The Trade Remedies Authority has proposed a new anti-dumping measure on imports of rutile titanium dioxide from China to protect UK industry at risk of injury.
The UK’s Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has published its initial recommendation to impose a new anti-dumping measure on imports of rutile titanium dioxide from China, after finding that the product is being dumped into the UK and that there is an imminent threat of injury to the UK industry.
Rutile titanium dioxide is widely used as a whitening agent to provide brightness, opacity and durability in coatings, plastics, paper and many other industrial and consumer products.
Findings
During its investigation, the TRA found that rutile titanium dioxide is being dumped in the UK. It determined that there is an imminent threat of injury to the UK production industry.
Since the beginning of the investigation, imports of titanium dioxide from China have increased significantly. The volume imported in May 2026 was over 299% of the volume imported in May 2025, and the trend would be likely to continue if a trade remedy measure were not imposed, the authority found.
The increase in imports and the threat of injury to the UK production industry are due largely to increased Chinese production capacity and to trade remedy measures imposed on titanium dioxide in other jurisdictions, including the European Union, Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia. According to the authority, these measures have limited China’s access to those markets and have subsequently increased the attractiveness of export markets currently without protection, such as the UK.
“Our investigation has found that the UK’s titanium dioxide production industry faces a real and immediate threat from dumped imports from China. The measure that we have proposed today will help to protect this key UK industry that employs over 570 people, contributes millions to the country’s economy and supplies hundreds of downstream UK businesses,” said Chief Executives Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez of the TRA
Proposed duty rates
The authority has now published its intended recommendation, proposing that a mixed anti-dumping duty should be applied on titanium dioxide for a period of five years. Under the proposal, cooperating, sampled exporters would face a duty of 48.29% ad valorem, with a minimum of GBP 0.665 per kg. Cooperating, non-sampled exporters would face the same rate of 48.29% ad valorem, with a minimum of GBP 0.665 per kg. All other overseas exporters would face a duty of 63.66% ad valorem, with a minimum of GBP 0.876 per kg.
An ad valorem duty is a measure based on a percentage of the value of the goods. In this case, the TRA has proposed a mixed duty – a combination of ad valorem and a specific duty – to maximise the duty’s effectiveness. Which duty applies in this instance depends on which generates the most tariff revenue. Further information on the forms different tariffs take is available on the authority’s blog.
Next steps
Interested parties have until 26 October 2026 to comment on the initial findings through the authority’s Trade Remedies Service. The TRA will then make its final recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.
This announcement was made by the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority on 7 October 2026.
