The imposed anti-dumping duties range from 21.3% to 36.1% and will apply for the next five years at least. They follow a request submitted by the FEP on behalf of major manufacturers from most EU member states. The imposition of duties is a necessary step to create a level playing field in the EU market. As the FEP informs, Chinese parquet imports are offered at unreasonably low prices, which are only possible due to significant overcapacity and structural distortions.
The duties were also imposed with retroactive effect from October 2024, as the European Commission’s investigation revealed a substantial increase in import volumes after the investigation was launched. In particular, the Commission found that parquet from China was imported in significantly larger quantities and at lower prices before the provisional duties had come into force. The FEP states that it welcomes the decision, as it addresses the significant stockpiles of illicit imports from China.
The European Commission also introduced a monitoring clause to make sure that the duties are not circumvented in the future. In particular, the Commission will be regularly monitoring parquet imports from all third countries to identify signs of changes of the pattern of trade without economic justification early on. It will also monitor imports of other similar products, such as blockboards, as the investigation has revealed that Chinese manufacturers often misclassify parquet when exporting it to the EU.
“The imposition of definitive anti-dumping duties will provide much-necessary relief to the European parquet industry which has been hit by extremely unfair practices by Chinese exports. The FEP is confident that these duties will help restore a level-playing field in the EU market,” Isabelle Brose, Managing Director of the FEP, comments.
