The European Union targets Chinese plywood in the latest defense of local industries

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The European Union imposed duties to dump on Chinese plywood imports, just a few days after Beijing attempted to dilute Tensions Between the two.

The temporary fees of up to 62.4 percent follow an increase in imports Steel plywood The European Commission has said over the past three years that has harmed local producers.

“He welcomed this step but argued that” final duties are higher than these temporary levels “when the committee made a final decision later this year.

Brussels also took the extraordinary step Import monitoring From wooden plywood, which is not subject to duties, after allegations that Chinese exporters were denying from solid wood products in anticipation of fees, which will be declined until last December. The different categories of plywood depend on the type of wood used to make the engineering product.

The committee said: “The alleged practice consisted of placing very thin external layers of the soft wood shell on top of the solid plywood shell. This practice causes the product to decrease under the customs symbols that are not subject to registration, without changing its basic properties.”

“Thus, to reduce the risk of fraud, the committee considered it appropriate to monitor such imports.” He has warned that the anti -circuit investigation, which will collide with these imports, can start.

The European Union industry groups have long been complaining that Chinese exporters can avoid duties by changing or sending products across the third countries, and that Brussels is very slow to respond.

The committee said that the sales of the local plywood industry, production and profits, all decreased between 2021 and 2023. China formed nearly a third of the European Union’s plywood market in 2023, with sales of 327 million euros.

Chinese imports filled a gap left by a ban on Russian and steam plywood after the full invasion of Ukraine by Moscow in 2022. The committee warned in March that plywood importers of birch from China should be verified that the wood was not originally from Russia or Belarus.

The European Union has continued with a steady increase in commercial defense issues against China since the imposition of depression control by 45 percent on Electric vehicles In October 2023 last month opened an investigation into car tires and trucks and the restricted access of Chinese companies to the market of their medical devices.

“I think China’s message is that they should not consider the openness of the European market,” said Maria Martin, the main trade official of the European Union in China.

“I think China realized how we have developed a full range of independent (defensive) measures, what we refer to as our toolbox, and how we are ready to use these tools.”

The European Union also pressed China to raise export controls on the rare land magnet for civil use, which led to warnings of the auto industry that could stop production lines.

Beijing announced on Saturday a rapid licensing system for European Union companies, after a meeting between European Trade Commissioner Maroš šefčovič and Chinese Minister of Trade Wang Windo last week.

But Brussels said that the products for civil use should be exempt. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce also said that it hoped to obtain a solution that has been negotiated on the tariff of electric cars, and suggested that it might drop the anti -pumping tariffs on the Bourbon imports in the European Union imposed last year in exchange for the minimum prices of the prices of the European Union.