Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Five Chinese manufacturers of ceramic housewares have been picked to represent the country’s massive ceramics industry as it goes into battle with the European Union.
Earlier this year, the EU launched its biggest-ever anti-dumping inquiry into the Chinese ceramic tableware and kitchenware industry to try to find out whether the country is exporting its products at prices lower than those being charged in China.
Now, the five Chinese representative companies – Hunan Hualian China Industry Co, Sanhuan Enterprises Group, Beiliu City Laotian Ceramic Co, CHL International and Niceton Group – have started to submit information to the European Commission. The companies are taking legal advice to help them in the investigation.
The probe is expected to affect over 2,000 Chinese ceramic housewares manufacturers and could result in the imposition of punitive new duties on the companies. Any such extra costs would likely be passed on to export customers.
Chinese tableware manufacturers are nervous about the impact such developments would have. Their exports account for half of the tableware in Europe, and Hunan Hualian China Industry Co, for one, exports almost 70% of its output to Europe and the US. Claiming to be China’s biggest exporter of ceramics, the company last year shipped product into Europe worth around $12m.
A preliminary ruling by the European Commission is expected in November this year and a final ruling next May.
