Chinese citric acid faces duties

The European Commission is considering plans for duties on imports of citric acid from China.

Member states will be asked for their opinions at a meeting of the anti-dumping committee today (6 September).

An investigation into the case was launched by the Commission this week (4 September) following a complaint lodged by EU chemicals lobby CEFIC in July. Duties could be imposed provisionally in the coming nine months.

EU-based producers of citric acid, the most widely used preservative in the world, have been hit by the emergence of China as a major supplier. The flood of cheap supplies on the market has led to prices falling close to or, in some cases, below estimated production costs.

Companies with production in the EU include Dutch firm Royal DSM, Israeli firm GBI, Swiss firm Jungbunz-lauer and US multi-nationals Cargill and ADM, all members of the European Citric Acid Manufacturer’s Association (ECAMA), itself a member organisation of Cefic.

Cefic’s complaint was made on behalf of a firm representing more than a quarter of EU citric acid production.

The European Commission is considering plans for duties on imports of citric acid from China.