EU ready to impose tariffs on Chinese biodiesel imports
The European Commission, which oversees EU trade policy, has proposed setting provisional tariffs of between 12.8 and 36.4%, Reuters reported.
The investigation is due to continue until February, when definitive duties for five years could be set.
For biodiesel, proposed duties are 12.8% for EcoCeres Group products, 36.4% for Jiaao Group, including Zhejiang Jiaao Enproenergy Co and 25.4% for exports by Zhuoyue Group, including Longyan Zhuoyue New Energy Co.
The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which lodged the complaint, said earlier this month that a flood of biodiesel from China was having a devastating effect on EU production.
Chevron Renewable Energy Group had furloughed German workers, Shell had paused construction of a Dutch plant, BP was pausing a project in Germany and Argent Energy had closed a biorefinery, EBB said.
It said Chinese companies exported 1.8 million tonnes of biodiesel to the European Union in 2023, 90% of all Chinese biodiesel exports.
The European Waste-based and Advanced Biofuels Association said it welcomed the measures, adding it believed they would prompt a normalisation of market conditions from an "extremely adverse" situation since late 2022.