Chinese producers would return to selling at artificially low prices and in high volumes if the anti-dumping measures were lifted.

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EU to hit Chinese e-bikes imports with tariffs

January 18, 2019

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union will impose duties from Saturday on Chinese electric bicycles to curb cheap imports which European producers say benefit from unfair subsidies and are flooding the market.

E-bikes coming from China will be subject to tariffs of between 18.8 and 79.3 percent, a filing in the EU’s official journal said on Friday, in line with European Commission proposal on which EU countries voted in December.

The anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties are the latest in a series of EU measures against Chinese exports ranging from solar panels to steel, which have sparked strong words from Beijing.

The Commission found Chinese exports of e-bikes to the European Union more than tripled from 2014 until September 2017. Their market share rose to 35 percent, while their average prices fell by 11 percent.

It has also said Chinese producers benefit from controlled aluminium prices as well as advantageous financing and land rights conditions and tax breaks.

You can read the full article here.

EU backs duties on imports of e-bikes from China: EU sources

December 18, 2018

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU governments voted on Tuesday to impose duties on Chinese electric bicycles to curb cheap imports that European producers say benefit from unfair subsidies and are flooding the market, EU sources familiar with the case said.

The European Commission, which is investigating on behalf of the 28 EU members, has proposed that definitive or final tariffs of between 18.8 and 79.3 percent should apply for all e-bikes coming from China.

The anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties are the latest in a series of EU measures against Chinese exports ranging from solar panels to steel, which have sparked strong words from Beijing.

Unlike the United States, the European Union has not launched a trade war against China, but it shares U.S. concerns about forced technology transfers and Chinese state subsidies.

The electric bicycle imports are already subject to the duties set on a provisional basis in July. Definitive duties typically apply for five years.

You can read the full article here.