EU Puts Tariffs on Chinese Ceramic Imports

Paris, France, March 17, 2011 -- The European Union has slapped tariffs as high as 73% on ceramic tiles from China to help European producers compete against cheaper imports, according to Bloomberg News.

The Chinese have been accused of selling the tiles below cost, just as a coalition of U.S. hardwood flooring manufacturers has accused China of dumping engineered hardwood in the U.S.

The EU has more than 500 producers of ceramic tiles.

The trade action was instigated by the Ceramic Tiles of Italy trade group.

EU makers suffered “material injury” as a result of dumped imports from China, the European Commission said in the Official Journal. The levies, due to take effect this week, are for six months and may be prolonged for five years.

Chinese exporters increased their share of the EU ceramic market to 6.5% in the 12 months through March 2010 from 4.8% in 2007, according to the commission.