China targets US, EU with rubber trade case

BEIJING-Agence France-Presse

China yesterday announced it would impose temporary anti-dumping measures on synthetic rubber imported from the United States, the European Union and Singapore.

The case could stoke the simmering tit-for-tat trade tiff between Beijing and Washington, with each side having made threats of more duties on billions of dollars-worth of goods.

The anti-dumping measures on rubber come after an initial investigation by China’s commerce ministry found evidence the countries were dumping the halo-isobutene-isoprene rubber.

Importers were directed to place deposits with China’s customs department ranging in amount from 26 percent to 66.5 percent of the goods’ cost -- to be applied against the imposed tariffs if the ministry finds dumping in its final ruling.

The dumping did “substantial damage” to China’s domestic industry, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

The U.S. and Singapore are China’s main foreign sources of the synthetic rubber.