The European Union has tightened its trade stance toward China, imposing steep anti-dumping duties on fused alumina and agreeing to scrap the customs duty exemption for low-value e-commerce imports, moves aimed at protecting EU industry, reducing strategic dependencies, and addressing unfair competition.
The European Commission has announced the introduction of anti-dumping duties on fused alumina imported from China, citing concerns over unfair pricing and the EU’s growing reliance on a strategically important material.
The new duties range from 88.7% to 110.6%, reflecting the extent of the dumping identified. To avoid disrupting supply chains, the Commission has also set a duty-free tariff quota that allows a limited amount of Chinese fused alumina to enter the EU without additional charges.
Fused alumina plays a key role in steelmaking and is also essential in the production of glass and ceramics. Beyond civilian industry, it is widely used in defence-related applications, further enhancing its strategic importance.
According to the Commission, the measures are designed to protect EU producers from harm caused by dumped imports while safeguarding the broader industrial ecosystem. The Commission also stressed that the decision aims to strengthen Europe’s industrial autonomy by ensuring a reliable supply of fused alumina for downstream users. At the same time, it seeks to reduce the EU’s dependence on China for this critical input, helping to limit long-term risks to European industry.
The new tariffs are part of the EU’s broader, ongoing push to counter anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures linked to imports from China.
To date, the European Union has imposed such measures on close to 80 Chinese products, covering a wide spectrum from biodiesel and ironing boards to bicycles. These actions also extend to high-profile sectors, including an investigation into electric vehicles made in China, which was concluded in October 2024, underscoring the EU’s focus on tackling what it views as unfair trade practices.
Earlier, EU finance ministers met in Brussels on 12 December 2025 at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), where they agreed to end the current customs duty exemption for low-value e-commerce imports valued at EUR 150 or less. This exemption will be replaced with a flat import duty of EUR 3 per parcel. ECOFIN noted that such small parcels, especially from China, have created unfair competition for EU sellers and raised environmental concerns.
