Europe Union Starts Anti-dumping Investigation on Chinese Plywood

On 11 October 2024, the European Commission initiated an investigation on imports of Chinese hardwood plywood.

The Notice of Initiation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union and is available here: https://tron.trade.ec.europa.eu/investigations/case-view?caseId=2753

The plywood anti-dumping is a part of trade war between China and Europe. On 8 October 2024, the Chinese government imposed a provisional antidumping duty on imports of certain distilled wine from EU.

Products Under Investigation

Plywood subject to this investigation is plywood consisting solely of wood veneer other than bamboo and okoumé,
each ply not exceeding 6 mm thickness, with at least one outer ply of tropical wood or non-coniferous wood, of species
specified under subheadings 4412 31, 4412 33 and 4412 34, whether or not coated or surface-covered.

Most Chinese hardwood plywood will be imposed high duty under Case AD717.

• Okoume Faced Plywood
• Bintangor Faced Plywood
• Sapele Faced Plywood
• Eucalyptus Faced Plywood
• Birch Faced Plywood
• Film Faced Plywood

Compliant

Compliant was lodged on 27 August by the Greenwood Consortium. The compliant was made on behalf of the Union Industry of hardwood plywood producers in Europe.

It seems like a new organization.

Timetable of the Investigation

As of today, 12 December, the investigation is still going on.

There is news that European plywood importers are strongly against the anti-dumping investigation because this will increase the import cost and there is not enough alternative to Chinese hardwood plywood.

Date: 06-JUNE-2025, imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of hardwood plywood from the People’s Republic of China

Provisional anti-dumping duty is 25.1% on Pizhou Jiangshan Wood Co., Ltd and 62.4% on other Chinese exporters.

Imports of plywood with both outer plies made of coniferous wood or bamboo and with a core containing plies of species specified under subheadings 4412 31, 4412 33 and 4412 34, whether coated or surface covered or not, currently falling under CN codes ex 4412 10 00 and ex 4412 39 00 (TARIC codes 4412 10 00 10 and 4412 39 00 20) shall be monitored by the Commission.

Chinese Plywood Export Market

None European countries are in the top 10 export markets of Chinese plywood.

Top 20 export market of Chinese plywood in first ten months of 2024:

1. Philippines
2. UK
3. Canada
4. UAE
5. Australia
6. Vietnam
7. Saudi Arabia
8. Japan
9. Nigeria
10. Mexico
11. Israel
12. Belgium
13. Malaysia
14. Thailand
15. Iraq
16. Italy
17. Germany
18. Netherland
19. France
20. The United States

The combined export volume to Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherland and France can rank 1st in Chinese plywood export.

In other words, Europe is the largest export market of Chinese plywood export in 2024.

Definitive measures

A definitive anti-dumping duty is imposed on imports of plywood consisting solely of sheets of wood other than bamboo and okoumé, each ply not exceeding 6 mm thickness, with at least one outer ply of tropical wood or non- coniferous wood, of species specified under subheadings 4412 31, 4412 33 and 4412 34, whether or not coated or surface-covered, currently falling under CN and TARIC codes 4412 31 10 80, 4412 31 90 00, 4412 33 10 12, 4412 33 10 22, 4412 33 10 82, 4412 33 20 10, 4412 33 30 10, 4412 33 90 10 and 4412 34 00 10, and originating in the People’s Republic of China.

The rate of the definitive anti-dumping duty applicable to the net, free-at-Union-frontier price, before duty, of the products described in paragraph 1 and produced by the companies listed below, shall be as follows:

See more at: https://tron.trade.ec.europa.eu/investigations/case-view?caseId=2753