China has imposed anti-dumping duties as high as 74.9% on imports of POM copolymers, a type of engineering plastic, from the United States, European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. This move follows the completion of a probe initiated in May 2024, shortly after the U.S. raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, computer chips, and other goods.
POM copolymers, which can substitute metals like copper and zinc, are used in various industries, including auto parts, electronics, and medical devices. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce had previously indicated that dumping was occurring and had already implemented preliminary anti-dumping measures starting on January 24, 2024.
In the announcement made Sunday, China revealed that the highest anti-dumping tariff of 74.9% was applied to U.S. imports, while imports from the European Union will face a 34.5% duty. Japanese imports will be charged 35.5%, with a special rate of 24.5% for Asahi Kasei Corp. Taiwan will see a general duty of 32.6%, with Formosa Plastics facing a 4% tariff and Polyplastics Taiwan 3.8%.
The announcement came amid growing hopes that the trade tensions between the U.S. and China may be easing. The two countries had previously agreed to a 90-day truce and committed to reducing reciprocal tariffs, a deal that has sparked optimism about the trade war de-escalating.
Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group expressed concerns over “fundamental challenges” facing the global trading system following a meeting in South Korea. On Monday, Asian stock markets dipped as mixed Chinese economic data indicated a sluggish domestic economy, further exacerbated by U.S. tariffs impacting exports.
While the trade war continues to have some impact on China, the latest data showed industrial output growth of 6.1% in April, exceeding expectations. However, retail sales grew at a slower rate of 5.1%, and fixed asset investment saw a 4.0% rise in the first four months of 2025. On the downside, property investment fell 10.3% during the same period, signaling a continued slowdown in China’s property market.