China extends anti-dumping duties on imported rubber for 5 years

BEIJING - China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced Tuesday that it will extend anti-dumping duties on chloroprene rubber imported from Japan, the United States and the European Union for another five years starting Wednesday.

China has imposed anti-dumping duties on chloroprene rubber imported from those countries since 2005 on the grounds that the products were being dumped on the Chinese market at lower-than-market prices.

The anti-dumping duties were extended for another five years in 2011.

The latest decision followed a review launched a year ago that found the domestic industry could be harmed if anti-dumping duties were discontinued.

The MOC said anti-dumping duty rates for Japanese imports range from 10.2 percent to 43.9 percent, while those for US producers are 151 percent and European companies are subject to rates ranging from 11 to 151 percent.

Chloroprene rubber, commonly known as Neoprene, is mostly used to manufacture electrical cables and waterproof products.