EU Registers Chinese and Korean Cellulose Ether Imports from Oct. 31

European Union customs must register cellulose ether imports from China and South Korea from Oct. 31, 2026, allowing backdated anti-dumping duties.

The European Commission ordered EU customs on Oct. 31, 2026 to register imports of certain cellulose ethers from China and South Korea¹.

These chemicals are thickeners made from wood pulp. The order covers six types, including methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose¹.

In short, these shipments still clear customs and pay no new duty today. But customs will keep a record of each one, so the EU can later charge anti-dumping duties on them backdated.

What does the cellulose ether registration order do?

The order is Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2391, adopted on Oct. 29, 2026¹. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Oct. 30, 2026 and took effect on Oct. 31, 2026¹.

It tells the customs authorities of all EU member states to register imports of the listed cellulose ethers from China and Korea¹. Registration means customs keeps a record of each shipment. The goods are not stopped or taxed at this stage.

The purpose is to allow duties charged backdated, also called retroactive duties¹. If the EU later sets anti-dumping duties, it can reach back to shipments that entered while registration was running. An anti-dumping duty is an extra import tax on goods sold abroad below their normal price.

Why did the Commission act on cellulose ethers?

The order follows an anti-dumping investigation that the Commission opened on Sept. 24, 2026¹. It announced the case in a notice of initiation in the Official Journal².

Three European producers asked for the case. Ashland Industries Nederland BV, Ashland Specialties Belgium BV and SE Tylose GmbH & Co. KG filed the complaint on Aug. 10, 2026². They filed it on behalf of the EU industry for these products².

The producers say imports from the two countries have grown in volume and in market share². According to the notice, these imports hurt EU makers’ sales, prices, market share, finances and jobs².

The Commission chose to start registration on its own initiative¹. It did so under Article 14(5) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036, the EU’s basic law against dumped imports¹.

How large could the future duties be?

The registration order repeats estimates from the complaint. For China, the complaint puts the dumping margin at 120% to 130%¹. The dumping margin measures how far the export price falls below a fair price.

For Korea, the complaint estimates a dumping margin of 45% to 55%¹. The complaint also estimates the level needed to remove the harm to EU makers. That figure is 120% to 140% for China and 40% to 60% for Korea¹.

Under EU rules, any duty would normally be set at the lower of the two levels¹. These numbers come from the complainants, not from the Commission’s own findings.

The Commission says it cannot yet estimate the amount of any future duty¹. It says the complaint’s figures are for information only and should create no expectations¹.

Why could China face the full dumping margin?

The complaint also claims that a key raw material is priced unfairly low in China. That material is chemical wood pulp, which makes up more than 17% of production costs².

According to the complaint, China withdrew a value added tax (VAT) refund on exports of this pulp². The complainants compared Chinese pulp prices with export prices from the United States². They say Chinese prices are well below world market levels².

If the Commission finds such raw material distortions, it may set the duty at the full dumping margin¹. It would do this if a lower duty would not be enough to remove the harm to EU makers¹.

How did the complaint measure prices in China and Korea?

For China, the complainants argue that domestic prices and costs cannot be used². They point to state influence over the economy, including in land, energy, capital, raw materials and labour².

They say several large Chinese makers of cellulose ethers are linked to state-owned companies². They also name Chinese industrial plans, including "Made in China 2025"².

For this reason, the complaint builds a fair price for China from undistorted costs. It suggests Brazil as the comparison country². For Korea, the complaint builds a fair price from production costs, overheads and profit, because reliable domestic price data were missing².

Which cellulose ether products are covered?

The order covers six cellulose ethers, in any colour, physical form or grade¹. They are listed by their CAS number, a standard chemical identity number:

• Methyl cellulose, CAS 9004-67-5
• Hydroxyethyl cellulose, CAS 9004-62-0 and 80455-45-4
• Hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, CAS 9032-42-2
• Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, CAS 9004-65-3
• Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, CAS 9004-58-4
• Methyl ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, CAS 71714-29-9

The list matches the order’s product description¹. Only goods that originate in China or Korea are covered¹.

The goods fall under CN code ex 3912 39 85 in the EU’s Combined Nomenclature, its tariff list¹. The "ex" means only part of that code is covered.

Which customs codes must importers use?

After the case opened, the Commission changed the detailed EU tariff codes, called TARIC codes, for these products¹. It did this to track the imports. The change did not alter which goods the investigation covers¹.

The order lists eight TARIC codes¹:

• 3912 39 85 30
• 3912 39 85 60
• 3912 39 85 70 to 3912 39 85 75

The notice of initiation had listed fewer codes, including 3912 39 85 90². The registration order no longer lists that code¹. Customs brokers who file entries for these chemicals will need the new codes.

Who is affected by the registration?

EU importers carry the main risk. Each shipment they bring in from Oct. 31, 2026 may later face a backdated duty if the conditions are met¹. The Commission will assess those conditions in the regulation that imposes final duties¹.

Makers in China and Korea are the target of the investigation. The notice asked them to send company details within 7 days of Sept. 24, 2026, so the Commission could choose a sample to study². Companies picked for the sample must answer a questionnaire within 30 days of being told².

EU buyers of these thickeners may also feel the effect later through prices. Any future duty would come from the investigation’s findings¹.

When does registration start and end?

Registration started on Oct. 31, 2026, the day after publication¹. It ends nine months after that date, unless a later measure replaces it¹.

The investigation covers the period from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026². To judge harm, the Commission looks at trends from Jan. 1, 2022 to the end of that period².

The notice set other deadlines from Sept. 24, 2026. Comments on the complaint were due within 37 days. Requests for a hearing were due within 15 days².

What happens next in the cellulose ether case?

The Commission will decide whether the imports are dumped and whether they harm EU makers². If both are true, it will check whether duties would be in the wider EU interest².

If the Commission imposes final duties, that regulation will say whether backdated duties apply¹. Any personal data collected during registration will be handled under the EU’s data protection rules¹.

Key points on the cellulose ether registration

The table below sums up the order.

Shipments of these chemicals from China and Korea that enter the EU from Oct. 31, 2026 are on record. If final duties come, the Commission’s later regulation will decide whether those shipments pay backdated duties¹.

Sources

1. ↩ Implementing regulation – EU – 2026/2391 – EN – EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/2391/oj/eng
2. ↩ EUR-Lex – 52026XC04924 – EN – EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/4924/oj/eng