Europe ready to impose duties also on Chinese biodiesel

While on the one hand some manufacturers and countries are asking Europe to revise downwards the duties imposed on Chinese electric cars, on the other hand the European Commission is about to impose extra taxes on products from China.

At the centre of the crosshairs are biodiesel of eastern origin, for which the EU is ready to excise duties ranging from 12.8% to 36.4% from 16 August. It's a new chapter in the trade war between Europe and China. 

Outlaw incentives

The reason for the dispute is always the same: unfair practices by the Chinese government, guilty, according to the EU producers, of helping the Asian giant's producers to maintain particularly low prices, so as to practise unfair competition.

All this comes at the end of an anti-dumping investigation launched in December 2023 by the European Commission, the conclusions of which highlighted state subsidies. 

Brussels has thus decided to impose new duties which, like those for electric cars, will have different amounts depending on the various manufacturers. These are as follows: 12.8% for the EcoCeres group, 36.4% for the Jiaao group and 25.4% for the Zhuoyue group. Other Chinese biodiesel producers who cooperated with the European Commission during the investigation will be sanctioned with an extra 23.7% tax, those who did not give support will get the maximum 36.4%.

According to Ansa, the biodiesel market in Europe is worth €31 billion a year and €1.8 million tonnes of Chinese biodiesel arrived in Europe in 2023, accounting for 90 per cent of total exports. 

About duties:

Punitive tariffs: Around a dozen EU member states are in favour

European industry says 'no' to duties on Chinese electric cars