EU launches anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese ceramic tableware

The European Commission started to impose provisional anti-dumping tariffs on ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China as of Friday, despite opposition from more than half of its members, the commission said on Thursday.

The six-month tariffs range from 32.1 percent to 67.8 percent, depending on the manufacturers.

Thai manufacturers also face duties ranging from 15.9 percent to 39.7 percent, Bloomberg reported.

The move comes after two probes the commission launched in February following dumping complaints by groups on behalf of the European Union manufacturers of the products.

Before May 15, 2013, EU governments will vote whether to turn the provisional duties into five-year levies.

In 2011, Chinese exports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware to the EU were valued at 728 million euro ($927.59 million).

The commission claimed that Chinese and Thai exporters sold the products in the 27-nation bloc below cost, a practice known as dumping, and that European manufacturers have suffered "material injuries" due to the imports.