COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2022/2001
of 21 October 2022
imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of aspartame originating in the People’s Republic of China, following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council
1.
PROCEDURE
1.1.
Previous investigations and measures in force
1.2.
Request for an expiry review
1.3.
Initiation of an expiry review
1.4.
Review investigation period and period considered
1.5.
Interested parties
1.6.
Comments on initiation
1.7.
Sampling
1.7.1.
Sampling of importers
1.7.2.
Sampling of producers in the PRC
1.8.
Replies to the questionnaire
1.9.
Verification
1.10.
Subsequent procedure
2.
PRODUCT UNDER REVIEW, PRODUCT CONCERNED AND LIKE PRODUCT
2.1.
Product under review
2.2.
Product concerned
2.3.
Like product
3.
DUMPING
3.1.
Preliminary remarks
3.2.
Procedure for the determination of the normal value under Article 2(6a) of the basic Regulation for the imports of aspartame originating in the PRC
3.3.
Normal value
3.3.1.
Existence of significant distortions
3.3.2.
Representative country
3.3.2.1. General remarks
3.3.2.2. A level of economic development similar to the PRC
3.3.2.3. Availability of relevant public data in the representative country
3.3.2.4. Level of social and environmental protection
3.3.2.5. Conclusion
3.3.3.
Sources used to establish undistorted costs
3.3.3.1. Undistorted costs and benchmarks
3.3.3.1.1. Factors of production
Factor of Production |
Commodity Code in Malaysia |
Undistorted value (CNY) |
Unit of measurement |
Raw materials |
|||
Acetic anhydride |
29152400 |
9,73 |
kg |
L-aspartic acid |
29224900 |
16,56 |
kg |
L-phenylalanine |
29224900 |
16,56 |
kg |
Formic acid |
29151100 |
5,51 |
kg |
Methanol |
29051100 |
2,00 |
kg |
Sodium hydroxide/Caustic Soda (Salts of formic acid) |
29151200 |
6,95 |
kg |
Sodium carbonate (disodium carbonate) |
28362000 |
1,62 |
kg |
Labour |
|||
Direct and indirect labour in the manufacturing sector |
[N/A] |
53,6 |
Per hour |
Energy |
|||
Electricity |
[N/A] |
0,54 |
kWh |
3.3.3.1.2. Manufacturing overhead costs, SG&A, profits and depreciation
3.3.3.2. Calculation of the normal value
3.4.
Export price
3.5.
Comparison
3.6.
Dumping margin
4.
LIKELIHOOD OF CONTINUATION OR RECURRENCE OF DUMPING
4.1.
Production capacity and spare capacity in the PRC
4.2.
Attractiveness of the Union market and export prices to third countries
4.3.
Conclusion
5.
INJURY
5.1.
Definition of the Union industry and Union production
5.2.
Union consumption
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Total Union consumption |
[1 539 – 2 141 ] |
[4 355 – 6 058 ] |
[3 826 – 5 322 ] |
[3 957 – 5 504 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
283 |
249 |
257 |
Source: Eurostat and Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.3.
Imports from the country concerned
5.3.1.
Volume and market share of the imports from the country concerned
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Volume of imports from the country concerned |
[489 – 681 ] |
[1 017 – 1 415 ] |
[426 – 593 ] |
[311 – 433 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
266 |
128 |
85 |
Market share |
[28 % - 39 %] |
[20 % – 28 %] |
[10 % – 14 %] |
[7 % – 10 %] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
73 |
35 |
25 |
Source: Eurostat and Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.3.2.
Inward processing system
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Volume of imports from the PRC under the normal regime |
[292 – 407 ] |
[776 – 1 080 ] |
[374 – 521 ] |
[249 – 346 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
266 |
128 |
85 |
Market share |
[17 % – 23 %] |
[16 % – 22 %] |
[9 % – 12 %] |
[6 % – 8 %] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
94 |
52 |
33 |
Volume of imports from the PRC under the inward processing regime |
[197 – 274 ] |
[241 – 335 ] |
[52 – 72 ] |
[63 – 87 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
122 |
26 |
32 |
Market share |
[11 % – 16 %] |
[5 % – 7 %] |
[0 % – 2 %] |
[0 % – 3 %] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
43 |
11 |
12 |
Source: Eurostat and Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.3.3.
Prices of the imports from the country concerned and price undercutting
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
The PRC |
[8 452 – 11 758 ] |
[9 104 – 12 665 ] |
[8 976 – 12 486 ] |
[8 859 – 12 323 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
108 |
106 |
105 |
Source: Eurostat (without imports under inward processing) |
5.3.4.
Imports from third countries other than the PRC
Country |
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Japan |
Total volume of imports (tonnes) |
[312 – 434 ] |
[2 478 – 3 447 ] |
[2 383 – 3 315 ] |
[2 579 – 3 587 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
795 |
764 |
827 |
|
Market share (%) |
[18 – 25 ] |
[50 – 69 ] |
[55 – 76 ] |
[57 – 80 ] |
|
Volume of imports under the inward processing system |
[0 – 0 ] |
[1 049 – 1 459 ] |
[1 152 – 1 602 ] |
[1 529 – 2 127 ] |
|
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
- |
100 |
110 |
146 |
|
Market share of Japanese imports under inward processing system (%) |
[0 – 0 ] |
[21 – 29 ] |
[26 – 37 ] |
[34 – 47 ] |
|
Average price (EUR/tonne) without inward processing regime |
[11 431 – 15 901 ] |
[11 904 – 16 560 ] |
[11 987 – 16 676 ] |
[11 438 – 15 912 ] |
|
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
104 |
105 |
100 |
|
Source: Eurostat |
5.4.
Economic situation of the Union industry
5.4.1.
General remarks
5.4.2.
Production, production capacity and capacity utilisation
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Production volume (tonnes) |
[1 181 – 1 750 ] |
[1 379 – 2 043 ] |
[1 971 – 2 921 ] |
[1 963 - 2 909 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
117 |
167 |
166 |
Production capacity (tonnes) |
[2 656 – 3 936 ] |
[2 656 – 3 936 ] |
[2 656 – 3 936 ] |
[2 656 – 3 936 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
Capacity utilisation (%) |
[37 -55 ] |
[43 -64 ] |
[62 -91 ] |
[61 -91 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
117 |
167 |
166 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.4.3.
Sales volume and market share
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Sales volume on the Union market (tonnes) |
[699 – 1 035 ] |
[814 – 1 206 ] |
[962 – 1 425 ] |
[1 009 – 1 496 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
116 |
138 |
144 |
Market share |
[40 -59 ] |
[16 -24 ] |
[22 -33 ] |
[22 -33 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
41 |
55 |
56 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer and Eurostat |
5.4.4.
Growth
5.4.5.
Employment and productivity
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Number of employees |
[76 -112 ] |
[63 -94 ] |
[65 -96 ] |
[68 -100 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
84 |
86 |
89 |
Productivity (tonnes/FTE) |
[13 -19 ] |
[18 -27 ] |
[25 -37 ] |
[24 -36 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
139 |
194 |
186 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.4.6.
Magnitude of the dumping margin and recovery from past dumping
5.4.7.
Prices and factors affecting prices
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Average unit sales price in the Union |
[10 699 – 16 316 ] |
[11 954 – 18 229 ] |
[12 293 – 18 747 ] |
[12 051 – 18 377 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
112 |
115 |
113 |
Unit cost of production Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
81 |
73 |
71 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.4.8.
Labour costs
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Average labour costs per employee (EUR) |
[55 774 – 85 056 ] |
[61 652 – 94 019 ] |
[59 792 – 91 182 ] |
[54 112 – 82 521 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
111 |
107 |
97 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.4.9.
Inventories
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Closing stocks (tonnes) |
[102 – 155 ] |
[126 – 192 ] |
[171 - 261 ] |
[127 – 193 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
124 |
168 |
124 |
Closing stocks as a percentage of production |
[7 % - 11 %] |
[8 % – 12 %] |
[7 % – 11 %] |
[5 % – 8 %] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
106 |
101 |
75 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.4.10.
Profitability, cash flow, investments, return on investments and ability to raise capital
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Review Investigation period |
Profitability of sales in the Union to unrelated customers (% of sales turnover) Index (FY2018 = 100) |
- 100 |
-16 |
110 |
112 |
Cash flow (EUR) |
[-12 979 ; -8 511 ] |
[-3 690 ; -2 420 ] |
[249 – 380 ] |
[443 – 676 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
- 100 |
-28 |
103 |
105 |
Investments (EUR) |
[292 – 445 ] |
[1 302 – 1 985 ] |
[1 476 – 2 250 ] |
[1 750 – 2 669 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
100 |
446 |
505 |
599 |
Return on investments (%) |
[-37 ; -25 ] |
[- 224 ; - 147 ] |
[19 – 28 ] |
[6 – 10 ] |
Index (FY2018 = 100) |
- 100 |
- 599 |
176 |
126 |
Source: Questionnaire reply of the Union producer |
5.5.
Conclusion on injury
6.
LIKELIHOOD OF RECURRENCE OF INJURY
7.
UNION INTEREST
7.1.
Interest of the Union industry
7.2.
Interest of unrelated importers and traders
7.3.
Interest of users
7.4.
Conclusion on Union interest
8.
CLAIMS THAT MEASURES BE SUSPENDED/REQUEST FOR AN INTERIM REVIEW
9.
ANTI-DUMPING MEASURES
Article 1
Company |
Anti-dumping duty |
TARIC additional code |
Changmao Biochemical Engineering Co., Ltd |
55,4 % |
C067 |
Sinosweet group: Sinosweet Co., Ltd, Yixing city, Jiangsu Province, the PRC, and Hansweet Co., Ltd, Yixing city, Jiangsu Province, the PRC. |
59,4 % |
C068 |
Niutang group: Nantong Changhai Food Additive Co., Ltd, Nantong city, the PRC, and Changzhou Niutang Chemical Plant Co., Ltd, Niutang town, Changzhou city, Jiangsu Province, the PRC. |
59,1 % |
C069 |
All other cooperating companies: |
|
|
Shaoxing Marina Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, the PRC |
58,8 % |
C070 |
Changzhou Guanghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Chunjiang Town, Changzhou city, Jiangsu Province, the PRC |
58,8 % |
C071 |
Vitasweet Jiangsu Co., Ltd, Liyang City, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, the PRC |
58,8 % |
C072 |
All other companies |
59,4 % |
C999 |