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EU probes alleged dumping by Chinese stone producers
Aggregated Source: Shanghai Daily: Business

THE European Union has opened a new front in its trade battle with China by launching an investigation into alleged dumping by Chinese producers of stone used for counter tops and tiles.

The European Commission said yesterday it was starting the study after a complaint lodged last month by A.St.A., the European association of manufacturers of agglomerated stones.

The EU market is worth an annual 480 million euros (US$624 million), according to a source familiar with the case, with Chinese imports representing some 9 percent of that, making it a small to medium case for Commission investigators.

In the past two months, the Commission has imposed duties to counter dumping of Chinese solar panels and told China it is prepared to launch an investigation into anti-competitive behavior by producers of mobile telecoms equipment.

EU solar panel imports from China totaled 21 billion euros in 2011.

China has warned that duties on solar panels would seriously harm bilateral trade, and threatened to retaliate if an EU telecoms investigation begins.

China has since launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidy inquiries into imports of European wine.

A.St.A has 15 members, including six from Italy and two each from Spain and non-EU member Turkey.

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