INEOS welcomes EU PVC anti-dumping probe and urges trade-defence reform

Investigation launched

The European Commission has opened an anti-dumping investigation into imports of certain PVC from China, Taiwan, Mexico and South Korea after a 100% rise in imports over 12 months.

Scale and market impact

PVC is used across water and sanitation, healthcare, construction, food packaging, energy infrastructure and defence. In 2025, €34.1 billion of organic chemicals were imported from China; in the first six months of 2026 chemical imports from China rose by 1.1 million tonnes while the EU chemical trade balance deteriorated by 1.2 million tonnes, making China the EU's largest source of chemical imports.

Carbon and competitiveness

INEOS highlights that Chinese chemical production, including PVC, relies heavily on coal-based energy and raw materials, resulting in products with a carbon footprint more than four times that of equivalent European production. The company warns that closing efficient European plants only to replace output with higher‑carbon imports exports jobs and emissions.

Trade-defence action and calls for reform

INEOS has filed or is filing 20 major trade-defence complaints on polymers and chemicals (double since November 2025) and urges quicker, strengthened measures: more resources for DG Trade, simplified case preparation, faster provisional measures and application of "safeguarding measures." INEOS points to the US use of tariffs as an example and includes calls to protect strategic industries swiftly. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS executives say Europe must act faster to prevent unfair competition and industry decline.