China announces 25% tariffs on EPR from US

Beijing – China is imposing 25% tariffs on ethylene-propylene rubber imported from the US, with effect from 23 Aug.

This includes EPR in primary forms and EPR with less than 94% ethylene by weight, among 333 categories of products worth $16 billion (€14 billion).

The tariff level is intended to match that imposed by the US, under its tariff plan which is due t0 take effect on the same day.

China’s EPR/EPDM sector is highly dependent on imports. The market expects price-rises from suppliers such as Dow, Lion Copolymer and ExxonMobil.

In July, Merit Trading, the exclusive distributor of a number of Lion’s products in China, already raised all its EPDM prices by €191 (1,500 yuan) per tonne.

The listed products, roughly half of which are vehicles, also include certain rubber-related goods such as halobutyl rubber plate, sheet and belt and chemical raw materials such as 1,3-butadiene and styrene.

Earlier in August China released a broader tariff list covering 5,207 categories of US products – with a wide range of rubber-related ones – worth $60 billion to impose 5% to 25% tariffs on.

The finalised measures and date of effect will be determined after considering, said the Mofcom announcement.