Chinese Ministry of Commerce makes preliminary ruling on existence of dumping of propionic acid originating in US

A few days ago, the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued the Announcement of Preliminary Ruling on the Anti-dumping Investigation of Imported Propionic Acid Originating in the United States, which preliminarily determined the dumping of products under investigation and the causal relationship between dumping and the material injury to the Chinese propionic acid industry.

In accordance with the PRC Anti-dumping Regulations, the investigating authority decided to implement provisional anti-dumping measures in the form of levy of additional deposit. From April 20, 2024, importers importing propionic acid from the US shall remit additional deposits to Chinese Customs under the deposit rate determined based on the preliminary ruling.

According to the Announcement, the specific product under investigation is described as follows:

Scope of Investigation: Imported propionic acid originating in the United States.

Name of the product under investigation: Propionic acid.

Molecular formula: C3H6O2

Chemical Structure:

Physiochemical characteristics: Propionic acid is usually a colorless or yellowish liquid at room temperature, with a pungent odor. It is flammable, miscible with water, and soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and ether. Propionic acid is chemically active and can generate salts, esters, acid chlorides, amides and anhydrides via chemical reaction.

Main uses: Propionic acid is an essential fine chemical product and organic synthesis raw material. It is primarily used in producing preservatives, antifungal agents, herbicides, and pharmaceutical intermediates for wide application in food, feed, pesticide, and pharmaceutical industries.

This product is classified as 29155010, under PRC Import and Export Tariff. The deposit rate for U.S. companies is 43.5%. 

Levy of deposit: From April 20, 2024, when importing propionic acid originating in the United States, the importer has to provide the corresponding deposit to the Chinese Customs in accordance with the deposit rate determined by the preliminary ruling. The deposit will be calculated and levied on the duty-paid value as determined by the Customs at the calculation formula: Amount of deposit = (duty-paid value determined by the Customs X deposit rate) X (1 + VAT rate for import).  

The 2024 China Pesticide Exporting Workshop (CPEW) will be held on July 11-12, 2024 in Hangzhou, China. We invite readers who are interested in the Chinese market to participate in the conference, keep track of industry dynamics, engage in in-depth exchanges with Chinese companies, and identify potential partners to support your next stage of development.