EU imposes provisional duties on China ceramic imports

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ETHE%20European%20Commission%20imposed%20provisional%20duties%20on%20ceramic%20tableware%20and%20kitchenware%20imported%20from%20China%20yesterday%20despite%20opposition%20from%20most%20EU%20member%20states.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EFourteen%20of%20the%20European%20Union%27s%2027%20members%20voted%20against%20the%20planned%20measures%20at%20a%20meeting%20of%20trade%20specialists%20in%20October%2C%20a%20highly%20unusual%20move%20that%20left%20the%20commission%20having%20to%20rethink%20its%20plans.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20commission%20can%20impose%20provisional%20duties%20while%20a%20probe%20continues.%20Under%20EU%20rules%2C%20it%20only%20consults%20member%20states%2C%20but%20is%20not%20bound%20by%20their%20vote.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EHowever%2C%20it%20does%20need%20to%20follow%20the%20majority%20opinion%20of%20member%20states%20for%20definitive%20duties%2C%20which%20would%20need%20to%20be%20set%20for%20these%20products%20by%20May%2015.%20These%20would%20normally%20be%20set%20for%20five%20years.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20EU%27s%20executive%20body%20went%20ahead%20with%20provisional%20duties%20ranging%20from%2017.6%20to%2058.8%20percent%20on%20Chinese%20manufacturers%2C%20according%20to%20the%20official%20journal%20of%20the%20EU.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ECeramic%20tableware%20and%20kitchenware%20imports%20from%20China%20totalled%20728%20million%20euros%20%28US%24926.6%20million%29%20in%202011%2C%20according%20to%20the%20commission%2C%20making%20it%20among%20the%20larger%20cases%20under%20consideration.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20commission%20is%20investigating%2044%20dumping%20and%20subsidy%20cases%2C%2021%20of%20them%20involving%20China.%20The%20EU%20is%20China%27s%20biggest%20trading%20partner%20while%20for%20the%20EU%2C%20China%20is%20second%20only%20to%20the%20US.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20commission%20launched%20its%20largest%20case%20to%20date%20in%20September%20into%20the%20alleged%20dumping%20of%2021%20billion%20euros%20of%20solar%20panels%20and%20components%20by%20Chinese%20producers.%20It%20added%20an%20inquiry%20into%20alleged%20subsidies%20last%20week.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20commission%20also%20set%20provisional%20duties%20yesterday%20of%2015.9%20to%2067.8%20percent%20on%20iron%20tubes%20and%20pipe%20fittings%20from%20China%20and%20Thailand.%20EU%20imports%20from%20the%20two%20nations%20in%202011%20were%2059%20million%20euros.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAlthough%20historically%2C%20European%20china%20was%20a%20cheaply%20priced%20alternative%20to%20the%20genuine%20Asian%20product%2C%20the%20commission%20said%20that%20in%20the%20modern%20era%20imports%20were%20crowding%20out%20domestic%20sales.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EEuropean%20importers%20say%20the%20duties%20would%20harm%20consumers%20and%20traders%20and%20argue%20that%20European%20producers%20cannot%20meet%20local%20demand%2C%20meaning%20imports%20would%20be%20sought%20from%20other%20countries%2C%20such%20as%20Bangladesh%20and%20Vietnam.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChinese%20producers%20hope%20EU%20members%20that%20voted%20against%20the%20measures%20will%20continue%20their%20opposition.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ESome%20members%2C%20such%20as%20from%20Scandinavia%2C%20tend%20to%20vote%20against%20duties%20as%20a%20matter%20of%20free-trade%20principle.%20Others%20said%20they%20were%20unconvinced%20by%20the%20commission%27s%20arguments%20and%20data%20in%20this%20case.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3CBR%3E%28People%u2019s%20Daily%20Online%29%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E