China initiates antidumping proceedings on certain chemical solvents and boxboard from the United States

Overview

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) today initiated two antidumping investigations on certain chemical solvents and boxboard from the United States. This development will be of interest to companies exporting solvents or boxboard to China or whose products use downstream products of solvents or boxboard from China. Products found to have been dumped in the Chinese market could face steeply increased Chinese duties.

MOFCOM will examine whether ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether imports from the United States and the European Union have been dumped in the Chinese market. These products are used as solvents with applications in paints, coatings, inks and household cleaning products and as raw materials and intermediates for other products. These products are exported to China under the harmonized tariff schedule (HTS) classification of 2909.43.00. Companies exporting these solvents from the United States or Europe Union countries to China will be interested in this proceeding. Additionally, companies purchasing downstream products from these chemicals could face higher input costs or supply disruptions as a result of these proceedings, especially if those inputs are purchased from China.

Additionally, MOFCOM will examine whether boxboard imports from the United States have been dumped in the Chinese market. The products subject to the investigation include coated bleached folding paper, solid bleached sulfate paperboard, folding boxboard, coated ivory board and white card paper. These products are used for packaging, printing and gift cards or postcards. The products are exported to China under the Chinese HTS classifications 4810.31.00, 4810.32.00, 4810.39.00, 4810.92.00, 4810.99.00, 4811.51.90, 4811.59.90 (recently revised to 4811.59.99) and 4811.60.90. Companies exporting these products to China will be interested in this proceeding. Additionally, companies purchasing downstream products from boxboard (e.g., their products are packaged with boxboard) may face higher input costs or supply disruptions as a result of the proceedings, especially if those inputs are purchased from China.