China has announced anti-dumping duties as high as 74.9% on imports of POM copolymers, a type of engineering plastic, from the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. The Commerce Ministry’s findings conclude a probe launched in May 2024, shortly after the US sharply increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, computer chips, and other imports. POM copolymers can partially replace metals such as copper and zinc and have various applications, including in auto parts, electronics, and medical equipment.
The highest anti-dumping rate of 74.9% was levied on imports from the United States, while European shipments will face a 34.5% duty. China slapped 35.5% duties on Japanese imports, except for Asahi Kasei Corp, which received a company-specific rate of 24.5%. A general duty of 32.6% was placed on imports from Taiwan, while Formosa Plastics received a 4% tariff and Polyplastics Taiwan 3.8%.
This move comes amid a complex trade landscape between the US and China. Hopes have risen that the US-China trade war is easing after the two sides said they had agreed to slash reciprocal tariffs in a 90-day truce. However, the impact of tariffs on China’s economic activity has yet to cause significant pain, as industrial output fared better than economists’ expectations and unemployment eased.
China’s economic data for April showed growth in industrial output and retail sales slowed, with industrial output growing 6.1% from a year earlier and retail sales rising 5.1%. Fixed asset investment expanded 4.0% in the first four months of 2025 from the same period a year earlier. Property investment fell 10.3% in the first four months of 2025 from a year earlier, with property sales and new construction starts also declining.