EU terminates anti-dumping measures on China's PET products

BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) brought an end to 13-year-long trade remedy measures on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) originating in China after terminating an expiry review on Tuesday.

"The European Commission concludes that the expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of PET originating in China should be terminated," said a statement in the official journal of the European Union.

The measures currently in force are a definitive anti-dumping duty imposed in November 2010 and supposed to expire in November 2015.

However, some PET manufacturers asked for an expiry review in June 2015 to see whether the expiry of these measures result in recurrence of dumping and recurrence of injury to the bloc's industry.

According to the official document, the applicant, the Committee of Polyethylene Terephthalate Manufacturers in Europe, formally withdrew its request for the expiry review earlier.

The EU supervisors found no signs showing such a termination would be against the bloc's interest in their investigation. Therefore, the European Commission decide to end the review proceeding.

The EU launched an anti-dumping investigation concerning the imports of certain PET materials originating in China in May 2003.

In August 2004, the EU decided to impose a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of PET originating in China for five years. The remedy measures were extended for another five years in November 2010.

PET is a plastic resin and the most common type of polyester. Many beverages, food items and other consumer products are delivered in bottles or packages made from PET.