On 10 August the Commission imposed anti-dumping duties on imports into the EU of terephthalic acid from the Republic of Korea and Mexico.
The definitive anti-dumping duties imposed on imports from Korea range from 6.1% to 13.3%, while imports from Mexico are subject to a duty of 24.1%. The imposition of the definitive duties follows an investigation which found that imports of terephthalic acid from Korea and Mexico were entering the EU at dumped prices. This is causing injury to the EU’s own industry, which directly employs around 600 people in Belgium, Poland and Spain.
Terephthalic acid is a strategic commodity for the EU, because it is a raw material used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (also known as ‘PET’). In turn, PET is used to make plastic bottles, food packaging and fabrics – products with a role to play in helping the EU meet its recycling and sustainability targets.
The EU market for terephthalic acid is worth some €1.4 billion.
