National governments of EU member states approve definitive duties on biodiesel from China

The European Biodiesel Board welcomed Jan. 9 the approval of definitive duties on biodiesel (FAME) and renewable diesel, also known as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), from China by EU member states.

In July 2024, EBB obtained provisional antidumping duties that are currently in force but were subject to approval by the national governments of EU member states.

This approval was issued Jan. 8 during the Trade Defense Instruments Committee by formal adoption of the European Commission’s proposal to impose such antidumping duties.

The definitive duties will be soon implemented for the next five years.

“While the protection against Chinese biodiesel imports is not perfect, and there is still work to do to ensure the proper implementation of the duties and their efficiency, the EBB would like to thank the commission for their work and the relief it has brought to the European biodiesel industry,” the EBB stated.

Xavier Noyon, EBB’s secretary general, added, “It has been a long journey since the EBB started this case, through first the circumvention case and later this antidumping case. After Indonesia, Argentina and the U.S., we now have measures in place against China. In the weeks and months to come, it will be crucial to monitor the evolution of all biodiesel imports particularly in the light of the recent Chinese export tax on used cooking oil (UCO).”  

On Dec. 1, China discontinued its 13 percent export-tax rebate on UCO.

“We will also closely monitor for circumvention as there are no duties imposed on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and the fact that some companies received lower antidumping duties than others,” Noyon added.

The formal next step is the publication of the implementing regulation imposing definitive duties in the EU Official Journal.

From the time of publication in the journal, definitive measures will be applied for five years.

The publication of this regulation must take place by Feb. 14 at the latest.