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Europa ‘blinda’ 5 años más la entrada de azulejos chinos / Europe protects the entry of Chinese tiles for 5 more years

La patronal cerámica española muestra su satisfacción por una medida que considera «necesaria». Actualmente la cuota de mercado de China en la Unión Europea es del 0,3%

15.02.2024 07:56

La Comisión Europea ha adoptado el Reglamento (UE) 2024/493, que renueva las medidas antidumping de la Unión Europea sobre las importaciones de baldosas y revestimientos cerámicos chinos por 5 años más.

Los miembros de la Federación Europea de Asociaciones de Fabricantes de Cerámica (CET), entre los que se encuentra la patronal cerámica española Ascer, han acogido «con satisfacción la decisión de renovar los derechos antidumping, que se ha demostrado que son necesarios para evitar un mayor perjuicio a la industria de la Unión Europea resultante de las importaciones objeto de dumping procedentes de China».

Investigación

A petición de las industrias de la UE, la Dirección General de Comercio de la Comisión Europea inició en noviembre de 2022 una investigación para renovar las medidas impuestas a las importaciones de baldosas cerámicas chinas, en vigor desde septiembre de 2011 y que oscilan entre el 13,9% y el 69,7%.

Como se reveló a lo largo de la investigación y como se establece en el Reglamento, la continuación del dumping y la elevada capacidad productiva excedentaria de China, junto con el atractivo del mercado de la UE para los exportadores chinos, «darían lugar con toda probabilidad a una reaparición del perjuicio para el mercado europeo de no renovarse las medidas». Sobre esta base, las medidas antidumping se han renovado por 5 años más.

On 13 February 2024, the European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2024/493, renewing EU antidumping measures on imports of Chinese ceramic wall and floor tiles for an additional five years. CET/Cerame-Unie welcomes the decision to renew the anti-dumping duties, which have been proven to be necessary to prevent further injury to the Union industry resulting dumped imports from China.

The EU ceramic tiles industry represents an annual turnover of EUR 13.6 billion, with manufacturers in 25 EU Member States providing 55,000 direct jobs. 80% of the industry is composed of SMEs playing an essential role in employment at local level.

The EU industry is globally renowned for its quality, advanced production technologies and innovation & design. Following the request of the Union Industry, the European Commission’s Directorate General for Trade initiated in November 2022 an investigation to review the duties on imports of Chinese ceramic tiles, in force since September 2011 and ranging between 13.9% and 69.7%.

As revealed over the course of the investigation and as laid out in the Regulation, continued dumping and high spare capacities in the PRC, coupled with the attractiveness of the EU market to Chinese exporters, would result in all likelihood in a recurrence of injury to the Union industry should the measures be repealed.

On this basis, the anti-dumping measures were renewed for an additional 5 years. These findings underscore the vital importance of the level playing field for the European ceramic tiles industry. As highlighted in the Ceramic Manifesto 24-29, a rules-based international order remains crucial to ensure that all EU producers can benefit from a level playing field. CET President Roman Blažíček welcomes the decision of the Commission, stating that “an effective use of trade defence measures by the EU is essential to fight unfair trading practices and preserve the conditions to enable the necessary investments for a just transition”.

This is also reflected in the Commission’s Communication of 1 February 2023 on the Green Deal Industrial Plan, where it is stated that «The Commission will continue to make full use of trade defence instruments (TDI) to defend the Single Market, and rules-based international trade, from unfair trade practices like dumping and distortive subsidies”.