Brussels, 22/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The 28 EU member states have confirmed definitive anti-dumping duties revised upwards against Argentine and Indonesian exports of biodiesel.
On 19 November, the Council adopted the European Commission's proposal to establish definitive anti-dumping duties against Argentine and Indonesian exports of biodiesel. The rates of these duties, which will enter into force next week for a period of five years, range between 22% and 25.7% for Argentine biodiesel and between 16.9% and 25.7% for Indonesian biodiesel - in other words, rates that are clearly high in comparison with those of the provisional duties established in May (see EUROPE 10853).
Argentina and Indonesia introduced an export tax differential system which favours their biodiesel, with the application of a higher tax on raw materials (soya in Argentina and palm oil in Indonesia) than for the products processed from these raw materials. This has the effect of indirectly subsidising biodiesel production.
Argentine and Indonesian biodiesel were also targeted by an anti-subsidy investigation. The Comission decided to terminate this after the plaintiff, the European Biodiesel Board - EBB (the association of European biodiesel producers) - abandoned its action at the beginning of October when it was certain of obtaining definitive anti-dumping duties.
Argentina is the top world producer of biodiesel - ahead of Indonesia and Malaysia. Between 2010-2012, the European market share of Argentine and Indonesian biodiesel grew from 0% to nearly 30%. Argentine and Indonesian biodiesel accounts for nearly 90% of total biodiesel imports in the EU. (EH/transl.fl)