EU ready to impose tariffs on Chinese biodiesel imports

The European Union looks set to impose provisional duties on Chinese biodiesel after finding it is being sold in EU markets at unfairly low prices.

The European Commission, which oversees EU trade policy, has proposed setting provisional tariffs of between 12.8 and 36.4%, Reuters reported.

The investigation is due to continue until February, when definitive duties for five years could be set.

For biodiesel, proposed duties are 12.8% for EcoCeres Group products, 36.4% for Jiaao Group, including Zhejiang Jiaao Enproenergy Co and 25.4% for exports by Zhuoyue Group, including Longyan Zhuoyue New Energy Co.

The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), which lodged the complaint, said earlier this month that a flood of biodiesel from China was having a devastating effect on EU production.

Chevron Renewable Energy Group had furloughed German workers, Shell had paused construction of a Dutch plant, BP was pausing a project in Germany and Argent Energy had closed a biorefinery, EBB said.

It said Chinese companies exported 1.8 million tonnes of biodiesel to the European Union in 2023, 90% of all Chinese biodiesel exports.

The European Waste-based and Advanced Biofuels Association said it welcomed the measures, adding it believed they would prompt a normalisation of market conditions from an “extremely adverse” situation since late 2022.

Tags: China, EU, prices, biodiesel, restrictions