Global Countries Impose Tariffs on Chinese Chemical Products

Since 2026, global trade protectionism has noticeably intensified, with the chemical industry becoming one of the most affected sectors. Around Chinese chemical products, countries have introduced a series of anti-dumping duties, countervailing measures, and carbon tariff policies, gradually forming multi-layered trade barriers. Key raw materials such as titanium dioxide, epoxy resin, MDI, and PTMEG have become primary targets, with some proposed tariff rates reaching as high as 419.88%, further deteriorating the export environment.

This wave of trade restrictions shows a clear pattern of “targeting core raw materials first.” Titanium dioxide, a key input accounting for 20%–30% of coating costs, has already been included in anti-dumping investigations or measures by multiple countries and regions, including the EU, the Eurasian Economic Union, the UK, and Brazil. The EU imposes anti-dumping duties calculated by weight, roughly €0.25–€0.74/kg, while also adding the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The Eurasian Economic Union has imposed tariffs of around 14%–16%, the UK has launched investigations, and Brazil has strengthened existing measures. The combination of these policies has significantly increased overall industry costs.

Meanwhile, trade frictions are expanding into more chemical product categories. The EU has imposed anti-dumping duties of 17.3%–33.0% on epoxy resin and introduced provisional tariffs exceeding 100% on 1,4-butanediol. The United States has issued a final ruling on MDI, with some companies facing duties of 85.11% and others up to 159.04%, pushing total tax burdens above 200% when combined with existing tariffs. In addition, the U.S. has proposed an anti-dumping investigation on PTMEG, with suggested tariff rates ranging from 172.71% to 419.88%, making it one of the most severe potential measures currently under consideration.

Trade barriers are also spreading geographically, moving from Europe and the U.S. to global markets. In South America, Brazil has made affirmative preliminary rulings on acrylic acid and extended its investigation period. In the Middle East and other emerging markets, similar restrictive measures are gradually being introduced.

Overall, global trade restrictions on Chinese chemical products are expanding from single-product measures to multi-category coverage and from individual markets to global reach. They also increasingly combine tariffs with carbon-related constraints. This trend is significantly increasing export costs while putting pressure on corporate profit margins and global market strategies.