EU Begins Monitoring Import Volumes of Certain Chemicals

The European Commission on March 24 began monitoring import volumes of ethylene and ammonia products, which are primarily used for fertilizer production and "industrial applications," in order to levy duties on the products should imports surge in the EU. The commission said it began the surveillance because of "evidence of a significant and potentially injurious increase in the EU market share of imports of the chemicals," which purportedly is the result of overcapacity in China and trade defense measures from a "growing number of countries." Specifically, the surveillance covers "imports of copolymers of ethylene and alpha olefin, urea containing more than 45% (by weight) of nitrogen and ammonium sulphate," and will be in place for three years.