Commission starts tracking imports of industrial chemicals rapidly filling the EU market

The Commission has started monitoring the import volumes of certain ethylene and ammonia products, which are mainly used for fertiliser production and industrial applications. 

The information gathered will allow the Commission to react quickly to level the playing field if the monitoring points to a surge of imports causing or threatening to cause injury to the EU industry. 

This surveillance has been put in place in response to evidence of a significant and potentially injurious increase in the EU market share of imports of the chemicals. This increase appears to be the result of production overcapacity, notably in China, as well as the imposition of trade defence measures on imports of the products by a growing number of countries. 

Increased transparency, informed decisions

The surveillance does not restrict imports – rather, it provides a timely, structured overview of import trends and other fact-based information.

Based on information gathered via the EU customs Surveillance system and made publicly available on the Commission’s website, EU industry will be able to analyse developments and decide whether to take any action, such as requesting a trade defence investigation. As part of its reinforced focus on import surveillance, the Commission also continues to further develop the interface of the monitoring system.

For its part, the Commission will have readily available import data to better understand the market situation, and as such will be better equipped to assess the merits of any potential complaint or request from industry. 

Background

The surveillance covers imports of copolymers of ethylene and alpha olefin, urea containing more than 45% (by weight) of nitrogen and ammonium sulphate – also referred to as ‘certain ethylene and ammonia products’ – from all countries. It should remain in place for a period of three years. 

The import statistics are gathered using the EU customs surveillance system and are available, updated daily, on the Commission’s website. The EU Surveillance system, operated by DG TAXUD, monitors the import and export of specific goods into/from the Union's single market in terms of volumes and/or value. The primary data sources of the Surveillance system are the import and export customs declarations managed by the National Customs Declarations Processing Systems.

For more information

EU customs surveillance system:

• Ethylene - surveillance report 673100
• Urea - surveillance report 673200
• Ammonium - surveillance report 673300

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