European anti‑dumping filings against Chinese chemicals have surged to a record, with the EU opening 24 cases in the past two years. After a decade of near silence, chemicals now make up almost half of all new trade‑defence investigations. The probes target niche inputs like 1,4‑Butanediol and adipic acid, vital for plastics.

Industry lobby Cefic warned the sector is at “breaking point”, citing high energy costs, over‑regulation and the loss of single‑source producers such as lysine. Director‑general Marco Mensink said the pipeline is full, with 26 complaints pending and Ineos alone filing ten in November. In 2024 and 2025 the tally rose to 12 cases annually.

EU officials argue tighter safeguards are essential to keep chemicals “part of the infrastructure” and avoid dependence on the US or Saudi exporters. New measures allow retroactive duties, already curbing import volumes. Cefic urges the Commission to hire 20 more case handlers and use existing tools more aggressively, warning that capacity cuts have doubled yearly, threatening supply of basics like paracetamol.