Japan opened an investigation on Oct. 16, 2026, into whether Chinese titanium dioxide pigments should face an extra import tax.<\/p>\n
Japan’s Ministry of Finance and trade ministry opened an anti-dumping investigation on Oct. 16, 2026, into Chinese white titanium dioxide pigments.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) are running the case together1<\/a><\/sup>. It covers pigments and preparations based on rutile titanium dioxide made in China2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n In short, nothing changes at the Japanese border today. The ministries will now spend up to a year checking prices and harm, and Chinese pigment could then face an extra import tax.<\/p>\n The two ministries decided to open a joint investigation into pigments and preparations based on rutile titanium dioxide<\/strong> from China1<\/a><\/sup>. The decision was made formal through a public notice dated Oct. 16, 20261<\/a><\/sup>. Japan Customs lists this notice as public notice No. 292 of Reiwa 8, the Japanese calendar year that matches 20263<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The case is an anti-dumping investigation. An anti-dumping duty is an extra import tax<\/strong> on goods sold abroad below their normal price. The investigation decides whether Japan should charge such a tax on this pigment2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n No duty applies yet. The notice opens the investigation only. A duty would come later, and only if the ministries find dumping and harm1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The request came from the Japan Titanium Dioxide Industry Association, the group of Japanese makers of the pigment1<\/a><\/sup>. It filed its written application with the Minister of Finance on Aug. 7, 2026<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The MOF and METI then examined the application under the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements and Japanese law2<\/a><\/sup>. They found sufficient evidence to justify an investigation<\/strong>2<\/a><\/sup>. That finding is the legal test for opening a case. It is not a finding that dumping has happened.<\/p>\n The ministries published a summary of the industry’s written application alongside the announcement2<\/a><\/sup>. METI also posted a questionnaire for companies, in Japanese2<\/a><\/sup>. The Japanese version of the METI release adds a second paper, a chart of the steps in the anti-dumping procedure4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The goods are pigments and preparations based on the rutile form of titanium dioxide1<\/a><\/sup>. Rutile is one crystal form of titanium dioxide. Only goods based on that form are named in the case.<\/p>\n The ministries describe the product as a fine white powder<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>. It has high hiding power, meaning it covers what lies under it well. It also resists weather well2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n The ministries list these main uses1<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\n Masterbatches are concentrated colour pellets that plastic makers mix into raw plastic. The ministries’ English releases do not give a tariff code for the goods.<\/p>\n The case covers goods originating in the People’s Republic of China1<\/a><\/sup>. The ministries exclude Hong Kong and Macao<\/strong> from the scope1<\/a><\/sup>. Goods originating in those two regions are therefore outside this investigation.<\/p>\nWhat did Japan start on Oct. 16, 2026?<\/h2>\n
Who asked for duties on Chinese titanium dioxide?<\/h2>\n
From application to investigation<\/h4>\n
Which titanium dioxide goods does the case cover?<\/h2>\n
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Which Chinese supply is in, and which is out?<\/h2>\n
Scope of the titanium dioxide case<\/h4>\n